Frustrated Annan quits as U.N. envoy on Syria

World Aug. 03, 2012 - 07:25AM JST ( 20 )

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20 Comments

2

SerranoAug. 03, 2012 - 09:30AM JST

Putin is the man!
-2

NeverSubmitAug. 03, 2012 - 10:37AM JST

Kudos to Putin for preventing NATO from attacking Syria. War is never the answer.
1

TheQuestionAug. 03, 2012 - 10:51AM JST

Kudos to Putin for preventing NATO from attacking Syria. War is never the answer.

So how do you describe the situation in Syria now? What circumstances do you need for the current conflict to be considered a civil war in your book?
0

bass4funkAug. 03, 2012 - 11:40AM JST

@NeverSubmit

War is never the answer.

Unless it's orchestrated and carried out by the Assad regime, right?
-2

WakarimasenAug. 03, 2012 - 01:25PM JST

Leave the Syrians to sort out their own mess. All the other interventions have ended in disaster. annan never had a hope of implementing a peace plan, Next step will be interference by outside powers (already happening??) that will lead to more death and destruction and finally a mess like Iraq or Libya.
0

ubikwitAug. 03, 2012 - 01:39PM JST

It surely cannot be the case that we want to allow the people of Syria be sacrificed in a scenario that sees their country serves as a proxy battlefield for outside entities with geopolitical machinations.
-5

NeverSubmitAug. 03, 2012 - 02:41PM JST

Syria for the Syrians. Everyone else out.

That includes, Al-Qaeda, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, NATO and every single mercenary fighting for the rebels.

No more weapons or ammo to be shipped in.

This will stop quickly if the flow of weapons to the rebels stops.
1

lostrune2Aug. 03, 2012 - 03:10PM JST

This will stop quickly if the flow of weapons to the rebels stops.

Why do you want it to stop? Syria for the Syrians - let them fight it out, mano a mano, gun for gun, tank for tank. Even playing field - that's the only way to figure it out who truly has the resolve, not just who has the better weapons.

So let Russia keep sending weapons to Assad, and let Saudi Arabia keep sending it to the rebels.

Syria for the Syrians! Let's see who truly has the resolve to fight for it.
4

MadvertsAug. 03, 2012 - 04:30PM JST

"This will stop quickly if the flow of weapons to the rebels stops."

You've certainly changed your tune in a few days now Dear Leader's army has ground to a halt in Aleppo.

"That includes, Al-Qaeda, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, NATO and every single mercenary fighting for the rebels."

No mention of your country - Russia - or the Chinese? One-sided, we wouldn't have you any other way :)
4

TamaramaAug. 03, 2012 - 05:50PM JST

Syria for the Syrians. Everyone else out.

You are endorsing the killing of people. You think it's OK providing it's all homegrown - by Syrians to Syrians. You have no concern for human life, you are only concerned about ideals and sovereign borders. Thank God you weren't in charge of liberating Europe in WW2.
0

bass4funkAug. 03, 2012 - 06:30PM JST

@NeverSubmit

Still waiting on your reply.

No more weapons or ammo to be shipped in.

Tell Russia that, they might or might not (I'm thinking they might not) Stop. Yes, I am with you in agreement on that.
0

ubikwitAug. 03, 2012 - 08:28PM JST

According to the news the main battle has yet to begin.

UN peacekeeping chief Herve Ladsous told the Security Council that UN observers in Aleppo were seeing "a considerable build-up of military means, where we have reason to believe that the main battle is about to start"

I gather that the "considerable build-up of military means" refers to the Syrian army. From a purely military point of view, those that think the rebels have a chance--barring mass defections of the Syrian army, which seems highly unlikely--are probably guilty of wishful thinking, at best, and delusional military adventurism at worse.

The Syrian military probably has sufficient firepower to reduce the rebel enclaves in their cities to rubble. They obviously don't want to destroy their cities to clear out the rebels, but what alternatives does the regime have?

There was also an attempt by Saudi Arabia to push a resolution through the UN including a clause calling for the removal of Assad. It amounts to blatant regime change being sought by a partisan country with a sectarian bias.

A significant number of countries demanded that the clause be removed, including Brazil, India, etc. And it was removed. It calls on Assad to cease using heavy weapons, which is not going to have an impact on the fighting.

What is going to happen next? Assuming that the Syrian military crushes the rebels in Aleppo?

Without a political solution, such as that Annan had been pushing, there is going to be a one-sided outcome, most likely in favor of the ruling regime.

That is probably why the UK is stating they're going to increase support for the rebels. That of course increases the impetus for Assad to quickly crush the rebellion.

Obviously Russia, China, Brazil, India, etc are not going to agree to military intervention to oust Assad.

I think that this is a tragic case study for ugly military adventurism, and it could get even uglier. Let's hope not.
1

SuperLibAug. 04, 2012 - 12:38AM JST

Syria for the Syrians.

I think the problem is that Syria is pretty much "for" one family.
-1

Vast Right-Wing ConspiratorAug. 04, 2012 - 12:58AM JST

Once again, the UN proves itself useless as anything other than an expensive talking shop. Just a place for bureaucrats from around the world to gather and greedily slurp at the teat generously offered.
1

ubikwitAug. 04, 2012 - 02:42AM JST

the UN is one of the world's most important public forums, but it is also an arena where power is contested.

here's a fairly detailed account of the resolution and how it evolved. it reflects some of the power struggles behind the scenes that would appear to have quashed--at least for the time being--the hopes for a political solution.

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-202_162-57485983/u.n-general-assembly-to-denounce-syria-but-divisions-stand-firmly-in-way-of-real-action/
1

nandakandamandaAug. 04, 2012 - 11:19AM JST

Assad is doing a job in the medieval way.

Russia and China and Iran want him to continue doing this job until it is finished. Methods medieval? Not really a problem.

Others would like to try and stop him doing this job. Methods medieval? A problem for many in the West. Probably not a problem for the Sunni states involved.

Annan's mission was hopeless from the start. The civilized world wanted to be able to see that 'something' was being done. He has been used, and he has been good-natured about it. To resign is only natural.
0

Vast Right-Wing ConspiratorAug. 04, 2012 - 06:51PM JST

Ubikwit, the world doesnt need a public forum where dictators and maniacs get the same rights and privileges as free countries. I would rather see no international body that what we have now. UN Resolutions are by and large useless exercises in hot air.
-2

OlegekAug. 05, 2012 - 02:20AM JST

nandakandamanda

Assad is doing a job in the medieval way.

Russia and China and Iran want him to continue doing this job until it is finished. Methods medieval? Not really a problem.

Ho ho ho

And what 'bout Iraq ? How many peoples were killed during ocupation by "civilized" world ?
0

MadvertsAug. 05, 2012 - 02:59AM JST

"And what 'bout Iraq ? How many peoples were killed during ocupation by "civilized" world ?"

Iraq was foreign intervention, not a popular uprising.

Please try to stay on topic.
0

OlegekAug. 05, 2012 - 01:25PM JST

Vast Right-Wing Conspirator Once again, the UN proves itself useless as anything other than an expensive talking shop

Yes - you will be supprise - at this little planet Earth living not only anglo-saxon masters and their faithful servants...

other nations other lands other countries and other culturues ....

They can have (insolent rebels !!) their own ideas !