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Executive Summary for November 5th

To give you an overview of the latest news, we’ve organized the latest Syrian developments in a curated summary. .

Published on Nov. 5, 2013 Read time Approx. 3 minutes

Diplomats Push to Salvage Peace Talks. The U.N., the U.S. and Russia are meeting in Geneva today, hoping to affirm plans for a Syrian peace summit by the end of this year (one Russian news agency says they’ve been postponed, at least until December).  Today’s talks about peace talks include the U.K., France, China, Iran and Arab states according to the BBC.

The Arab League Has Formally Endorses the Syrian Peace Conference, known as Geneva II. The New York Times reports that U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry was in Riyadh yesterday, “to assuage mounting Saudi impatience at what it fears may be weakening pressure from Washington to force Mr. Assad from office.” In other words, the Saudis worry that the U.S. isn’t taking a forceful position to oust Assad, and push for a political transition. The Saudis have been major financial and military backers of the rebel side.

A Split Over Iran Diplomatic Role, as Revolutionary Guard is Killed in Syria. On Tuesday, Russia insisted that Iran be invited to attend peace talks over Syria, according to the AFP. That would create yet another rift with Syrian opposition, which has said it won’t attend talks with Iran at the table.

Rebels accuse Iran of effectively occupying Syria. Iran, which is Assad’s most important regional ally, has given the Syrian regime billions of dollars and crucial military support – effectively, an economic and strategic lifeline. Western officials also say Iran’s Revolutionary Guards have been deployed on the ground in Syria, organizing and executing its strategy to suppress the uprising against him. A recent report from the Carnegie Endowment details Iran’s unwavering support for Syria, while an article in the New Yorker profiled Qassem Suleimani, the head of Iran’s elite Quds force, believed to be the commander of Iran’s operations in Syria.

Iran has denied sending troops directly into the fight in Syria. On Monday, a Revolutionary Guards commander was killed in Damascus, according to Iranian press reports. Mehr News Agency said he was there in a personal capacity, volunteering to defend the Sayyida Zainab shrine.

Nearly Half of Syrians Need Aid, U.N. Says. An estimated 9.3 million Syrians, roughly 40% of the population, is now in need of outside assistance, according to the U.N. humanitarian chief Valerie Amos. Of them, 6.5 million are internally displaced. Last week, Amos said that appeals from the Security Council for urgent access to needy Syrians had largely been ignored. The Security Council had approved a nonbinding statement on Oct. 2 urging increased humanitarian access; Reuters reports that Western diplomats have avoided a binding resolution, for fear it would be vetoed by Russia.

The Syria crisis “continues to deteriorate rapidly and inexorably,” Amos told the U.N. Security Council, according to the BBC. The broadcaster also captured video footage of a polio clinic in Syria, after an outbreak of polio in Deir Zor. 

Suggested Reads from Our Editorial Team: 

Washington Post: Syrian TV Star Who Took a Stand Against Assad Pays a High Price: Exile and Joblessness

AFPMortar Round Hits Vatican Embassy in Damascus

Washington Post: Islamists Rebels in Syria Use Faces of the Dead to Lure the Living

Guardian: Syria: My Journey Into a Nightmare War

Guardian: Red Cross Neutrality in Syria

Reuters Exclusive: Syria Chemical Weapons Mission Funded Only Through this Month

AFPSyria Seeks Recruits for Police Band

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