EU and Arab countries put forward new UN resolution on Syria
EU countries on the UN Security Council and a handful of Arab states have put forward a new resolution on Syria. But Russia - a veto-wielding country - is unlikely to let it fly. France, Germany, Portugal and the UK together with Jordan, Morocco, Qatar and Saudi Arabia unveiled the three-page text - published by Washington Post blogger Colum Lynch - in New York on Wednesday (25 January).
The draft resolution calls on Syrian President Bashar Assad to "facilitate a political transition, leading to a plural political system ... and fair elections" in a process to be overseen by the Arab League. It "demands" that "all parties in Syria, including armed groups immediately stop any violence or reprisals" and urges UN countries to "prevent" the flow of weapons into Syria, which "fuels the violence."
Russian UN ambassador Vitaly Churkin already criticised the Arab-League-controlled transition idea after the league first floated it on Sunday, saying: "This is an effort by the Arab League, if I understand correctly, to put a pre-cooked solution on the table."
The Russian resolution in late December ... voiced "concern at the illegal supply of weapons to the armed groups in Syria." The Russian clause on weapons is designed to stop alleged clandestine deliveries of guns to the Syrian Free Army by Western countries via Turkey. But the new EU and Arab text would stop Russia from legally selling arms to Assad.
http://euobserver.com/24/115028