At
UN
on Syria, Moves for a Resolution As Non-Binding As 1st Libya Statement
By
Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS,
May 10 -- The next moves on
Syria in the UN Security Council
began to emerge on Tuesday. Numerous sources told Inner City Press
that the move is to put into a draft resolution the type of
non-binding,
non-punative Council press statement as was issued on
Libya on February 22.
The
idea is that
provision such as were contained in the subsequent Libya Resolution
1970 -- sanctions and referral to the International Criminal Court --
have absolutely no chance of passing the Council at this point.
Meanwhile
an
aspiration statement as was made on Libya, a “shot across the bow”
as one diplomat put it to Inner City Press, might have a chance.
But
when Inner
City Press asked Chinese Permanent Representative Li Baodong about
this “Western” strategy, he said “I don't think they can do
it.”
Even
a Western
diplomat complained to Inner City Press that with the way things have
gone in Libya, Council passage of a “first step” text on Syria is
unlikely for now.
Last
week
Inner City Press reported that the UK was moving toward
introducing a resolution, which unlike the previous draft press
statement could not be blocked by a single non-Permanent member like
Lebanon. Watch this site.
Footnote:
at
the UN's May 10 noon briefing, Inner City Press asked UN acting
deputy spokesman Farhan Haq how much of UNRWA's operations in Syria
have been suspended, and whether UNRWA has been able to provide any
information on the humanitarian situation in Syria to the UN
Secretariat. Haq said, we don't reveal our sources. One wag wondered
what sources the UN actually has in Syria.
* * *
At
UN
on Syria Much Posturing, No Text or TV Camera, Libyan Ships
By
Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS,
May 9 -- When Syria was raised in the Security Council on
Monday afternoon, it was only about the UN's now postponed
humanitarian assessment mission to Deraa.
Afterward
Inner
City Press asked Humanitarian Coordinator Valerie Amos about UN
access to Deraa. She said that she's gotten assurances the team can
get in to Deraa later this week.
Such
access had
already been promised, then not provided. Leaving the Security
Council, German Permanent Representative Wittig told the Press that
he had spoken strongly against the humanitarian crisis in Syria.
Another
Western
diplomat said, carefully, that while there is so far no draft
resolution on Syria, they are trying to find “what the market will
bear” in terms of condemning Syria. Note: they might want to check
with Russia.
Amos on Libya border; the Search continues
When
the session
was over, Council President Gerard Araud begrudgingly came to the
stakeout -- where, in fact, the UN TV camera had already been turned
off.
Given his
attitude, no one told him that the TV cameras were
dark. He answered a question about harm caused in Libya by NATO
bombing by saying, there is no question. But there are questions, and
they will keep being asked.
Inner
City Press
asked Valerie Amos what the UN knows about the deaths of those
seeking to flee Libya by sea. She answered about two reports: a ship
with 72 people on it, out at sea for 16 days, with only 11 survivors,
and a ship with 300 to 600 people onboard sinking. Of the latter, she
said there've been reports of a NATO ship nearby.
The
French reply
that the nearest ship was 100 miles away -- 100 nautical miles. We'll
see.
* * *
At
UN
on
Syria, Russia Tells France to Stick to Lebanon, No Resolution
Yet
By
Matthew
Russell
Lee
UNITED
NATIONS,
May
6 -- There was a fight between two members of the
Security Council in closed door consultations about whether the
crackdown in Syria is a threat to international peace and security,
UN envoy on Council Resolution 1559 Terje Roed-Larsen told the Press
on Friday morning.
Further
reporting
by
Inner City Press identifies the two members as France and Russia.
Specifically, multiple sources tell Inner City Press that Russian
Permanent Representative Vitaly Churkin re-entered the Council and
took issue with his French counterpart Gerard Araud, saying that the
1559 briefing is about Lebanon, not Syria.
Other
Western
members
of the Council note that they too, not only France, raised
Syria, as linked with the situation in Syria. But, they say, Churkin
was in and out of the meeting, and heard only Araud, who is this
month's Security Council president.
The
result of this
statement by
Roed-Larsen, who refused to answer Inner City Press
about him taking a UN staff member with him on a purportedly personal
trip to Bahrain last month, were reports that the Western drive for
a
resolution on Syria was raised and shot down on Friday.
In
fact, Western
sources say, it has yet to be formally raised.
The
backdrop is
how far the Western countries have gone with the mandate gave them in
Libya, with absentions from Russia and China. Now other countries,
including other abstainers but even some members which voted in favor
of Resolution 1973 on Libya, are dubious about even beginning a
similar process on Syria.
Meanwhile,
while
Araud
publicly complained on May 3 that the Security Council's
procedures are “boring,” just a bunch of speeches, complaints are
made that a reform instituted under the UK presidency in November
2010, of letting members cut it in consultation, as been ended by the
French, demanding that countries sign in for their interventions. We
aim to have more on this - watch this site.
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