The U.N. negotiator for the talks on a Syrian ceasefire has declared the talks at impasse, and put them into recess. See a story in The New York Times for more. Can anyone be surprised at this outcome?
The Sunni jihadi rebels insist Assad must go - a non-negotiable demand - which he refuses to do. The Assad government insists the shooting stop completely before anything else is discussed - another non-negotiable demand - while the rebels refuse to stop fighting.
The only reason either side shows up at the bargaining table is that neither wants to appear "unreasonable" when in fact both sides are exactly that. The U.N. has shown itself to be feckless, its normal state.
Like most wars, this one will end when one side wants out, or agrees it has lost. Until then ... fighting continues.
