mr. brahimi's successor? what specifically do you call on the syrian government and the opposition parties to do right now? >> that's quite a natural question. of course, you know, we will have to find his successor, but since this announcement is happening today, let me take some time to think of who should be the right person. as you know, we have had former secretary general kofi annan, and after him we had dr. brahimi. one of the most brilliant and experienced person, not only the region, the whole world. so he knows all of the people involved and with this experience, i thought, and we thought, and there was an expectation that he would be able to deliver, and we would have been able to deliver all together, but somehow because of the division, because of the divided world here and there and within the united nations, and in the region, we have not been able to make any progress in the source of this three years. and many people have been killed, and many people have been displaced internally, and so to

mr. brahimi said that this going to be derailed by the syrian elections. they'll go ahead just a few days after his resignation takes effect. the syrian people, who happen to be under the regimes control will be voting on june 3rd. there are lots of thoughts about what might happen next with regard to the peace process and the position of this peace envoy. i think its pretty clear that ban ki-moon has not really decided what the best way forward is. i've heard some u.n. officials say it's probably best not to replace the position right now. it's a moment of truth that should sink in, and perhaps force the international community to come together, unite and come with united position to back the new person when there is a new person in the job. there are, however, names already floating around. i'm not promising that any of these names will get the jobs, but there are certain names being canvassed around the corridors of this building. kevin rudd from australia. javier solana, he used to be the secretary general of n.a.t.o. and after that foreign policy chie

mr. brahimi. he suggested that iran could arrange a new interim government in damascus.eph is a middle east expert he says talks between iran and saudi arabia are long overdue. >> i think that everybody realizes now that in fact there will not be a political settlement in syria without the full cooperation of both saudi arabia and iran. of course the two countries have been at odds with each other over syria for the past three and a half years, supporting different sides, but at then of the day, the saudis and the iranians have to address issues that go beyond syria. there is the question of iraq which is very important, yemen, which is very important, and here in lebanon. >>> ukrainian government has launched talks on decentralizing power as part of a european-backed peace plan. seven soldiers were killed in an ambush but pro-russian activists. kim vinnell reports. >> reporter: this is where ukrainian troops were am established. medics treat soldiers wounds. the defense ministry says a convey of armored trucks was attacked by dozens of pro-russian separatists. >> transl

brahimi is the second man to resign from the position. coffey annan, former secretary-general of the u.n. took up the battle first. as mr lakhdar brahimi left, he revealed details of a possible iranian plan that could bring an end to the 3-year conflict. >> he'd been threatening to resign for a month. his departure will bring fresh crisis to his efforts to find peace in syria. >> the question is how many more dead, how much destruction before syria becomes again the syria we have known. the new syria that will be different from the syria of the past. it will be the syria that we have loved. >> mr lakhdar brahimi long been recognised as a brilliant diplomat, as well as outstanding proponent of the principles of the charter of the united nations. >> a man of such achievement and experience who, himself, took over the job from former secretary-general kofi annan and begs the question is there anyone that can bring peace to syria. dr lakhdar brahimi arrived to brief the security council behind closed doors. in that briefing dr lakhdar brahimi told ambassadors that there'd been a new proposal from the iranians suggesting the

mr. brahimi is long recognized as one of the world's most brilliant diplomats as well as an outstanding proponent of the charter of the united nations. your objective to reach here his extraordinary talents has proven elusive. it's a tragedy for the syrian people. >> we have covered the story. she's been covering the syrian conflict for years now. we start with the u.n. in new york. as you hear ban ki-moon pay such tribute to bahimi, it can underline this is the most difficult job in diplomacy right now. >> a near impossible task given the violence that continues in syria and the international deadlock around the security council table. >> they may be part of the problem. i suspect he may raise the issue again and their share of the blame that's been unable to reach peace. we know that he got where many thought he wasn't going to get, which is getting both sides around the table in geneva. those talks broke down, though, because the syrian government side wouldn't in effect agree to a compromise agenda that he'd set up for progressing those talks. why the resignation right now? we probably hear t

the talks are going to continue at least with mr brahimi at the end of the day hopefully we'll find out if they'll bring any results. seem to be easy to find a common denominator thank you for bringing us the latest from geneva. i don't how war activist brian becker believes the syrian rebels are not prepared to hold meaningful talks on peace and their country. is my state first time i say so here and we've got. a big. problem. here lad i mean as. the saying. he would tell them would give me five hundred bucks if i was going to. go to all fall. well in their us and the only poll three times i still very time see how the garden oh really like a baby i want to have that back. to the head by ten kids pass me out laughing at it but the. words i love did i would pay to see you do that if you. were just listening to the point almost conference for today. this is the one sort of. way we could do it because i wasn't sure if the wiring. into the hole where the bus gong went. just a couple of days ago. representatives of syria's government and opposition finally in the same room for the first tim

mr. brahimi suggested iran could arrange a new interim government in damascus and might even be prepared to work with saudi arabia to create a regional solution. let's find out more now from our diplomatic editor, james bates at the u.n. in new york. james, it seems very much as though the top diplomat is stipping down but it doesn't seem to be the end of the diplomatic initiative >> reporter: no. there is a glimmer of hope here that we are seeing coming out of the briefing with dr. brahimi, that he gave. perhaps we are moving from a peace process that had been guaranteed by the u.s. and russia to one that becomes a more regional solution and the key players could become iran and saudi arabia. now, what dr. brahimi told the security council behind closed doors was iran approached him and said they had a plan. they had a plan which would start with a national unity government and a cease-fire. then there will be a renew of the constitution. the iranians admitted that would reduce the power of the president and then, national elections. presidential and parliamentary elections across syria

. >> mr lakhdar brahimi has been recognised as one of the world's most brilliant documents, as well as outstanding proponent of the principles of the charter of the united nations. >> a man of such achievement and experience who, himself, took over the job from former secretary-general kofi annan, and begs the question, is there anyone who can bring peace to syria. later dr lakhdar brahimi arrived to brief the security council. in that briefing a glimmer of hope. al jazeera learnt that lakhdar brahimi told ambassadors there'd been a proposal from the iranians suggesting that could arrange an interim government and talk that they may work with saudi arabia to create a regional solution. after the meeting dr lakhdar brahimi spoke to reporters. >> on the sad day for you, what is your message to the syrian people? >> apologies once more, that we haven't been able to have them as much as they deserve, as much as we should have. also, to tell them that the tragedy in that country shall be solved. they have shown incredible resilience and dignity. >> the problem for dr lakhdar brahimi's succe

with the of today's talks haven't started informally they have been postponed but nevertheless mr brahimi will still be meeting with both sides separately and by the end of the day we're expecting a media conference hopefully we will be able to find out if these meetings bring any result. that the head of the syrian opposition. leaving. the rest are remaining and the syrian authorities their delegation is here to stay as well. said they're going to continue talking with mr brahimi one of the main sticking points is that the opposition continues pressing on. president assad to step down while the authorities are saying that first there . stop the violence. in the country and then hold nationwide elections with anyone willing. for the syrian people to decide the country's political future so clearly they're not on the same page when it comes to. the talks are going to continue at least with. the end of the day hopefully we'll find out if they'll bring any results. seem to be easy to find a common denominator there igor thank you for bringing us the latest from geneva. i don't how war activi

like i said they're going to continue talking with mr brahimi one of the main sticking points is that the opposition continues pressing on. president assad to step down while the authorities are saying that first there. stop the violence. in the country and then hold nationwide elections with anyone willing. for the syrian people to decide the country's political future so clearly they're not on the same page when it comes to. the talks are going to continue. at the end of the day hopefully we'll find out if they'll bring any results. seem to be easy to find a common denominator thank you for bringing us the latest from geneva. i don't how war activist brian becker believes the syrian rebels are not prepared to hold meaningful talks of peace in their country. and might stay first on my staying so here and. there are. probably. for their lack of i mean as. the saying. he would tell them what you need five hundred bucks and i was good. because. i thought it all fall. that. you got it well in arrests and the only paul three times i still very time see how the gargoyle really look up a bi

envoy is including our kofi are not proceeded by mr brahimi so what next presidential elections happening in june will that help to solve the problems the ongoing problems here or not do you think. i think the armed opposition in many ways has been defeated inside the country although we have seen other tactics which may be based upon their own desperation of. planting bombs and very sensitive areas targeting civilians are for example the bombing in aleppo several days ago so these types of actions undoubtedly will continue for a period of time we don't know for how long but in terms of the actual ground forces of the armed opposition groups they have been dealt serious blows by the syrian army over the last several months so i think that if they are weakened enough they will be willing to withdraw their forces as they did in homes and at the same time perhaps the political wing will come to its senses and realize that it has to reach some type of political settlement with the government to be able we've got to leave it there thank you for your thoughts somewhere. as a q.b. from pan afric

announced that lakhdar brahimi will step down, coming as the head of the syrian national council makes a visit to the white house. mike viqueira joins us. good to see you. who is mraaba and who is he meeting with at the white house. >> fully years ago president obama first, after some hesitation, called for the ouster of bashar al-assad, since that time it's been one bad news after the next. bashar al-assad's forces have the upper hand on the battlefield as well. allegations from human rights watch and others that there has been a series of barrel bomb attacks. homs has been turned back to bashar al-assad. the humanitarian crisis, ghastly as it may be continues, and the geneva petitions process appears to have fallen apart. against the backdrop the president comes to washington. he's been with a week, met with secretary of state john kerry publicly last week. today more hush, hush. a scheduled meeting with the national security advisor, susan rirks the white house -- susan rice, the white house letting it know that president obama may drop by, all informal, not high profile. and some press officers telling me moments ago that - susan rice's press officers saying