Ex-UN chief Annan tries peace talks in Syria

March 10, 2012 at 12:00a.m.

Los Angeles Times

BEIRUT

Former United Nations chief Kofi Annan is scheduled to be in Syria today on a special peace mission, but the veteran diplomat faces daunting obstacles in trying to craft a cease-fire in the almost yearlong conflict that has cost thousands of lives.

Annan, a joint special envoy of the United Nations and the Arab League, will meet today in Damascus, the Syrian capital, with President Bashar Assad, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told reporters Friday.

On the eve of his trip, opposition activists reported scores more killed across Syria as the now-traditional Friday protests took place in many parts of the country.

Annan’s trip to Damascus comes as the crisis in Syria appears to have reached an impasse amid fear that it could disintegrate into a full-fledged civil war in the heart of the Middle East, with broad geopolitical implications.

The former U.N. chief must walk a diplomatic tightrope, balancing the demands of some nations — including the United States — that Assad must go, against the wishes of other countries, notably Russia, China and Iran, that seek a negotiated settlement while Assad retains power.

Annan already has angered Syrian dissidents by ruling out further “militarization” of the conflict.