Syrian Rebels Demand Hezbollah withdrawal before Talks

http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2013/05/30/Syria-opposition-says-no-peace-talks-until-Hezbollah-Iran-halt-invasion-.html

I doubt this is what the Obama administration had in mind yesterday when it demanded that Hezbollah withdraw and termed its presence in Syria "unacceptable."  But the Syrian rebels have jumped on the wagon and are now likewise calling for the withdrawal, as a prerequisite for attending the talks sponsored by Russia and the US.

My interpretation is that the Syrian rebels are upping the pressure on the Obama administration to act. Clearly, the US wants the rebels to attend the conference, but Obama is hardly in a strong position to pressure them to do so when all they are demanding is something that he himself has demanded--namely Hezbollah's withdrawal.

In other words, the wily rebels just outmaneuvered Obama, because Hezbollah is not going to pull out and the rebels didn't really want to talk anyway. So now Obama will again look weak and, through his actions, appear to have thrown the proverbial wrench into the Russian sponsored talks. Alternatively, he could act, which is what the rebels want.

File this one under "smart diplomacy."

UPDATE! Now Al Jazeera is reporting that the Syrian rebels are also demanding that the Syrian army withdraw from Qusayr, the town recently captured in tough fighting. I wouldn't hold my breath in expectation of these talks. And again, this puts even more pressure on Obama. 

http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2013/05/201353012242663209.html