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Turborama

(22,109 posts) Sun Mar 25, 2012, 12:29 PM Mar 2012

Russia says Annan offers last chance for Syria

Source: AFP

By Dmitry Zaks | AFP News – 44 minutes ago

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev warned on Sunday that Kofi Annan represented the last chance for avoiding a civil war in Syria and offered the UN-Arab League envoy Moscow's full support.

Medvedev's stark message to Moscow's traditional ally came only hours after US President Barack Obama announced plans to send "non-lethal" aid to the Syrian rebels and new waves of violence swept the battle-scarred country.

=snip=

Medvedev on Sunday appeared to be aiming his words at Assad directly by warning of dire consequences if Damascus ignored Annan's peace plan.

"This may be the last chance for Syria to avoid a protracted and bloody civil war," Medvedev told Annan at a meeting held in Moscow's Vnukovo 2 airport before his departure for a summit in Seoul.

Read more: http://sg.news.yahoo.com/blasts-shake-homs-syria-rebels-hit-back-073104690.html

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev (left) shakes hands with Kofi Annan, in Moscow.
Medvedev warned Annan represented the last chance for avoiding a civil war in
Syria and offered the UN-Arab League envoy Moscow's full support

13 replies

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Highlight:

Russia says Annan offers last chance for Syria (Original Post) Turborama Mar 2012 OP

Here we go again. Out of the frying pan of Iraq and right back into the fire of Syria (and Iran). leveymg Mar 2012 #1

Did you even read the article you're commenting on? Or are you in the wrong thread? Turborama Mar 2012 #2

This is so reminiscent of the buildup to the Iraq War. Recall the role of UN inspectors leveymg Mar 2012 #3

i remember it well arely staircase Mar 2012 #4

How is this situation substantially different? eom leveymg Mar 2012 #9

in virtually ever way imaginable arely staircase Mar 2012 #12

I remember very well what happened leading up to the illegal invasion of Iraq Turborama Mar 2012 #5

Don't be patronizing and assume my conclusion is borne of lack of information. leveymg Mar 2012 #10

Using the method above but trying all the big forums & using your name as the author I got this.... Turborama Mar 2012 #13

Ladies and gentlemen, this is what a Turing test failure looks like. (nt) Posteritatis Mar 2012 #6

it was over when assad lost the russian`s support madrchsod Mar 2012 #8

the land now called syria has been home to civilation for at least 12,000 years madrchsod Mar 2012 #7

I recall exactly the same comment in '03 about Iraq. leveymg Mar 2012 #11

leveymg

(36,418 posts)

1. Here we go again. Out of the frying pan of Iraq and right back into the fire of Syria (and Iran).

Reply to Turborama (Original post)

Sun Mar 25, 2012, 12:54 PM

Mar 2012

Neocons never die, they just reemerge to take us into bigger, better wars.

Turborama

(22,109 posts)

2. Did you even read the article you're commenting on? Or are you in the wrong thread?

Reply to leveymg (Reply #1)

Sun Mar 25, 2012, 01:19 PM

Mar 2012

Because it seems you're jumping to an invasion conclusion when the article mentions nothing of the sort and in the real world this is very unlikely to happen.

In fact, Kofi Annan (the main protagonist in this article) is pushing hard for a peaceful solution, and it seems (according to the article) is having some success.

Here's a little clue from the article:

China has also expressed support for Annan's mission amid signs of quickly waning support for Assad from his traditional friends.

The UN Security Council-backed peace plan requires Assad to pull back his forces from protest cities and provide immediate humanitarian access to the thousands of civilians trapped inside.

It also makes no explicit demands on the opposition and calls for a gradual transition to a more representative government in which Assad's role remains undefined.

Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Gennady Gatilov wrote on Twitter after the Annan meeting that "the (Syrian) authorities appear to be ready to carry this out."

leveymg

(36,418 posts)

3. This is so reminiscent of the buildup to the Iraq War. Recall the role of UN inspectors

Reply to Turborama (Reply #2)

Sun Mar 25, 2012, 01:34 PM

Mar 2012

and the mock drama in the final months as the Bush Administration, with the Russians ambivalent half-blessing, proceeded to build toward war on Iraq using the UN as stage dressing? We really tried diplomacy, then, too, remember?

Remember? It wasn't really that long ago.

arely staircase

(12,482 posts)

4. i remember it well

Reply to leveymg (Reply #3)

Sun Mar 25, 2012, 01:44 PM

Mar 2012

and it bore little to no resemblance to the current situation whatsoever.

leveymg

(36,418 posts)

9. How is this situation substantially different? eom

Reply to arely staircase (Reply #4)

Sun Mar 25, 2012, 05:20 PM

Mar 2012

arely staircase

(12,482 posts)

12. in virtually ever way imaginable

Reply to leveymg (Reply #9)

Sun Mar 25, 2012, 06:03 PM

Mar 2012

Iraq had oil and no civil war/indigenous uprising for starters.

Turborama

(22,109 posts)

5. I remember very well what happened leading up to the illegal invasion of Iraq

Reply to leveymg (Reply #3)

Sun Mar 25, 2012, 02:16 PM

Mar 2012

And the only similarity is the time of year and the geography.

Kofi Anaan going into Syria and visiting Russia and China =/= UN weapon inspectors going into Iraq.

Have you been following what's been going on in Syria for the past year? If not, I've made it quite easy to catch up on a lot of the history over the past year that lead to the current situation.

Go to the DU's proper advanced search engine here: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=search_advanced

Put me (Turborama) as the author, Syria as the Keyword & check search only original message (exclude replies), choose Latest Breaking News, select from March 18 2011 until November 31 2011 and 100 results per page.