Region | Syria
Opposition deplores world inaction on Syria
Regime change not our profession, russia says ahead of un debate
- Gulf News Report
- Published: 00:00 February 1, 2012
- Image Credit: AP
- Army defectors distribute bread to children in the Rastan area of Homs province. Government forces heavily shelled the restive city of Homs on Monday, and troops pushed back dissident troops from some suburbs on the outskirts of Damascus in an offensive to regain control of the capital’s eastern doorstep.
Dubai: The Syrian opposition yesterday urged the international community to act against the spiralling violence, deploring its failure to stop "massacres" ahead of a showdown at the United Nations Security Council.
The Security Council was meeting last night to discuss a draft resolution which calls for President Bashar Al Assad to hand over power to his deputy, but rules out foreign military intervention.
Veto-wielding Russia has objected to the draft. "I don't think Russian policy is about asking people to step down. Regime change is not our profession," Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lav-rov said. His deputy Gennady Gatilov said on Twitter that ‘pushing this resolution is a path to civil war'.
Meanwhile, the Syrian National Council deplored the international community's lack of "swift action" to protect civilians "by all necessary means".
On Monday alone, 96 people, including 55 civilians, were killed and at least 22 people were killed yesterday.
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, joined by her UK and French counterparts, was yesterday attending a briefing by Arab League Secretary-General Nabeel Al Arabi at the UN.
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