Syria says ready for cease-fire, prisoners swap

[Omaha Steve]

Source: AP-Excite

By ZEINA KARAM and LAURA MILLS

BEIRUT (AP) - Syria's foreign minister said Friday his country is prepared to implement a cease-fire in the war-torn city of Aleppo and exchange detainees with the country's opposition forces as a confidence building measure ahead of a peace conference opening next week in Switzerland.

Walid al-Moallem told journalists about the cease-fire plan after meeting in Moscow with his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov. He did not divulge details of the plan, which would contain "measures to enforce security" in Aleppo, 310 kilometer (190 miles) from the Syrian capital, Damascus.

The announcement came as heavy battles raged between Syrian government forces and rebels near the border with Lebanon on Friday.

A barrage of almost two dozen missiles and shells from Syria slammed into Lebanese border towns and villages, killing seven people, including several children who were out playing, Lebanese security officials said, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorize to talk to media.

FULL story at link.


Read more: http://apnews.excite.com/article/20140117/DABCIDS01.html

[Comrade Grumpy]

1. Can the rebels take enough time off from killing each other to get to the peace talks?

The Syrian revolution has succeeded...in making Assad not look like the worst alternative.