Syria opposition again rules out peace talks

Syria's main opposition coalition reiterated on Saturday its refusal to participate in proposed international peace talks, saying recent developments in the civil war had "closed the doors" to any political initiative. "What is happening in Syria today completely closes the doors on any discussions about international conferences and political initiatives," George Sabra, interim head of the National Coalition, told a press conference in Istanbul. He was referring to an initiative headed by Washington and Moscow to bring the Syrian regime and opposition groups to peace talks in Geneva. "The war declared by the regime and its allies in the region has reached a level we cannot ignore," Sabra said. On May 30, he had already said the opposition would not attend a peace conference while Iran and the Lebanese Shiite movement Hezbollah were supporting Syrian troops on the ground. Syrian forces have captured the last rebel bastion near the strategic town of Qusayr, Syrian state television reported on Saturday. That came four days after the town of Qusayr, which had been in insurgent hands for a year, fell to the army and forces from Lebanon's powerful Shiite Hezbollah movement.