US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham today said former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan’s six-point plan is good and it is getting implemented.
In an interview with Clarissa Ward of CBS News, Ms. Clinton said implementing the six-point plant is a real challenge.
During the week since Bashar al-Assad claimed to accept the plan, there’s been no let-up in the violence.
Ms. Clinton stresses that there does need to be a timeline.
“We cannot permit Assad and his regime and his allies to allow what is a good faith negotiating process by a very expert, experienced negotiator to be used as an excuse for continuing the killing.” -Ms. Clinton
She says Assad must go and the killing must stop.
The sooner we get into a process that ends up there, the better, Ms. Clinton added.
Recently, Kofi Annan has gone to Moscow, he’s gone to Beijing, he’s met with them.
Russia and China support Mr. Annan’s plan. They have urged publicly that Assad follow the plan, Ms. Clinton noted.
Ms. Clinton also stresses that she is encouraged by the efforts of Syrian National Council as well.
“They are making progress. They have unified around a compact, a national pact, about what they want to see in a new Syria, which is important, because then that sets the parameters for the kind of opposition that will be under their umbrella.” -Ms. Clinton
The United States is offering assistance to opposition. The United States will be offering in addition to significant humanitarian aid and will be offering technical and logistical support.
Mr. Annan recently presented the six-point plan as providing a blueprint for ending the violence and resolving the crisis sparked by a year-long uprising against Bashar al-Assad.
On 27th of March 27, Mr. Annan reported that the Syrian government had accepted the six point-plan and pledged to implement it.
According to report, below is the the six-point plan which asks the Syrian authorities to:
(1) commit to work with the Envoy in an inclusive Syrian-led political process to address the legitimate aspirations and concerns of the Syrian people
(2) commit to stop the fighting and achieve urgently an effective United Nations supervised cessation of armed violence in all its forms by all parties to protect civilians
(3) ensure timely provision of humanitarian assistance to all areas affected by the fighting, and to this end, as immediate steps, to accept and implement a daily two hour humanitarian pause
(4) intensify the pace and scale of release of arbitrarily detained persons, including especially vulnerable categories of persons, and persons involved in peaceful political activities, provide without delay through appropriate channels a list of all places in which such persons are being detained
(5) ensure freedom of movement throughout the country for journalists and a non-discriminatory visa policy for them;
(6) respect freedom of association and the right to demonstrate peacefully as legally guaranteed.
Since the protests began on 26th January this year, the Assad regime’s violent response has lead to the death of more than 5,000 people. Many more have been injured, and thousands of protesters have been detained.