U.N. chief says Arab League to revive Syria mission

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said on Wednesday the Arab League chief told him he intends to revive an Arab League monitoring mission in Syria, which has collapsed amid continuing violence there.

Nabil Elaraby asked for U.N. help with the project during a telephone conversation on Tuesday, Ban told reporters after briefing the U.N. Security Council on a visit he just paid to the Middle East. (more…)

Lavrov says seeks peace in Syria as Homs bombarding resumes

Russia’s foreign minister said he told Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on Tuesday that Moscow wanted to see peace in the Arab world as Syrian forces resumed a bombardment of Homs, a hub of protest and rebellion against Assad’s rule. (more…)

Outrage Builds Against Russia, China Over UN Veto

Arab countries and Muslim organizations are reacting angrily to a veto by Russia and China of a UN Security Council draft resolution based on an Arab League plan to end the violence in Syria.

Western governments also issued highly critical remarks about Moscow’s veto, suggesting Russia is more interested in protecting a naval base it leases from Syria and lucrative weapons contracts with President Bashar al-Assad’s government than preventing the killing of thousands of people. (more…)

M.E. officials attack Russia, China, urge cutting ties with Syria

ARAB leaders and officials have attacked the UN after Russia and China blocked a resolution condemning the Damascus regime, as Tunisia urged the world to cut diplomatic ties with Syria.

Tunisian Prime Minister Hamadi Jebali said Moscow and Beijing’s actions showed the veto system of the Security Council was flawed (more…)

Analysis: The UN Fails Syria

The veto cast by Russia and China on Saturday blocked action by the United Nations Security Council to back the Arab League’s initiative to stop the killing and facilitate a political transition in Syria.

Russian FM: “We Are not Friends or Allies of Assad.”

MUNICH — With the United States and the European Union imposing unprecedented economic sanctions against Iran, and the lingering threat of an Israeli attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities, it was expected that Iran would be a big issue here at the annual Munich Security Conference that opened on Friday. (more…)

Clinton: US, Europe must do more against tyrants

MUNICH (AP) — The Obama administration on Saturday called for stepped up U.S.-European cooperation to isolate tyrannies like the Assad regime in Syria, promote democracy in the Arab World and beyond and repair damage from the global financial crisis. (more…)

Russia, China veto UN resolution on Syria

Russia and China on Saturday vetoed a Security Council resolution backing an Arab League peace plan that calls for Syrian President Bashar Assad to step down amid escalating violence.

The other 13 members of the council, including the United States, Britain and France, voted in an unusual weekend session favor of the resolution aimed at stopping the ongoing violence in Syria. (more…)

UN vote on Syria resolution will end in scandal; Russia’s FM

Russia’s foreign minister sternly warned Washington Saturday that any attempt to put a draft resolution on Syria to vote at the United Nations would lead to “scandal,” a blunt warning that Russia is prepared to use its veto power.

Sergey Lavrov said in an interview broadcast on Russian state television Rossiya that Russia (more…)

Russia to propose changes to UN Syria draft: envoys

U.N. Security Council envoys awaited proposed amendments from Moscow on Friday to the latest version of a European-Arab draft resolution endorsing an Arab League plan for Syria, and envoys said the issue would be decided by Russia and the United States. (more…)