The New York Times pointed to what it called the lies of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, stating that the UN Security Council gave Assad an opportunity to end the killing operations and avoid chaos in the country. However, he disregarded international efforts and continued to kill the Syrian people.
In its editorial, the New York Times added that the Security Council endorsed a plan to impose a ceasefire in Syria, and President Assad, under the plan, pledged to withdraw his forces from Syrian cities and towns to reach a peaceful solution in the country. However, it said that it is not surprising that Assad violates all his promises, noting that his forces fired live bullets and tear gas at thousands of protesters on Friday.
The newspaper also considered that Syrian authorities are working to thwart the role of the observers sent by the United Nations to monitor the ceasefire in Syria by specifying their numbers and restricting their movements. It added that the observers had an unsuccessful start, arousing the opposition’s anger, as they did not deploy on Friday, a day that usually witnesses massive protests.
Quoting UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, the New York Times attributed to him saying that the Syrian authorities have failed to secure the necessary food and medicine for more than 230,000 displaced Syrians, and they refused to allow external agencies to provide assistance.
Khaddam rules out the fall of Assad under the pressure of protests
In a related development, former Syrian Vice President Abdel-Halim Khaddam ruled out the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime under the pressure of protests, which activists claim have escalated following the implementation of the plan by the international and Arab envoy Kofi Annan.
Khaddam said on Saturday, “It is linked to the major powers. If these countries want to save the Syrian people, end their suffering, and enable them to build a civil democratic state, the days of the Assad regime are numbered. However, if there is no military action, the issue will extend for months or more.”
Khaddam added that there are other solutions to the Syrian crisis but they are outside the Security Council, explaining that the responsibility for the Syrian file lies with the group of countries that undermined the legitimacy of the regime and demanded Bashar al-Assad to step down from the beginning, especially since what is happening in Syria reflects on the region and the interests of these countries.
Iran leads the regime
Khaddam explained that Iran is the one leading the regime in Syria, and everyone knows its ambitions and strategy aimed at controlling the region and its resources. He noted that the international community has various options, including forming an international military coalition.
The former Syrian Vice President called on Western countries to prepare for what he called the “post-Annan plan phase,” pointing out that the whole world knows that Bashar does not adhere to the plan. On the same day the Security Council issued a resolution endorsing Annan’s plan, 30 people were killed in Homs, Hama, and Idlib. On the second day, about 60 people were killed, confirming that this murderer and criminal does not view the matter from a legal perspective but sees it through his bloodshed, which has become a threat to Syria and the entire region.
