Secretary of State Hillary Clinton (right) with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov at 2011 Munich Security Conference. Photo: wiki commons.

JPost/Reuters – Both rebels and forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad are intensifying violence in Syria and striving for military gains rather than peaceful transition, the chief UN monitor in Syria, Major-General Robert Mood, said on Friday.

Russia dug in further against Western pressure to discuss a post-Assad Syria, and France’s foreign minister said Paris was considering whether to equip rebels with communications equipment to encourage a “stronger revolt”.

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