UN stalemate on Syria as Syria admits “some mistakes”
US imposes sanctions on Syria and President Assad’s relatives. The latter admits errors by his security forces. For Russian ambassador, Syria’s opposition must take part in reforms, which cannot occur overnight.
Damascus (AsiaNews/Agencies) – The UN Security Council ended a two-hour closed door meeting on Syria without showing any signs that they can overcome their divisions and put an end to the violence in the Mideast country. France, Great Britain and Portugal want Damascus to stop its crackdown, and threaten more sanctions. The soft line pushed by Russia, Brazil, India and South Africa excludes UN sanctions in favour of dialogue.
The 15-member Council opened with a report by Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, who said that 13,000 people had been arrested since the start of the unrest, more than 3,000 disappeared and at least 2,000 killed.
For the representatives of Western nations, the Council should take further steps if violence is not stopped immediately.
The United States imposed new economic sanctions against Syria, targeting the Commercial Bank of Syria, which has been accused of buying non-conventional weapons abroad and working with a North Korean bank involved in ballistic missile exports.
US sanctions were also imposed on Syriatel, Syria’s main mobile phone company, which is owned by Rami Makhluf, President Bashir al Assad’s cousin.
The Security Council, which is scheduled to meet in a week, will not likely approve sanctions against the Assad regime. Instead, the latter has admitted that its security forces have made “some mistakes” in quelling protests in a meeting with a diplomatic delegation from Brazil, India and South Africa
According to envoys from the three countries, Assad said that he was committed to reform and multiparty democracy. For his foreign minister, “free and fair elections to the Parliament will be held in Syria before end 2011”.
Syria’s old ally, Russia, is equally against the West’s hard-line position. Russian Ambassador Vitaly Churkin said he did not believe sanctions against Syria would be helpful, and that Syria’s opposition must take part in the reform, which cannot however occur overnight.
In Syria, arrests and clashes continued today, even though the Turkish ambassador to Damascus said he had visited Hama, a hotbed of unrest, and had seen the army pullout, following a meeting between Turkish Foreign Minister Davutoglu and President Assad in which the former asked his Syrian host for moderation.
Images of a destroyed minaret in the southern town of Deir ez-Zor (pictured) have appeared online.
According to unverified claims, more people were killed or wounded today, this according to activists.
The 15-member Council opened with a report by Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, who said that 13,000 people had been arrested since the start of the unrest, more than 3,000 disappeared and at least 2,000 killed.
For the representatives of Western nations, the Council should take further steps if violence is not stopped immediately.
The United States imposed new economic sanctions against Syria, targeting the Commercial Bank of Syria, which has been accused of buying non-conventional weapons abroad and working with a North Korean bank involved in ballistic missile exports.
US sanctions were also imposed on Syriatel, Syria’s main mobile phone company, which is owned by Rami Makhluf, President Bashir al Assad’s cousin.
The Security Council, which is scheduled to meet in a week, will not likely approve sanctions against the Assad regime. Instead, the latter has admitted that its security forces have made “some mistakes” in quelling protests in a meeting with a diplomatic delegation from Brazil, India and South Africa
According to envoys from the three countries, Assad said that he was committed to reform and multiparty democracy. For his foreign minister, “free and fair elections to the Parliament will be held in Syria before end 2011”.
Syria’s old ally, Russia, is equally against the West’s hard-line position. Russian Ambassador Vitaly Churkin said he did not believe sanctions against Syria would be helpful, and that Syria’s opposition must take part in the reform, which cannot however occur overnight.
In Syria, arrests and clashes continued today, even though the Turkish ambassador to Damascus said he had visited Hama, a hotbed of unrest, and had seen the army pullout, following a meeting between Turkish Foreign Minister Davutoglu and President Assad in which the former asked his Syrian host for moderation.
Images of a destroyed minaret in the southern town of Deir ez-Zor (pictured) have appeared online.
According to unverified claims, more people were killed or wounded today, this according to activists.
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