GCC states, US seek timeline for Syria plan

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The US and Gulf Arab states yesterday urged envoy Kofi Annan to produce a “timeline for next steps” in his peace plan for Syria if President Bashar al-Assad fails to stop the bloodshed.

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who met her counterparts from Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and Oman at a meeting in Riyadh, voiced concern over Syria’s continued deadly crackdown on dissent.
She also slammed Iran for its alleged support for the crackdown and appeared cautious about talks between Tehran and the US and five other powers that she confirmed would be held in Istanbul on April 13.

In a press conference, Clinton voiced renewed scepticism about Syria’s acceptance of Annan’s six-point peace plan, which calls on Syrian forces to withdraw from besieged cities and silence their guns.

“And as of today, regime forces continue to shell civilians, lay siege to neighbourhoods, and even target places of worship,” Clinton said on the eve of international talks in Istanbul aimed at helping the Syrian opposition.
Clinton said dozens of top Arab and Western officials today would discuss further steps to pressure Assad, to provide humanitarian aid and promote “an inclusive, democratic” political transition.

The first US strategic co-operation forum with the six Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC) countries issued a joint statement, urging Annan “to determine a timeline for next steps if the killing continues”.

Annan’s plan calls for a commitment to stop all armed violence, a daily two-hour humanitarian ceasefire, media access to all areas affected by the fighting, an inclusive Syrian-led political process, a right to demonstrate, and release of arbitrarily detained people.

In a speech to the forum, Clinton stressed Washington’s “rock solid and unwavering” commitment to the security of Gulf Arab states.
Raising security ties from a bilateral to a multilateral level, Clinton was breaking new ground in taking part in the first strategic co-operation forum between Washington and the GCC.

She looked to taking “practical and specific steps to strengthen our mutual security, such as helping our militaries improve inter-operability, co-operate on maritime security and missile defence, and co-ordinate responses to crises”.
US officials have said it is a “priority” to help the GCC build a “regional missile defence architecture” against what they see as a looming ballistic missile threat from Iran.

Speaking at the press conference, the chief US diplomat broadened her attack on Tehran.

Iran “continues to threaten its neighbours and undermine regional security, including through its support for the Assad regime’s murderous campaign in Syria, threats against the freedom of navigation in the region, and interference in Yemen”, she charged. AFP

Opposition leader urges arming of rebels

Syrian opposition leader Burhan Ghalioun said a “Friends of Syria” conference that opens in Turkey today must back the arming of rebels. “The Syrian National Council expresses the demands of the Syrian people,” Ghalioun told the press in Istanbul. “We have repeatedly called for the arming of the Free Syrian Army. We want the ‘Friends of Syria’ conference to live up to this demand.” Ghalioun, who heads the SNC, called for “a change in the balance of power” after more than a year of violence that has claimed more than 9,000 lives. Dozens of the world’s top diplomats are set to gather in Istanbul today to turn up pressure on Damascus to abide by a peace plan designed to finally end the violence in Syria.