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Kerry says meeting with Syrian rebel group possible

By REUTERS

DECEMBER 17, 2013 15:23

MANILA - The United States has not met representatives of Syria's Islamic Front but a meeting is possible to broaden the representation of moderate opposition groups in talks to end the Syrian war, US Secretary of State John Kerry said on Tuesday.

The United Nations has scheduled a peace conference on Syria for Jan. 22 in Geneva to discuss a political transition to lead the country out of war. Key issues over who will attend remain to be ironed out.

"The United States has not met to date with the Islamic Front but it's possible it could take place," Kerry told a news conference in Manila where he is visiting.

"There is an effort afoot among all of the supporting nations of the Syrian opposition to want to broaden the base of the moderate opposition and broaden the base of representation of the Syrian people in the Geneva two negotiation," he added.

State Department officials have said talks with the Islamic Front could include lower-level officials from the United States, Britain and France.

The Islamic Front alliance, a union of six major rebel groups, has overshadowed the more moderate Free Syrian Army brigades, which are led by the Supreme Military Council (SMC) and backed by Western and Arab powers.

The group has rejected the authority of the SMC, the main opposition's military wing. A week ago, the Islamic Front seized control of SMC weapons depots in northern Syria although reasons for the move are unclear.

Last week, Lakhdar Brahimi, the UN mediator, set a deadline of Dec. 27 for the opposition and Damascus to name their delegations for next month's talks but opposition sources said there were no plans to make a final decision before then.

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