Syria Opposition Seeks to Unify

The US and Russia are trying to schedule peace talks and end war in Syria, amid “new reports of atrocities, accusations of chemical weapons were used and the rise of al Qaeda–linked fighters among rebels,” writes Khaled Yacoub Oweis for Reuters. Washington threatens to provide more support for the rebels, but also wants to review a list of opposition leaders to ensure that moderates are included and extremists do not secure a foothold to power. The coalition has failed to select a leader since a March resignation; if unified, the opposition would be in a better position to negotiate. One key precondition for the opposition, aimed at speeding peace, is for dictator Basher al Assad to give up power. Oweis concludes that “Criticism has mounted against the coalition for failing to provide a credible democratic alternative to the four-decade family rule of Assad and his father.” – YaleGlobal