The most difficult part of a peace process is getting the main combatants to acknowledge that a stalemate exists on the ground and that continued fighting has no immediate purpose. Rarely does one party enter negotiations when it believes it can achieve some advantage through continued fighting. Often, just before talks begin, conflict intensifies as combatants try to gain some advantage going into negotiations.

That appears to be occurring now as the Syrian government steps up its campaign to liberate the city of Aleppo from rebel forces before the next round of United Nations-sponsored peace talks begin. In recent weeks, fighting has intensified, with, once again, reports of the use of chemical weapons against civilian populations. The atrocities must stop, the fighting must end and the peace process must be given every opportunity to proceed.

Aleppo in 2011 was Syria's second-largest city, the country's commercial center and a UNESCO World Heritage site. It became a target of Syrian rebels in July 2012 and portions of the city fell under their control within weeks. A government siege continued, and the periodic offensives have been launched, but the rebels have maintained control of the eastern part of the city.