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Kerry Puts Squeeze on Syrian Opposition Ahead of Geneva Peace Talks

Coalition says John Kerry is attempting to pressure the opposition's negotiations committee to backtrack on its demands for attending negotiations with the Assad regime
Kerry Puts Squeeze on Syrian Opposition Ahead of Geneva Peace Talks

The Syrian National Coalition’s Ambassador to Paris has said that US Secretary of State John Kerry is pressuring the Syrian opposition to go to Geneva III without any preconditions.

Mr. Munzer Makhos said that Kerry threatened to stop supporting the political opposition body in the event they failed to attend the peace talks.

Makhos said Kerry rejected the opposition’s precondition to stop the shelling and siege on civilians before commencing talks in Geneva.

According to Makhos, the top US diplomat is also pressuring the opposition to make changes to its negotiations delegation team.

He said Kerry told the head of the Syrian opposition’s High Committee for Negotiations Riad Hijab that the transition will require a national government, which was interpreted as a government under the Assad regime.

This article was edited by The Syrian Observer. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.

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