Syrian opposition disarray threatens international support

ISTANBUL - Diplomatic efforts intensified on Tuesday to solve a crisis in Syria's opposition which threatens to derail a planned peace conference and rob the Islamist-dominated alliance of international support.

After six days of talks in Istanbul, the 60-member Syrian National Coalition has failed to agree on the wider involvement of a liberal opposition bloc, to the dismay of Western and some Arab backers keen to reduce the influence of Islamists.

More than two years after the uprising against President Bashar Assad began, the disarray raises questions about the opposition's ability to agree any sort of inclusive transitional government and could strengthen Assad's hand ahead of a US and Russian-backed peace conference planned for the coming weeks.