Expectations were low for the first round of Syrian peace talks, which convened in Montreaux, Switzerland, last month, and those expectations were met. A week of negotiations began in controversy, proceeded in only the most formal of terms, then, after marking some small progress, concluded with a whimper, with a second round uncertain.
It says a great deal that negotiators consider the willingness of both sides to be in the same room at the same time an accomplishment. The danger now is that the Syrian government will use formal negotiations as cover while stepping up its assaults on the rebels. The world must demand that Damascus be held accountable for its actions, even as — or if — talks proceed.
An extraordinarily bloody civil war has raged in Syria for more than two years. More than 100,000 Syrians have been killed, and as many as 6 million people — nearly a third of the population — have become refugees.
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