Beirut: Syrian opposition forces say they will never accept President Bashar al-Assad's rule, after signs that Western powers may be willing to work with the embattled leader to end the war.
In recent weeks, long-time backers of Syria's uprising have suggested that Assad has a role to play in ending the four-year conflict, and could even stay on during a transitional period.
But for opposition figures and fighters on the ground, that idea is virtually sacrilegious.
"The regime continuing and Assad staying is a failure," said Ahmad Qura Ali, a spokesman for the powerful Islamist Ahrar al-Sham rebel group.
"It also demonstrates disrespect towards the sacrifices of the Syrian people and, even more importantly, irreverence towards the will of the Syrian people," he said.
Activist Ibrahim al-Idlibi, who took part in the anti-government demonstrations that began in March 2011, said Syrians "will not accept that Assad stays as part of a transitional period".
"It's not possible to look at a terrorist killer as a protector or provider of security," he added.
Assad's departure has been a key demand of the opposition since the uprising began.
Political opponents and rebels alike point to the so-called Geneva I peace conference held in 2012, at which world powers called for a transitional government that would have full executive powers.
The opposition and its international backers have long said that meant Assad would have no role in any transition, but in recent weeks Western powers have softened that interpretation.
