WORLD_ U.N. Plan Would Threaten Syria Sanctions .

WORLD NEWS July 14, 2012, 1:19 a.m. ET

U.N. Plan Would Threaten Syria Sanctions .
The Wall Street Journal

By JOE LAURIA

UNITED NATIONS—The U.N. Security Council continued negotiating Friday on a Western resolution, opposed by Russia, that would threaten sanctions on Damascus if it fails to stop using heavy weapons against populated areas, a senior Western diplomat said.

The diplomat said only Russia and China were opposed but he didn't expect either to veto at a vote tentatively scheduled for Wednesday. That is because the resolution on heavy weapons would have to be followed, if Syria doesn't comply, with a separate resolution that would impose financial and trade sanctions. Russia could veto the second, the diplomat said.

Wednesday's vote would come just days after the Syrian government attacked the central town of Treimseh, killing scores, with what activists have said were tanks and heavy artillery.

"All council members for 17 months have agreed that the use of heavy weapons in population centers is unjustified in any circumstance, whatever the opposition is doing," he said. "That is why the Russians have no reason to object to this draft…We find it inconceivable that Russia would veto."

The U.N. monitoring mission in Syria, suspended since last month, would expire by next Friday if no resolution is passed. The diplomat flatly rejected Russia's fears that the threat of sanctions is the first step toward Western military intervention.

Russia came to regret its decision to abstain on a resolution last year that authorized a North Atlantic Treaty Organization no-fly zone to protect civilians in Libya. Moscow now believes the resolution was used to help the rebels overthrow the Libyan government.

"For them to say it is a slippery slope to Libya—it is absurd and they know it. And you can see around the [negotiating] table that no one believes it," he said.

The West is willing to be flexible on the length of the observers extension and its size, he said. Russia wants a 90-day rollover and to keep 300 observers in Damascus until a reduction in violence allows them to resume monitoring. The West wants only a 45-day extension and a reduced presence.

Meanwhile, a senior U.N. official said the U.N. humanitarian aid effort has made significant progress since the early days of the conflict but still faced significant danger in the field.

"We are now seeing a large humanitarian operation, which has grown over the last number of months," said John Ging, who chairs the U.N.'s Syria Humanitarian Forum. "In April, food assistance was only reaching 200,000 people; through June this increased to 500,000 people and into July we expect delivery to 850,000."

But Mr. Ging said U.N. other aid workers were facing direct threats to their safety while operating in conflict zones.

The U.N. is holding a conference in Geneva on Monday to increase the level of donations for operations, which are only 20% funded. A senior U.N. humanitarian official added that only Western governments and Japan have stepped up, while no Arab governments have contributed to the U.N. aid efforts.

The official said the U.N. will reach out to those governments, particularly Arab Gulf nations, who are paying salaries of opposition fighters and supplying them with arms.


Write to Joe Lauria at newseditor@wsj.com




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