AlQa'dah 8, 1434, Sep 14, 2013, SPA -- The top diplomats of the United States and Russia were Saturday holding a third and final day of talks in Geneva aimed at reaching a deal on how to rid Syria of its chemical weapons, according to dpa. A Western diplomat in Beirut described Friday's round of talks between US Secretary of State John Kerry and his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov as "as shaky." "But both sides are determined to find a peaceful to the crisis in Syria," the diplomat said. The two stayed up until the morning hours to discuss ways of reaching a compromise with their respective delegations. The talks are focusing on a Russian initiative that has led US President Barack Obama to delay a military strike against the Syrian regime in response to an August 21 chemical attack near Damascus that the US says has killed more than 1,400 people. Washington estimates that Syria possesses around 1,000 metric tonnes of various chemical agents, including mustard and sarin gas, sulfur and VX. Saturday's round of talks was expected to be the last, since Kerry is expected in Israel on Sunday.
