Cautious welcome for UN-Arab League mission in Syria

The major powers gave a cautious welcome on Thursday to proposals to send a joint Arab League-United Nations mission to monitor Syria’s deadly crackdown on protests. France said there had to be “guarantees” for the mission. The US and German ambassadors to the United Nations said their countries were studying the idea raised by UN leader Ban Ki-moon on Wednesday. Ban said the head of the Arab League had told him that he would be sending observers back to Syria, where President Bashar al-Assad’s crackdown has cost thousands of lives, and wanted it to be a joint UN-Arab League operation. The UN leader said consultations would be held with the Arab League and UN Security Council members in coming days “before fleshing out the details.” Arab League foreign ministers are to meet in Cairo on Sunday and could follow up the proposal. Ban said international action had to be taken as he fears the violence will worsen after the Security Council failed to agree to a resolution condemning the Syria violence. It was not immediately clear whether the new proposal would need formal Security Council approval but diplomats said it could not work without the backing of the major powers. “We are going to study it,” US ambassador to the United Nations, Susan Rice, said of the proposal without adding any further comment. France called the return of observers to Syria “a step in the right direction if they can freely and completely carry out their mandate.” The observers must be able to travel freely and meet anyone they wish, said France’s foreign ministry spokesman Bernard Valero in Paris. “Cooperation between the United Nations and the Arab League on this return must allow it (the mission) to work credibly and efficiently,” Valero said. Germany’s UN ambassador Peter Wittig said his government had spoken to Arab League head Nabil ElAraby on Thursday to discuss the proposal. “We will take a close look at it,” Wittig told reporters, calling it a “very serious” idea. “There are of course conditions that have to be fulfilled before such a joint mission can take place.” Morocco’s UN envoy, Mohamed Loulichki, the Arab representative on the 15-nation council gave implicit backing to the scheme. “As far as Morocco is concerned any initiative that could help to implement the Arab initiative, which is very comprehensive, is most welcome.” Russia and China on Saturday vetoed a Security Council resolution — proposed by Arab and European nations — which aimed to back an Arab League plan for Syria. The League plan calls for the Syrian president to hand over powers to a deputy so new elections can be held.