AL Meets in Cairo as Annan Holds Talks with Al-Assad

Sunday, 11 March 2012

AL Meets in Cairo as Annan Holds Talks with Al-Assad

Update:

Ghalyoun: criticizing Annan's remarks and declared: we get financial aid and looking for "Quality weapon types"

Syria made it clear that it is receiving Anan as a UN representative, and not as AL messenger. Before arrival Anan confirmed that he is against military intervention, and arming the opposition. Consequently Assad received him like he did with AL representatives. The question is how Anan would define his mission?

According to Ban Ki-moon, Anan would seek an immediate ceasefire and "encourage dialogue between Al-Assad's government and the opposition.”

The other question.

Is the opposition ready for ceasefire and dialogue? Who control the fragmented opposition?

Most likely, taking into consideration the outcome of the military confrontations in Damascus country side and Homs, the answer is yes. The opposition is in bad need for a ceasefire to re-organize.

Concerning dialogue, most likely Assad after the reforms, the new constitution, and referendum and renewing his legitimacy, would not talk with armed opposition unless they lay arms, and if they do, they are welcome to vote and elect their representatives, and may be join a unity Government.

For Istanbul council Dialogue is nothing less than handing over the power to them.

Conclusion

Anan mission shall only open a little window with Syria, most likely, its is, like Al-dabi mission designed to buy time for the opposition.

AL Meets in Cairo as Annan Holds Talks with Al-Assad

Local Editor

Arab foreign ministers met in Cairo on Saturday to discuss the crisis in Syria amid Western and Arab-led efforts to pile pressure on President Bashar Al-Assad's regime.

The Arab League committee on Syria -comprising Egypt, Sudan, Oman, Algeria and Secretary General Nabil Al-Arabi- met at the organization’s headquarters ahead of a wider meeting of Arab top diplomats and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

According to AFP, Lavrov, who arrived on Friday, has already met with the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Kuwait.

Moreover, the Russian foreign minister has earlier made clear to Annan that Moscow is opposed to "crude interference" from the outside into Syrian internal affairs.
"A particular emphasis was placed on the inadmissibility of trampling on international legal norms, including through crude interference in Syria's internal affairs," the foreign ministry said in a statement after the meeting between Lavrov and Annan in Cairo.

The talks at the Arab League come as former UN chief Kofi Annan, who was named United Nations and Arab League envoy to Syria, headed to Damascus for crucial talks with Al-Assad.
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said that “Annan would demand an immediate end to the violence and to provide desperately needed relief supplies to civilians trapped by the fighting.”

“I very strongly urged Kofi Annan to ensure there must be an immediate ceasefire," Ban said.
He added that “Annan would seek to encourage dialogue between Al-Assad's government and the opposition.”