Syria Peace Talks 'Deadlocked' Over Assad Future

The Syria peace talks are "deadlocked" over proposals for a transitional government in the war-torn country, say delegates.

The third day of negotiations in Geneva, Switzerland, broke down over the issue of President Bashar al Assad's future and possible power-sharing with rebel leaders.

Mediator Lakhdar Brahimi, an Algerian diplomat representing the UN and Arab League, then called a halt to Monday's session.

Opposition delegation member Rima Fleihan said the talks were "not constructive" after the regime insisted on discussing "terrorism" instead of a transition.

Syrian forces have agreed to allow women and children to leave Homs

The Syrian government has ruled out discussions about Mr Assad leaving power and the first two days of the UN-sponsored talks focused on humanitarian issues.

Syrian deputy foreign minister Faisal Mekdad told Sky News the Assad regime had come to Geneva "with all willingness to contribute to the success of this meeting".

He said his government had presented delegates with a paper containing five essential points "that will make the way smoother for the actual discussion when we come to the hard issues".

The list includes "full respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Syria" and "rejection of all forms of dictate and foreign interference in Syrian internal affairs - directly or indirectly."

Asked by Sky whether that rejection included Iran's backing of the Assad regime, he said: "If we speak about such things, at the end of the whole list will come such names.

The US says aid supplies are urgently needed in Homs

"But before that, we have to combat more than 83 countries that are interfering daily in the internal affairs of the Syrian Arab Republic - sending arms, sending weapons, sending terrorists and sending all that is destroying Syria."

The first tangible - if limited - sign of progress came on Sunday when the regime agreed to allow women and children safe passage from the besieged, rebel-held city of Homs.

Homs, one of the first cities to rise against President Assad, had a pre-war population of one million, but most residents have fled.

UN mediator Lakhdar Brahimi called a halt to Monday's talks

Activists say about 800 families are trapped in the rubble-strewn city, without regular access to food, medicine and basic necessities.

Mr Brahimi acknowledged that the agreement to free women and children fell short of his hope of sending aid convoys into the city.

But, he said, "to bring Syria out of the ditch in which it has fallen will take time".

The US has said the evacuation of women and children is not enough, and urged the Syrian government to allow supplies into the city because "people are starving".

The talks are aimed at ending a war which has so far claimed 130,000 lives and made two million people refugees.

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