UN war crimes investigators seek meeting with Assad![]() October 25, 2012 - 13:03 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - United Nations war crimes investigators said on Thursday, Oct 25, they would seek a meeting with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, according to Reuters. The team, led by Brazilian expert Paulo Pinheiro, has been gathering evidence and testimony for the past year on atrocities committed by Syrian government forces and armed rebels in the 19-month-old conflict. "We decided to send a letter to President al-Assad calling for a meeting ... it would be very important that he could receive us," Pinheiro told reporters. Partner news U.S. officials say they want to advance efforts to start talks between the Syrian government and opposition leaders. The international conference, backed by Russia and the U.S., aims to find a political solution to the conflict in Syria. Nuland, a career foreign service officer who was until recently State's top spokesperson, was expected to be nominated the post. Alkhatib said Assad should respond within 20 days and that he should then be given a month to dissolve parliament. Partner news |