On
Syria, Russian
Turkish
Efforts
Welcomed,
Questioned,
UNSC Flags on
NYE
By Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS,
December 31 --
When Russia's
Ambassador to
the UN Vitaly
Churkin
announced on
Friday
December 30
that he hoped
for a
unanimous vote
on New Year's
Eve at 11 am
on a
resolution
endorsing his
country's and
Turkey's
ceasefire plan
in Syria,
Inner City
Press asked
him which
groups are
included. Video here.
But at
11 am, Churkin
said other
Council
members are
difficult, and
said they
might not vote
until
"tonight" -
New Year's
Eve.
Journalists
laughed,
nervously.
The
Ambassador of
New Zealand,
leaving the
Security
Council later
in the day
after a two
year term,
said
clarification
is needed as
to what is
exempt from
the ceasefire
-- all of
Idlib? -- and
that there's a
problem with
endorsing.
Video
here.
Inner city
Press: It is
reported that
Ahrar al-Sham
have some
reservations
about the
deal. Are
Jaysh al-Islam
also are part
of the deal?
Churkin: The
counting of
the groups is
very
complicated,
as you know.
Our
understanding
is that 7
major groups
have joined in
this
arrangement.
Staffan de
Mistura, as
you know,
counted as
many as 98
different
groups
fighting in
Syria. The
relationship
between those
groups is
sometimes very
complicated,
but the thing
is that in
those
documents
there are 13
armed groups
who delegated
two gentlemen
who are named
in the annex
to the
documents, who
are delegated
the authority
to sign the
agreement on
their behalf,
which they
did. The
agreement
about forming
the delegation
of the
opposition.
So, by our
account, those
groups
represent
60,000
fighters and
they control a
large chunk of
the territory
of Syria.
Inner
City Press
also asked
Churkin about
Libya and he
praised
Haftar: see
end of
this video.
Watch this
site.
, 
