Allies urge restraint by Syria; ouster of militant fighters

GENEVA, Switzerland, Jan. 31 (UPI) -- Officials from 11 nations said Friday they were standing behind rebel forces in Syria who were fighting both the Damascus regime and al-Qaida.

The so-called London 11 -- the core group of the Friends of Syria -- met in Geneva with representatives of the Syrian National Coalition, which it said in a written statement was "the legitimate representative of the Syrian people."

The communique encouraged the success of the wobbly Geneva peace talks while blasting President Bashar Assad's government for its use of air attacks and heavy weapons against lightly armed rebels and innocent civilians.

"The regime is responsible for the lack of real progress in the first round of negotiations," the statement said. "It must not further obstruct substantial negotiations and it must engage constructively in the second round of negotiations."

The group also called for the withdrawal of militant fighters from other nations, particularly those affiliated with Hezbollah and al-Qaida.

"We call on the international community to do their part to ensure that the extremists don't deny the Syrian people the opportunity to realize their democratic aspirations," the statement said.

Talks between Syria's government and the opposition were a "modest beginning" that can be used as a base for future discussions, the U.N. envoy to Syria Lakhdar Brahimi said Friday.

Talks spread over several days and locations in Switzerland between Assad representatives and the opposition ended Friday and are expected to resume in Geneva Feb. 10, CNN reported.

"This is a modest beginning, but it is a beginning on which we can build," Brahimi said.

While opposition representatives agreed to the date, the Syrian government delegation said it must consult with leaders in Damascus first, Brahimi said.

"The gaps between the two sides remain wide. There's no use pretending otherwise," he said. "Nevertheless, during our discussions I observed a little bit of common ground -- perhaps more than the two sides themselves realize or recognize."