Arab League, UN disagree an Syrian peace talks

MOHAMED ABD EL GHANY/REUTERS

Arab League Secretary-General Nabil Elaraby (right) listens as U.N.-Arab League envoy for Syria Lakhdar Brahimi speaks during a news conference at the Arab League headquarters in Cairo.

BEIRUT — Will they or won’t they?

An Arab League official said Sunday that peace talks aimed at ending the Syrian civil war will take place next month in Geneva — but a UN envoy flatly denied that seconds later.

RELATED: TURKISH, LEBANESE HOSTAGES HEAD HOME AFTER DEAL

The bizarre diplomatic two-step between Arab League chief Nabil Elaraby and the UN envoy for Syria, Lakhdar Brahimi, at a joint news conference added to uncertainty surrounding the proposed peace talks.

Elaraby said the Geneva conference would be Nov. 23. But Brahimi, standing next to him, then denied the timing of the proposed peace talks had been finalized. The Associated Press