The United Nations announces a peace summit for Syria starting on January 22 in Geneva.<br/> <br />With more than 100,000 dead in the civil war in Syria since 2011, the summit will mark the first direct talks between the government of President Bashir al-Assad and the rebels looking to overthrow him.<br/> <br />U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said the goal the so-called "Geneva 2" conference will be transitional government in Syria.<br/> <br />Soundbite: U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, saying:<br/> <br />"We have a full goal, the full implementation of the Geneva Communique of 30 June 2012 - including the establishment, based on mutual consent, of a transitional governing body with full executive powers, including over military and security entities."<br/> <br />On Monday, the U.N.'s special envoy for Syria - Lakhdar Brahimi - met with U.S. and Russian officials in Geneva.<br/> <br />A major stumbling block in the negotiations had been whether Syria's ally - Iran - would attend the conference.<br/> <br />U.N. spe
