Russia Blasts UN Rights Council Resolution on Syria, Defends Arms Sales

Russia and China continue to obstruct and criticize international attempts to address the situation in Syria. On Friday, Russian diplomats criticized a UN Human Rights Council resolution on Syria as an open appeal to military intervention.

The UN rights body resolution passed by a 37-4 margin, with China, Russia, Cuba and Ecuador voting against and six other countries abstaining. Russia’s envoy at the Geneva based body said the resolution was a one sided, politicized attempt to exacerbate the conflict. 

“We are particularly concerned at a number of provisions in the draft which could be interpreted as an open appeal to interfere in Syria’s internal affairs allowing for military actions including military intervention.” Ambassador Valery Loschinin told Council members after the vote.

Loschinin argued the resolution placed full blame on the Syrian government, while ignoring serious crimes carried out by armed anti-government protesters.

But UN Human Rights Chief Navi Pillay warned that failure to stop the Assad government’s “ruthless repression” could drive Syria into full out civil war. 

“The international community needs to take urgent and effective measures to protect the Syrian people.”she told Rights Council members. 

On Monday, a UNHRC mandated investigation concluded Syrian security forces had committed crimes against humanity against the country’s civilian population since anti-government protests broke out back in March. The report says the scale and patterns of attack indicates Assad government officials authorized or had knowledge of security force operations. 

Pillay says over 4 000 people have been killed since March, and more than 14 000 remain detained for their alleged role in the uprising. 

The UN rights chief also renewed her earlier calls for the Security Council to refer the Syrian situation to the International Criminal Court. 

But Russia’s Ambassador says his country does not consider the Assad government’s actions to be war crimes. 

 “We believe that there are no basis for calling Damascus’s activities crimes against humanity . In any event, this goes beyond the mandate of the Council.” 

 Loschinin said the Council mandated report on Syria was flawed, mainly because investigators weren’t allowed into the country to verify the situation first hand and instead had to rely on witness testimonies. 

In a statement this afternoon, American Ambassador Susan Rice welcomed the resolution  as part of the “ever expanding chorus of condemnation of the Asad regime’s brutality.”

 Rice said she was pleased all seven of the Rights Council’s Arab members had supported the resolution and that the Obama administration would continue to lead efforts to assist the Syrian people.

However it seems unlikely those efforts will result in Security Council sanctions Syrian opposition groups and Western governments have been calling for.

In October, Russia vetoed a European and US backed Security Council resolution on Syria, arguing Western powers would use it to justify military intervention.  

At the time, US Ambassador Susan Rice said the argument about preventing military intervention was:”a cheap ruse by those who would rather sell arms to the Syrian regime than stand with the Syrian people.”

Last week, the League of Arab States announced it had suspend Syrian from the organization and imposed its own set of sanctions against the Assad government.

In a press conference today marking Russia’s Presidency of the Security Council for the month of December, Ambassador Vitaly Churkin said his government believes the Arab League’s recent actions are counter-productive. 

 “Its very disconcerting that it may damage the opportunity for the Arab League to play a mediating role and a pacifying role in the Syrian situation.”

Churkin also defended Russia’s weapons sales to Syria, arguing that Russia was a minor player in the international arms market compared to some other states and that all transactions were “guided by international norms, rules and laws.” 

“With Syria in particular we have arrangements which would not allow those weapons to be used by those who are not suppose to have them.” Churkin said. “You look at the region and you see reports that this particular country has signed for 120 billion dollars! Lets see things in perspective. If you go ahead and supply 120 Billion dollars of weapons to the region, why should you be worrying  about somebody supplying a few million dollars worth of military hardware?”

Arab Spring Showed France Error of Its Ways

France’s minister of Foreign Affairs says his government’s past support for authoritarian regimes and dictatorships in the Middle East was misguided and short sighted, but is now determined to provide the region “a helping hand” to develop its democratic initiatives.

“The Arab Springs showed us that [the regional stability] was just an illusion” Foreign Affairs Minister Alain Juppe told a press conference at the Council on Foreign Relations this morning in New York. “The protests are a great chance to institute democracy and the rule of law as well as peace and stability”

Juppe said the international community has “a moral and political duty” to help Egypt, Tunisia and Libya in their transitions and argued only free elections could ensure national legitimacy and against the radicalization of political discourse.

The French Minster of Foreign Affairs also outlined the Deauville initiative, a G8 plan to support new democratic governments. He says the $38 billion initiative will help carry out transitions and reforms for the creation of new democratic entities in the Middle East.

“This is your revolution. We stand alongside you” Mr. Juppé said, repeating the message he delivered during a visit to Tunis last week. 

Allies Must Support Libya As Transition Unfolds, Says MidEast Expert

As Libyan rebels seem to have taken control of Tripoli, it appears imminently clear that Moammar Gadhafi’s 42-year brutal regime is coming to an end.

Scattered battles have erupted across Libya and three of Gadhafi’s sons have already been captured. As the search continues for Gadhafi and four of his other sons, Libyan citizens have taken to the streets in celebration of the end of an era.

However, rather than celebrate prematurely, Daniel Serwer, scholar at the Middle East Institute and author of the Council on Foreign relations memorandum “Post-Qaddafi Instability in Libya”, says the international community and Libya itself must focus on rebuilding Libya after Gadhafi is officially taken down.

“There is a possibility here for a democratic Libya to emerge from this but there is also a real possibility that a very chaotic and non-democratic Libya will emerge,” Serwer told TRNS on Monday.

“The international community’s job,” he added, “is to try to make sure it comes out in the less chaotic, more democratic direction.”

According to Serwer, the European Union (EU), which imports a large quantity of gas and oil from Libya, should play a critical role in stabilizing the North African nation. The US, however, should only play a major role if a new UN security council resolution is required.

But the international community as a whole cannot take control of the situation from Libya, according to Serwer. Rather than lead the governmental transition, they must leave it in the hands of the Libyans and support them along the way.

And fortunately, Libyan rebels have proven themselves capable of such transition.

The Libyan community has organized a Transitional National Council (TNC), which details how the nation will proceed after rebel forces seize control of the government from Gadhafi.

Additionally, the TNC has published a constitutional charter, which, according to Serwer, is “relatively liberal and democratic.”

Yet while Libyan rebels seem to be on the right path towards a democratic government, Serwer warns that there is still the very real risk that Islamist radicals will try to take advantage of the situation and establish a non-democratic government. Additionally, there are many sources of violence that the TNC must be alert to, such as fighting among rebels themselves, backlash from Gadhafi loyalists and criminals who will take advantage of the chaotic situation.

This is where international support will be critical.

Syrian Sanctions Will Freeze Assets, Block Oil Imports

Accompanying President Obama’s demand for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to step down was an executive order freezing all of the Syrian government’s assets subject to U.S. jurisdiction and prohibiting U.S. persons from engaging in any transaction involving the government of Syria. Additionally, a ban has been placed on the U.S. import of Syrian origin of petroleum or petroleum products. Such actions will isolate Assad’s regime entirely from the US financial system. 

To aid in the implementation of the executive order, the US government has identified five state-owned companies that are involved in Syria’s petroleum sector and they expect to discover more US companies financially involved with Syria over the coming weeks.

“We expect this new executive order will disrupt the Syrian regime’s ability to finance its campaign of violence against the Syrian people,” a Senior administration official stated. 

Since protests began in March, the US has imposed sanctions against 32 Syrian and Iranian individuals and entities. Thursday, however, brought a newfound escalation of financial pressure on the Syrian government. 

The U.S. call for Assad’s ouster is part of a growing international reaction. Statements from Canada, the United Kingdom (UK), and the European Union (EU) also denounced Assad’s actions and explicitly asked for Assad to resign. 

“Our aim has been to build a strong international effort in support of the universal rights of the Syrian people and to condemn and isolate the regime,” a Senior Administration official told reporters Thursday. 

“We can’t predict how long this transition will take,” the Senior Administration official continued. “Nothing about it is likely to be easy but we’re certain that Assad is on his way out and international pressure will continue to build.”

Could Arab Spring Force US Hand On Palestinian Statehood At The UN?

Palestinian leaders say they will not halt their drive for full membership in the United Nations, despite facing a likely United States veto of such move.

“We know what the position of the United States of America is, they say it openly and they say it in closed meetings.” Riyad Mansour, the Palestinian Authority envoy to the world body, told a briefing today after addressing the Security Council.“The decision is to ultimately acquire membership at the United Nations. We know that it requires passing through the Security Council, and we know what the position of the United States of America is.”

The Obama administration has promised to oppose and even veto any attempt to give Palestine full membership at the UN.

“They can obstruct our effort through the Security Council now, but will that position remain the same for ever? I think that remains to be seen.”

 He also raised the idea a mass movement by Palestinians in the style of the Arab Spring movements in Cairo and elsewhere might force the hand of the US.

“What would be the argument of anyone, anyone in the Security Council of stopping in the path of the Palestinian people of acquiring their legitimate right of being a full member of the UN? We are not there yet but are marching in that direction. “

Mansour said that by continuing to expand settlements and refusing to recognize pre-1967 borders as the basis for the new Palestinian state, the Israeli government was displaying an “extremely right wing and anti-peace agenda” and called on Security Council members to exert more pressure on Tel Aviv.

Israeli Ambassador Ron Prosor contested these views, arguing that even the most basic conditions for Palestinian statehood did not exist.

“On behalf of whom will you present a resolution in September? Mr. Abbas? or Hamas?” Posor asked the Palestinian representative, alluding to the divide between Palestinian leadership in Gaza and the West Bank. “Will it be on behalf of both the Palestinian Authority and the Hamas terrorist organization?”  

Robert Serry, Special UN coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process briefed Council Members earlier in the day about the ongoing situation in the Occupied Territories.

Serry told Council members the Palestinian Authority’s institutions in the West Bank had made unprecedented progress on issues like economic growth and security and were now sufficiently ready to assume all the responsibilities brought on by statehood.

But Serry also said tensions between Gaza and Israel have increased in the past month. Since June 23rd, armed militant groups have fired 18 rockets into Israel, while the Israeli military has carried out 3 land incursion and 16 air strikes in Gaza, killing one civilian and injuring 14 others.

The UN Coordinator for Middle East Peace Process condemned the rocket attacks as  “unacceptable” and called on Palestinian militant groups in Gaza to stop indiscriminate attacks on civilian areas.

Serry also said he was alarmed over the Israeli governments “negative actions” in Gaza and the West Bank, where he says the demolition Palestinian structures, often water and sanitation services, are at their highest rate in five years.

While Gaza is experiencing a small economic recovery, unemployment remains at 31%. Serry says growth is mainly driven by donor aid and an increase in consumer good imports brought on last year after Israel revised its blockade guidelines.

The humanitarian situation in Gaza still remains bleak, with 54 % of the population being “food insecure” and over one third of the population living in poverty.