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Annan Urges Immediate Access for Monitors to Syria's al-Haffa
[An Nahar] U.N.-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... envoy 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...is "gravely concerned" by a step up in fighting by Syrian government forces and the opposition, his front man said on Monday. Annan "is gravely concerned by the latest reports of violence coming out of Syria and the escalation of fighting by both government and opposition forces," said Ahmad Fawzi in a statement. Fawzi said Annan, who brokered the faltering six-point plan to end 15 months of bloodshed in Syria, cited recent shelling in Homs and the reported use of mortar, helicopter and tanks in the town of al-Haffa in Latakia. "There are indications that a large number of civilians are trapped in these towns," said Fawzi. "The Joint Special Envoy demands that the parties take all steps to ensure that civilians are not harmed, and further demands that entry of the U.N. Military Observers be allowed to the town of al-Haffa immediately." Posted by: Fred 2012-06-12 |
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