After a late-night strategy session with Arab and European foreign ministers and meetings Thursday morning with Turkish leaders, Clinton turned her attention to the UN and the opposition from Russia and China. "We can't break faith with the Syrian people who want real change," a senior State Department official said, explaining the strategy Clinton set out in the closed-door gathering of regional and European powers.
The secretary set forth "essential elements and principles that we believe should guide that post-Assad transition strategy, including Assad's full transfer of power," the official added.
Other elements include "the establishment of a fully representative and inclusive interim government which leads to free and fair elections, a ceasefire to be observed by all, and equality for all Syrians under the law."
The views Clinton aired in Istanbul were expected to be taken up again Thursday at the United Nations when the Security Council meets to hear special envoy Kofi Annan's report on his peace plan for Syria.
Clinton was also sending her special representative on Syria, Fred Hoff, to Moscow on Thursday to sound out the Russians, the official said. "She made clear that we want to work with Russia, but that we
've got to have a common vision," the official said.Russia and China, meanwhile, poured cold water on the push to remove Assad from power in a joint statement Wednesday after two days of meetings between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese leaders.
Hosted by Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, the late-night meeting included top officials from the EU, the United States, Britain, France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Jordan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, UAE, Qatar, Tunisia, Morocco and Turkey.
They discussed calls made by some countries for invoking Chapter VII of the UN charter, which authorizes member states to take "all necessary measures" to carry out specific UN Security Council decisions. It can be used in some cases to authorize military action.
"The secretary made clear Chapter VII remains on the table at the appropriate time," the official said, briefing reporters on condition of anonymity.
France and Britain meanwhile dismissed as a non-starter a Russian proposal for an international conference that would include Syrian ally Iran.
Clinton told reporters Wednesday she would reserve judgment. But she added: "It's a little hard to imagine inviting a country that is stage managing the Assad regime's assault on its people."
In Istanbul for a meeting on “counterterrorism meeting”, Clinton also warned of the continuing threat from Al-Qaeda. "The core of al-Qaeda that carried out the 9/11 attacks may be on the path to defeat, but the threat has spread, becoming more geographically diverse," she said. "We will always maintain our right to use force against groups such as al-Qaeda that have attacked us and still threaten us with imminent attack."
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