Head of the Syria National Council (SNC), Burhan Ghalion, has insisted that for peace to reign in the war torn country, President Bashar Al-Assad must step down.
In a meeting by the 15-nation United Nations Security Council sitting to consider the Arab League Plan for the political transition of Syria, the SNC head said the SNC has come to the U.N. to seek support of the Security Council to help in not making Syria fall into a failed State so the Council should sit a take full responsibility through their decision the map oput a plan of proper resolution which will condemn crimes against humanity and recognize the inaptitude of Bashar al-Assad as a president and asking him to step down.
The United States together with its allies and the SNC all urged the U.N. Security Council to end what they called its “neglect” of the violence raging in Syria and rapidly endorse an Arab League plan for a political transition there.
Arab League Secretary-General Nabil Elaraby and Qatar’s prime minister are due to plead with the council to back the plan for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to transfer powers to his deputy to prepare for elections.
Western countries are deploying their big guns to try to overcome Russian objections, with U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, British Foreign Secretary William Hague and French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe due to attend the session.
Ghalioun, said he had met with Russian officials in New York and would meet with U.S. ambassador Susan Rice later on Monday. Germany’s U.N. mission said Ghalioun also met with Ambassador Peter Wittig in New York.
Ghalioun also urged the council to support the European-Arab draft, saying it was high time for it to act.
Russia’s U.N. Ambassador Vitaly Churkin said last week that he was willing to engage on the European-Arab draft, which Morocco submitted to the council. But while he did not explicitly threaten to use his veto, he said the text was unacceptable in its current form.
A vote on the draft resolution is unlikely before Thursday or Friday, Western diplomats said on condition of anonymity.
While few expect Russia to support the Syria resolution, Western officials said they were hopeful Moscow might be persuaded to abstain, allowing it to pass. The question was what changes would be needed in the text to secure that outcome.
It was widely expected that Russia would insist at least that language in the draft explicitly calling on Assad to transfer power to his deputy be dropped, as well as criticism of arms sales to Syria that is clearly aimed at Moscow.
