On
Syria, Russia
Has
Amendments,
Meeting Shift
to 10am,
Hillary Lavrov
Drama
By
Matthew
Russell Lee,
Exclusive
UNITED
NATIONS,
February 3 --
Amid confusion
about when and
even if the UN
Security
Council would
meet on
Saturday about
its ostensibly
final
Syria draft
resolution,
between 7 and
8 pm on Friday
diplomats from
four
delegations
ran into the
Council, and
finally left
at 8:35 pm.
Inner City
Press asked
them
questions.
One
delegation,
non-Permanent,
told Inner
City Press,
"You know the
Russians
have already
submitted
amendments...
The meeting
will start at
10 am
but it will be
closed
consultations.
Any member can
put a stop to
moving to a
vote. Hillary
Clinton is
supposed to
meet with
Lavrov at
2:30 pm, their
time."
Just
in time for
the drama in
the Security
Council in New
York.
Earlier,
after the
UN
Spokesperson's
Office had
squawked at 9
am Saturday
Council
meeting, then
said to
disregard,
then closed
down for the
night, a
representative
of February's
Togolese
presidency of
the Council
first
told Inner
City Press,
the meeting
would start at
9 am.
Then
another said,
the Russians
have asked for
11 am. Finally
a Permament
member told
Inner City
Press, and the
others nodded
in agreement,
10 am. To
coincide with
the Clinton -
Lavrov
meeting?
The
draft put in
blue Thursday
night (and put online
by Inner City
Press early on
Friday, just
after
midnight)
calls for a
process
without
prejudging
the outcome.
But it still
"fully
supports" the
Arab League
plan, which
calls for
Assad to
delegate power
to his deputy.
Now,
there are
amendments
proposed.
Watch this
site.
, 
