beirut/geneva syrian government delegation arrive geneva wednesday day late expect attend peace talk hold week syrian state news agency sana say delegation delay plan departure talk begin tuesday opposition insistence syrian president bashar al-assad step unite nations special envoy syria staffan de mistura say government opposition would chance negotiate directly first time clear would choose go offer see take place offer say meet opposition delegation de mistura receive assurances syrian government delegation attend talk u.n. spokeswoman alessandra vellucci tell geneva news brief least know come say decline give detail transmit message damascus de mistura say government accept russian suggestion ceasefire besiege rebel-held enclave eastern ghouta near damascus bombardment area kill three people tuesday war monitor say early delegation newly-unified syrian opposition arrive swiss city monday due hold first meet de mistura late tuesday say email statement opposition negotiate committee say ready meet government side government long pretext opposition fragment one ready negotiate directly side say yahya aridi head negotiation committee early pro-damascus syrian newspaper al-watan report syrian government delegation eighth round peace talk geneva week yet leave damascus report monday delay opposition insistence assad step refuse nasr hariri head opposition delegation tell geneva news conference monday night aim assad removal result negotiations government delegation head syria u.n. ambassador chief negotiator bashar al-ja afari sana say breakthrough talk see unlikely assad ally push total military victory syria civil war seventh year opponents stick demand leave power syrian government team arrive geneva peace talk wednesday