Syria Minister: Time to Disarm

Put down your weapons and let’s talk. That’s the message Syria’s foreign minister, Walid al-Moallem, had for the country’s rebels Saturday, claiming that if they disarm and agree to take part in a national dialogue without the intervention of foreign powers, their representatives will be included in a new cabinet with wide executive powers. Al-Moallem made the plea Saturday in a live TV interview, saying, “You will be a partner in building it. Why carry arms." Also on Saturday, rebels clashed with government troops near two besieged compounds in the northeast. Earlier this month, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad dismissed calls to step down.