UN Security Council set to vote on Syria resolution

PanARMENIAN.Net - The UN Security Council scheduled a vote Thursday, July 19 on a new Syria resolution after a last-minute delay failed to get key Western nations and Russia to agree on measures to end the dramatically escalating violence, the Associated Press reports.

Britain's UN ambassador Mark Lyall Grant said his country's Western-backed text would be put to a vote at 10 am EDT (1400 GMT) on Thursday. It threatens non-military sanctions against President Bashar Assad's government if he doesn't withdraw troops and heavy weapons from populated areas within 10 days and is tied to Chapter 7 of the UN Charter, which could eventually allow the use of force to end the conflict.

Russia, which is a close Syrian ally, has said it will veto any Chapter 7 resolution.

In Moscow on Wednesday, Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov pointed to Wednesday's deadly bombing in the heart of Damascus that killed the defense minister and his deputy, Assad's powerful brother-in-law, and accused the West of inciting the Syrian opposition.

International envoy Kofi Annan contacted several governments Tuesday and urged the council to postpone Wednesday's scheduled vote so members could "unite and take concerted and strong action that would help stem the bloodshed in Syria and build momentum for a political transition," his spokesman Ahmad Fawzi said.

Annan said Wednesday's bombing "only underscores the urgency of decisive council action," Fawzi said.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, who was visiting China, also urged the Security Council to "take collective action, with a sense of unity."

After a phone call from President Barack Obama to Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday afternoon, the Russian and U.S. ambassadors met at the United Nations but there was no breakthrough.

Nonetheless, diplomats said there was still a last-minute chance for compromise. "Who knows where we're going to end up," U.S. Ambassador Susan Rice told reporters.

If neither the Western nor the Russian texts are approved, the council would then have until Friday to decide whether to extend the observer mission.

Diplomats, speaking on condition of anonymity because talks have been private, said a simple resolution extending it for perhaps 30 days is the most likely scenario.