- Title: TUNISIA: Arab League says no "military plan" for Syria
- Date: 25th February 2012
- Summary: TUNIS, TUNISIA (FEBRUARY 24, 2012) (REUTERS) ROAD OUTSIDE HOTEL WHERE SYRIA CONFERENCE IS BEING HELD / POLICEMEN GUIDING TRAFFIC VARIOUS OF POLICEMEN OUTSIDE HOTEL MEMBERS OF SYRIAN OPPOSITION DELEGATION ARRIVING TUNISIAN FLAG MORE OF SYRIAN OPPOSITION MEMBERS WALKING TOWARDS VENUE OF CONFERENCE INTERIOR OF HOTEL BANNER OF THE SYRIA CONFERENCE READING IN ARABIC: "FRI
- Embargoed: 11th March 2012 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Tunisia, Tunisia
- Country: Tunisia
- Topics: International Relations
- Reuters ID: LVAONZ8F98GWN4JAIVHTTEQ7BCL
- Story Text: Western and Arab nations will demand on Friday (February 24) that Syria allow aid to be delivered to desperate civilians in the absence of any international resolve to intervene to end a crackdown on a near year-old revolt against President Bashar al-Assad.
Foreign ministers from more than 50 countries were in Tunis for the first meeting of the "Friends of Syria" group, against the backdrop of a surge in government attacks on the city of Homs and mounting world outrage over violence that has claimed thousands of lives during the uprising.
An updated draft declaration from the meeting called on Syria to "immediately cease all violence" to allow the United Nations access to Homs, and to let agencies deliver aid to civilians affected by the violence.
Arab League chief Nabil Elaraby said the conference was not going to approve a military plan for intervention in Syria.
''This meeting is not to decide on a military plan or anything like this, this meeting is being held to implement the Arab initiative which talks about reaching a peaceful settlement through a careful plan and clear steps,'' Elaraby told reporters.
However Syrian opposition members had different visions on what this conference could achieve.
Kamal Labwany, a long-time political dissident who was jailed in Syria for ten years and only released a few months ago, said the conference would not offer much and critical of what the Syrian National Council (SNC) was doing.
''For the first time in a long time I feel like I am a stranger, really I am a stranger. I don't belong to this place or to the people. I feel like I am a stranger and alone in this. I think that my place is not here, and neither is this the place to be for the Syrian opposition. These conferences won't do anything. What is happening on the ground in Syria is deeply contradicting to what is happening outside Syria. I feel a strong urge to go back and to be among the people and among the fighters and those who are being killed, to help as much as I can. I believe the outside world will do nothing to help the Syrian people inside with anything and will offer them nothing,'' Labwany said shortly before the start of the session.
The "Friends of Syria" pledged, in the latest version of the draft seen by Reuters, to deliver humanitarian supplies within 48 hours if the Syrian government "stopped its assault on civilian areas and permitted access."
Haitham al-Maleh, another long-time opponent to Syria's Assad, offered a more optimistic view.
''It is going to provide a political cover for the Syrian uprising and isolate the regime, and that happens through a lot of things including humanitarian aid. But the most important thing is to isolate the regime and to work towards toppling it. This conference will help to topple the regime, the murderous regime in Syria,'' said Maleh.
U.N. humanitarian envoy Valerie Amos was expected to attend the meeting in Tunis, along with representatives from the International Committee for the Red Cross, which is trying to arrange daily ceasefires between the Syrian authorities and opposition to allow in humanitarian aid.
The Red Cross said Syria had not replied to its request for a truce to allow in aid and evacuate wounded.
In a sign the international community is seeking ways around the Security Council deadlock, U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said he would dispatch former U.N. chief Kofi Annan to Syria as a joint U.N.-Arab League envoy. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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