Al Arabiya, 25 Jan 2012 – Russia was sharply criticized by Britain, France and the United States on Tuesday for supplying weapons to Syria, where government forces have killed thousands of pro-democracy demonstrators over the last 10 months.
“We are concerned about the supply of weapons into Syria, whether sales to the government or illegal smuggling to the regime or opposition,” Britain’s U.N. Ambassador Mark Lyall Grant told the Security Council during a debate on the Middle East.
Grant did not mention Russia by name but had cited a media interview in which a Russian official said his country’s arms deliveries to Damascus had no effect on the situation there, reported Reuters news agency.
Meanwhile, Britain, France, Germany and Arab nations are working on the resolution which could face Russian opposition because of a call on all states to follow Arab League sanctions against President Bashar al-Assad.
The European and Arab nations want a U.N. Security Council vote next week on a resolution condemning Syria’s crackdown on protests and hinting at sanctions, diplomats said Tuesday.
In a European Union draft resolution obtained by Al Arabiya requested the international community to adopt and comply with the Arab initiative on Syria, including sanctions, and to cooperate in implementing them.
Most significantly, the resolution asked that U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon “to report on the implementation of this resolution within 15 days after its adoption and to report every 15 days thereafter.”
“Asking Ban to report every 15 days has rarely been experienced in any subject before,” Al Arabiya United Nations correspondent Talal al-Haj said.
“What was also significant in the EU draft resolution, was the threat to “adopt further measures” if Syria does not comply with the implementation of the European resolution,” al-Haj added.
Western diplomats stressed however there would be negotiations with Russia and that it was crucial for the 15-member Security Council to draw up a message after being deadlocked since the start of the Syria protests last March.
Russia and China vetoed a previous European attempt in October to get a resolution passed condemning Assad for the violence in which the U.N. says more than 5,400 people have been killed.
Recently the Russians circulated their own draft resolution on Syria to fellow council members, though U.S. and European envoys say it is too weak and only touches on parts of an earlier Arab League plan for Syria. They also say the Russian delegation has failed to incorporate their proposed revisions.
Western diplomats told Reuters privately that they would want a new resolution that would replace the Russian draft and endorse the Arab League plan for Syria. Several diplomats said France and Britain were working with Qatar and other Arab delegations on a new draft supporting the Arab League plan.
“In terms of the Russian resolution, the time for that has now passed,” a Western diplomat said. “We are working with the Arabs and we expect that group to come forward.”
“The Arabs have said that they want a resolution that has consensus agreement, and of course we’ll work for that,” he added. “We always work for consensus in the council, but sometimes that’s not possible, as with our Syria resolution (that was vetoed by Russia and China).”