ISTANBUL, April 1 (Reuters) – U.S. Secretary of State
Hillary Clinton warned Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on
Sunday he could no longer delay implementing a UN-Arab League
peace proposal to end fighting in Syria.
Speaking after a meeting between Western and Arab officials
and members of the Syrian opposition in Istanbul, Clinton said
Assad had so far refused to implement the Annan peace plan.
“There is no more time for excuses or delays … this is a
moment of truth,” Clinton told a news conference.
Clinton also noted that the Syrian opposition was becoming
better focused, better organised and more inclusive.
The Syrian National Council was recognised by the “Friends
of Syria” group of 83 countries as a legitimate representative
of the Syrian people, and the main opposition interlocutor for
the international community.
Turning to other high-profile issues in the region, Clinton
said that the United States would welcome a decision by Iran
that nuclear weapons were un-Islamic, so long as Tehran observed
that principle.
She was responding to reports that Turkish leaders were told
in Tehran last week that the Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah
Ali Khameni viewed weapons of mass destruction as prohibited by
Islam.
“We are certainly open to believing that this is the
position, but of course the international community now wants to
see actions associated with that statement of belief,” Clinton
said. “The Iranians also have to know that this is not an
open-ended discussion.”
Iran is expected to renew negotiations with six world powers
on April 13 to discuss it nuclear programme, after more than a
year without talks. Western powers suspect Iran is planning to
build nuclear weapons. Iran says its programme is for peaceful
purposes.
Asked about the decision by Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood – the
strongest party in the Egyptian parliament – to field a
candidate in a presidential election, Clinton said the United
States would be following the vote closely but urged political
actors not to discriminate against women, minorities, or
political opponents.
“We want to see Egypt move forward in a democratic
transition and what that means is that you do not or cannot
discriminate against religious minorities, women, political
opponents,” she said.
Secular groups have criticised the Brotherhood of packing a
new assembly, tasked with drafting a new constitution, with
Islamists at the expense of minority groups.
