Still no hint of a compromise

摘要

For all the recent diplomatic drum-rolls, Syrians have no illusions that an end to their misery is in sight. A plan for a second big peace conference in Geneva, floated six months ago, was boosted in September after Syria's government, caught out killing more than a thousand civilians with chemical weapons, agreed to give them up. But since then hopes for serious talks have kept sinking into quicksand. On November 5th Lakhdar Brahimi, the joint envoy of the un and the Arab League, conceded that the Geneva conference will not be held this month as previously promised.