Syrian situation getting more complex amid increased domestic, int'l pressure

Syrian situation getting more complex amid increased domestic, int'l pressure
The Syrian situation is getting more complex as President Bashar al-Assad faces escalating domestic and international pressure to end his administration's iron-fisted actions on anti-government protesters.

Analysts say international parties should promote peaceful talks instead of violence to avoid civil war in the country.

RUSSIA OPPOSES FAVORING OPPOSITION FORCES

Analysts said Russia had a very clear stand: Wanting dialogue to peacefully resolve the Syrian crisis and opposing external backing for the opposition, especially the provision of weapons.

Russia believes more pressure should be exerted, not only on the Syrian government but also on its opponents, to get the two sides to talk, they say. It has also criticized the Arab League decision to suspend Syria's membership, but supports its proposal to send 500 observers to Damascus to help implement a peace deal agreed earlier this month.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Thursday that civilians as well as armed people were involved in the peaceful anti-government demonstrations.

The armed people had an entirely different agenda from reform and democracy in Syria, Lavrov said, adding they were continuously receiving weapons from neighboring countries.

If the opposition continued to attack government troops, the country would plunge into a civil war. The two sides must both end their violence and accept suggestions for dialogue, which could be held at the Arab League's headquarters, Lavrov said.

On Monday, Lavrov accused western countries of encouraging the opposition forces to topple the Syrian government.

UNITED STATES PUSHING FOR REGIME CHANGE

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Friday that a civil war in Syria was possible if the opposition in the West Asian country grew stronger.

"I think there could be a civil war with a very determined and well-armed and eventually well-financed opposition that is, if not directed by, certainly influenced by defectors from the army," Clinton told the NBC network.

"We're already seeing that, something that we hate to see because we are in favor of a peaceful protest and non-violent opposition," she said, blaming Assad for provoking the opposition into "taking up arms."

Although Clinton stressed the Libya situation was not applicable to Syria, analysts said the comparisons were becoming similar as the Syrian opposition forces, supported by foreign countries, had started to take up arms against the Assad government.

Local media observed that the United States was trying to bring down the Assad government through tougher economic sanctions and increased political pressure, backed by the European Union, Arab countries and Turkey. It was also providing various forms of support to the Syrian opposition forces.

FRANCE HOPES TO INCREASE SANCTIONS ON SYRIA

France on Wednesday announced it had recalled its ambassador in Syria due to security reasons.

According to the French Foreign Ministry, the French consular agencies in Aleppo and Latakia were attacked last weekend, and the French government had lodged strong protest against the Syrian government and summoned the Syrian ambassador to France.

Since the Syrian crisis broke out in March, the French government has repeatedly condemned Syrian authorities. It says it does not support military intervention in Syria but hopes to resolve the crisis through international sanctions.

On Friday, French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe said the Syrian regime was not willing to implement a reform program and "now it is too late." The UN Security Council should increase sanctions on Syria, he said.

Asked about the French attitude toward a Turkish military intervention in Syria, Juppe said, "We are against unilateral intervention. If an intervention is implemented, the decision should be made by the United Nations. This has been France's opinion all along."

The foreign minister added that the Syrian opposition should avoid the use of arms to avoid civil war.

SYRIA WELCOMES OBSERVERS FROM ARAB LEAGUE

Analysts sid the Syrian government did not respond to the Arab League's request to send observers to the country before the deadline because the League was studying modifications suggested by the Syrian side on the Arab observer mission.

The Arab League put forward a plan Wednesday to send 500 observers and gave Syria three days to agree. On Saturday, it suspended Syria's membership in the pan-Arab body until Assad implemented its deal to end what it said was a crackdown on protestors.

As violence continued in the West Asian country, allowing in foreign observers was in the interest of the Syrian government, observers said.

Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem said Monday that his country welcomed any Arab effort to solve the crisis, stressing that Damascus had a strong resolve to implement the Arab League peace plan reached on Nov. 2.

But analysts say the ongoing bloodletting in Syria is far more complicated than an alleged lethal crackdown on protesters by the government, as some media reported.

Former Egyptian ambassador to Syria Mahmoud Shokry said the current security situation in Syria is not under complete control of the government.

The Free Syrian Army, an alleged group of army defectors, has recently carried out attacks against an air intelligence base outside Damascus.

It shows the Syrian government is unlikely to unilaterally stop all military activities in three days as the Arab League requested.

Allowing in observers would help clarify distorted press reports and change the passive and cornered status of the Syrian government. That's why the Syrian government welcomed the observers, analysts said.

English.news.cn   2011-11-20 22:20:42 FeedbackPrintRSS
BEIJING, Nov. 20 (Xinhua)