Syria opposition to meet August 3-4 in Istanbul

Syria\'s opposition National Coalition will meet in Istanbul on August 3 and 4 for talks on forming a provisional government, opposition sources said Thursday. In Paris this week for meetings with French officials, Coalition vice president Suheir Atassi said opposition talks would be held on August 3 and 4 in order to \"strengthen\" the group\'s position. Other sources said the talks would take place in Istanbul and would focus on forming a provisional government. The Coalition\'s new chief, Ahmad Jarba, said this week in Paris that he hoped to be able to announce the formation of a provisional government \"within a month\". Syria\'s opposition has struggled to put forward a united front during the country\'s more than two years of conflict, which have killed some 100,000 people. The last attempt at forming a provisional government, under then rebel prime minister Ghassan Hitto, collapsed earlier this month when Hitto resigned after nearly four months of failed efforts.