...boodling on the grand scale...
envoy to Syria said Feb. 17 he has received a commitment from the Syrian government to suspend
Staffan de Mistura was briefing the Security Council in closed session on his latest efforts to find a solution to the grinding civil war. There was no indication of when the suspension of
He called the new development a glimmer of hope. And he continued to emphasize a political solution to the nearly four-year conflict.
But questions remain. De Mistura now has to get the opposition's support for the plan, which includes a request for them to suspend rocket and mortar fire in the same period. And Syria's ambassador to the U.N. refused to comment after the council meeting.
"Let's be frank. I have no illusions," de Mistura told news hounds. "Based on past experiences, it is a difficult issue to achieve."
This was de Mistura's first council briefing since he explained his freeze plan in October, and council members wanted to know what kind of support, if any, it received from
Hereditary President-for-Life Bashir Pencilneckal-Assad
Despoiler of Deraa...
in his meeting with de Mistura earlier this month.