Insurgnet in Captured BMP (Photo: Achilleas Zavallis/AFP)I spoke with Monocle 24's The Globalist this morning to consider both opposition and regime talk about negotiations --- is this likely to lead to actual discussions?
Listen to the interview from the 10:15 mark, either on The Globalist homepage or in the pop-out window.
My answer is "No". The immediate barrier is that each side is setting conditions to its entry into talks, but the more important reason is that as the insurgency takes more territory, it has no incentive to meet regime officials unless President Assad is ready to step down.
Since I recorded this, we have had further news --- see today's Live Coverage --- of insurgent victories, including the seizure of an airbase and the advance on the city of Deir Ez Zor. Those developments only reinforce my view.