Kerry insists no place for Assad in Syria's future

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry speaks during his news conference at Syrian Donors Conference at the Bayan Palace in Kuwait City January 15, 2014. REUTERS/Pablo Martinez Monsivais/Pool

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry insisted on Friday Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has no place in Syria's future and said the United States was not without options on stepping up pressure on him.

Kerry will lead a U.S. delegation to Switzerland next week for peace talks between the Syrian government and rebels aimed at ending the country's civil war. His comments also come as Syrian opposition groups vote on whether to attend the U.N.-sponsored talks in Montreux, Switzerland.