Syria peace talks hit hurdle after Iran invite

[Jroc]

Obama and the U.N continue to attempt to legitimize the terrorist supporting state of Iran

Istanbul (AFP) - Syrian peace talks in Switzerland hit a major hurdle on Monday after a UN invite to Iran sparked a boycott call from the opposition, as President Bashar al-Assad ruled out a power-sharing deal.

In an exclusive AFP interview, Assad said there was a "significant" chance he will seek a new term and called for the talks opening Wednesday to focus on what he called his "war against terrorism".

With two days to go to negotiations more than a year in the making, UN chief Ban Ki-moon sparked a furore Sunday by inviting Iran -- a key backer of Assad -- to take up a seat.

Syria's main opposition group promptly said it would shun the talks, due to kick off in Montreux before moving to Geneva.

Louay Safi, spokesman for the Syrian National Coalition, announced on Twitter that the opposition would stay away "unless Ban Ki-moon retracts Iran's invitation".

Washington, London and Paris reacted immediately, saying Iran would have to clearly and publicly support the idea of a Syrian transitional government if it wanted to attend.

Western powers have so far opposed Iran's presence on the grounds that Tehran had not accepted an initial communique adopted by major powers in Geneva in June 2012 calling for the creation of an interim government.

The accord at the so-called Geneva I talks made no mention of Assad's departure, something that the Syrian opposition says is non-negotiable.

To add to the confusion, Russia -- another Assad ally -- said Tehran's absence from the conference would be a "unforgivable mistake."

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