Peace envoy sees few solutions in Syria

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UNITED NATIONS, Jan. 31 (UPI) -- Work to find a political solution to the Syrian crisis hasn't been successful nor has the military campaign, said U.N.-Arab League peace envoy Lakhdar Brahimi.

Brahimi, a joint peace envoy to the Syrian crisis, spoke to the U.N. News Center following a closed-door briefing to the U.N. Security Council.

Reports that opposition leaders may consider talks with the Syrian regime, he said, were "worthy" but he said he was taking a wait-and-see approach to the latest outreach.

The United Nations in January said it estimated that more than 60,000 people have died as a result of conflict in Syria that grew out of the Arab Spring in early 2011. An escalation of violence has left more than 4 million people vulnerable.

Brahimi struck a resilient tone, saying nobody expected a resolution to the crisis would come easily.

"Our efforts at starting negotiation have not been very successful," he said. "But the military campaigns have not been successful either in finishing the conflict."

U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice said Brahimi's testimony this week was "grim." Efforts to find a solution at the Security Council, she added, have come to a dead end.

"There is no obvious way forward," she said.