Wednesday, 01 February 2012
Nabil Elaraby, Secretary General of the League of Arab States addresses the United Nations Security Council as it meets at U.N. headquarters in New York Jan. 31, 2012. (REUTERS)
Arab League Nabil Elaraby and the prime minister of Qatar urged the U.N. Security Council on Tuesday to take decisive action to end the deadly crackdown in Syria and to support an Arab initiative for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to relinquish power.
Elaraby urged the council to take “rapid and decisive action” while Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim al-Thani warned the 15-nation body that Syria’s “killing machine is still at work.”
Elaraby urged the council to take “rapid and decisive action” while Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim al-Thani warned the 15-nation body that Syria’s “killing machine is still at work.”
Elaraby added that Arab nations are attempting to avoid foreign military intervention in the 10-month old Syrian crisis.
Opening a top-level Security Council meeting on the Syrian crisis, Hamad bin Jassim said that the Arab League had tried to seek a solution with Assad in face of the 10-month uprising.
“Our efforts and initiatives, however, have been all useless because the Syrian government failed to make any sincere effort to cooperate with us and the only solution available to it was to kill its own people,” he said.
“Bloodshed continued and the killing machine is still at work,” he said.
He called for support of a U.N. draft resolution, sponsored by Arab League member Morocco, under which Assad would step down from power and agree to an end to violence ahead of negotiations on a settlement.
Opening a top-level Security Council meeting on the Syrian crisis, Hamad bin Jassim said that the Arab League had tried to seek a solution with Assad in face of the 10-month uprising.
“Our efforts and initiatives, however, have been all useless because the Syrian government failed to make any sincere effort to cooperate with us and the only solution available to it was to kill its own people,” he said.
“Bloodshed continued and the killing machine is still at work,” he said.
He called for support of a U.N. draft resolution, sponsored by Arab League member Morocco, under which Assad would step down from power and agree to an end to violence ahead of negotiations on a settlement.
League meeeting on Syria delayed
Arab foreign ministers are likely to meet on Feb. 11, almost a week later than originally planned, to discuss the Syria crisis, an Arab diplomat said on Wednesday, a delay that would give time to see whether world powers back an Arab peace plan.
The diplomat at the Arab League, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the meeting was now expected to be delayed from the scheduled date of Feb. 5, although he said there had been no official notification.
There was no immediate comment from League officials.
The diplomat said the delay was “just to give some time for the United Nations to take a decision or to see what is the reaction of the Syrian government concerning the position of the United Nations.”
The diplomat at the Arab League, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the meeting was now expected to be delayed from the scheduled date of Feb. 5, although he said there had been no official notification.
There was no immediate comment from League officials.
The diplomat said the delay was “just to give some time for the United Nations to take a decision or to see what is the reaction of the Syrian government concerning the position of the United Nations.”
Clinton tells U.N. to decide on Syria
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Wednesday that the U.N. Security Council member countries must decide whether to side with the Syrian people or a “brutal” dictatorship
“Every member of the council has to make a decision: Whose side are you on?” Clinton told reporters when questioned about Russian opposition to an Arab- and Western-backed resolution condemning President Bashar al-Assad.
“Are you on the side of the Syrian people? Are you on the side of the Arab League?” the chief U.S. diplomat asked.
“Are you on the side of the people of the Middle East and North Africa who have during this past year spoken out courageously and often for their rights?” she continued.
“Or are you on the side of a brutal dictatorial regime? Each country will have to be mulling that over and making a decision,” Clinton said during an unrelated event with Singaporean Foreign Minister K. Shanmugam.
“Every member of the council has to make a decision: Whose side are you on?” Clinton told reporters when questioned about Russian opposition to an Arab- and Western-backed resolution condemning President Bashar al-Assad.
“Are you on the side of the Syrian people? Are you on the side of the Arab League?” the chief U.S. diplomat asked.
“Are you on the side of the people of the Middle East and North Africa who have during this past year spoken out courageously and often for their rights?” she continued.
“Or are you on the side of a brutal dictatorial regime? Each country will have to be mulling that over and making a decision,” Clinton said during an unrelated event with Singaporean Foreign Minister K. Shanmugam.
Defiant Syria
Syrian Ambassador to the United Nations Bashar Jaafari addresses the U.N Security Council . (Reuters)
Syria’s U.N. representative, meanwhile, rejected the proposed Arab resolution, saying Damascus will confront its “enemies.”
“It will stand firm in confronting its enemies,” Bashar Jaafari, the Syrian ambassador to the world body, told the council.
In a defiant speech, Jaafari accused the alliance of Western powers and Arab League states of “double standards” and of “fomenting the crisis.”
“One can't be an arsonist and a firefighter at the same time,” he said.
“It will stand firm in confronting its enemies,” Bashar Jaafari, the Syrian ambassador to the world body, told the council.
In a defiant speech, Jaafari accused the alliance of Western powers and Arab League states of “double standards” and of “fomenting the crisis.”
“One can't be an arsonist and a firefighter at the same time,” he said.
“Scandalous silence”
French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe addresses the United Nations Security Council. (REUTERS)
French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe urged the Council to end its “scandalous silence” over bloodshed in Syria by supporting a resolution calling on President Assad to quit.
“We are gathered here today to end the scandalous silence of this Council,” Juppe said. “We are gathered today in order for the Security Council to assume its responsibilities toward a suffering people.”
Juppe said that the Arab League would take the lead in the proposed peace plan under which Assad would step down ahead of talks on the country’s political future.
“It’s for the Arab League to implement it,” Juppe said. “Our responsibility is to help them by sending the Syrian regime a clear message that the international community is united behind Arab efforts.”
“We are gathered here today to end the scandalous silence of this Council,” Juppe said. “We are gathered today in order for the Security Council to assume its responsibilities toward a suffering people.”
Juppe said that the Arab League would take the lead in the proposed peace plan under which Assad would step down ahead of talks on the country’s political future.
“It’s for the Arab League to implement it,” Juppe said. “Our responsibility is to help them by sending the Syrian regime a clear message that the international community is united behind Arab efforts.”
No Libyan Scenario
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton addresses the United Nations Security Council. (REUTERS)
U.S. Secretary Clinton says it’s ‘false analogy’ to compare U.N. action on Syria to Libya, adding that Assad’s “reign of terror” will end and that the main question was how many people would die first.
Appearing before the U.N. Security Council to press Russia to support a U.N. resolution calling for Assad to go, Clinton said that Syria will become a more intractable problem the longer that Assad stays in power.
“We all know that change is coming to Syria. Despite its ruthless tactics, the Assad regime’s reign of terror will end and the people of Syria will have the chance to chart their own destiny,” Clinton said.
“The question for us is how many more innocent civilians will die before this country is able to move forward towards the kind of future it deserves,” she said.
Appearing before the U.N. Security Council to press Russia to support a U.N. resolution calling for Assad to go, Clinton said that Syria will become a more intractable problem the longer that Assad stays in power.
“We all know that change is coming to Syria. Despite its ruthless tactics, the Assad regime’s reign of terror will end and the people of Syria will have the chance to chart their own destiny,” Clinton said.
“The question for us is how many more innocent civilians will die before this country is able to move forward towards the kind of future it deserves,” she said.
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