Lakhdar Brahimi, U.N. envoy to Syria: Ending civil war "nearly impossible"

(CBS/AP) The U.N.'s new envoy to Syria says his mission to end the country's civil war is "nearly impossible".

Lakhdar Brahimi's comments on Monday came as activists said Syrian warplanes bombed the northern town of Al-Bab, killing at least 15 people.

"I'm scared of the weight of responsibility. People are already saying: 'People are dying and what are you doing?' And we are not doing much," Brahimi told BBC News. "That in itself is a terrible weight."

"I know how difficult it is - how nearly impossible. I can't say impossible - [it is] nearly impossible," added the diplomat.

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Syria's violence has escalated in recent weeks. Activists say August saw the highest number of deaths in more than 17 months of fighting, with about 5,000 people killed, as President Bashar Assad's regime unleashed crushing air power against the revolt for the first time.

The U.N. children's fund UNICEF put the death toll for last week alone at 1,600, the largest weekly figure for the entire uprising.

"The past month witnessed large massacres and the regime was conducting wide operations to try to crush the uprising," said Omar Idilbi, a Cairo-based activist with the Local Coordination Committees group. "Last month's acts of violence were unprecedented."

He said the increased use of the air force and artillery bombardments was behind the spike in casualties.

The civil war witnessed a major turning point in August when Assad's forces began widely using air power for the first time to try to put down the revolt. The fighting also reached Syria's largest city, Aleppo, which had been relatively quiet for most of the uprising.

The Britain-based activist group Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said that 5,440 people, including 4,114 civilians were killed in August. The LCC put the toll at 4,933 civilians.

CBS

Amid that spiraling violence, the International Committee of the Red Cross said its new president was heading to Syria on a three-day visit - his first since he took office.

The ICRC said that Peter Maurer was to arrive in Syria on Monday and would meet with President Bashar Assad and several of his ministers.

The Red Cross said the talks would address the "rapidly deteriorating humanitarian situation" and the difficulties which the ICRC and the Syrian Arab Red Crescent face in reaching people affected by Syria's civil war.

[GeorgeKafantaris]

The mission of the new U.N. envoy to Syria is not only "impossible" but also naive. Perhaps the U.N. sees no harm in sending Lakhdar Brahimi to Syria, but it is utterly foolish for him to be there waiving a white flag in the mist of aerial bombings and intense ground fighting.
Indeed, even if peace was still plausible, it would mean loss of power for Assad and his henchmen -- or their answering for war crimes, as they had reached the point of no return to civilized governance long ago. Their only hope now is to fight the rebellion and carve out a chunk of Syria for their refuge.
The Iranian regime is absolutely determined to help Assad do this -- which is precisely why the path through Syria has become our gateway to Iran.
And let us not fool ourselves: That regime will have to be confronted militarily, sooner or later. The time to do so is now when we have other nations by our side going into Syria.
As for Russia and China, these two are reasonable opponents and will do what is best for them -- and the rabid Iranian regime is not much better for them as it is for the rest of us. And like us, Russia and China have given up all hope of taming it.
It is foreseeable then that Russia and China will again watch as we spend our blood and treasure to knock out another troublesome regime in the world.
A more pressing question is whether we have any stomach left for another war. Assad and the Iranian regime are betting that we don't.
But then so did Saddam and Gaddafi.

[audemus]

The more I learn of the U.N., the more I dislike it.

[formerlyluvnut]

"nearly impossible"?????? Bullfunky. Leave 'em be to kill each other or nuke 'em; either way it's a win win.

[melbatom]

This state of Syria is clearly a prophecy Nation as it is called the King of the North in most section of the bible. The transfer of the State to Muslim control will complete the surerounding of the Israel as understaken by the same people. The attempted instalation of the Islamic anti Israel makes war a promising to all of the nations. The next notation of King of the North in Issiah is call KING OF THE FAR NORTH. That can only be Russia!
No they are not going to stop this event. Let me assure it that if it continues on this bases the Battle of Armaggedon is just around the corner. The Election in the USA will be a major factor in how this will all play out.

[dayofrageindc]

Of course ending the war is possible. All the US has to do is cut the funding for the al Qaeda fighters and CIA Black Ops. All it has to do is tell Turkey to stop providing bases for forward movement and onward integration into the Syrian theater. That is not the US plan. The US and Israeli plan is to let Syria destroy itself. But, when al Qaeda losses the battle and realizes it was used by the US and Saudis, woe be on to them. The corrupt House of Saud is going to crumble like a house of cards.

[dayofrageindc]

Of course ending the war is possible. All the US has to do is cut the funding for the al Qaeda fighters and CIA Black Ops. All it has to do is tell Turkey to stop providing bases for forward movement and onward integration into the Syrian theater. That is not the US plan. The US and Israeli plan is to let Syria destroy itself. But, when al Qaeda losses the battle and realizes it was used by the US and Saudis, woe be on to them. The corrupt House of Saud is going to crumble like a house of cards.

[dayofrageindc]

Of course ending the war is possible. All the US has to do is cut the funding for the al Qaeda fighters and CIA Black Ops. All it has to do is tell Turkey to stop providing bases for forward movement and onward integration into the Syrian theater. That is not the US plan. The US and Israeli plan is to let Syria destroy itself. But, when al Qaeda losses the battle and realizes it was used by the US and Saudis, woe be on to them. The corrupt House of Saud is going to crumble like a house of cards.

[MrsHippy]

The solution is: Assassinate Assad.

[dayofrageindc]

What Americans need to ask themselves and answer for themselves by Googling the question:

When Will True Patriots Begin To Wage War Against a Corrupt US Government?

[dayofrageindc]

Of course ending the war is possible. All the US has to do is cut the funding for the al Qaeda fighters and CIA Black Ops. All it has to do is tell Turkey to stop providing bases for forward movement and onward integration into the Syrian theater. That is not the US plan. The US and Israeli plan is to let Syria destroy itself. But, when al Qaeda losses the battle and realizes it was used by the US and Saudis, woe be on to them. The corrupt House of Saud is going to crumble like a house of cards.

[fredm6900]

If you say that something is "impossible" it will be certainly impossible. If you say something is "nearly impossible" it will be certainly nearly impossible. He should say nothing but ask what can we do to end the conflict. This question should be addressed to both sides of the conflict including the rest of us.