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\f0\b\fs24 \cf2 BY STEVEN SPARKMAN \b0 \
\b ANCHOR LAUREN GORES \b0 \uc0\u8232 \u8232 It\'92s still his first
week as U.N. and Arab League envoy to Syria, but Lakhdar Brahimi is taking a gloomy tone,
describing his task as, quote, \'93nearly impossible.\'94 And no one in the media is
disagreeing. {\field{\*\fldinst{HYPERLINK "http://www.euronews.com/2012/09/03/new-un-syria-envoy-says-mission-is-nearly-impossible/"}}{\fldrslt
\cf3 \ul \ulc3 Here\'92s euronews}}.\uc0\u8232 \u8232
\b \'93His first day in office appears to be the same as his predecessor Kofi Annan\'92s
last. \'85 Amid all the unverifiable video, the scale of destruction is clear.\'94
\b0 \uc0\u8232 \u8232 UNICEF reports at least 1,600 people were killed in Syria last week,
and Monday saw new reports of airstrikes and car bombings. And while the violence escalates,
{\field{\*\fldinst{HYPERLINK "http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/syria/9517123/Diplomatic-solution-to-the-conflict-in-Syria-nearly-impossible-says-new-UN-envoy-Lakhdar-Brahimi.html"}}{\fldrslt \cf3 \ul \ulc3 the Telegraph reports}} neither
side is likely to negotiate with the new envoy.\uc0\u8232 \u8232
\b \'93 \'85 the rebels feel no need to step back from their basic demand for Mr Assad
to go as a precursor to any negotiations. The regime has ruled that out, as have its
external backers in Iran and Russia.\'94 \b0 \uc0\u8232 \u8232 Brahimi\'92s term as
envoy officially began Saturday and was accompanied by renewed optimism. Brahimi is one of the
U.N.\'92s most experienced troubleshooters, and helped bring an end to Lebanon\'92s 15-year
civil war in 1989.\u8232 \u8232 {\field{\*\fldinst{HYPERLINK "http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2012/1112/op14.htm"}}{\fldrslt
\cf3 \ul \ulc3 A writer for Al-Ahram}} says for a man with such a distinguished career
to take up the job in Syria, \b \'93he must have seen a chance that is
worth exploring. Otherwise, his record would be tarnished...\'94
\b0 \uc0\u8232 \u8232 But Brahimi denied that hopeful reasoning, saying he sees no cracks
in the wall but feels its his duty to look. {\field{\*\fldinst{HYPERLINK "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-19460919"}}{\fldrslt
\cf3 \ul \ulc3 He told the BBC}} he\'92s scared of the weight of the responsibility.\uc0\u8232
\u8232 \b \'93People are already saying \'91People
are dying. What are you doing to help?\'92 And indeed, we are not doing much.\'94
\b0 \uc0\u8232 \u8232 {\field{\*\fldinst{HYPERLINK "http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/story/2012/09/03/syria-bombing.html"}}{\fldrslt
\cf3 \ul \ulc3 A CBC analyst says}} while the situation certainly looks intractable,
it\'92s possible Brahimi is being overly negative on purpose. Kofi Annan came into the office
with a different tone.\uc0\u8232 \u8232 \b \'93 \'85 saying that maybe there is the
possibility for some kind of a resolution \'85 clearly that wasn\'92t the case, and
perhaps the people who were expecting that, then they were disappointed.\'94
\b0 \uc0\u8232 \u8232 The Syrian foreign minister responded to Brahimi, saying for the envoy
to succeed he should convince other countries like Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Turkey to stop
supplying the rebels.\ \pard\pardeftab720\sl420
\b\fs38 \cf4 \cb5 \ }