Russian
Amendments
Condemn Armed
Groups, Only
"Take Into
Account" AL
By
Matthew
Russell Lee,
Exclusive
UNITED
NATIONS,
February 4 --
As UN Security
Council
ambassadors
met behind
closed doors
on Saturday
morning, Inner
City Press
obtained from
diplomat
sources
amendments
Russia
proposed to
the draft
resolution
already "in
blue."
Inner City
Press is
exclusively
putting
them online
herebelow:
AMENDMENTS
TO THE DRAFT
OF 02.02.2012
OP
1.
Line 2 to
read:
“…freedoms by
the Syrian
authorities,
especially the
use of force
against
civilians”
(end text of
OP 1).
OP
3.
In line 2
after
“immediately
stop…” insert
“violations of
human
rights,”.
Start
line
3 with
“including
intimidation
of civilians
and attacks
against State
institutions…”
Add
new
OP 3 bis: “Calls
for
all
sections of
the Syrian
opposition to
dissociate
themselves
from armed
groups engaged
in acts of
violence and urges
member-states
and
all those in a
position to do
so to use
their
influence to
prevent
continued
violence by
such groups”;
Para
4 (c). Add at
the end of
subpara: “…in
conjunction
with the end
of attacks by
armed groups
against state
institutions
and quarter of
cities and
towns”;
OP
7. Replace in
lines 5-6 “in
accordance
with” by
“taking into
account”.
OP
6-7. Move the
phrase
“without
prejudging the
outcome” from
the
end of para 6
to the end of
para 7.
OP
9. Delete from
line 1 “in the
event of a
resumption of
the observer
mission”.
OP
10.
Reformulate
line 1 to
read:
“Stresses the
need for armed
groups
not to
obstruct the
mission’s work
and calls upon
all to provide
all necessary
assistance to
the mission in
accordance…”
PP
11 bis
(optional):
“Expressing
support
for the broad
trend of
political
transition to
democratic,
plural
political
systems in the
Middle East,
Russia
is focused on
attacks
against state
institutions
by armed
groups, that
the Syrian
opposition
"dissociate
themselves
from armed
groups," and
moving the
concession it
got on
Paragraph 6
("without
prejudging the
outcome") over
to Paragraph 7
about the Arab
League plan.
Under the
amendments,
Assad would
only have to
pull out as
the armed
groups also
do, and only
"takes into
account" the
Arab League
timeline. But
it offers
"optional"
support of
Arab Spring
II.
On her way in
to
the Security
Council,
US Ambassador
Susan Rice
called the
amendments
"unacceptable."
French
Ambassador
Gerard Araud
said that
"some
newspapers"
already said
it was watered
down too
much, and said
there would be
a vote
Saturday.
Watch this
site.
, 
