President Bashar Assad: Syrian National Coalition

Syrian National Coalition: Bending to intense international pressure, Syria's government and the Western-backed opposition agreed Friday to face each other for the first time since the start of the uprising against President Bashar Assad. , according to Winnipeg Free Press. Mediator Lakhdar Brahimi met separately with Assad's delegation and representatives with the Syrian National Coalition, who arrived at the U.N. European headquarters five hours apart to ensure their paths would not cross. Louay Safi, center, spokesperson for the Syrian National Coalition, Syria's main political opposition group, is surrounded by journalists as he arrives to the United Nations headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, Friday, Jan. 24, 2014. U.N. mediator Lakhdar Brahimi was meeting first with a government delegation and later Friday with representatives from the Syrian National Coalition, said U.N. spokeswoman Alessandra Vellucci. AP Photo/Anja Niedringhaus After three days of hostile rhetoric and five hours spent assiduously avoiding contact within the United Nations, the two sides will meet "in the same room," said the U.N. mediator trying to forge an end to the civil war that has left 130,000 people dead since 2011. Related Items Articles Syrian government and opposition to meet together 'in the same room,' UN mediator says Harper caps Middle East visit at burgeoning Syrian refugee camp in Jordan Canadian Maher Arar sees hypocrisy in U.S. outrage Kerry says Assad committing war crimes, attracting terrorists, not protecting Syrian people (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.