[An Nahar] Peace envoy Lakhdar Brahimi said Wednesday that Syria and "most" rebel chiefs have agreed to a truce this week, boosting hopes of a breakthrough in the conflict, but the main armed opposition group was skeptical.Syria said it was studying the U.N.-Arab League
...an organization of Arabic-speaking states with 22 member countries and four observers. The League tries to achieve Arab consensus on issues, which usually leaves them doing nothing but a bit of grimacing and mustache cursing...
envoy's initiative for a four-day ceasefire during the Mohammedan holiday of Eid al-Adha and would announce its decision on Thursday, the day before it is supposed to take effect.
"The Syrian government has agreed to a ceasefire" during Eid, Brahimi said, adding "most" rebel leaders contacted said they also would observe it.
"If we succeed with this modest initiative, a longer ceasefire can be built" that would allow the launch of a political process, said the Algerian diplomat.
Brahimi has touted his ceasefire initiative for weeks, but as the date for its implementation fast approaches, there has been no let up in the deadly violence.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said at least 142 people were killed across Syria on Wednesday, 20 of them civilians including women and kiddies massacred in Douma, a rebel-held town near Damascus
...Capital of the last overtly fascist regime in the world...
As the bloodshed continued, Brahimi told the U.N. Security Council a truce would be "small step" but he was unsure if it would hold, according to diplomats.
Brahimi appealed for unanimous support, warning the 15-nation council a new failure among its divided members would cause the 19-month civil war to spread, they told Agence La Belle France Presse.
The Security Council is bitterly divided over the conflict, with Western nations pressing for action against the Assad regime while Russia and China have been blocking these moves.
But it did agree to back Brahimi's ceasefire call Wednesday in a statement also urging Syria's neighbors to "use their influence" on the parties to push for an end to the conflict.