Feature: Dismayed Syrians pessimistic over Geneva talks

Dismayed by previous failed talks to end the crisis, Syrians in Damascus are pessimistic over the ongoing Geneva talks, saying that genuine talks should take place in Syria instead.

Muhammad al-Masri, who works in the government, told Xinhua that "the talks seem to have failed from the very start as the countries in this conference are not on the same page," referring to the absence of coordination among superpowers concerning a solution to the Syrian crisis.

"I believe the solution should be up to the Syrians only, excluding foreign interference," he continued.

He relayed the dismay among Syrians towards the international community which seems incapable of reaching a political end to the Syrian crisis.

Each superpower supports a particular group to further political gains in Syria, with its regional strategic importance.

Until the last minute, the High Negotiations Committee (HNC), Saudi-backed opposition group, seemed reluctant to join the talks. They demanded a number of prerequisites ahead of the talks, such as halting the shelling by government troops in rebel-held areas, and dissolving the government-imposed siege on areas under militant control.

However, after stating it received guarantees that its demands will be met, the HNC came to Geneva for talks with UN Special Envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura.

The fresh round of talks is the third following two previous ones in 2012 and 2014, both failed and ineffective in convincing the warring sides to end the almost five-year-old Syrian conflict.

The divided opposition was a main reason for the failed peace process, in addition to the Syrian government's red lines concerning the Syrian presidency and reluctant negotiations concerning President Bashar al-Assad's departure.

Those thorny issues still exist however, yet it is unclear how de Mistura will deal with them during the fresh talks, particularly since the Syrian army is progressing substantially on ground thus investing the government's stance with greater clout during negotiations.

Backed by Russia's air force and Lebanon's Hezbollah fighters, military forces captured key areas in Aleppo and Latakia, stripping the rebels of key areas beside Turkish borders.

The aim of the battles is to shut the Syrian-Turkish borders in order to cut the rebels' supply lines in northern Syria.

Around Damascus, military units have also contained the rebels, establishing what the government calls "reconciliations," which are basically military sieges in place to force the rebels to abandon their posts.

Dr. Saleh Abdullah believes that the Syrian delegations, whether the government's or the opposition's, are poles apart.

He believes the Syrian government, despite the war, is still rational and capable of respecting any deal which may be reached.

On the other hand, Abdullah added that the opposition, comprised of tens of loosely organized groups without a central leadership, does not have actual clout on ground, particularly with the Islamic State's (IS) growing presence and the al-Qaida-linked Nusra Front, both excluded from the talks.

"In my opinion the Geneva conference is a waste of time, because both negotiating parties are mismatched," he said.

State employee Ahmad Samer said that although he is pessimistic regarding the new talks, he still prays for an end to the conflict.

"As a Syrian I want the best for my country and I hope the negotiations reach a positive outcome concerning our crisis," he said.

Meanwhile, de Mistura said in Geneva Tuesday during the ongoing talks that Syrians are entitled to reduced violence, in addition to both a solution for the prisoner files, and for the dilemma of the besieged areas.

"When I met with the Syrian people, they asked me 'please, don't just have a conference, but also arrange for something tangible during your Geneva meeting,' " de Mistura said.

"The overarching pressing objective is to ensure talks are ongoing and that everyone is onboard," said the special envoy.

"It is crucial that no one is excluded and that everyone is categorically and effectively included. As you know, when people disagree they tend to leave the room. However, we need everyone to remain in the room to maintain a comprehensive discussion," he continued. Endit