Brahimi is 'One-Eyed, Many-Tongued', Says Syria Govt. Paper

Syria's government newspaper called U.N.-Arab League envoy Lakhdar Brahimi "one-eyed and many-tongued" Saturday, a day after he left Damascus on a trip aimed at building consensus for a peace conference.

An editorial in Ath-Thawra also lashed out at Brahimi's efforts to hold the so-called Geneva II between the regime and rebels within weeks, saying he was acting with "unnecessary haste."

The veteran Algerian diplomat has said he hoped the conference would be held "in the coming weeks, not next year."

But as soon as he left Syria Friday, Damascus accused him of being overly diplomatic.

Then on Saturday, Ath-Thawra called him "one-eyed and many-tongued."

The envoy "has played both sides, as though he wants to please all parties in the same way, forgetting that his role as an international mediator requires him to be neutral," the newspaper said.

He has said Geneva II cannot happen without the participation of the opposition.

The editorial comes two days after the ruling Baath party mouthpiece had described Brahimi's visit as "positive."

Brahimi's renewed bid for peace talks aimed at resolving the 31-month conflict comes after last month's U.S.-Russian accord on dismantling Syria's chemical arsenal.

He met with President Bashar Assad on Wednesday for an hour.