With recent massacre in Houla sparking widespread condemnation, the United States of America today said the Joint Special Envoy Annan’s peace plan for Syria is nearing a tipping point.
On her remarks at a Security Council Stakeout, Ambassador Susan E. Rice said that Mr. Annan’s plan is not succeeding because the government of Syria is not fulfilling its obligations under the the peace plan.
“And we had a very sober and very objective assessment of the circumstances on the ground and the reasons for that failure.” -Ms. Rice
Ms. Rice says that the Council needed to come together and apply pressure and impose consequences for the non-compliance of the Syrian regime.
“That was an important, unified message that we have to take on board.” -Ms. Rice
She cites that Iran is part of the problem in Syria at the present.
She says there is no question that it is actively engaged in supporting the government in perpetrating the violence on the ground.
“Now, were it to stop, obviously that would be significant.” -Ms. Rice
She stresses that Iran is playing the role of the spoiler.
Ms. Rice states that the purpose has to be to fully support the Six-Point Plan, and for that to be viable, the principal protagonist, the perpetrator of the violence, the government has to indicate its readiness to actually adhere to its commitments under the Six-Point Plan and that’s been lacking to date.
Earlier this week, with the crisis reaching a “tipping point” after the massacre in the Syrian village of Houla, the Joint Special Envoy of the United Nations and the League of Arab States Kofi Annan warned of the growing sectarian aspect of the crisis in Syria.
Mr. Annan asserted that the conflict is already having serious consequences in the region.
He called on the international community to work together to push for the implementation of the six-point peace plan.
On his remarks before the Arab Ministerial Committee on Syria in Doha, Mr. Annan noted that the crisis is having regional spillover, in the form of tensions and incidents across the border, abductions of nationals and foreigners, and refugee flows to neighbouring states.
Mr. Annan urged President Assad to release detainees, fully open up to international humanitarian assistance, and allow people to express their views freely in peaceful protest to show his seriousness to the Syrian people and the international community.
Mr. Annan also emphasized the importance of the international community acting in unity to be able to put pressure on the Syrian Government and all other parties to the conflict to stop the violence, and prevent it from spreading further.
Also earlier this week, the UN Human Rights Council asked its Commission of Inquiry on Syria to conduct a “transparent, independent and probe into violations of international law with a view to hold to account those responsible for widespread.
Last week, Joint Special Envoy of the United Nations and the League of Arab States on the Syrian Crisis, Kofi Annan visited Damascus for an urgent meeting with Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad.
In a meeting with the Syrian President, Kofi Annan urged the Syrian leader to take “bold steps” to stop the violence and release detainees.
Mr. Annan also conveyed frankly “the grave concern of the international community about the violence in Syria,” and, in particular, the events in Houla over the weekend.
Massacre in Syria’s Houla village in the early hours of 26th of May has reportedly killed 108 civilians, including over 30 children.
Reports say artillery and tank shells were fired in the Syrian village killing hundreds of civilians.
The Security Council voiced condemnation of the recent massacre of men, women and children inHoula.
In addition, the United States of America also expressed condemnation in the massacre in the Syrian village of Haoula.
US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said the United Nations observers have confirmed that dozens of men, women, and children were killed and hundreds more wounded in a vicious assault that involved a regime artillery and tank barrage on a residential neighborhood.
She stressed that those who perpetrated this atrocity must be identified and held to account.
And the United States will work with the international community to intensify our pressure on Asad and his cronies, whose rule by murder and fear must come to an end, she added.
The violence in Syria, which began in March 2011 as a protest movement similar to those witnessed across the Middle East and North Africa, has claimed over 9,000 lives, mostly civilians, and displaced tens of thousands.
Australia has expelled the Syrian Charge d’Affairs and one other diplomat. Other countries followed suit, including Britain, France, Germany and Italy expelling Syrian Ambassadors from their countries.
