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Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/23/world/middleeast/syria-astana-talks-russia-turkey.html
Syria Peace Talks Quickly Descend into Quarreling
(New York Times) Anne Barnard and Hwaida Saad - The first meeting between Syrian rebel fighters and government officials at peace talks in Astana, Kazakhstan, ended abruptly on Monday when the talks quickly devolved into harsh words and competing accusations. Mohammad al-Alloush of the Army of Islam labeled the Syrian government "a bloody despotic regime" and called for it to release 13,000 women being held as political prisoners and to end starvation sieges. The lead government negotiator, Bashar al-Jaafari, responded by calling the opposition delegation "armed terrorist groups." While the Americans had participated in previous rounds of talks in Geneva, at this meeting the U.S. ambassador to Kazakhstan, who was invited over Iran's objections, attended only as an observer.