Top U.N. Envoy To Present Syria With Ultimatum

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A25429-2005Mar10.html

Nation Must Withdraw From Lebanon or Face Isolation

By Robin Wright
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, March 11, 2005; Page A01

A top U.N. envoy will tell President Bashar Assad that Syria will face political and economic isolation if he does not completely and quickly withdraw from Lebanon, U.N. and U.S. officials said yesterday.

In a meeting set for tomorrow, Terje Roed-Larsen plans to inform Syria that the international community is united in insisting that Damascus comply with U.N. Resolution 1559 -- and is prepared to impose wide punitive sanctions if it does not act quickly, the officials said.

"If he doesn't deliver, there will be total political and economic isolation of his country. There is a steel-hard consensus in the international community," a senior U.N. official said.

In preparation for the diplomatic confrontation, Roed-Larsen has met over the past week with top U.S., European and Arab officials to determine the positions and parameters of action. In a final round of talks, he met yesterday with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and also won backing from the Arab League in talks with its secretary general, Amr Mousa, earlier this week -- discussions aimed at leaving Syria no political escape routes, the source said.

Bellicose in the manner of the old USSR is the only was to describe the behavior of the US anymore. I don't get this UN thing, The People in Lebanon actually want the Syrian guy back, why are they pushing this shit?

n/t

Since it appears that Lebanon is in no rush to have Syria remove it's troops and since just about everyone in the world trades with them other than the US and France. What worries do they have?

The U.S. does more things in the middle east to piss those countries off and push them into China's and Russia's hands. We are their best diplomats.

Buffoons, the whole bunch.

Karameh pessimistic about forming unity govt

UN spokesman says Roed-Larsen will not back up calls for Syrian withdrawal from Lebanon with threat mandate.


According to the Washington Post, he will give Syrian President Bashar al-Assad an ultimatum when they meet Saturday in Damascus, threatening political and economic isolation if Syria does not fully withdraw from Lebanon.

But Roed-Larsen, "by the nature of his mandate and that of the secretary general, cannot carry threats", Beirut-based spokesman Nejib Friji said, contacted from Damascus.

He said Roed-Larsen would "repeat the positions he expressed during his last meetings with Syrian and Lebanese officials as well as the Lebanese opposition, calling for dialogue, cooperation and calm".

UN Secretary General Kofi Annan said Thursday that his envoy would ask Damascus for a date for the withdrawal of its troops required under Security Council Resolution 1559.

http://www.middle-east-online.com/english/?id=12960