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| UN resolution would be worst-case scenario for Syria |
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Over the past few months, the Syria crisis has taken on new dimensions both inside the country as well as at the international level. And the interference of international actors, especially the Arab League, has caused the crisis to drag on.
The Arabs, led by Saudi Arabia and Qatar, have done their utmost to topple the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Their efforts are being strongly backed by Turkey and extra-regional forces, especially the United States.
However, the double veto by Russia and China of the Arab League-sponsored resolution on Syria at the United Nations Security Council counteracted the international pressure on the country, while many expected the Libyan scenario to be repeated in Syria.
After the veto of the resolution, the Arabs and their Western allies began pursuing their objectives at the UN General Assembly, which finally led to the adoption of a non-binding resolution against Damascus. Given the massive media hype about the Syria crisis, the non-binding UN General Assembly resolution will further tarnish the image of the Syrian government and strengthen the international consensus forming against the country, although it will not seriously influence the situation on the ground, like what happened in Libya.
Backed by the United States and Britain, Saudi and Qatari officials will surely continue their efforts to gain the two-thirds of the votes in the General Assembly required to ratify a binding action against Syria. This would be the worst-case scenario for the country and could also have major repercussions for the entire region.
In response to the diplomatic onslaught, the Syrian government is expected to accelerate the reform process because such a move could thwart the Arab League’s plot to exacerbate the crisis. It could also prevent the creation of an international consensus and the adoption of a Libyan-style resolution against Syria.
Hossein Jaber-Ansari is the director of the Middle East and Persian Gulf Department of the Iranian Foreign Ministry’s Bureau for International Studies.   Socialize this Subscribe to our RSS feed to stay in touch and receive all of TT updates right in your feed reader
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