Transition Plan for Syria Falters .

[maddezmom]

Last edited Sun Jul 1, 2012, 03:27 PM - Edit history (1)

Source: WSJ

BEIRUT—A plan by world powers for a Syrian political transition appeared doomed Sunday, with Bashar al-Assad's regime interpreting the outcome as a fresh lifeline from Russia—its principal international backer—while the lack of any reference in the plan to Mr. Assad's departure from office angered the Syrian opposition.

With no sign of any commitment by Syria's warring sides to embrace the transition plan outlined in Geneva on Saturday, many warned that violence could worsen even beyond the levels seen in June, which is now believed to have been the bloodiest month in the Syrian conflict.

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As of Sunday, there was no official reaction from the Syrian government to the idea of creating a new transitional government with significantly more powers, but state media outlets framed the result of the Geneva meeting as a victory for the regime and its ally Russia.

"Today we are witnessing the birth of a new school in international diplomacy," said Abdel-Hadi Nasri, a pro-regime commentator on Syrian state TV, referring to Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.


Read more: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304211804577500253326167014.html?mod=googlenews_wsj

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Syria transition plan denounced by both sides

State media and opposition groups criticise UN-brokered plan for unity government, as violence continues across country.

Last Modified: 01 Jul 2012 18:45

The opposition and state media both branded an international plan for a transition in strife-torn Syria a failure, as the death toll for a weekend of violence topped 140.

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Official Syrian media and the opposition Local Coordination Committees (LCC) group demonstrated rare agreement in slamming the outcome.

The meeting "failed," trumpeted Al-Baath, newspaper of the ruling party of the same name.

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It called the transition accord "just one version, different in form only, of the demands of Russian leaders allied to the Assad regime and who cover it militarily and politically in the face of international pressure".

Burhan Ghalioun, a senior member and former head of the opposition Syrian National Council, told pan-Arab television Al-Arabiya that "this is the worst international statement yet to emerge from talks on Syria".

more: http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2012/07/201271155456950632.html

[tabatha]

1. Russia will never allow Assad to be replaced as far as Putin can help it.

Syria has not signed the chemical weapons treaty. Russia has. Russia uses Syrian chemical plants to get around the treaty.

Iran regards Syria as a bulwark between it and Israel.

This is going to get very bloody.

Assad kills all opposition - or they kill him.

[David__77]

2. The outcome of the "conference" was a victory for national sovereignty and independence.

Russia is playing an increasingly positive role in international relations right now, defending the right of countries to be free from foreign intervention.