BICOM

A Security Council meeting ended Thursday evening with no agreement on a draft UN resolution intended to pressure Syria to end its months-long violent crackdown on anti-government protesters.

‘We had what I would characterise as sometimes difficult but ultimately useful discussions,’ US Ambassador Susan Rice told reporters yesterday. ‘We’re still working. This is not done.’ Rice added the Moroccans, who submitted the original draft, would come back with another version that could be voted on over the next few days, adding ‘there are still complicated issues that our capitals will have to deliberate on and provide each of us with instructions on.’ Russia’s Ambassador Vitaly Churkin said ‘we’ll see what the reaction of the capitals will be. They’re assessing the situation. We’ll see what the outcome is going to be.’

Before the talks, Arab League Secretary General Nabil Elaraby said yesterday that even a watered-down resolution would pressure the Syrian government. Nevertheless, the draft in discussion yesterday had dropped demands from an Arab League plan for Syria to form a unity government and for President Bashar Assad to delegate power to his deputy.  According to UN diplomats, the change reflected a big concession to Russia, which has been reluctant to sign on to any plan that could be seen as a mandate for regime change in Damascus. Russia has made clear on numerous previous occasions it will not accept an arms embargo or economic sanctions against its long-time ally Syria.

Meanwhile, at least 70 people were killed across Syria on Wednesday, opposition activists said, with three more deaths reported Thursday. The United Nations estimated in December that more than 5,000 people have died in the Syrian unrest since March.