UK
Lyall Grant
Says Must
Support LAS
Plan in Full,
Cites
China's Oil
Interests
By
Matthew
Russell Lee,
Exclusive
UNITED
NATIONS,
February 1 --
After Chinese
Ambassador Li
Baodong told
Inner
City Press,
"it seems like
the other side
has started
making
concessions,"
this was
conveyed to
his UK
counterpart
Mark Lyall
Grant.
"The
other
side being our
side?" Lyall
Grant asked
Inner City
Press with a
smile. He grew
more serious
and said, "I
thought we
were sensing
some
concession
coming from
their side
yesterday...
We've always
said
we're prepared
to look at
some of the
details of the
text."
In
fact, the
track
changes made
Monday evening
to the text
were by a UK
mission
diplomat, as
exclusive
reported
by Inner City
Press, here.
Lyall Grant
continued,
"we'd like
unanimous
text, but
we have clear
red lines."
What
about
transfer of
power?
Lyall
Grant said,
"the
fundamental
issue, as
Sheikh Hamad
said, is full
support of
all aspects of
the Arab
League plan.
That's the red
line. Some of
the
other.. is
negotiable."
(c) UN Photo
Mark
Lyall Grant
speaking, with
Araud
of France
silent -
"flexible"?
Inner
City Press
had asked Li
Baodong about
the Arab
League plan's
reference to
Assad
tranferring
power to his
deputy, and Li
Baodong
responded that
China
would not
accept even
the "subtext
of regime
change."
Told
of this,
Lyall Grant
said, "if
they're going
to get into
subtext... The
time will come
when" they'll
have to "stand
up and be
counted, are
they with the
Syrian
president or
with the
Arabs."
He paused.
"For someone
like China,
with its oil
and energy
interests,
it's clear
where their
strategic
interests
should lie."
Is
it? Watch this
site.
Footnote:
Germany's
Permanent
Representative
Peter Wittig,
told of Li
Baodong's
statement of
China's
opposition to
even the
"subtext of
regime
change," only
said, thanks
for telling
me.
, 
