Middle East, Peace Deal | featured news

Syrian President Bashar Assad in a rare public appearance presented a plan for ending the country’s deadly civil war, but called his opponents “terrorists” and made clear he had no intention of leaving office, presenting himself as his people’s protector. 

Cease-fire brokered by the U.N. is fragile as government troops halt widespread attacks, but still refuse to withdraw.

Kofi Annan appealed on Wednesday to President Bashar al-Assad’s Iranian backers to support a peace effort.

A U.N.-brokered peace deal for Syria appeared to collapse as the government made a new demand.

Syria says the year-long revolt to topple President Bashar al-Assad is now over, but it will keep its forces in cities to "maintain security" until it is safe to withdraw in keeping with a U.N.-backed peace deal.

Syria has accepted a U.N.-sponsored peace plan, international envoy Kofi Annan said on Tuesday, as troops loyal to President Bashar al-Assad raided rebel forces who have taken refuge across the border in Lebanon.

President Ali Abdullah Saleh refuses to sign the accord for him to step down with immunity, and a regional council says it is ceasing efforts for a deal. Saleh backers besiege an embassy where envoys had gathered to witness the signing.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Friday invited Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to resume direct talks in Washington on September 2 with an aim to reaching a peace deal within one year.

The Pakistani Taliban says it wants to return to a peace deal that recently collapsed, sparking an ongoing massive military operation, a spokesman said Tuesday.