Russia calls latest U.N. Syria resolution 'unacceptable'
[Al Arabiya] Russia on Tuesday called the latest draft of a U.N. Security Council resolution condemning the Syrian crackdown "unacceptable" despite last-minute changes that removed a direct reference to sanctions.
"The text that Western nations are planning to put up for a vote is clearly unacceptable," Deputy Foreign Minister Gennady Gatilov told the Interfax news agency.
European nations were expected to seek a vote later Tuesday on a resolution imposing "targeted measures" against President-for-Life Bashir Pencilneck al-Assad
One of the last of the old-fashioned hereditary iron-fisted fascist dictators. Before going into the family business Pencilneck was an eye doctor...
's regime for a crackdown that has killed 2,700 according to U.N. estimates.
Russia had initially proposed its own resolution that simply called for more dialogue and then began pressing Western powers to water down the language in their draft.
The current proposal would impose sanctions if Assad failed to comply within 30 days with instructions to end violence and impose reforms.
Russia initially reserved judgment about the latest initiative and Gatilov did not spell out the details of Moscow's complaint with the latest plan.
But he noted that "unfortunately, quite a few things there do not suit us and not all of our complaints were taken into account."
The deputy foreign minister also repeated that Russia wanted the resolution to stress the importance of political dialogue that put equal pressure on both sides.
Posted by: Fred 2011-10-05 |