'No peace deal in Syria without US role'

A political deal to end the Syrian conflict is not possible without a strong US role, the opposition's chief negotiator told AFP, warning that Washington's absence was threatening ongoing peace talks. Lead negotiator for the main opposition High Negotiations Committee (HNC), Mohamad Sabra, said in an interview late Monday that the UN-backed talks in Geneva remained "stalled". "There can be no real and viable political solution without the presence of the Americans," he said. The United States has a "moral duty" to throw its weight behind efforts to end the six-year conflict, he added.