al-Assad agrees to UN peace plan but probably not serious. Clashes still errupting near Lebanon
7 replies, posted
[url]http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-17528298[/url]
[quote]Western powers have reacted sceptically to Syria's acceptance of the peace plan put forward by UN envoy Kofi Annan.
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said President Bashar al-Assad would be judged by events.
"Given Assad's history of over-promising and under-delivering, that commitment must now be matched by immediate actions," she said.
Earlier the UN said more than 9,000 people have now died since the Syria uprising started a year ago.
"If he is ready to bring this dark chapter in Syria's history to a close he can prove it by immediately ordering regime forces to stop firing and begin withdrawing from populated areas," Mrs Clinton said.
Other Western powers have made similar comments.
Mrs Clinton also said President Assad must allow in humanitarian aid and start preparing for a democratic transition.
And she said opposition groups "must come forward with a unified position, a vision of the kind of Syria they are wishing to build".
Opposition factions meeting in Istanbul have called on Syria to withdraw its tanks, to show it is serious about accepting Annan's proposals, Agence France-Presse has reported.
The BBC correspondent at the gathering says he has not met a single delegate who thinks the president is even remotely sincere, and Mr Assad's opponents would never accept any deal allowing him to remain in power.
Most opposition groups have now agreed to name the Syrian National Council as the formal representative of the Syrian people.
But our correspondent says their disunity was openly on display, with constant disputes and walkouts.[/quote]
[url]http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/28/world/middleeast/syrian-opposition-leaders-meet-as-bloodshed-continues.html?_r=1[/url]
[quote]Syria Reportedly Accepts Peace Plan as Clashes Erupt Near Lebanon
AL QAA, Lebanon — Despite reports of a breakthrough in international efforts to end Syria’s bloodletting, heavy fighting broke out in this border region on Tuesday between Syrian government troops and rebels who have taken refuge in the area, according to activists and Lebanese military officers.
During Tuesday’s fighting in the border region, a Lebanese military officer said no Syrian ground troops or vehicles had entered Lebanese territory. He said heavy fighting had broken out in an area of Syria where government forces and rebels had traded fire previously and a single mortar shell from those clashes landed 30 or 40 yards inside Lebanon. The officer spoke in return for anonymity because he was not authorized to brief reporters.
Lebanese troops were able to contact Syrian commanders, and the shelling stopped, the officer said. “There are clashes almost daily along the border in a strip of orchards and fields,” the officer said. “When we get close, they stop and each side blames the other for starting the shooting.”
The Al Qaa region is known as an area used by smugglers to cross to and from Syria and by Syrians fleeing to Lebanon. The Lebanese Army says its mission is to keep armed people out of Lebanon, to prevent fighting in Lebanon itself and to block arms shipments in either direction.
Acting on humanitarian grounds, the Lebanese military officer said, Lebanese authorities have relaxed inspections of travel documents for Syrians seeking to enter Lebanon, especially women and children. Most refugees crossing the border here go south to the Sunni Muslim town of Aarsel. But some refugees said the Lebanese Army seemed to taking sides against the Syrian rebels. A few hundred yards from the border on Tuesday, a distant popping of small arms fire could be heard but Lebanese soldiers blocked the way forward. [/quote]
Wasn't there a previous peace plan that Assad dropped like an unwanted infant? I don't really believe this one will turn out much different.
[QUOTE=Sgt Doom;35323243]Wasn't there a previous peace plan that Assad dropped like an unwanted infant? I don't really believe this one will turn out much different.[/QUOTE]
Yeah, pretty sure it's the same case as Libya, the only way he'll accept a peace plan is if he stays in power, which will not happen.
He's trying to buy time to continue the slaughter. Assad will stall any way he can.
Should I feel bad for thinking about the COD4 co-antagonist when I saw "Al-Assad"?
[QUOTE=Disotrtion;35323860]He's trying to buy time to continue the slaughter. Assad will stall any way he can.[/QUOTE]
Either way, opposition leaders are meeting in Istanbul and might be able to get something together for political action rather than military. It's also not a full peace, just de-escalating it somewhat, which is easier for him to follow.
I think Al-Assad is so oblivious about foreign policies that he thinks no one knows about what's going on, and that mere unbacked lies will just cover it up.
[QUOTE=gamerman345;35323905]Should I feel bad for thinking about the COD4 co-antagonist when I saw "Al-Assad"?[/QUOTE]
You should feel worried, 21st of December 2012 he's gonna be executed on live national television and then CoD 4 will happen for real, scene by scene. This is what the Mayans predicted.
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