USA: Secretary of State Hillary Clinton urges U.N. Security Council to be 'on the right side of history' in supporting the Arab League's proposal for the people of Syria

Record ID: 280179

  • Title: USA: Secretary of State Hillary Clinton urges U.N. Security Council to be 'on the right side of history' in supporting the Arab League's proposal for the people of Syria
  • Date: 2nd February 2012
  • Summary: WASHINGTON, D.C., UNITED STATES (FEBRUARY 1, 2012) (REUTERS) WIDE OF U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE SPEAKING TO REPORTERS (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE HILLARY CLINTON SAYING: "With respect to Syria, and the attitude of Russia, we recognize that getting the Security Council to act will require continuing consultations with our partners in the Council, including
  • Embargoed: 17th February 2012 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Usa
  • Country: USA
  • Topics: International Relations
  • Reuters ID: LVAEOJG5NQQEP6IM2HJ8VC5SFV6W
  • Story Text: U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton urged the U.N. Security Council on Wednesday (February 1) to support a European-Arab draft resolution that endorses an Arab League plan that calls for Assad to transfer his powers to his deputy to prepare for elections.
    Russia said Wednesday it would veto any U.N. resolution on Syria that it finds unacceptable, after demanding any measure rule out military intervention to halt the bloodshed touched off by protests against President Bashar al-Assad's rule. Russia and China both veto-wielding Security Council members, have resisted a Western push for a resolution condemning the Syrian government's crackdown on unrest.
    Clinton, realizing more work needed to be done to persuade Russia, told reporters "With respect to Syria, and the attitude of Russia, we recognize that getting the Security Council to act will require continuing consultations with our partners in the Council, including Russia and China on what the wording of a resolution will be, and I look forward to discussing this with my counterparts at the ministerial level."
    Clinton added "from my perspective, as members of the Security Council charged with the responsibility of trying to help keep international peace and security it is absolutely imperative that we all be on the right side of history and that means standing with the Arab League and standing with the people of Syria."
    The political violence in Syria has killed at least 5,000 people in the past 10 months and activists say Assad's forces have stepped up operations this week on opposition strongholds, from Damascus suburbs to the cities of Hama, Homs and the border provinces of Deraa and Idlib.
    Arab and Western states urged the U.N. Security Council on Tuesday to act swiftly on a resolution calling for Assad to hand over powers to his deputy and defuse the 11-month-old uprising against his family's dynastic rule.
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