* Russia, China voted in favor of Western-Arab draft
* First UN council resolution passed since crisis began
* Monitors to begin arriving in Syria within 24 hours
* US envoy Rice: Shelling of Homs violated ceasefire
By Louis Charbonneau and Michelle Nichols
UNITED NATIONS, April 14 (Reuters) – Russia and China joined
the rest of the U.N. Security Council o n S aturday to authorize
the deployment of a n advance team of up to 30 unarmed observers
to Syria to monitor the country’s fragile ceasefire as called
for by U.N.-Arab League mediator Kofi Annan.
It is the first resolution the 15-nation council approved
since the anti-government uprising in Syria began 13 months ago.
Moscow and Beijing twice vetoed council resolutions condemning
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s assault on protesters opposed
to his rule that has killed thousands of civilians.
Despite Saturday’s unanimous vote, there were no signs that
the divisions on the Security Council that have prevented it
from taking action on the crisis have been overcome.
Syria’s close ally and arms supplier Moscow was satisfied
with the final draft of the resolution, though Russian U.N.
Ambassador Vitaly Churkin made clear that there were limits to
the kind of U.N. action Moscow could support.
“Out of respect for the sovereignty of Syria we have
cautioned against destructive attempts at external interference
or imposing any kind of illusory fixes,” he said.
Russia has accused the United States and Europe of tricking
it into using a U.N. mandate to protect civilians in Libya to
enable NATO to engage in “regime change.” Russia abstained from
a March 2011 vote and allowed a council resolution authorizing
“all necessary measures” to protect Libyan civilians to pass.
French Ambassador Gerard Araud added that the newfound unity
on the council may not be permanent. “Our consensus is fragile,”
he said.
Before agreeing to support what was originally a
U.S.-drafted text, Russia had demanded the U.S. and European
delegations dilute it so that it would not “demand” that Syria
comply with the resolution. The approved resolution uses softer
language so that it “calls upon” Syria to implement it.
Churkin also demanded that the council urge the opposition
as well as the Syrian government to change its behavior.
The approved resolution has the council “condemning the
widespread violations of human rights by the Syrian authorities,
as well as any human rights abuses by armed groups, recalling
that those responsible shall be held accountable.”
It calls on “all parties, including the opposition,
immediately to cease all armed violence in all its forms.”
The text also includes a vague warning to Damascus, saying
the council would “assess the implementation of this resolution
and to consider further steps as appropriate.”
’50 VIOLATIONS’
The resolution also calls upon Damascus to cooperate with
the mission and give monitors “full, unimpeded, and immediate
freedom of movement and access.” British Ambassador Mark Lyall
Grant told reporters that a team of Arab League monitors had
been unable to do its work and was withdrawn earlier this year.
“There are 25 monitors who have already been identified,” he
said. “Now that the authorization has been given, they will get
to Damascus as soon as the flights allow. So I would expect the
monitors to start arriving in Damascus within 24 hours.”
Annan’s spokesman said six would arrive within 24 hours.”
Syrian Ambassador Bashar Ja’afari reiterated his commitment
to Annan’s six-point peace plan, which calls for an end to
fighting, withdrawal of troops, dialogue between the government
and opposition and a “political transition” for the country.
“The time for violence is gone,” he said, though he accused
the opposition of “50 violations” of the truce since Thursday.
Western council members welcomed the adoption of the
resolution but had harsh words for Assad’s government.
U.S. Ambassador Susan Rice condemned what she said was
Damascus’ “murderous rampage” over the last year, adding that
the sporadic violence that has broken out since Thursday’s
ceasefire casts doubt on the government’s commitment to peace.
Asked if the Syrian forces’ shelling on Saturday of the
battered city of Homs was a violation of the ceasefire, Rice
said “absolutely.”
Lyall Grant and French Ambassador Araud both said that
Assad’s forces have killed over 10,000 people, higher than the
U.N. estimate of 9,000. Syrian authorities, who blame
foreign-backed militants for the violence, say 2,500 soldiers
and police have been killed.
“The responsible perpetrators of this barbaric repression of
a peaceful group of (demonstrators) will not go unpunished,”
Araud said. “Today finally the Security Council is with a single
voice recognizing the criminal responsibility for these acts.”
Annan had asked the council to approve the deployment of an
advance team of monitors as soon as possible. Annan is planning
for an observer force that will have up to 250 monitors, though
its full deployment will require a new resolution. Ba n said he
would present proposals for the full mission next week.
Churkin said he hoped the negotiations on it would be swift.
He also complained about the failure of the U.N. secretariat
to reach agreement with the Syrian government on the parameters
of the mission and suggested it was the U.N.’s fault, above all
Norway’s General Robert Mood, who led a U.N. negotiating team in
Syria. Damascus’ consent is needed for the team’s deployment.
Churkin accused Mood of abruptly leaving Syria, “sort of
fleeing his position in the middle of action.”
U.N. diplomats say that it is becoming increasingly awkward
for senior U.N. officials to engage with a Syrian government
that has failed to keep promises to halt the violence and which
the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights has said
may be guilty of grave human rights violations and war crimes.
