“We believe that a review now by the Security Council of any new measures
on the situation would be premature,” Deputy Foreign Minister Gennady
Gatilov told the Interfax news agency in comments that appeared to dash
Washington’s hopes of a change of heart in Moscow.
The US State Department had said on Tuesday it hoped the Houla tragedy would
spark a “turning point” in Russia’s reluctance to take tougher
action against its Soviet-era ally.
Annan, during a meeting with Assad in Damascus on Tuesday, urged the Syrian
leader to act immediately to end 15 months of bloodshed which has claimed
thousands of lives, warning that the country had reached a “tipping
point.”
French President Francois Hollande had said on Tuesday that he did not rule
out military intervention, provided it were approved by the UN Security
Council.
“An armed intervention is not excluded on the condition that it is
carried out with respect to international law, meaning after deliberation by
the United Nations Security Council,” he said in a television interview.
Australia said it was open to discussion about military intervention in Syria
but warned of the significant challenges involved in getting it off the
ground.
Japan on Wednesday joined the chorus of international outrage at the slaughter
of civilians in Houla, telling the Syrian ambassador in Tokyo to leave the
country “as soon as possible.”
Japan’s decision followed the apparently coordinated expulsion of diplomats
the previous day by the European Union, the United States and other
governments including Australia, Canada and Switzerland.
Annan was in Amman on Wednesday to discuss the Syrian crisis with Jordan’s
leaders, after appearing to make little headway to staunch the bloodletting
during his visit Monday and Tuesday to Syria.
On Tuesday alone, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a
total of 98 people were killed across Syria with another nine dying
violently on Wednesday morning.
Speaking after his talks with the Syrian leader in the capital, Annan lamented
the continuing killings and abuses that have fatally undermined his peace
blueprint, which was supposed to begin with a ceasefire from April 12 that
has never taken hold.
“I appealed to him (Assad) for bold steps now – not tomorrow, now – to
create momentum for the implementation of the plan.
“This means that the government, and all government-backed militias,
could stop all military operations and show maximum restraint.”
The Syrian authorities have repeatedly insisted that the lion’s share of the
blame for the deaths lies with armed rebels, a position Assad restated in
his talks with Annan.
“The success of the Annan plan depends on the end of terrorist acts and
those who support them and the smuggling of weapons,” Assad was quoted
as saying.
But UN peacekeeping chief Herve Ladsous pointed the finger towards a militia
loyal to Assad.
“There is strong suspicion that the Shabiha were involved in this tragedy
in Houla,” Ladsous told reporters at the UN headquarters.
More than 13,000 people have been killed, most of them civilians, since the
uprising against Assad’s regime erupted in March last year, according to the
Britain-based Observatory.
Source: AFP
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