Western and Arab nations called yesterday for Syria’s Bashar al-Assad to be given a deadline to meet the terms of a peace plan as fresh clashes in a year-long uprising claimed another 40 lives.
Nearly a week has gone by and we have to conclude that the regime is adding to its longlist of broken promises
An international conference in Istanbul by “Friends of Syria” countries also urged the UN to act to stop the violence, but steered clear of backing opposition appeals for arms to fight the regime clampdown.
In a final declaration, the conference urged Syria mediator Kofi Annan “to determine a timeline for next steps, including a return to the UN Security Council, if the killing continues.”
It added: “The regime will be judged by its deeds rather than its promises. The window of opportunity for the regime to implement its commitments to joint special envoy Annan is not open-ended.”
The gathering brought together the Arab League and countries like the US, France and Germany.
Mr Assad on Tuesday said he accepted the plan proposed by Mr Annan, but hasn’t stopped the shelling of opposition strongholds.
The six-point peace plan calls for an end to violence, a daily two-hour humanitarian ceasefire and access to all areas affected by fighting, as well as an inclusive Syrian-led political process, the right to demonstrate, and the release of people detained arbitrarily.
The Istanbul gathering came as fighting on the ground killed more people and Damascus said it had no immediate plans to pull back its forces.
Conference host Turkey warned the world would have no choice but to recognise Syrians’ right to take up arms if the UN fails to act.
“If United Nations Security Council refrains from taking on the responsibility, the international community will have no chance but to accept Syrians’ right to self-defence,” Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said as he opened the conference.
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton criticised Mr Assad’s regime for launching new assaults just days after accepting the Annan plan.
“Nearly a week has gone by, and we have to conclude that the regime is adding to its long list of broken promises,” she said, adding that Mr Assad was “mistaken” if he thought he could defeat the opposition against him.
Ahead of the gathering, Mr Assad’s regime declared victory over rebels and again voiced support for Mr Annan’s plan, but kept up its shelling of rebel positions and said it had no plans to immediately withdraw troops.
At least 40 people were killed yesterday, among them 15 members of the security forces who died in firefights across the country, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.