UN holds Syria to its word

Syrian forces cracked down on rebel fighters Wednesday, claiming the lives of 40 people, despite President Bashar al-Assad's pledge to implement a six-point peace plan devised by UN-Arab League envoy Kofi Annan.

"From the Turkish border in the northeast to Daraa in the south, military operations are ongoing," said Rami Abdel Rahman, head of the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

On Monday, Annan told the UN Security Council that Assad had agreed to "immediately" start pulling troops out of protest cities, completing the pullout by April 10.

UN drafts statement

In response, the UN Security Council has drafted a statement to pressure Syria to comply with the April 10 deadline to halt fighting. The US-drafted UN Security Council statement seeks Syria's withdrawal of forces from Syrian population centers.

The draft also encourages rebel fighters to cease their hostilities within 48 hours of Assad's regime doing so, and it calls on all parties to respect a daily two-hour humanitarian pause.

"The Security Council demands that the Syrian government immediately and verifiably implement its commitments ... to (a) cease troop movements towards population centers, (b) cease all use of heavy weapons in such centers, and (c) begin pullback of military concentrations in and around population centers ... by 10 April 2012," says the draft statement, obtained by Reuters.

France's UN envoy Gerard Araud said he hoped the draft would be adopted late Wednesday or on Thursday.

Russian views

Russia, Assad's veto-wielding ally in the council, has rejected the idea of a deadline, with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov saying "ultimatums and artificial deadlines rarely help matters."

Lavrov also said on Wednesday that he did not think the rebels could ever defeat the Syrian army, even if they were better equipped.

"It is clear as day that even if the Syrian opposition is armed to the teeth, it will not be able to defeat the government's army," Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said.

"Instead, there will be carnage that lasts many, many years -- mutual destruction," he continued.

Security Council statements need unanimous approval, and it is not year clear how Russia will vote on the matter.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Gennady Gatilov said that Syria is withdrawing already from cities and towns in accordance with the plan. He also suggested that Moscow would be wary of any new formal action by the Security Council.

Gatilov said Russia would be willing to consider “additional impulses from the Security Council" if other members believe they are needed, but added: "Any reaction by the Security Council must be balanced and contain an appeal to both sides - the government and opposition."

"We hope the Syrian authorities meet the April 10 deadline," he said.

Annan will brief the 193-nation UN General Assembly on Thursday morning about the situation in Syria.

tm/mz (AP, AFP, Reuters)