Expectations tumble for Syria talks

With stakes high and expectations low, Syria’s government and its opponents sit down face to face at an international peace conference this week for the first time – muscled to the negotiating table by foreign powers which fear the bloodiest of the Arab Spring uprisings may engulf the entire region in sectarian war.

The opening of the so-called Geneva 2 conference in Switzerland on Wednesday reflects the unanimity in the international community about the urgent need to bring a halt to a conflict that has killed more than 130,000 people, touched off the worst humanitarian crisis in decades and unleashed sectarian hatreds that have sent tremors across the Middle East.