Arab League Urges Security Council to Stop Syria 'Killing Machine'
إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية
Qatar's prime minister, speaking on behalf of the Arab League, urged the U.N. Security Council on Tuesday to take action to stop Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's "killing machine."
Opening a top-level Security Council meeting on the Syrian crisis, Prime Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassem al-Thani 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.
Russia, a close ally of Syria which holds veto power on the Security Council, has voiced opposition to the draft.
Western allies brought out their diplomatic big guns at the Security Council Tuesday to try to overcome the Russian opposition.
The showdown at the United Nations came as fighting escalated between Syrian government forces and rebels and a senior U.S. official predicted that Assad would be toppled.
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was leading the charge for U.N. action in Syria, backed by allies British Foreign Secretary William Hague and French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe.
The proposed U.N. resolution, crafted by the Western powers and the Arab League, seeks to stop a Syrian crackdown that the United Nations says has killed more than 5,400 people in the past 10 months. Under the resolution, Assad would be ordered immediately to halt violence and hand power to his deputy.
While there is no threat of use of force in the resolution, Russia says it amounts to regime change.
"I don't think Russian policy is about asking people to step down. Regime change is not our profession," Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said, arguing that while the Syrian president was not an ally of Moscow, it was not up to other nations to interfere.
The text of the resolution, seen by Agence France Presse, calls for the formation of a unity government leading to "transparent and free elections," while stressing there will be no foreign military intervention in Syria, as there was in Libya during the toppling of Moammar Gadhafi.
Assad's government has already flatly rejected a similarly worded resolution proposed by the Arab League.
Russia's deputy foreign minister, Gennady Gatilov, said on Tuesday that the resolution would be a "path towards civil war" in the increasingly divided country.
But in Washington, U.S. intelligence chief James Clapper said the fall of the Assad was inevitable already.
"I do not see how he can sustain his rule of Syria," Clapper, the director of national intelligence, told senators.
"I personally believe it's a question of time but that's the issue, it could be a long time."
The opposition Syrian National Council deplored the international community's lack of "swift action" to protect civilians "by all necessary means," in a statement on Facebook.
The SNC, the most representative group opposed to Assad, reaffirmed the "people's determination to fight for their freedom and dignity," stressing they "will not give up their revolution, whatever the sacrifices."
The head of the now-defunct Arab League observer mission to Syria, General Mohammed Ahmed Mustafa al-Dabi, said there had been a marked upsurge in violence since last Tuesday.
On Monday alone, almost 100 people, including 55 civilians, were killed during a regime assault on the city of Homs, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
On Tuesday, at least 32 people were killed, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.
The rebel Free Syrian Army said half of the country was now effectively a no-go zone for the security forces.
"Fifty percent of Syrian territory is no longer under the control of the regime," its Turkey-based commander Colonel Riad al-Asaad told AFP.
He said the morale of government troops was extremely low. "That's why they are bombing indiscriminately, killing men, women and children," he said.
However, Syria's foreign ministry expressed outrage over "the aggressive American and Western statements against Syria (that) are escalating in a scandalous manner," and blamed violence on "armed terrorist groups."
A report from the state news agency SANA said Assad had visited wounded servicemen and praised their "unique will, bravery."
CIA director David Petraeus told senators in Washington that Assad now faced challenges in Damascus and Aleppo, two cities that had been seen as insulated from the unrest.
"I think it has shown indeed how substantial the opposition to the regime is and how it is in fact growing and how increasing areas are becoming beyond the reach of the regime security forces," Petraeus said.
Amid the escalating violence, U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon called for unity at the Security Council.
The Council must be "united this time, speak and act in a coherent manner, reflecting the wishes of the international community and reflecting the urgent wishes and aspirations of the Syrian people, who have been yearning for freedom," Ban said.
Qatar's prime minister, speaking on behalf of the Arab League, urged the U.N. Security Council on Tuesday to take action to stop Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's "killing machine."
Opening a top-level Security Council meeting on the Syrian crisis, Prime Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassem al-Thani 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.
Russia, a close ally of Syria which holds veto power on the Security Council, has voiced opposition to the draft.
31 January 2012, 23:04
00
Time to change tactics. Russia is blocking everything in the security council. Get the International Criminal Court engaged, and consider Arab League initiated no fly zones.
Oh and some anti-tank rockets, even though the rebels got 5 tanks yesterday.
31 January 2012, 23:59
42
why are you so pesimistic?
the salafis will not pass
don't succumb to the hallucinations of zionist information war department
01 February 2012, 00:07
24
Habal Amel, zionist this zionist that. Of course the regime is going to the trash bin and so will all the people that suppot such a brutal nazi dictatorship, no massive exodus will happen to anyone cookie, it is all in your head..christians lived in the midst of the muslim world for a thousand years. Habal Amel, bashar is israel's boy in the golan, they love him, trust me they are just as worried about his departure as you are. In the future people like you and we`am wahab will be open allies with israel against the majority of Arabs i.e the sunis.
01 February 2012, 00:23
52
the filthy zionist information war department is still hallucinating about assad going down.
they also hallucinate about zionists controlling assad regime.
whishfull thinking typical for zionist information war department.
01 February 2012, 01:52
20
The answer to Qatar and all the other Tatar is a 4 letter word: VETO.
01 February 2012, 01:52
12
Cookie, are you seeing a mass exodus of copts from Egypt!? where did you get that?!? as for iraq, there are ten times more iraqis killed from other religions than chrisitans i.e violence went after everyone. As for Syria, did you know Mr. Cookie that the Christians were 3 million before hafez assad took power and became 1 million today!?!? Assad and his likes are bad for everyone regardless of faith and yes few glitches in history do not erase 1000 years of harmony. Grow up man. The smart thing the christians of syria/lebanon should do today is not to stand against the freedom of millions of syrians and support tyranny, how is that smart tactic of survival please explain!?! follow jumblatt/druze model they are the best survivors.
01 February 2012, 01:54
12
HABAL AMEL, if you really think Assad is gona survive this tide then you are the one who is HALLUCINATING lol.
01 February 2012, 03:28
12
For every ailment under the sun
There is a remedy or there is none
If there is one find it
And if there is none, never mind it
We can not affect what is happening in Syria, all we can do is hope for the best. However we can affect what happens in Lebanon and that starts with unity on some essential principles. Demarcated borders, arms in the hands of Army and Police only, Whoever wins elections governs (until they lose then they oppose peacefully), Leaders get investigated for plundering national wealth and prosecuted if found guilty (all of them, not selectively), whoever violates out sovereignty is our enemy (be it Syria or Israel), whoever strengthens our government institutions and army is our friend. Whoever collaborates with outsiders against fellow Lebanese is a traitor. Assassination and violence are capital crimes incompatible with democratic life..... wa halomma jarran. Kulona lelwatan.
01 February 2012, 04:44
01
Would Russia change his mind if Western countries decide to put sanctions on Russia as well? Like freezing assets that they most probably have in western countries.. Russia is all talk and NO action. they can't dare do anything if NATO does strike..what will they do? Send their only aircraft carrier they have that was build in 1985? Their navy is no match for the U.S. navy fleet
or...Do what Bush did..bomb Assad like he bombed Iraq without the U.N. backing
01 February 2012, 05:33
02
@ realist no worries about Ahbal he will soon be stopping the nonesense, as i stated before he just got back from training in Iran soon to be deployed in Syria. until then he will keep on barking the nonesense.
@ cookie I have been observing your post for quite sometimes without commenting but you have no respect to anyone's idiology. complaining about the killings in Iraq I believe the majority there are shiites so is the government. Christians were not harmed during sunni led government now it's shiite led & all of a sudden we have problems. In Lebanon during civil war Christians killed each other, Sunnis killed sunnis & shiites killed each other & the bigggest of all was the battle to control of Dahiye between Amal & Hizbollah. In Syria they are almost in civil war so expect that to happen.
01 February 2012, 07:18
01
Russia's deputy foreign minister, Gennady Gatilov, said on Tuesday that the resolution would be a "path towards civil war" ...doesn't this idiot know that is the path thy are sending Syria down by supporting the regime ...of course Russia has never had a problem with killing their own people (I think they hold the record)
Russia could not careless what happens to the Syrian people, all they are interested is in their client ...I truly hope the Syrian people remember Russia's stand.
Did someone say Russia offered to hold talks between the regime and the opposition ...but I thought there was no real opposition, only armed terrorist ;-)
C Monster, you are soooooo mindless, according to you everyone should be happy to live under an endless dictatorship ...because bad things might happen if the man with the iron fist isn't in charge!
01 February 2012, 07:29
10
Realist
I think you are smoking some of the stuff you grow.
before the invasion of Iraq there were more than 250 thousand Christians living i Iraq today only 15 thousand, In Egypt Christians are being killed by muslem Brotherhood, The same fate is awaiting the christians in Syria WAKE UP
01 February 2012, 08:03
20
Veto. Veto. Veto. Veto. Veto. Veto. Veto. Veto. Veto. Veto. Veto. Veto. Veto. Veto. Veto. Veto. Veto. Veto. Veto. Veto. Veto. Veto. Veto. Veto. Veto. Veto. Veto. Veto. Veto. Veto. Veto. Veto. Veto. Veto. Veto. Veto. Veto. Veto. Veto. Veto. Veto. Veto. Veto. Veto. Veto. Veto. Veto. Veto. Veto.
01 February 2012, 08:07
01
@ Cookie, you are so scared of Salafis, its incredible, are you scared all the time? as a christian, we had the palestinian and syrian problem, we fought and resisted. And we were outnumbered. Now if the salafi problem occurs, the sunnis are not the same anymore like in 75, and the chiites whether i like Hezbollah or not will not let salafis control them. And the christians whether LF , Kataeb or Tayyar will not as well. So why are you scared? in fact , in my opinion, we are much stronger than in 75, because probably if this threat comes by lebanon, we will all stand together. And please dont say Hariri is with Salafis, when you will show me somebody who is more tolerable than he is, looking at the Future news, seeing so much christians working there, as well as many people close to him and advisors, are christians. They brought Riad Salameh ( a christian ).
01 February 2012, 08:08
01
So please lets cut the bullshit and try to toughen up a little . If salafis come by Lebanon whether from Syria, Tunis, Egypt or Hell. They will be deal with and they know that ;).
As for the Arabs, as usual, crying out for outside help. Maybe you should start offering jobs to the palestinians in camps in Lebanon and get rid of them for us will you?
