Cease-fire talks to begin amid low expectations

WITH STAKES high and expectations low, Syria's government and its opponents are supposed to sit down face-to-face this week for the first time - muscled to an international peace conference by foreign powers that fear the bloodiest of the Arab Spring uprisings may engulf the entire region in sectarian war.

But the negotiations, tenuous from the beginning, were again up in the air on Monday as a new United Nations (UN) invitation extended to Iran prompted a threat from the Western-backed opposition to pull out of the gathering.

The international community seemingly agrees on the urgent need to end fighting that has killed more than 130,000 people, touched off the worst humanitarian crisis in decades, and unleashed sectarian hatreds that have sent tremors across the Middle East.

But they do not agree on how - or who - can end the war.

Both the government and the opposition have suffered enormous losses, but even now, neither side appears desperate enough for a deal to budge from its entrenched position. The front lines of the war itself have been largely locked in place since last March.

At this point, just getting the antagonists into the same room would be perceived as a success - even if it does nothing more than start a process that lasts years. Proponents also argue that the conference could provide an opening to improve access for humanitarian aid and help secure local cease-fires.

But a larger question looms over the whole endeavour: How can the opposition, represented by the Syrian National Coalition, enforce any agreement reached in Geneva?

- AP