Lakhdar Brahimi takes up desperate bid to end Syria war

Lakhdar Brahimi took up faltering international attempts to end the Syria conflict on Saturday leaving predecessor Kofi Annan to tend his diplomatic wounds, world media reports.

With Syria marking the bloodiest month yet in the civil war and mounting fears of turmoil in surrounding countries, there are low expectations that the former Algerian foreign minister will have any more success than Annan.

Most western countries believe President Bashar al-Assad's forces will now fight it out with the opposition until one has an advantage that will allow a political accord.

Brahimi, who made his name brokering an accord in Lebanon's civil war in the 1980s and as a UN envoy to Afghanistan and Iraq, was to hold meetings Saturday at the UN headquarters ahead of a handover encounter on Tuesday with UN leader Ban Ki-moon and Annan, a UN spokesperson said. Ban and Brahimi will discuss the war at the UN General Assembly the same day.