It was supposed to be a first in Syria's three-year-long war.<br/> <br />Direct peace talks between the government and opposition.<br/> <br />But on Friday in Geneva, the talks were on the verge of collapsing even before they really began.<br/> <br />The plan was to get the two sides to sit down together in one room.<br/> <br />But that idea was ditched at the last minute.<br/> <br />Instead, a U.N. spokeswoman said each side would meet separately with a U.N. mediator.<br/> <br />(SOUNDBITE) (English) U.N. SPOKESWOMAN ALESSANDRA VELLUCCI SAYING:<br/> <br />"There is, for the moment, no meetings going on in parallel at the same time."<br/> <br />The opposition says it won't meet President Bashar al Assad's delegation until it first signs a protocol calling for political transition that will remove Assad from power.<br/> <br />(SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) SECRETARY-GENERAL OF THE SYRIAN NATIONAL COALITION BADR JAMOUS SAYING:<br/> <br />"If the regime came here to look for something we are not looking for, then they'd better go somewhere else an
