Syria: Peace conference begins with bitter speeches

Syrias government and main political opposition have traded bitter accusations as a major peace conference begins in Switzerland. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon urged delegates to engage in constructive discussions, but neither side appeared prepared to abandon their positions. US Secretary of State John Kerry said there was no way possible President Bashar al-Assad could remain in power. The conflict has left more than 100,000 dead and millions displaced. The summit is discussing the Geneva communique which lays out a political transition plan for Syria. But the key issue is President Assads future. It will hear from about 40 foreign ministers on Wednesday before direct Syrian talks are scheduled to begin in Geneva on Friday. This would be the first face-to-face meeting between the Syrian government and the main opposition - the National Coalition - since the conflict began in 2011. The BBCs Paul Wood, in Montreux, says there were some extraordinarily ill-tempered scenes and some very direct language as the conference got under way. Syrias Foreign Minister Walid Muallem said some states attending the talks had Syrian blood on their hands and were trying to destabilise the country. Addressing US Secretary of State John Kerry, he said: No-one in the world has the right to confer or withdraw the legitimacy of a president, a constitution or a law, except for the Syrians themselves. Mr Muallem ran far over the allotted 10-minute slot for each speaker, ignoring Mr Bans attempts to intervene. You live in New York. I live in Syria, Mr Muallem told Mr Ban. I have the right to give the Syrian version here. After three years of suffering, this is my right. The US state department condemned Mr Muallems remarks as inflammatory rhetoric, and urged the government to take real, concrete steps to increase humanitarian access and improve the lives of the people suffering the most. Agencies