The Geneva 2 Peace Conference adjourned without reaching any result, announced disappointed chairman Lakhdar Brahimi. No date for a third round of talks has been set.

Member governments of the Friends of Syria readily denounced the "deadlock," pinning the responsibility on the "regime"’s delegation.

Western news agencies have reported that the Syrian delegation wished to discuss terrorism, while the representatives of the "opposition" wanted to focus on the formation of the Transitional Government Body.

In reality, the two delegations had agreed to negotiate on the basis of the Geneva 1 Final Communiqué [1]. The discussion was supposed to unfold section by section. But the first discussion item stipulates: "All parties must re-commit to a sustained cessation of armed violence in all its forms and implementation of the six-point plan immediately and without waiting for the actions of others." Now, it is the delegation of the "opposition" - abetted by the U.S. threats of military escalation - that refused to touch on the question of armed violence. In the circumstances, it would have been impossible for the Damascus delegation to start negotiations on the formation of the Transitional Governing Body while the fighting still continues.

In violation of their own signature, the United States adopted in mid-January a plan to rearm the opposition until 30 September 2014. They had nevertheless committed themselves in the final communiqué of Geneva 1 "to work urgently and intensively to bring about an end to the violence and human rights abuses." The Pentagon is currently organizing an airlift and taking part in the transportation of jihadists and equipment to Jordan to attack Syria again. According to the Wall Street Journal of 16 February, Saudi Arabia has allegedly provided the rebel army with the antiaircraft missiles that Washington had refused to deliver. [2].

[1] “Action Group for Syria Final Communiqué”, Voltaire Network, 30 June 2012.

[2] “Saudis Agree to Provide Syrian Rebels With Mobile Antiaircraft Missiles”, by Maria Abi-Habib and Stacy Meichtry, The Wall Street Journal, 16 February 2014.