BEIRUT: An international push to end Syria's conflict has stalled as U.N. envoy Kofi Annan left Damascus without a cease-fire and President Bashar Assad's forces pounded opposition areas and clashed with rebels throughout the country.
Western and Arab powers are struggling for ways to stem the bloodshed in the year-old conflict while both the regime and the opposition reject dialogue. Former U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan appeared to make little progress during two visits with Assad during his first trip to Syria as the joint U.N.-Arab League envoy.
Annan was seeking an immediate cease-fire to allow for humanitarian aid and the start of a dialogue between all parties on a political solution. After meeting with Assad on Sunday, Annan said he had presented steps to ease the crisis, but gave no details. ''Once it's agreed, it will help launch the process and help end the crisis on the ground,'' he told reporters. He called for ''reforms that will create a strong foundation for a democratic Syria _ a peaceful, stable, pluralistic and prosperous society, based on the rule of law and respect for human rights.'' But he said a cease-fire must come first.
''You have to start by stopping the killing and the misery and the abuse that is going on today and then give time for a political settlement.''
Assad told Annan on Sunday that a political solution is impossible as long as ''terrorist groups'' threaten the country, according to Syria's state news service, which reported identical comments after the men met Saturday.
The regime blames the uprising on armed groups acting out a foreign conspiracy. Annan's calls for reform also fall far short of opposition calls for Assad's ouster and the end of his authoritarian regime. Opposition leaders say the thousands killed at the hands of his security forces, many while protesting peacefully, mean they'll accept nothing less.
Annan acknowledged his hard task.
''It's going to be difficult, but we have to have hope,'' he said before leaving for Qatar.
The conflict has become increasingly bloody during the year since protesters in some impoverished provinces first took to the streets to call for political reform. The government has cracked down hard, and protests have spread, with some in the opposition taking up arms to attack government troops and defend their towns and neighborhoods.
The U.N. says more than 7,500 people have been killed. Assad's regime and military have remained largely intact while the opposition, though disorganized, shows no sign of relenting on its demands.
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