Syria: Dialogue Overshadowed by International Pressure

Yesterday participants in the regime-supported national dialogue issued a final statement, which goes beyond any previous officially-sanctioned document calling for reforms, but still falls short of the demands of protesters. The statement identifies "vague points of consensus among participants without outlining a tangible framework for advancement." Meanwhile, Syrian Embassy Spokesman Ahmed Salkini announced his resignation today, and apologized for his unresponsiveness to the uprisings. He wrote, "Syria will emerge from this crisis more democratic, ...

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Amnesty International: Crimes Against Humanity in Syria

Amnesty International released a report today documenting possible crimes against humanity committed by Syrian security forces in the crackdown in the western town of Tell Kalakh in May. Philip Luther, Amnesty International’s Middle East and North Africa Deputy ...

Libya: UN Prepares for Gadhafi’s Departure

The United Nations is preparing for contingency plans that would include the deployment of about 200 unarmed U.N observers that would monitor a cease-fire in Libya in the wake of Colonel Moammar Gadhafi's fall.  The United Nations is also preparing to approve a later deployment of an armed, multinational force, which would involve troops from nations including, Turkey and Jordan.  If Gadhafi does leave Libya, the Security Council would have ...

Security Council Resolution on Syria “Essential”

In an open letter to members of the UN Security Council, prominent literary figures call on the council to consider and pass the resolution condemning the violence in Syria. They write, "for the battered people of Syria and their peaceful fight for freedom, it is essential that you adopt this Resolution." However limited, they argue that the resolution could lead to the end of violence, in addition to "sending a ...

Options for U.S. Leverage in Syria

David Schenker and Andrew Tabler of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy argue that to force President Bashar al-Assad to step down, the U.S. should work with its allies to increase economic pressure on Syria, further the regime's international isolation, and support domestic opposition.  Economically, the U.S. should target the oil industry on which the regime depends, target businesses supportive of the regime to encourage elite defections, and increase unilateral sanctions. To ...

State Briefing Highlights Syria

State Department Spokesman Mark Toner reacted to escalating violence in Syria, including the use of helicopter gunships on protesters, saying "what continues to occur is absolutely revolting, and we condemn these barbaric acts in the strongest possible terms." He said that the U.S. still supports a Security Council resolution, but is not waiting on one to take diplomatic action against Syria, citing a variety of avenues available. His remarks fell ...

U.N. Votes to Send Syria to Security Council

The United Nations nuclear agency voted in favor of sending Syria to the U.N. Security Council on Thursday for violating safeguard agreements by failing to declare the construction of a covert nuclear reactor. Syria had also refused to supply information about it's nuclear activity, but the U.N. nuclear agency concluded on May 24 that Syria was "probably building a surreptitious nuclear reactor." The vote against Syria proved divisive as 17 members ...

International Condemnation of Syria Grows

Speaking with the BBC, UN human rights chief Navi Pillay strongly condemned the Syrian regime's oppression, stating that "for a government to act so violently against their own people is something that is totally unacceptable." And a State Department Spokesperson, commenting on the Libya Contact Group's meeting in the UAE , stated that "there was a lot of discussion on Syria today, a lot of unity on the revulsion, the need to get ...

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UN Pressure Mounts on Syria; Military Heads North

Today Britain and France will submit a resolution to the UN Security Council "condemning the repression and demanding accountability and humanitarian access," UK Prime Minister David Cameron told the British parliament. The proposed resolution will fall short of calling ...

European Nations Submit Draft Resolution on Syria to UN

On Thursday,  Britain, France, Germany and Portugal submitted a draft resolution to the United Nations Security Council, condemning "the systematic violation of human rights, including the killings, arbitrary detentions, disappearances, and torture of peaceful demonstrators, human rights defenders and journalists by the Syrian authorities."  The resolution calls for Damascus to comply with a UN Human Rights Council inquiry and to launch an independent and credible investigation into ...

Steve Coll Discusses “The Syrian Problem”

Steve Coll, writing in The New Yorker, discusses the complexities associated with current U.S. policy towards Syria, in light of the recent uprisings.  Coll begins by noting that while many had hoped that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad would be a reformer when he came to power, his actions over the years have proven otherwise and states that "American policy toward Syria presents mainly a record of failure."  U.S. pressure and ...

Libya: ICC to Indict 3 Individuals for War Crimes

Chief Prosecutor for the International Criminal Court, Louis Moreno Ocampo, told the UN Security Council that charges against 3 members of the Libyan Government may include murder and unlawful detention, use of cluster bombs and rape as a weapon. The report concludes that alleged criminal incidents include security forces opening live fire at unarmed peaceful protesters, using rape as well as "systemic arrests, torture, killings, deportations, enforced disappearances and destruction of mosques" ...

U.S. Officials Address Political Situation in Libya

On Wednesday,  U.S. Ambassador to Libya Gene Cretz held a special briefing on the political situation in Libya and noted the fact that it is unlikely that Libyan leader Muammar Gadhafi will end the violence as regime forces have "continued to commit atrocities in Misrata and the western mountains" in violation of the U.N. Security Council Resolution 1973.  He stated that the international community has met several times over the past several ...

Syria: Mass Resignation of Baath Officials; Mixed Diplomatic Responses

About 200 officials from Syria's ruling Arab Socialist Baath Party have resigned in protest of the regime's violent repression of the country's protests. The defections were primarily from low-ranking officials from the Deraa area, and follows the resignation of some 30 officials in the city of Baniyas. At the United Nations, a Security Council draft resolution was condemning the crackdown was voted down by several members. Russia argued that ...

FIDH Calls for Syria Referral to ICC, Welcomes UNHRC Session

The International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) released a statement saying that the Syrian government has committed "international crimes - that fall under the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court."  FIDH said the international community, "must strongly condemn the gross and systematic violation of human rights by the Syrian authorities and urge them to put an immediate end to the violence."  They also called on the U.N. Security Council to ...

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