The UN Security Council came down unanimously on the Syrian government for its role in the massacre of at least 108 villages. Russia which initially vetoed a UNSC resolution against Syria has now cooperated in critising its ally in Damascus. The 15 member Council has approved a statement that while the Syrian government could not be blamed directly for all the deaths, it should be pulled up for its use of tanks and artillery against civilian people despite the April 12th ceasefire. The perpetrators belong to the Alawites, the same minority community to which President Bashar al-Assad belongs.
It is to be expected that the UN Security Council’s statement will lead former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan to step up his efforts to begin negotiations with the government on implementing the six-point peace plan that he has engineered. Assad has so far been unfazed by international criticism. Russia is against a repeat of a NATO military involvement in Syria as took place in Libya. So far, the West has kept out of involvement in the Syrian fighting because of its long-term consequences. But the Council has called the recent attack outrageous and a violation of the plan to stop use of heavy weapons in populated areas. The UN observer mission in Syria has been asked to investigate the tragedy. The Council had initially prepared a draft statement condemning the Syrian government directly but Russia wanted a close briefing from the UN observers in Syria. The US and Israel have major stakes in the region. They want President Assad to quit so that Iran is humbled. Iran and Syria are now in alliance. However, the UN cannot act without Russia and China supporting its intervention.
