UN Security Council to vote on Syria monitors

[pampango]

Protesters took to the streets in many town on Friday, including in Sarmeen in the north

New resolution aims to raise observer strength to 300 amid reports by opposition activists of fresh wave of violence.

After three hours of closed-door discussions late on Friday to iron out differences between separate draft resolutions submitted by the US and Russia, the UN Security Council has scheduled a vote on a draft resolution on Saturday to send up to 300 unarmed military observers to Syria.

The drafts called for an "immediate end to all violence and human rights violations, securing humanitarian access and facilitating a Syrian-led political transition leading to a democratic, plural political system".

Envoys reached a preliminary agreement on a draft resolution on the Syrian conflict, a crisis that has left the council divided since it erupted 13 months ago. But there was a possibility the deal could fall through since council members must seek final approval from their capitals overnight.

"I hope there's going to be a unanimous vote tomorrow," Vitaly Churkin, the Russian ambassador, said. "The Syrian government and the opposition must know that the Security Council will be authorising the full-fledged mandate so we hope it's going to send a strong and good political signal."

http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2012/04/201242115244542654.html

If Russia is on board then progress can be made.

[inna]

1. oy

[Romulox]

2. Sorry, but you're not getting a war, this time. China and Russia say 'no!'.

[pinboy3niner]

3. U.N. approves measure to expand Syria monitors

By the CNN Wire Staff
updated 11:54 AM EDT, Sat April 21, 2012


(CNN) -- The United Nations Security Council on Saturday unanimously approved a measure that allows for an observer mission in Syria to be expanded to 300 unarmed military monitors across the country.

The resolution comes just hours after reports that a small group of U.N. cease-fire monitors had arrived in the besieged Syrian city of Homs, a flash point of a conflict that has gripped the country for more than a year.

...


Russia -- which, along with China, has blocked action against the Syrian regime -- had called for the quick approval of the measure to deploy more monitors. Russia also said a Syrian opposition delegation will visit Moscow next week.

China said it will send observers to join the U.N. monitoring mission, the state-run China Daily newspaper reported, citing a foreign ministry spokesman.

...


http://www.cnn.com/2012/04/21/world/meast/syria-unrest/index.html?hpt=hp_t1