Assad Admits 'Some Mistakes' to U.N. Security Council Delegation
Syria's President Bashar al-Assad admitted Wednesday that his security forces had made "some mistakes" in battling protests, as he met with several U.N. Security Council members.
The deputy foreign ministers from the three emerging powers of Brazil, India and South Africa met Assad and Foreign Minister Walid Muallem in Damascus to call for an "immediate end to all violence" in Syria, a statement said.
Assad "acknowledged that some mistakes had been made by the security forces in the initial stages of the unrest and that efforts were underway to prevent their recurrence," said the statement released by India's U.N. mission.
Rights groups say more than 2,000 people have died in protests since an uprising started in mid-March. More deaths were reported on Wednesday as the talks went ahead.
The Syrian president "reassured the delegation of his commitment to the reform process, aimed at ushering in multi-party democracy," according to the statement.
"He said that political reforms were being finalized in consultation with the people of Syria and the national dialogue would continue to give shape to the new laws and to arrive at a suitable model for the economy."
Assad was quoted as saying that constitutional revisions would be completed by February-March.
International critics of Assad say he has done nothing to embark on the reforms.
Brazil, India and South Africa had initially been among several members of the 15-nation U.N. Security Council resisting efforts by European powers and the United States to agree on a council condemnation of the violence.
A statement was unanimously passed last week as the violence worsened.
South African Deputy Foreign Minister Ebrahim Ebrahim, Brazil's under secretary for Middle East affairs Paulo Cordeiro and Dilip Sinha, an additional secretary at the Indian foreign ministry, went on the mission to Damascus.
They "expressed grave concern at the current situation in Syria and condemned violence from all sides. They regretted all loss of life and were concerned over the humanitarian impact of the violence," the statement said.
"They called for an immediate end to all violence and urged all sides to act with utmost restraint and respect for human rights."
The delegation noted the creation of an independent judicial committee but "stressed the importance of ensuring the credibility and impartiality" of the body.
The statement quoted Muallem as saying that "Syria will be a free pluralistic and multi-party democracy before the end of the year."
over 12 years
Le Phenicien Murad my fellow Shiite bro idiot and lifelong Syrian army lover read the title it say "Admits 'Some Mistakes' to U.N. Security Council Delegation" this is new, you see he keeps admitting mistakes one of them is not taking care of your mom after he made the deposit that become you. If Aoun was alive he would be embarrassed by Bashar who by admitting this turned him into a fool.
over 12 years
Mistakes happen all the time. Just ask the US about Iraq. But where is the UN when victims of the US fall in the tens of thousands? mar2oulna yeha, ma heik?
over 12 years
How about over 2500 mistakes (those that were murdered) Murad was Hamza alKhatib a terrorist you dimwit?
over 12 years
It's a crying shame that the Leaders of these nations (Brazil, India and South Africa, China, Russia...) are engaged in buyiung time (because whether they mean it or not that's the end result) for the Crimianl Assad regime to kill more of its people in this unfolding Genocide. This useless "slap on the wrist" approach have never and will never work with a criminal rogue mafia regime of this kind that has worked from day one on holding on to power at any cost while unlawfully and criminally enriching itself and its stooges with under the table deals with countries made at the expense of the Syrian people who in their majority live in poverty and severe hardship which had only made them more vulnerable to being used as pawns by their prime opressor and persecutor himself the Criminal Assad Family regime. I think constituents of countries such as the ones mentioned above should hold their leaders accountable for such rash behaviour and tell them outright 'NOT IN OUR NAME YOU DON'T!!"
over 12 years
Karbouji there's a difference between war and intentional genocide...
over 12 years
2000 Mistakes too many.
He admitted mistakes during his first speech in April. Either the author of this article missed that or he/she decided to mislead readers with the title of this article to make it look like Bashar was talking about mistakes taking place up until today. Killing terrorists is never a mistake, never. Go get your 72 virgins elsewhere.