Syria accuses Brahimi of encouraging 'terror'

A pro-government Syria newspaper accused UN-Arab League Joint Special envoy on Syria Lakhdar Brahimi Thursday of encouraging "terrorism" and plotting the "destruction of the Middle East." "Brahimi has not for a single day acted as an honest broker," said an editorial in Al-Watan. "He has consistently been a party and an employee in the plot to destroy and dismantle the Middle East," Al-Alam reported. The newspaper also said he "consistently refuses to comment on (the presence in Syria of) 'foreign fighters,' whom he appears to view as defenders of democracy and freedom of belief." "His silence proves the role he has played and continues to play in encouraging terrorism, or at least in ignoring it," added the paper, which is close to President Bashar al-Assad's government. On Tuesday, Al-Watan reported that Brahimi intends to hold talks with US and Russian officials in Geneva in mid-April to prepare for a new round of peace talks in Switzerland. So far, none of the parties has confirmed that. A previous round, dubbed Geneva II, brought the Syria and opposition representatives to the negotiating table for talks in January but reaped no concrete results. While the opposition insisted a peace process should focus on discussing the establishment of a "transitional governing body" to take over from Assad, the government said the talks should give priority to countering "terrorism" in Syria.