Peace in Syria is but a very distant dream. While world powers profess the desire to push the country towards peace, there is little anyone is really doing for an acceptable political settlement after years of civil war. The new round of UN-backed peace talks underway in Geneva received a major setback after the site of the Sayyida Zainab mosque in Damascus – revered by the Shias, in particular – was targeted by a terrorist attack. A car bomb was followed by two suicide bombers leaving over 70 dead and hundreds injured at the religious site. Responsibility for the bombing has been claimed by Isis. The attack resulted in negotiators in Geneva trading barbs over who is the greater terrorist. While the Syrian government has already barred Isis and Al-Qaeda affiliated groups from any negotiations, this has not created enough common ground between the government and opposition groups. The Sayyida Zainab mosque attack is one of the worst attacks within a government-controlled area in Damascus.
In a way, the attack is a reminder of the importance of the Geneva talks. At the same time, it is also a reminder of the absolute futility of the talks in the face of the accelerating civil war. Syrian, Russian and Western warplanes have continued to bomb targets selected at will while hundreds of thousands of people continue to live in Syrian territory with poor access to healthcare and food. The opposition has claimed that 34 civilians have been killed by the Syrian government since talks opened last Friday. Opposition negotiators have maintained they won’t begin negotiations until the implementation of a UN Security Council resolution that demands that all parties allow access to aid, release prisoners, end sieges and stop targeting civilian areas. Currently, it seems that if the two sides were to meet face-to-face, the talks would collapse immediately. The same thing happened the last time talks were held two years ago, which is why the international community is treading with caution for now. It was only international pressure that brought the diverse groups to the talking table. Over 250,000 killed and over 10 million displaced – the Syrian tragedy will remain a blot on the face of our times. The Sayyida Zainab mosque attack continues the tragedy. And no one is offering a way out yet.