Wednesday, March 21, 2012

WORLD_ Syria: UN present joint demand for Assad to accept peace initiative

Syria: UN present joint demand for Assad to accept peace initiative

The United Nations has finally set aside months of bitter wrangling to present a joint demand to Syria's President Bashar al-Assad, urging him to accept a peace initiative.


Syrian rebels step on a portrait of Syrian President Bashar Assad in Idlib province, Syria Photo: AP

By Richard Spencer, Middle East Correspondent
6:01PM GMT 21 Mar 2012

Full text of UN Security Council statement on Syria

The plan would see him withdrawing troops from the street and launching negotiations with the opposition.

The UN presidential statement, which has less weight than a security council resolution but the moral authority of unanimity among its members, calls on the Assad regime to accept the peace plan put forward by the special envoy, Kofi Annan.

It is a partial climb-down by the West, led by the United States, Britain and France, which has had to give up for the time being attempts to put pressure on Mr Assad to quit in the face of vetoes by Russia and China.

But they managed to persuade Moscow to allow a more general reference to "political transition", which one diplomat called their "red line".


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Mr Annan's six-point proposal, presented to the UN last week, calls for an "inclusive political process", an immediate ceasefire and withdrawal of forces by both sides, humanitarian aid deliveries, a release of prisoners, freedom of movement for journalists, and respect for freedom of association and demonstration.

Omitted is any mention of elections or a transfer of power, both demanded by an Arab League proposal which has been the West's working blueprint so far.

Both pro- and anti-Assad factions in the security council will boast that the finding of common ground is a success.

"I strongly welcome the security council's full and unanimous support for the work of Kofi Annan as joint UN-Arab League envoy," said William Hague, the Foreign Secretary. "I urge the Syrian authorities to take this chance to stop the bloodshed."

But the fact that the West has had to back off from a regime change that would end the rule of a key ally of Iran and of militant groups like Hamas and Hizbollah shows the impasse it had reached.

Both the United States and its western allies have proved reluctant to become closely involved militarily, even to the extent of supplying arms to the rebels or encouraging their friends in the Middle East to do so.

"The statement is obviously watered down," said Amr al-Azm, a Syrian political analyst in exile in America. "It is clear that the Americans are keen on getting something moving on the diplomatic side because nothing else is happening for them."

But Russia too has had to make concessions. One Western diplomat pointed to the fact that despite initial Russian opposition the resolution refers to Mr Annan's role not only as a UN but also an Arab League envoy, hinting that the League's plan for Mr Assad to hand over powers to his vice-president is still technically alive.

It will also be aware that if Mr Assad implements the plan and withdraws troops, the chances are that widespread demonstrations will put his authority under renewed threat. If he does not, continued support for him would isolate Moscow even further diplomatically.

The Syrian opposition is in any case now preparing for a long-drawn out conflict. Even if Mr Assad agrees to negotiations, none of the main rebel groups inside the country or those who represent them outside have so far countenanced the possibility of talks unless he indicates he is willing to step down.

Both sides have become further entrenched since his campaign to retake major rebel-held areas by sustained artillery bombardment began to show signs of success. Yesterday his troops shelled Khaldiyah, a suburb of Homs, for the second day, and while there were also heavy clashes in the outskirts of Damascus.



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