Syria Today: Opposition Repeats : No Participation in International “Peace” Conference /KURDS IN EFRIN

 June 9, 2013| Scott Lucas in EA Live, EA Middle East & Turkey, Middle East  : The opposition Syrian National Coalition has reiterated its refusal to participate in a proposed international conference. “What is happening in Syria today completely closes the doors on any discussions about international conferences and political initiatives,” George Sabra, Coalition, told a press conference in Istanbul. “The war declared by the regime and its allies in the region has reached a level we cannot ignore.”

Last week, regime force and Hezbollah allies captured the town of Qusayr, near the Lebanese border, after a three-week siege and then re-claimed nearby villages.

Sabra said just before those developments that the opposition would not attend a peace conference while Iranian elements and Hezbollah were supporting Syrian troops on the ground.

Before that, the Coalition had set the departure of President Assad as a pre-condition for any talks about a political resolution and transitional government.

Casualties

The Violations Documentation Center reports that 63,071 people have been killed in the Syrian conflict since March 2011, an increase of 98 from Saturday. Of the deaths, 48,690 were civilians, a rise of 60 from yesterday.

Aid to Civilians Amid Kurdish-Insurgent Tension in North

Claimed photograph of aid to residents in Efrin, where Kurdish militia and insurgents, including of the Free Syrian Army, have been clashing for weeks: