Kerry urges Syria opposition to peace talks
The United States has urged Syria’s opposition to attend next week’s peace talks in Switzerland.
US Secretary of state John Kerry was speaking in Washington after returning from a trip to Europe and the Middle East. He also criticized the Syrian government for suggesting the meeting should be about fighting terrorism rather than forging a political settlement.
Meanwhile, the main political opposition group, the Syrian National Coalition, is divided internally. The group is meeting in Istanbul today for a vote on whether to go to the Peace Talks. The internationally backed talks are aimed at ending the three-year crisis in Syria. The conflict has claimed more than 100 thousand lives. An estimated two million people have fled the country and some 6.5 million have been internally displaced.
