( CNN ) -- As has frequently been the case in the last two-and-a-half years , I found myself this past weekend caught in an intense conversation about the ongoing civil war in Syria . This time it was with a supporter of the al-Assad government . He was relentless , insisting that there was no choice but victory , at any cost , especially since the government has been facing foreign fighters from `` 83 countries . '' It 's a common refrain I 've heard in different variations from all sides of the conflict -- there is no choice but victory . As the world debates the efficacy of a military strike against the al-Assad government in response to its use of chemical weapons on civilians , the fighting on the ground shows no signs of abating . It is clear that the Syrian people are caught between a zero-sum political game being played by the regime and rebels , and their respective backers . Despite lofty rhetoric from a number of countries , diplomatic efforts towards a political solution could have been more vigorous . Opinion : Syria a distraction from real U.S. challenges . Calling for an immediate cease-fire on all sides is the only path towards peace . But will the United States and other key players go down that road ? The Syrian uprising began in March 2011 , partly in response to the imprisonment and brutal treatment of teenagers in the southern city of Daraa , who had tagged some buildings with anti-government graffiti . Initially , the protesters avoided mentioning dictator Bashar al-Assad by name . But the demonstrations quickly intensified in the face of continued government crackdowns . By August of the same year , over 2,000 Syrians had been killed and the security apparatus of the regime was out in full force , attempting to crush any dissent , peaceful or otherwise through the dastardliest of means . It was no surprise then that the standoff turned violent , as ragtag militias formed to contest government forces . Soon , there was an influx of weapons from neighboring Iraq and distant Libya , as well as foreign reinforcements on the side of the fragmented rebel fighters . By the spring of 2012 , the conflict had clearly transformed into a civil war . Since then , the violence has only escalated and the death toll climbed , as the battles have moved from city to city across the country . Entire neighborhoods in Homs , Aleppo , Hama , and elsewhere have been destroyed to rubble . Four questions for backers of Syria mission . The al-Assad government ultimately bears responsibility for the conflict and most of the deaths . However , both sides have committed crimes against humanity . With over 100,000 Syrians dead and millions more displaced internally or as refugees in neighboring countries , the United States , Britain , Russia , China and others have mostly looked on . Instead of bringing the contesting forces to the table to force them to a solution , the United States and Russia and their regional allies continue to send money and arms into the conflict . When was the last time President Obama called for an immediate cease-fire ? When was the last time that the U.S. and Russia said simply and with integrity : Stop the violence . Opinion : A U.S. strike would be self-wounding . This call has been missing for fear it could undermine the rebels ( or for Russia , the regime ) . Nowhere was this more apparent than in the battle for Qusayr , which unfolded in front of the world 's eyes earlier in the summer , with Hezbollah forces buttressing the al-Assad regime on one side and foreign fighters helping the opposition on the other side . The United Nation envoys , including Kofi Annan and Lakdar Brahimi , have tried to facilitate talks , but with little result , mostly because they were sent to Syria with their hands tied behind their back . Without the political backing from the permanent members of the U.N. Security Council , what authority could their initiatives have ? We can not give up on the political process and negotiations , even if the U.S. carries out a military strike , even if there are countless bombings in coming weeks , and even if we can only achieve a brief reprieve from the violence . Opinion : On Syria , Obama must show strong grip . We need to revisit the Geneva discussions , which began in 2012 and outlined roughly a `` transition plan . '' There 's also the oft-touted Geneva 2 meeting -- which has yet to be scheduled -- where a future power-sharing agreement in Syria would be discussed . The Geneva 2 meeting would bring together key constituents , including the rebels and the regime . While this process , held under the auspices of the U.N. , is far from perfect and may well be a long shot , it offers the best chance towards a political solution to the Syrian conflict . The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Taufiq Rahim .
Taufiq Rahim : The world is uncertain whether military action in Syria makes sense . Rahim : Calling for an immediate cease - fire on all sides is the only path to peace . He says the July 2 meeting will bring together the rebels and the regime for talks . Rahim : The best chance for a solution to the Syrian conflict is through negotiations .