Annan's
Team
Reaches Out to
Free Syrian
Army, Deputy
El-Kidwa to
Istanbul, of
US Dynamics
By
Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS,
March 28 --
The Free
Syrian Army
has been
reached out to
by members of
the
team of Kofi
Annan the UN -
Arab League
Joint Special
Envoy, Annan's
spokesman told
Inner City
Press on March
28, adding
that Annan's
deputy Nassar
El-Kidwa will
attend the
Friends of
Syria meeting
in
Istanbul.
On
March 27 just
after Annan's
spokesman
Ahmad Fawzi
announced that
Syria's Bashar
al
Assad
government had
accepted
Annan's Six
Point Plan,
Inner City
Press asked
this month's
UN Security
Council
president Mark
Lyall
Grant of the
UK "was it the
Council’s
expectation
that he
would seek a
similar
agreement from
the
opposition, or
members of
the
opposition?"
Ambassador
Lyall
Grant replied
that "there
are members of
Mr Annan’s
team that
are in touch
with the
opposition.
That clearly
is an
important
aspect
of his remit.
And no doubt
there will be
further
contacts
between now
and Monday
[April 2]when
he briefs the
Security
Council."
Based
on this
answer, Inner
City Press
asked Annan's
spokesman
Fawzi, "can
you say
anything about
these contacts
with and
expectations
of the
opposition?
Who on Annan's
team is in
contact, and
with whom? The
Free Syrian
Army?"
Half
a day
later, Fawzi
answered Inner
City Press
that "Yes, we
have been
reaching out
to the
opposition.
Not just the
FSA, the SNC
SCC and
others. I
can't tell you
who on the JSE
team is
pursuing these
contacts, for
security
reasons, but I
can say that
Mr. Annan met
a
number of them
in Damascus
and Ankara,
and Mr
El-Kidwa is
attending
the meeting in
Istanbul."
El-Kidwa,
as
first reported
by Inner City
Press, was
blocked from
entering Syria
by the Assad
government, on
the theory
that he was
selected by
and
represents the
Arab League,
which is
meeting in
Baghdad
(including
the presence
of Sudan's
Omar al
Bashir,
indicted by
the
International
Criminal Court
for genocide).
The
morning Fawzi
announced that
Syria had
agreed to the
Plan, the
Security
Council
took the issue
up in closed
door
consultations.
As Permanent
Representatives
trickled out,
the Press
asked them
when Annan
would
brief the
Council. "Mark
is trying to
arrange it,"
one
European
Permanent
Representative
answered,
referring to
Lyall Grant.
Moments
later
Lyall Grant
emerged and
named the
time: April 2
at 10 am. A
source
told Inner
City Press
that this was
arranged not
with Lyall
Grant but
with the US,
which takes
over the
presidency for
April.
Inner
City Press
asked Fawzi,
"was Monday 10
am arranged
with UK or US,
as
April's
President?"
To
this, Fawzi
replied, "I
think the SC
briefing was
arranged with
the US. Does
it matter?"
It
might. In
April the US
is predicted
including due
to partisan
disagreement
on
Syria in this
election year
to make Syria
a major item.
The George W.
Bush
administration
was no fan of
Annan,
including due
to his deeming
the US
invasion of
Iraq a
violation of
international
law.
Bush
Ambassador
to the UN John
Bolton wrote
that the US
chose Ban
Ki-moon
as Annan's
successor
because the US
was looking
for someone
who
didn't wake up
every morning
thinking he
was God's gift
to humanity.
The
Obama
administration,
as reported by
Inner City
Press,
essentially
vetoed
one proposed
Joint Special
Envoy to
Syria, Boutros
Boutras Ghali
of
Egypt whose
second term as
Secretary
General was
vetoed by
Democrat
Bill Clinton.
But the Obama
administration
did NOT block
Annan from
the role.
If
Annan's "happy
talk" about
Assad agreed
does not stop
violence but
only buys
time, will the
US turn on
Annan? After
jumping the
gun and
arranging
the April 2
briefing with
him? That, to
explain, is
why it just
might
matter.
Annan's
spokesman's
response:
Subject:
Re:
Hi, Q on JSE
team contacts
with, and
expectations
of, opposition
/ FSA,
logistics
From: Ahmad
Fawzi
Date: Wed, Mar
28, 2012 at
8:45 AM
To: Matthew
Russell Lee
[at]
InnerCityPress.com
Yes,
we
have been
reaching out
to the
opposition.
Not just the
FSA, the
SNC SCC and
others. I
can't tell you
who on the JSE
team is
pursuing
these
contacts, for
security
reasons, but I
can say that
Mr. Annan
met a number
of them in
Damascus and
Ankara, and Mr
El-Kidwa is
attending the
meeting in
Istanbul.
I
think the SC
briefing was
arranged with
the US. Does
it matter?
Nope,
no
consultants at
the moment.
Watch
this site.
, 
