By Salwa Jandoubi
UNITED NATIONS, Feb 4 (KUNA) — The Security Council is set to vote later on Saturday, at Morocco’s request, on an Arab-European draft resolution that would “fully support” the Arab League peace plan – in general – aimed at stemming the bloodshed in Syria.
The forecast voting coincides signs that Russia will once again veto the draft, or may just abstain, after its last minute amendments were all rejected, a diplomat close to the talks told Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) late Friday.
The Council meeting was originally scheduled for 9:00 O’clock New York time, but Russia requested that it be postponed till 10 O’clock to give a chance to Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and his US counterpart Hillary Clinton to hammer out their differences over the draft when they meet at the Security Conference in Munich, later today.
Russia has so far rejected the idea that the Council “fully supports” the Arab League plan, and threatened to veto the draft. It suggests that the two words be replaced with “take note of” or “welcome.” The co-sponsors of the draft, both Arab and western, rejected the Russian suggestion, arguing that the draft has been watered down so much, that enough is enough, that “fully supports” is a red line, and that they are not ready to change it at any cost, even if that means a Russian veto.
Pakistani Ambassador Abdullah Hussein Haroon told reporters following a second round of Council consultations at the Ambassadorial level on Thursday that the Council was “two words away” from a consensus, in reference to “fully supports.” Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Gennady Gatilov told Interfax News Agency on Friday “some of our concerns and the concerns of those who think the same as us have been taken into consideration, but all the same this is not enough for us to be able to support it in this form.” It is not clear whether Russia will veto the draft resolution or just abstain.
Russia already vetoed a draft resolution, last October, that would condemn Syria for the bloody crackdown that has now resulted in the deaths of close to 6,000 people. The big question today is if Moscow is ready to do it again.
To allay Russian concerns, a number of issues have been deleted from the draft, including reference to an arms embargo against Syria, sanctions, military intervention, and mainly “delegation by President of Syria of his full authority to his deputy,” as Russia is against regime change anywhere.
Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Hamad Bin Jasem Al-Thani told Al-Jazeera TV station on Thursday “the Arab league can’t compromise on some points, (such as its request that the UN back its roadmap for a transfer of power in Syria.) “If there is (no) any compromise, we told them they can use the veto, we will not accept any weak resolutions.” Sheikh Hamad conveyed that message when he met Thursday at the Qatar Mission with the Moroccan and the western Ambassadors on one hand, and later with the Russian and Chinese Ambassadors on the other, KUNA learned.
KUNA also learned that Moroccan Ambassador Mohammed Loulichki met on Friday at the Moroccan Mission with his counterparts representing the Council permanent members – US, UK, France, Russia and China – to tell them the League has decided to go for a vote on Saturday and that the door to amendments is now closed.
The Council met privately earlier in the day to examine last minute Russian amendments that were rejected right away by the co-sponsors.
Among those amendments, KUNA learned, was to “express support to the broad trend of political transition to democratic plural political systems in the Middle East.” The draft condemns the continued widespread and gross violations of human rights by Damascus, such as the use of force against civilians. arbitrary executions, killing and persecution of protestors and members of the media. But Russia suggested to delete from the text “arbitrary detention, enforced disappearances, interference with access to medical treatment, torture, sexual violence, and ill-treatment, including against children.” Russia further suggested to call on all sections of Syrian opposition to dissociate themselves from the armed groups, and urge member states to “use their influence” to prevent continued violence by such groups. The co-sponsors of the draft resolution are Morocco, France, United Kingdom, United States, Germany, Portugal Colombia, Togo, Libya, Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Oman, Turkey. (end) sj.rk KUNA 04 Feb 2012
