World | Wed Oct 28, 2015 12:44pm EDT
Arch-rivals Saudi Arabia, Iran to discuss Syria face-to-face for first time
RIYADH/DUBAI | By Angus McDowall and Bozorgmehr Sharafedin
[...] It will be the first time that Tehran attends international negotiations on Syria's war. Other participants, notably the United States, say Assad can play no part in Syria's future.
The Saudi foreign minister added that the kingdom and its allies would hold a separate meeting on Friday to seek "the time and means of Bashar al-Assad's exit".
Egypt, Iraq, Qatar, Lebanon, the European Union and France also said they would attend Friday's talks, which come a day after a smaller round of negotiations between the United States, Russia, Saudi Arabia and Turkey.
Around a dozen participants are expected in total.
It was not clear whether any invitation had been issued to either the Syrian government or the opposition. Neither side was present at the last talks in Vienna.
[italics added] Already did Vienna? Well, still they can exile Assad to Elba, or mid-Pacific to St. Helena.
Do the exile, then congress again, in Vienna of course - but get time sequences correct.