On
Syria, Saudi
Draft Refers
to Assad
Stepping Down,
"Take It Or
Leave It"
By
Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS, July
31 -- While
Saudi Arabia
described the
Syria meeting
it
convened on
Tuesday as
"consultations"
on its draft
General
Assembly
resolution,
several
meeting
participants
complained
inside,
and outside to
Inner City
Press, that
the Saudi
position was
"take
it or leave
it."
This
was met by
opposition by
BRICSA --
Brazil,
Russia, India,
China and
South Africa
-- some Latin
American
countries and
others.
Even
one self
described
Western
Diplomat told
Inner City
Press on the
way
out that if
unchanged,
"they'll be
lucky to get
70 votes"
in favor.
Another close
Western
Permanent
Representative
predicted
100, down from
the previously
137.
The vote is
now set for
Thursday,
August 2 at 10
am.
Most
contentious,
opponents
said, was the
switch in the
last
perambular
paragraph
to "welcoming"
rather than
"noting" the
Arab League
call for Assad
to go:
"welcoming
the
relevant
League of Arab
States’
decisions,
including its
22
July 2012
resolution, in
particular its
appeal to the
Syrian
President to
step down from
power."
They
also pointed
to operative
paragraphs 20
and 21. Inner
City Press is
putting
the referenced
draft
resolution
online again,
here.
Paragraph
20,
a non-BRICSA
diplomat told
Inner City
Press, is
"disrespectful"
to Kofi Annan,
directing him
to "focus his
efforts."
Paragraph 21
calls on
countries to
adopt
sanctions like
the Arab
League.
One
BRICSA
representative
after the
meeting said
that Saudi
Arabia put
these in so as
to negotiate.
But others say
no, Saudi
Arabia isn't
trying to win
more votes,
but a stronger
message if not
action. The
General
Assembly can't
authorize
military
force.
But since
Saudi
Arabia, like
Qatar, is
already giving
weapons to the
opposition,
adopting a
resolution
like this
could provide
a further
pretext.
Watch this
site.
Update:
in a parallel
universe,
Syria went and
met with the
African Group
on Tuesday
afternoon,
during Saudi
Arabia's
"consultations."
Game on, as
they say.
Update
II: it is
pointed out
that not only
Syria, but
also Egypt,
went to brief
(or pitch) the
African Group.
More on these
meetings to
follow.
, 
