On Friday, US Secretary of State John Kerry announced that he would meet with his Russian counterpart in the coming days to discuss a proposal to bolster a ceasefire in Syria and streamline the fight against agreed-upon groups.

"The president of the United States has authorized and ordered this track," Kerry told reporters.

"It is the president's desire to test whether or not the Russians are prepared to do what they said that they will do, during our negotiations in Moscow," he added.

The proposal would require Damascus to cease attacks against US-backed opposition groups.

In exchange, Russia would receive intelligence from Washington to target militant groups operating in the country, including the "Islamic State" and Qaeda-affiliated Nusra Front, despite skepticism from US military and intelligence officials.

Last week, Kerry held marathon talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov concerning the proposal.

"We're going to test this very carefully based not on trust, based on specific steps," Kerry said, referring to the talks in Moscow. "So far, it is showing a modicum of promise, which, hopefully, we can complete."

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'Resolve them'

Moscow, a key supporter of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's regime, joined the five-year conflict last September when it launched an aerial campaign against "terrorists."

Russia has come under international scrutiny for targeting rebel-held areas, including hospitals in opposition zones.

"In the event there are brackets around certain things or issues that are not resolved by the current discussions, he and I will have to resolve them," Kerry said, referring to anticipated talks with Lavrov in Laos.

The conflict erupted in 2011, when Syrian government forces launched a violent crackdown against peaceful protesters calling for Assad to step down.

At least 280,000 people have been killed and millions have been displaced by the bitter conflict.

How the Syrian civil war began - and gave 'Islamic State' room to grow The "Arab Spring" effect In 2011, as regimes crumble across the region, tens of thousands of Syrians take to the streets to protest against corruption, high unemployment and soaring food prices. The Syrian government responds with live ammunition, claiming some 400 lives by May.

How the Syrian civil war began - and gave 'Islamic State' room to grow Condemnation without consensus At the urging of Western countries, the UN Security Council condemns the violent crackdown. The EU and US implement an arms embargo, visa bans and asset freezes in the months that follow. With the backing of the Arab League, calls eventually grow for the Syrian president's departure. But not all UN members agree with this demand.

How the Syrian civil war began - and gave 'Islamic State' room to grow Assad refuses to back down Bashar al-Assad - who has been in power since the death of his father in 2000 - sees his reputation wane with the continuing unrest. He refuses to end decades-long emergency rule, which allows for surveillance and interrogation. Russia backs its ally, supplying weapons and vetoing UN resolutions on Syria multiple times.

How the Syrian civil war began - and gave 'Islamic State' room to grow The opposition gets organized By the end of the year, human rights groups and the UN have evidence of human rights abuses. Civilians and military deserters are slowly beginning to organize themselves to fight back against government forces, which have been targeting dissidents. More than 5,000 have died so far in the fighting. It will take another six months before the UN acknowledges that a war is taking place on Syrian soil.

How the Syrian civil war began - and gave 'Islamic State' room to grow Outside intervention In September 2012, Iran confirms that it has fighters on the ground in Syria - a fact long denied by Damascus. The presence of allied troops underscores the hesitance of the US and other Western powers to intervene in the conflict. The US, stung by failed interventions in Afghanistan and Iraq, sees dialogue as the only reasonable solution.

How the Syrian civil war began - and gave 'Islamic State' room to grow Fleeing the conflict As the death toll nears 100,000, the number of refugees in neighboring countries - such as Turkey and Jordan - hits one million. That number will double by September 2013. The West and the Arab League have seen all attempts at a transitional government fail in the two years of war, watching as fighting spills over into Turkey and Lebanon. They fear Assad will stay in power by any means possible.

How the Syrian civil war began - and gave 'Islamic State' room to grow No united front against Assad Assad has long claimed he's combatting terrorists. But it's not until the second year of war that the fragmented Free Syrian Army is definitely known to include radical extremists. The group Al-Nusra Front pledges allegiance to al Qaeda, further splintering the opposition.

How the Syrian civil war began - and gave 'Islamic State' room to grow From brute force to chemical warfare In June 2013, the White House says it has evidence that Assad has been using sarin nerve gas on civilians - a report later backed by the UN. The discovery pushes US President Barack Obama and other Western leaders toward considering the use of military force. However, Russia's proposal to remove the chemical weapons ultimately wins out.

How the Syrian civil war began - and gave 'Islamic State' room to grow Islamic State emerges Reports of a new jihadist group calling itself the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) emerge in the final weeks of 2013. Taking land in northern Syria and Iraq, the group sparks infighting among the opposition, with some 500 dead by early 2014. The unexpected emergence of IS ultimately draws the US, France, Saudi Arabia and other nations into the war. Author: Kathleen Schuster



ls/cmk (AFP, AP, Reuters)