France Demands 'Bolder' Reforms from Syria
French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe on Wednesday demanded "more ambitious and bolder" action from Syria after President Bashar Assad decreed a general amnesty for political prisoners.
"I fear that it might already be too late," Juppe told France Culture radio after the Syrian leader announced the amnesty following two months of deadly anti-government protests.
"There have been at least 1,000 deaths, perhaps more. There must be a much clearer change of direction, more ambitious and bolder than a mere amnesty," he said.
The French foreign minister said he regretted that Western governments had been unable to get the U.N. Security Council to adopt a resolution criticizing Syria and blamed the opposition of veto-wielding permanent member Russia for the failure.
He said the European Union and the United States wanted the Security Council to issue a resolution condemning the crackdown in Syria and imposing sanctions against the government.
"Why did we fail? Not because of the weakness of the West, the European Union and the United States, but because of Russia, which for historical reasons has a different view of the regime of Bashar Assad."
almost 13 years
Adonis - Hilarious comment!
almost 13 years
The Assad Regime has been exposed to have no domestic means of support. Internally the regime was supported on the basis of fear generated by mukabarat. The fear is gone and the mukabarat no longer is able to sustain the regime.
Assad now remains in power only due to external support for the regime by regional and international powers who have vested interests in the continuation of Assad in power. Turkey, Iran, Israel, Saudi Arabia, the US and France.
Israel needed Syria in the event that peace was near, but it is far.
Iran needs Syria as a logistics conduit to the Eastern Med and Hezbollah, its deterrent for the continued development of its nuclear capability
Turkey - a trading partner
The Saudis - so that they will not be next, given what is happening in Yemen and Bahrain.
The US and France - because of Israel and KSA. But with Israel out, only the King of Saudi Arabia holds Assad and when he drops him, so will France and the US.
almost 13 years
The Assad Regime has been exposed to have no domestic means of support. Internally the regime was supported on the basis of fear generated by mukabarat. The fear is gone and the mukabarat no longer is able to sustain the regime.
Assad now remains in power only due to external support for the regime by regional and international powers who have vested interests in the continuation of Assad in power. Turkey, Iran, Israel, Saudi Arabia, the US and France.
Israel needed Syria in the event that peace was near, but it is far.
Iran needs Syria as a logistics conduit to the Eastern Med and Hezbollah, its deterrent for the continued development of its nuclear capability
Turkey - a trading partner
The Saudis - so that they will not be next, given what is happening in Yemen and Bahrain.
The US and France - because of Israel and KSA. But with Israel out, only the King of Saudi Arabia holds Assad and when he drops him, so will France and the US.
should pressure bachar to forbidd the veil like in france