UN Envoy Trying to Negotiate Temporary Syrian Ceasefire - East Idaho News
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UN Envoy Trying to Negotiate Temporary Syrian Ceasefire

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GETTY W 082012 NewUNEnvoy?  SQUARESPACE CACHEVERSION=1350467098601ASHRAF SHAZLY/AFP/Getty Images(DAMASCUS, Syria) — Talks are currently underway with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s government to observe a four-day ceasefire over the Eid al-Adha Muslim holiday at the end of October that would provide a brief respite from the fighting between the Syrian military and rebel forces that has resulted in the loss of tens of thousands of lives.

The discussions were initiated by United Nations special envoy Lakhdar Brahimi, who apparently has had conversations with other leaders in the Arab world to explore the feasibility of the plan.

Signs of a breakthrough were evident Tuesday as an official with the Syrian foreign ministry announced, “The Syrian side is interested in exploring this option and we are looking forward to talking to Mr. Brahimi to see what is the position of other influential countries that he has talked to in his tour.”

Syria says other governments have to put pressure on the rebels to accept the terms of any ceasefire proposal.

Whether anything will come of it is uncertain since two previous attempts at an armistice during the course of the 19-month long conflict only intensified the government’s crackdown on opposition forces.

Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio

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