UN announces Syria peace talks set for January

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and those who oppose his regime might sit across the table from each other for the first time since the Syrian uprising turned into the brutal civil war it is now.

The United Nations announced Monday that Secretary General Ban Ki-moon would convene peace talks in Geneva on Jan. 22, 2014, bringing both sides to the table.

The conference's goal is "the establishment, based on mutual consent, of a transitional governing body with full executive powers, including over military and security entities," the UN said in a statement.

Ban said it would be "unforgivable not to seize this opportunity to bring an end to the suffering and destruction."

"The war continues to send tremors across the region," Ban said Monday, adding that it forced "unacceptable burdens" on Syria's neighbors.

The latest attempt at a peace conference comes after the UN, US and Russia have tried (and failed) to get the opposing sides to the negotiating table to find a political solution.

US Secretary of State John Kerry welcomed the announcement, saying the talks would be the "best opportunity to implement the Geneva Communiqué and form a new transitional governing body through mutual consent."

Kerry also warned, "No one should underestimate the difficulties ahead."

He added, "In the coming weeks, the regime and the opposition will need to form their delegations, and we will continue to work in concert with the UN and our partners on remaining issues, including which countries will be invited to attend and what the agenda will be to advance the Geneva Communiqué framework for political transition."

Previous attempts at bringing Assad and the Syrian opposition to the table have failed due to disputes over who would represent each side, and demands set by each side.