UN resolution to be rewritten after Syria mission ended

UNITED NATIONS: European and Arab UN members on Saturday started rewriting a proposed Security Council resolution condemning Syria's deadly crackdown on dissent after the Arab League suspended its monitoring mission in Syria. European countries said the withdrawal highlighted the need for UN action. France's foreign minister contacted his Russia counterpart in a bid to overcome Moscow's resistance to the draft resolution officially presented on Friday, diplomats said.

The resolution, drawn up by Britain, France and Germany with Morocco, as the Arab member of the 15-member Security Council, calls for international backing for the Arab League plan to end the Syria crisis. The Arab League suspended its observer mission because of the growing violence in Syria where President Bashar al-Assad has launched a brutal crackdown on protests. The United Nations says thousands have died.

"We will work with Morocco as lead sponsor and other council members on bringing the resolution text up to date," said a spokesman for Britain's UN mission.

"The Security Council briefing on Tuesday will be the definitive Arab League view, but the suspension of the observer mission shows that they were never able to do their job properly," the spokesman said.

Arab League secretary general Nabil al-Arabi and Qatar's Prime Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim Al-Thani will appear before the council on Tuesday to press the case for UN action. The Europe-Arab resolution gives fully support to the Arab League plan to end the crisis which calls for Assad to hand over powers to a deputy. It "encourages" all states to follow sanctions adopted by the pan-Arab bloc last November.

Russia's UN envoy Vitaly Churkin said the new European-Arab resolution crosses its "red lines" opposing sanctions, an arms embargo and any move toward "regime change".

France's Foreign Minister Alain Juppe sent a message to Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov on Friday "to emphasize the importance of constructive cooperation between France and Russia" on Syria, French foreign ministry spokesman Bernard Valero said in a statement.

AFP