SYRIA: Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal Miqdad blames rebels for truce violations

Record ID: 280813

  • Title: SYRIA: Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal Miqdad blames rebels for truce violations
  • Date: 30th May 2012
  • Summary: DAMASCUS, SYRIA (MAY 29, 2012) (REUTERS) (*** FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY ***) FAISAL MIQDAD, SYRIAN DEPUTY FOREIGN MINISTER, ARRIVING MIQDAD TALKING TO THE HOTEL MANAGER (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) FAISAL MIQDAD, SYRIAN DEPUTY FOREIGN MINISTER, SAYING: "During this time (the ceasefire), Syria has not done a single violation of Annan's plan or the initial understanding between Syria a
  • Embargoed: 14th June 2012 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Syrian Arab Republic
  • Country: Syria
  • Topics: Conflict
  • Reuters ID: LVA7X3G7S2PWH3XEEMDFKHQUM6IK
  • Story Text: Syrian Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal Miqdad says it is opposition forces, not Syrian government forces who have violated the six-week-old ceasefire brokered by U.N.-Arab League special envoy Kofi Annan.
    "During this time, Syria has not done a single violation of Annan's plan or the initial understanding between Syria and the United Nations. At the same time, the other party has not committed to a single point. This means that there are decisions not to implement Annan's plan and make it fail by the armed groups and the opposition," Miqdad said.
    He was speaking to reporters in Damascus on the day Syrian President Bashar al-Assad met Annan in the Syrian capital.
    Annan had arrived in Damascus on Monday (May 28) following a massacre in Houla during which 108 people were killed.
    Syria's government blames Islamist militants for the massacre while United Nations observers have implicated the Syrian army.
    Miqdad said Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Mouallem, who Annan met on Monday, had assured the envoy of Syria's readiness to implement his peace plan, and blamed rebels for not dong so.
    "Mr. Foreign Minister assured Syria's readiness to implement it but the other party is the one that is having the problem," Miqdad told reporters.
    Miqdad said the Syrian government expected Annan to call countries supporting opponents of Assad to order.
    "So we think that Mr. Annan will make all efforts, in the next few days and weeks, to convince the countries that are financing and supporting those terrorist groups to stop lying about wanting the plan to succeed," Miqdad said.
    Miqdad said the Syrian government had launched an investigation into the events at Houla.
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