| Arab deadline on Syria expires | Send to a friend |
| Sunday, 20 November 2011 09:46 |
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Turkey and the United States both raised the spectre of civil war, as thousands of protesters took to the streets yesterday to urge nations to expel Syrian ambassadors, defying a massive security presence. British Foreign Secretary William Hague was to meet Syrian rebel leaders in London on Monday, and a British government source said the opposition figures would also meet senior officials from Prime Minister David Cameron's office. Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin called for restraint over the Syrian crisis after meeting his French counterpart Francois Fillon, who accused Assad of being deaf to pressure. "We are calling for restraint and caution. This is our position," Putin told a Moscow news conference, the day after his foreign minister likened the situation in Syria to a civil war. Russia has deeply opposed Western efforts to internationalise the crisis, fearing it could clear the way for a Libya-style military intervention under a UN mandate.In October, Russia and China vetoed a Western-drafted UN Security Council resolution that would have threatened Assad's regime with "targeted measures" over its crackdown. "We think that it is indispensable to increase international pressure and we have tabled a resolution at the United Nations. We hope it will find as wide support as possible," Fillon said. French Foreign minister Alain Juppe, in Turkey ahead of a tour of Arab states, said the "time has come to increase sanctions" on Syria. (AFP) Add this page to your favorite Social Bookmarking websites           |
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