|
Syria To Withdraw Troops From Cities: Un-Arab League Envoy
The joint UN-Arab League...an organization of Arabic-speaking states with 22 member countries and four observers. The League tries to achieve Arab consensus on issues, which usually leaves them doing nothing but a bit of grimacing and mustache cursing... special envoy to Syria, Kofi Annan  ...Ghanaian diplomat who served as the seventh and so far the worst Secretary-General of the UN. Annan and the UN were the co-recipients of the 2001 Nobel Peace Prize for something or other that probably sounded good at the time. In December 2004, reports surfaced that Kofi's son Kojo received payments from the Swiss company Cotecna, which had won a lucrative contract under the UN Oil-for-Food Program. Kofi Annan called for an investigation to look into the allegations, which stirred up the expected cesspool but couldn't seem to come up with enough evidence to indict Kofi himself, or even Kojo..., says Damascus ...Capital of the last overtly fascist regime in the world... has agreed to withdraw its troops from population centers as the United States and its regional allies continue to funnel fund and equipment to armed gangs. Annan announced on Monday that Damascus has accepted a deadline to start implementing his proposed plan to settle the Syrian unrest. The former UN chief, who briefed the 15-member Security Council by videoconference from Geneva behind closed doors, was quoted as saying that Syrian Hereditary President-for-Life Bashir Pencilneckal-Assad Before going into the family business Pencilneck was an eye doctor... has agreed on the April 10 deadline to put the plan to work. "The Syrians have told us they have put a plan in place for withdrawing their army units from populated zones and surrounding areas. This plan ... will be completed by April 10," Annan's front man Ahmad Fawzi said in Geneva. "If we are able to verify this has happened on the 10th, then the clock starts ticking on the cessation of hostilities, by the opposition as well. We expect both sides to cease hostilities within 48 hours," he added. Annan met Assad in Damascus on March 10 and presented him with a six-point plan calling for the military pullout. On Sunday, several Persian Gulf Arab states and the United States pledged 100 million dollars to provide salaries and communications equipment for Syrian rebels fighting against the government. The countries, led by Soddy Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, made the offer at an Istanbul conference of the "Friends of Syria", a grouping of some 70 Western and Arab countries, which Damascus calls the "enemies of Syria". Syria has been experiencing unrest since mid-March 2011 and many people, including security forces, have bit the dust in the violence. The West and the Syrian opposition accuse the government of killing the protesters. But Damascus blames ''outlaws, saboteurs and armed terrorist groups'' for the unrest, stating that it is being orchestrated from abroad. Posted by: trailing wife 2012-04-03 |
| http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=342093 |