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Gulf Arabs push diplomatic assault on Syria

Published: 24 January, 2012, 19:04

An anti-government protester shouts slogans with the colours of the national flag of Yemen and Syria painted on his face during a rally against the immunity of Yemen's outgoing president Ali Abdullah Saleh in Sanaa January 23, 2012 (Reuters / Mohamed al-Sayaghi)

An anti-government protester shouts slogans with the colours of the national flag of Yemen and Syria painted on his face during a rally against the immunity of Yemen's outgoing president Ali Abdullah Saleh in Sanaa January 23, 2012 (Reuters / Mohamed al-Sayaghi)

TRENDS: Syria unrest

TAGS: Conflict, Military, UN, Protest, Politics, Opposition, Syria


The Arab League is intensifying its diplomatic attack on Syria, recalling observers and preparing to address the UN Security Council on the violence, after Damascus rejected the League’s proposal urging President Assad to step down.

­The Persian Gulf countries have now called on the Security Council to apply additional pressure to induce Syria to accept the plan.

The proposal envisages the creation of a unity government within two months. The new government’s aim would be preparing special parliamentary and presidential elections in Syria, to be held under Arab and international supervision.

The Gulf countries are also following the example of Saudi Arabia and pulling their observers from Syria, a move seen as another blow to Damascus, since the mission had just been extended for at least another month.

It is believed this decision was made after Damascus rejected the Arab League’s plan.

Gulf Arabs are not alone in their crusade against Damascus. British Foreign Secretary William Hague has suggested a road map to get a UN resolution on Syria, similar to the one once made out for Libya, by establishing a no-fly zone over the country.

He said the Arab League observers must make the UN Security Council members aware of the “real” state of things in Syria.

Hague has also called on the Arab League to push Russia and China to support a resolution on Syria in the Security Council. According to the British FM, a UN resolution must be adopted in such a way that it would help to “save people’s lives”.

In October, Russia and China vetoed the resolution on Syria. Moscow stressed that it would never support any UN resolution that intends to settle the Syrian crisis by foreign force.

The situation around Syria has been aggravated even further as on Monday the EU imposed fresh sanctions on Damascus, following the refusal of President Bashar Assad to step down.

­Arab League prepares invasion?

At a press-conference on Tuesday, Syria’s Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem accused unspecified Arab states of joining the conspiracy against his country and of a “blatant” interference in Syria’s internal affairs.

Walid al-Muallem slammed the Arab League’s hypocrisy, pointing out that instead of getting familiar with the results obtained by its observers in Syria, the organization takes a political decision to demand President Bashar Assad’s resignation. This step would undoubtedly endanger Syria’s sovereignty and Damascus certainly cannot accept such a proposal.

“A blind man cannot discourse about colors,” al-Muallem said, “They want to defy the future of Syria without considering the opinion of the Syrians.”

The Syrian FM said that the Arab League is simply trying to internationalize the Syrian question, thus preparing the ground for international interference in the sovereign affairs of his country.

Walid al-Muallem expressed confidence that Russia would never agree to foreign intervention in Syria.

“Our relations with Russia have deep roots,” the minister announced at the press-conference in Damascus. “Russia cannot welcome foreign intervention in Syria. That is too much.”

Walid al-Muallem stressed that Syria has fulfilled all of its obligations towards the Arab League, particularly underlining that the report of the observers confirms statements by Damascus that armed militants, not peaceful protesters, are acting throughout Syria and against its authorities.

The Syrian FM emphasized that it is a duty of the government in Damascus to deal with the militants seeding violence in Syrian provinces.

Syria has long stressed that the 10-month uprising in the country has never been that of peaceful protesters seeking change, but a foreign conspiracy, channeling money, arms and militants to undermine Syrian sovereignty and organize a regime change in the country.

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sa-sha January 25, 2012, 11:42
+5

"Only Assad's Hama massacre in 1982 had more victimes..."-don't worry,
be happy: seemingly inevitable foreign tyrants (NATO+Gulf monarchies)'
military interference will strongly refresh the death-roll in Syria
"...betraying others is awarded by the government"-the current practice in
many States, esp. Western ones...

nobody January 25, 2012, 07:09
-1

To "Myself":
Only Assad's Hama massacre in 1982 had more victimes than Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain together.

nobody January 25, 2012, 07:03
+1

Dear John Ellis, sorry, i misunderstood you before with he 30%.
However, I disagree with you. Assad never had the 50% support, nor does any other Arab leader. Arab countries were never ruled by popular support, but mainly by fear. Fear created by Mukhabarat's daily intimidations. Fear created when seeing people sometimes disappearing. Many Arab leaders learned well from Stalin's practices and created a kind of betrayal society, where betraying others is awarded by the government. Betrayal became the way to get a better job, to get a university scholarship, to get special privileges, etc. You could disappear for years in prison if you once said one wrong word about the king or president. The Arab spring was the point when this fear barrier was broken and people were not afraid anymore to say and demand what they want.
Actually Assad  (and also other Arab leaders) have now more support than they actually ever had. The main support they have right now is from people who are afraid of the change. These are mainly people who profited from the current government or minority groups who are afraid of being treated bad by the majority group if they come to power. The governments are playing an important role in creating this new fear.