Syria peace talks set for January 22 in Geneva

By Stephanie Nebehay and Louis Charbonneau GENEVA/NEW YORK (Reuters) - An international peace conference aimed at ending Syria's civil war will be held on January 22, the first face-to-face talks between the government of President Bashar al-Assad and rebels seeking to overthrow him, the United Nations said on Monday. The United Nations is hoping for a peaceful transition in Syria, building on an agreement between world powers reached in June last year in Geneva. That was the "full implementation of the Geneva Communique of 30 June 2012", including the establishment of a transitional governing body with full executive powers, including over military and security entities. The participation of Syria's ally Iran in the peace conference has been a major stumbling block as Washington has opposed it, while Russia has backed Tehran's attendance.



via Health News Headlines - Yahoo! News http://news.yahoo.com/u-n-convene-syria-peace-talks-january-22-120214488.html