Syria urged to implement Annan's plan
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E-mail Xinhua, May 31, 2012
Susan Rice, the U.S. permanent representative to the UN, on Wednesday called on the Syrian government to "immediately implement its commitment" under the six-point plan proposed by Kofi Anna, the joint UN and Arab League special envoy for Syria.
Rice made the statement as she was addressing reporters here at the end of the closed-door meeting of the UN Security Council on Syria.
She called on "the government of Syria to finally, and immediately implement its commitments under the Annan plan."
"The decision rests, in the first instance, with the Syrian government, whether it will fulfill its commitments," said Rice. " And if it does, then the opposition as an obligation to reciprocate. If it doesn't, this Council has a responsibility to act and act swiftly and surely."
The six-point plan, which has been widely backed by the international community and accepted by the Syrian government, calls for the withdrawal of heavy weapons and troops from population centers, a daily halt in fighting for the delivery of humanitarian aid and treatment for the wounded, as well as talks between the government and opposition.
"The political process -- which is so crucial to the success of any transition, which is the purpose of the Annan plan -- is thwarted by the ongoing, escalating, expanding violence perpetrated by the government," said Rice outside the chamber of the Security Council.
"The reality that the opposition cannot possibly be expected to come to the table while the violence is intensifying," she said.
Reports from Geneva said that the UN Human Rights Council will hold a special session on Friday on the situation in Syria. While the UN Supervision Mission in Syria has reported an additional 13 bodies found on Tuesday in the eastern province of Deir al-Zourin Syria.
On Tuesday, Faisal Mikddad, the deputy Syrian foreign minister stressed Damascus' resolution and readiness to implement Annan's six-point plan, accusing the opposition of not willing to abide by the plan which was meant to bring the 14-month unrest in Syrian to an early end.
The UN-brokered ceasefire technically went into effect on April 12, but has not taken hold as violence continued unabated.
"During the time of (ceasefire), Syria has not done a single violation of Annan's plan," Mikddad said, contending that the other party "has not committed to a single point," the deputy foreign minister said. "This means that there is a decision not to implement Annan's plan and make it fail by the armed groups and the opposition."
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