And Brahimi has come out empty-handed

This post is about Labrahimi visit to Damascus, based on Arabic articles  translated by me (Alex) and compiled with other reportes posted at Al-manar site.

According to media sources close to the Labrahimi, Moscow and Washington have agreed on points to solve the Syrian crisis, but Arab regimes and Gulf states rejected iniatial agreement, because the agree do not require Assad's departure, and this is shooked the thrones in the Gulf, therefore, Labrahimi visited Damascus carrying a new offer and it was rejected by Assad, especially because it bears  clear hallmarks of the Muslim Brotherhood and the Gulf.

Key points that were traded between Brahimi and President Assad

• Brahimi offered a cease-fire is guaranteed by Turkey, Qatar and Saudi Arabia, but does not include Nusra Front.
• Assad may stay with limited powers after givinge the rest of his powers to a prime minister from the opposition but not from Doha coliation, during the transition period.
• Assad should not run for presidency once again in 2014.

President Assad affirmed his rejection of the offer altogether. He confirmed that there is no place for those who called for foreign intervention on the negociation table or in the government, and no for the participation of the leadership of the "Muslim Brotherhood" in any future dialogue.
President Assad demanded withdraw of all foreign fighters, and stopping financing and supply of weapons for the gunmen immediately. 

And Brahimi has come out empty-handed
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Brahimi Urges ‘Real’ Change in Syria, Transition Government

Al-manar

International peace envoy, Lakhdar Brahimi called for a “real” change in Syria, urging the formation of a transition government with full powers until elections can be held. "We need to form a government with all powers... which assumes power during a period of transition. That transition period will end with (presidential or parliamentary) elections," Brahimi told reporters at a news conference in Damascus, during his latest bid to end to Syria’s turmoil. The Algerian diplomat had arrived in Syria on Sunday for his first visit to the country since October. "Change should not be cosmetic; the Syrian people need and require real change, and everyone understands that,” Brahimi said on the fifth day of his latest peace mission to Syria. "The transition period should not lead to the collapse of the state and its institutions," he said, adding the initiative was incomplete. "We prefer... a project whose facilitation the parties have agreed upon, and, if they do not, the last solution is going to the (UN) Security Council which will make a binding resolution." Brahimi is to hold talks on Saturday with Moscow at the request of the envoy, Russia's foreign ministry said. ------ The above statements made by Labrahimi indicate that his task is exploring Assad's position about the transitional period, in order to translate "Geneva -1" agreement into "Geneva - 2". He was keen to deny rumors (leaks) as if saying "Do not play with Labrahimi these games, nor exert this pressure."  It seems that he conveyed to Assad a Russian-American message regarding formation of a national unity government to lead a transitional phase until the presidential election of 2014, where Assad's term ends.Most likely, Assad took the opportionity to tell Labrahimi his intention to run for the presidency in the 2014 elections. The supporters of Assad say asking: "How you talk about a democratic regime in Syria, and deny Assad's Democrat right to run? If Assad is really rejected by the Syrian people, why you do not leave the polls reveal the will of the people amid Arab and international supervision? " Assad's supporters say also: "All eyes are focused on the "decline" in the Russian position, while the truth is that the decline is in the American position, as well as the so-called  "Friends of the Syrian people " after they found that all the promises made by the Syrian armed opponents about the near fall of the regime did not materialize...these commentators  who wants to know the truth about the Russia's position,should look to the Mediterranean coast, where most recently three warships carried special forces to Syria. In any case,Labrahimi's visit to Damascus did not offer satisfactory answers to those looking forward to a quick solution in Syria, but undoubtedly the visit confirmed that the Syrian crisis is still at the top of international and regional attention. Miqdad Discusses Syria Crisis in Russia   Local Editor   Syrian Deputy Foreign Minister Fayssal Miqdad held on Thursday talks at the Russian foreign ministry, as Moscow denied existence of a joint plan with the United States to end the crisis in the country. Russian foreign ministry spokesman Alexander Lukashevich said Miqdad held talks in the morning at the foreign ministry in Moscow, adding that the results would be announced later in the day..... Miqdad was heading a Syrian government delegation during the talks. The meeting came amid a flurry of end-of-year diplomacy in Russia over the Syrian crisis that will also see talks between international envoy Lakhdar Brahimi and Lavrov on Saturday. Egyptian Foreign Minister Mohamed Amr is also arriving in Moscow later on Thursday for a visit that will include talks and a news conference with Lavrov on Friday. Meanwhile, Russia denied the existence of a joint plan with the United States concerning solving Syria crisis, after Western media reported a new Russia-US initiative that would see Assad stay in power until 2014 while preventing him from further renewing his mandate. However, Lukashevich vehemently denied the existence of any such plan. "There was not and is not such a plan and it is not being discussed," he said, adding that Russia's Syria policy was still based on an accord with world powers made back in June for an inter-Syrian dialogue. ---------- Meanwhile, Russian Ships to Stage Anti-Terror Drills off Syria Coast the Defense Ministry announced. The ministry said the war games will involve anti-submarine, anti-ship and air defense exercises in the Mediterranean, where a group of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet vessels are being deployed. Two Russian large landing ships, Nikolai Filchnekov and Azov, passed on Thursday through the Bosporus and Dardanelles on their way to the eastern Mediterranean where they are to join a Black Sea Fleet detachment, consisting of guard missile cruiser Moskva, patrol ship Smetlivy, tanker Ivan Bubnov and a BS-406 tugboat. --------- In Tehran, Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi stressed that the solution for the ongoing Syria crisis would not be a foriegn one. Talking to press following a cabinet meeting on Wednesday, Salehi said that Iran has been taking careful measures to ensure the ongoing turmoil in Syria, stressing the crisis will be resolved through a Syria-Syria solution, Mehr news agency reported. He said a meeting among the foreign ambassadors in Iran has been arranged in order to discuss Tehran’s six-point plan for Syria. “Our plan is comprehensive and takes into consideration all aspects of the issue,” the Iranian foreign minister added. On December 16, Iran unveiled the details of a six-point plan to resolve the ongoing crisis in Syria, which calls for an immediate end to all violent and armed acts.

He also said that Iran’s proposal was similar to international envoy Lakhdar Brahimi’s one.
“In the frame work of this plan, other sub-plans are workable, Brahimi’s visit to Syria being among them, since we have given him the plan as proposal before,” the Iranian FM noted.

“ Currently, we are negotiating with Brahimi, Egypt, Turkey, Indonesia, Pakistan, and other countries with an interest in the Syrian issue to implement the proposal,” he said.

Salehi admitted that the implementation of the plan was difficult, but he believed that Islamic Republic of Iran was acting in a way that parties to solution were Syrian-Syrian, and no other foreign version would be forced on solution.

“Foreigners should better know this,” he said.

“The west now sees itself with extremism in Syria which commits heinous crimes. Of course, everybody knows well who supports the extremism,” he added.

River to Sea Uprooted Palestinian

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