John Kerry rallies Gulf Arabs for Assad truce

US secretary of state John Kerry travelled to the Gulf on Monday to stress the urgent need to unite a region riven by conflict against the threat from the jihadist ISIS group.

Mr Kerry believes his ambitious plan to bring Syria’s other warring parties to the negotiating table is the key to isolating and ultimately defeating the extremists.

So he came to Abu Dhabi to encourage his Emirati and Saudi allies in their efforts to convince Syria’s rebel factions to agree a ceasefire with Bashar al-Assad’s regime.

“That’s why I’m here,” he told reporters, repeating his hope that a ceasefire between the opposition and the government could be struck “in a few weeks”.

“We’re working very hard to accelerate the efforts out of Vienna, to give that diplomatic process life,” he said.

“You can be confident that the diplomatic front is in high gear, with a very real plan on the table to be implemented.”

In October, 17 nations plus the United Nations, Arab League and European Union met in Vienna to set a framework for a ceasefire and peace talks to halt Syria’s civil war.

Mr Kerry held meetings with Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed al-Nahyan and United Arab Emirates foreign minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed al-Nahyan.