Western powers call for resumption of talks to end Syrian war

Kerry slams regime’s ‘indiscriminate bombing’ of Aleppo as ‘crime against humanity,’ urges Russia, Iran to help end it

PARIS, France — Western powers called Saturday for the resumption of talks between Syrian President Bashar Assad’s regime and the opposition in a bid to end a war that has cost more than 300,000 lives.

US Secretary of State John Kerry, who attended talks in Paris with the opposition, said the regime’s “indiscriminate bombing” of Aleppo amounted to “war crimes” and “crimes against humanity” and he called for Russia and Assad’s other backers Iran to help end it.

With regime forces pursuing an onslaught on rebel-held areas of Aleppo assisted by Russian air power, the Western powers and Gulf states held discussions with opposition representative Riad Hijab.

Afterwards, French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault said: “We need to tie down the conditions for a genuine political transition, and negotiations must resume on a clear basis within the framework of the UN resolution 2254.”

That resolution sets out a roadmap for ending the five-year-old Syria war.

Syrian residents fleeing the violence, are seen standing in the back of a truck as they arrive at a checkpoint manned by pro-government forces, in the village of Aziza on the southwestern outskirts of the northern Syrian city of Aleppo on December 9, 2016. (AFP/ George Ourfalian)

Ayrault said the opposition offered to take part without conditions. But a diplomatic source said that the opposition required a political transition in Syria before it would agree to take part.

When the two sides staged fruitless talks in Geneva in April the subject of a transition was not even among the issues discussed.

Chief Negotiator for the Syrian Opposition Riad Hijab (C-L) and Local Council of Aleppo president Brita Hagi Hassan (C-R) arrive for a meeting on the Syrian conflict in Paris on December 10, 2016. (AFP/POOL/Thibault Camus)

Germany meanwhile urged the regime and its military backers to allow civilians to leave shattered Aleppo.

“We demand that the regime, but also Iran and Russia, let people leave the conflict zone,” German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said.