U.N. resolution on #Syria to be redrafted after Arab mission
ended; death toll mounts
Demonstrators hold a sign as they gather during a protest against
President Bashar al-Assad and Russia in Kafranbel, near Idlib. The
sign reads: Occupied Kafranbel. (Reuters) Sunday, 29 January 2012
By Al Arabiya with Agencies
European and Arab U.N. members early Sunday started rewriting a
proposed Security Council resolution condemning Syria’s deadly
crackdown on dissent after the Arab League suspended its monitoring
mission in Syria.
The Arab League took the decision on Saturday days after calling on
Assad to step down and make way for a government of national unity.
It will take an Arab peace plan to the U.N. Security Council next
week.
European countries said the withdrawal highlighted the need for U.N.
action. France’s foreign minister contacted his Russia counterpart
in a bid to overcome Moscow’s resistance to the draft resolution
officially presented on Friday, diplomats said.
Death toll
At least 16 Syrian soldiers were killed on
Sunday in separate attacks, one in the northwest and the other near
the capital, activists and official media reported.
Ten members of the military died when their convoy was attacked at
Kansafra in the Jebel al-Zuwiya area of the northwest, the Syrian
Observatory for Human Rights said.
And the official SANA news agency said “an armed terrorist group”
killed six others, including two officers, when a bus carrying army
personnel was targeted near the Damascus suburb of Sahnaya.
Three civilians were killed on Sunday as Syrian soldiers clashed
with deserters in Damascus province, the Syrian Observatory for
Human Rights said.
The Britain-based organization said in a statement received by AFP
in Cyprus that fierce fighting was taking place between regime
troops and deserters in Kfar Batna and Ain Terma in the Ghota area
near the capital.
Three civilians were killed, it said, adding that the government
forces were backed by 32 tanks and 50 armored cars.
As many as 98 people have been killed on Saturday by the gunfire of
Syrian security forces, Al Arabiya reported citing Syrian activists.
Half the number of the people killed were defected soldiers.
Meanwhile, a delegation of the Syrian National Council (SNC), led by
Burhan Ghalioun, is set to head for the U.N. Security Council to ask
for international protection for the Syrian people against the
massacres committed by President Bashar al-Assad’s regime.
The resolution, drawn up by Britain, France and Germany with
Morocco, as the Arab member of the 15-member Security Council, calls
for international backing for the Arab League plan to end the Syria
crisis, according to AFP.
Arab League mission suspended
The Arab League suspended its observer
mission because of the growing violence in Syria where Assad has
launched a brutal crackdown on protests. The United Nations says
thousands have died.
The United Nations said in December that more than 5,000 people had
been killed in the wave of protests. Syria says more than 2,000
security force members have been killed by militants.
“Given the critical deterioration of the situation in Syria and the
continued use of violence … it has been decided to immediately stop
the work of the Arab League’s mission to Syria…” Secretary-General
Nabil al-Araby said in a statement.
Arab League foreign ministers are expected to discuss early next
month the possibility of withdrawing monitors completely, a League
official said, according to Reuters.
Syria TV cited a government official as saying Syria was surprised
by the decision, which would “put pressure on (Security Council)
deliberations with the aim of calling for foreign intervention and
encouraging armed groups to increase violence.”
“We will work with Morocco as lead sponsor and other council members
on bringing the resolution text up to date,” said a spokesman for
Britain’s U.N. mission.
“The Security Council briefing on Tuesday will be the definitive
Arab League view, but the suspension of the observer mission shows
that they were never able to do their job properly,” the spokesman
said.
Arab League secretary general Arabi and Qatar’s Prime Minister
Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim Al Thani will appear before the council on
Tuesday to press the case for U.N. action.
The Europe-Arab resolution gives fully support to the Arab League
plan to end the crisis which calls for Assad to hand over powers to
a deputy. It “encourages” all states to follow sanctions adopted by
the pan-Arab bloc last November.
Germany urges U.N. to issue resolution quickly
German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle,
meanwhile, called for the United Nations to quickly issue a
resolution on Syria, which has seen a spike in violence against
anti-regime protesters.
“A clear reaction from the U.N. Security Council is becoming more
and more urgent,” Westerwelle said in a statement.
He also called on countries that had not yet spoken out against
escalating violence in Syria to do so, according to AFP.
Russia’s U.N. envoy Vitaly Churkin said the new European-Arab
resolution crosses its “red lines” opposing sanctions, an arms
embargo and any move toward “regime change”.
meanwhile, Russia on Sunday slammed a decision to suspend the Arab
League’s observer mission in its longtime ally Syria after a deadly
crackdown on anti-government protesters.
“We would like to know why they are treating such a useful
instrument in this way,” Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on a
visit to Brunei, cited by the Russian ITAR-TASS news agency.
“I would support an increased number of observers,” Lavrov said.
“We are surprised that after a decision was taken on prolonging the
observers’ mission for another month, some countries, particularly
Persian Gulf countries, recalled their observers from the mission.”
France’s Foreign Minister Alain Juppe sent a message to Russian
counterpart Lavrov on Friday “to emphasize the importance of
constructive cooperation between France and Russia” on Syria, French
foreign ministry spokesman Bernard Valero said in a statement.
Several European ministers have spoken out for quick U.N. action to
pass a resolution.
“Now is the time for the international community to unite, including
by agreeing a United Nations Security Council Resolution this week,
to make clear to President Assad and his regime that the killing
must stop,” said Britain’s Foreign Secretary William Hague.
“A clear reaction from the U.N. Security Council is becoming more
and more urgent,” Germany’s Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle said.
“Everything must be done to obtain a rapid accord on the draft
resolution circulated on Friday in New York,” the French spokesman,
Valero, said in the statement released in Paris.