UN envoy Annan says Syria reached "tipping point"

PanARMENIAN.Net - UN-Arab League envoy to Syria Kofi Annan has said the country has reached a "tipping point" after more than a year of conflict, BBC News reported.

Mr Annan made the remarks after talks with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

Mr Annan told reporters the six-point international peace plan for Syria was not being implemented "as it must be".

Meanwhile, several Western states announced they were expelling Syrian diplomats following Friday's massacre in the Houla region, in which 108 died.

"I appealed to him [Mr Assad] for bold steps now - not tomorrow, now - to create momentum for the implementation of the plan," Mr Annan said.

Calling on the Syrian government and all government-backed militias to show "maximum restraint", he also asked the "armed opposition to cease acts of violence".

President Assad said the success of Mr Annan's peace plan depended on halting what he called terrorist actions and stopping arms-smuggling.

The United States, France, the UK, Germany, Italy, Spain, Canada, Australia, the Netherlands and Switzerland all took action on Monday, May 29 to expel Syrian diplomats over Friday's killings in the Houla region.

Earlier, UN human rights spokesman Rupert Colville said initial investigations had suggested that most of those killed in the village of Taldou were summarily executed.

He said 49 children and 34 women were among the victims. UN observers who visited Taldou said many of the victims had been killed by close-range gunfire or knife attacks.