Under pressure from Western sponsors, a key Syrian opposition group voted to attend a Wednesday peace conference aimed at ending the country’s bloody and ongoing civil war.
The Syrian National Coalition elected to attend the conference, despite participation likely eroding any remaining credibility the group has with rebel groups on the ground. The Syrian government had already agreed to attend the talks, while the rebels have rejected them.
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said earlier this week that support for the coalition officials could be reduced if they refused to attend the conference.