As Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is rebuked by Arab nations for his government’s deadly five- month crackdown on dissidents, pressure is mounting at the United Nations for a resolution against the bloodshed.
The UN Security Council today will hear an update from Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on the violence in Syria, which keeps claiming lives a week after the council condemned Assad’s use of force against civilians in a statement that fell short of a formal resolution sought by Europe and the U.S.
“A UN resolution would be nice, but it’s not going to stop a regime that is engaging in unspeakable brutality,” said Shadi Hamid, director of research at the Brookings Doha Center, a Qatar branch of the Washington research institution.
Momentum may be building for bolder steps after Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Bahrain withdrew their ambassadors from Damascus, and Turkey said its neighbor is entering a “critical” period. The recalls came after Syrian troops backed by tanks killed more than 100 people in assaults on towns across the country.
“The pressure on Assad is growing,” U.S. State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said yesterday. “The concern is he’s not listening,” she told reporters in Washington.
As the UN considers its options, delegates from Brazil, India, and South Africa — nations in the Security Council that had been reluctant to come down hard on Assad — will meet with Syrian authorities. Russia, a leading opponent to a UN resolution, has adopted a firmer tone, with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov calling for “immediate” reforms in Syria.
‘Targeted’ Sanctions
Human Rights Watch said yesterday the 15-member UN body should consider “targeted” sanctions, an arms embargo and an inquiry commission as the death toll in Syria climbs to more than 2,400 since protests began in mid-March.
Further UN action may coincide with the U.S. taking a new stance. The U.S. has been looking at ways to bolster existing sanctions in a country it has little influence on. So far, Obama has not gone further than saying almost a month ago that Assad had lost legitimacy, leaving room for a statement calling explicitly for the Syrian leader to give up power.
At least 30 anti-government protesters were killed yesterday as the army used tanks, machine guns and armored vehicles to renew its attack on the northern province of Idlib, close to the border with Turkey, and on a town near the central city of Hama, Ammar Qurabi of the National Organization for Human Rights in Syria said in a telephone interview. Many were killed by sniper fire, he said.
Qurabi said children ages 11 and 13 were killed as well as a 17-year-old boy.
Demonstrators Killed
At least 24 demonstrators were killed yesterday in Deir al- Zour and Homs in central Syria and in the southern province of Daraa, where the unrest began, Mahmoud Merhi, head of the Arab Organization for Human Rights, said by telephone from Damascus.
“Our first priority is to stop the bloodshed right away,” Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said yesterday in Ankara after his delegation met with Syrian counterparts for 6 1/2 hours. “Our dialogue with all Syrian groups will continue, the important thing is for the process to take a peaceful turn and for Syrians to determine their own future.”
Turkey’s foreign minister said he met with Assad for 3 1/2 hours and they discussed “concrete” issues in a “clear” manner. “Developments in the coming days will be important and critical in terms of meeting expectations for both Turkey and the Syrian people,” Davutoglu said.
‘Immediate Cessation’
Syria is pursuing “comprehensive reform” and is open to help from nations that are its friends, Assad said after meeting with Davutoglu, the Syrian state-run news agency Sana reported. He said “armed terrorist groups” killed civilians and members of security forces in some cities and that Syria won’t relent in pursuing them.
The Arab League and the Gulf Cooperation Council condemned Assad’s policies, urging him to meet demands for change.
Arab criticism of Syria “could have an impact on the Assad regime; it makes it increasingly isolated,” Chris Phillips, a London-based analyst at the Economist Intelligence Unit, said in a telephone interview. “That will increase the leverage that Saudi and Turkey have over Syria and might pressure it into making concessions.”
Source: bloomberg.com