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| Syria-Lebanon-Iran |
| Sanctions Dropped From Syria Resolution |
| 2005-10-31 |
| Key U.N. Security Council members dropped the threat of sanctions against Syria on Monday in a last-minute effort to get all 15 nations to back a resolution demanding that Damascus cooperate with an investigation into the assassination of Lebanon's former prime minister. The resolution co-sponsored by the United States, Britain and France had called for possible economic sanctions if Syria didn't comply, citing the U.N. Charter. But Russia and China objected strongly to mentioning sanctions while the investigation into Rafik Hariri's killing is still under way. The new text, obtained by The Associated Press, dropped the reference to the U.N. Charter, saying only that if Syria doesn't cooperate "the council, if necessary, could consider further action." In another concession to try to get Russia and China on board, the co-sponsors also agreed to drop an appeal to Syria to renounce all support "for all forms of terrorist action and all assistance to terrorist groups." U.S. Ambassador John Bolton told reporters that foreign ministers of the five permanent veto-wielding nations agreed to the changes because of "the prospect of getting a near unanimous vote in the council." Despite the changes, he said, "it's going to be unmistakably a clear message" and "a strong resolution." The U.S. urged foreign ministers of the 15 council nations to attend Monday's meeting to cast their country's vote on the resolution and thereby send a high-level message to Syria of the international demand for action. Almost all the ministers flew to New York for the meeting. British Ambassador Emyr Jones Parry said that adoption of the resolution by the foreign ministers "is to show the intensity of the concern, and to make it very clear at the highest level what we expect." Syrian Foreign Minister Farouk al-Sharaa also flew to New York Sunday to attend the council meeting and meet with some of the foreign ministers and Secretary-General Kofi Annan. The final negotiations on the text began Sunday night at a dinner hosted by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice for the foreign ministers of the four other permanent council nations — Russia's Sergey Lavrov, China's Li Zhaoxing, Britain's Jack Straw and France's Philippe Douste-Blazy. Lavrov and Li met separately for 45 minutes before the dinner, which lasted more than two hours. The negotiations among the five countries resumed early Monday morning and then the entire 15-member council met behind closed doors. Washington, Paris and London co-sponsored the resolution to follow up last week's report by a U.N. investigating commission, which implicated top Syrian and Lebanese security officials in the Feb. 14 bombing that killed Hariri and 20 others. The report also accused Syria of not cooperating fully with the probe. The latest draft would require Syria to detain anyone the U.N. investigators consider a suspect and let investigators determine the location and conditions under which the individual would be questioned. It also would freeze assets and impose a travel ban on anyone identified as a suspect by the commission. Those provisions could pose a problem for Syrian President Bashar Assad as the suspects include his brother, Maher Assad, and his brother-in-law, Assef Shawkat, the chief of military intelligence. Russia said last week it opposed sanctions against Syria, its longtime ally. Late Sunday, Lavrov said that Russia fully backs further U.N. inquiry into Hariri's murder but criticized what he described as attempts to turn the Security Council into an investigative body. "We are concerned that the draft resolution's co-authors are not just trying to support the commission, but also to meddle into its sphere of responsibility," Lavrov said in comments broadcast by Russia's Channel One television. Tishrin, a government newspaper in Syria, criticized the draft as "tough and unbalanced" and called on the Security Council to adopt "a balanced and objective" resolution "that would not be a clear translation of the U.S. administration's will." As al-Sharaa headed to New York, Syrian Deputy Foreign Minister Walid Moallem toured Gulf countries in what appeared to be an effort to rally Arab support ahead of Monday's council meeting. Syria's official news agency, SANA, quoted Moallem as saying he was bearing a message from the Syrian president to the leaders of Gulf countries concerning "the dangers Syria faces" as a result of the U.N. action. In Saudi Arabia on Saturday, Moallem delivered a message from Assad to King Abdullah "on the current situation in the region ... and the debate under way in the Security Council concerning the (Hariri) investigation," SANA said. Moallem traveled to Qatar on Sunday where he told reporters that the resolution was prepared prior to the release of the report by the U.N. investigation. SANA quoted him as saying the resolution was "dangerous" and aimed at hurting Syria, not uncovering the truth in the Hariri assassination. But Moallem said that Syria will "continue to cooperate" with the U.N. investigation despite "legal and political gaps in its report." Assad on Saturday ordered that a judicial committee be formed to investigate Hariri's assassination. A presidential decree said the committee will cooperate with the U.N. inquiry and Lebanese judicial authorities. While Syria has rejected accusations of its involvement in Hariri's killing, it buckled under international pressure and withdrew its soldiers from Lebanon in April, ending a 29-year presence in its smaller neighbor. |
| Posted by:Steve |
| #12 Key U.N. Security Council members dropped the threat of sanctions against Syria on Monday in a last-minute effort to get all 15 nations to back a resolution.. Enough of this resolution bullshit already. Withdraw from the UN, boot it OUT of NY and be done with it. This procedural resolution crap got stale several years ago. |
| Posted by: Bomb-a-rama 2005-10-31 19:15 |
| #11 Puttyputz's arrangements with the MMs includes much more than just nuke tech and expertise... |
| Posted by: .com 2005-10-31 16:17 |
| #10 I hope they send the strongly worded letter COD!!! You're a cold-hearted one MOO. |
| Posted by: Shipman 2005-10-31 15:42 |
| #9 Actually the UN has been quite useful in pressuring Syria -- of course that's because bashir has ticked off every country that borders him plus the Saudis plus the French plus... At this point I'm a little worried that the Assad dynasty may crumble too fast. There is no unified opposition front yet established that would have the credibility to get the support of the Army (its sad to say this but as bad as the Syrian Army is, it is still the single best institution in Syria for maintaining stability post Assad) |
| Posted by: mhw 2005-10-31 11:21 |
| #8 LH...Obviously our "friend" Putin does not want to upset the flow of arms to Syria. |
| Posted by: anymouse 2005-10-31 11:20 |
| #7 Ah yes, the resolution had a visit with the UN dentist. |
| Posted by: Xbalanke 2005-10-31 11:18 |
| #6 I hope they send the strongly worded letter COD!!! |
| Posted by: Master of Obvious 2005-10-31 11:08 |
| #5 Useless is the word i find most apt to describe the 'UN' |
| Posted by: Shep UK 2005-10-31 11:04 |
| #4 That'll happen until it's demonstrated that the Syrians are supporting Chechen Islamists. |
| Posted by: imoyaro 2005-10-31 11:03 |
| #3 Im disappointed to. If theyd included the sanctions mention, Russia and China would have abstained instead of voting yes. Russia has said its "premature" to talk about sanctions with the investigation under way. If Syria doesnt cooperate (most likely, I think) The US, UK and France will go back with another resolution. I note the Russians insisted on dropping the reference to Syrian support for terrorism. From the people always complaining about Western softness on Chechen terrorists, the hypocrisy is overwhelming. |
| Posted by: Liberalhawk 2005-10-31 10:54 |
| #2 U.N. Threatens Syria with a wet noodle. Not a flicker on the ole suprise meter on this one. |
| Posted by: CrazyFool 2005-10-31 10:48 |
| #1 Aaaaargh! Lucy pulled away the football...again. |
| Posted by: Seafarious 2005-10-31 10:20 |