Syrian President Bashar Assad (R) meets Kofi Annan, the UN special envoy to Syria, in Damascus. (AP Photo/SANA) Amid growing Western doubts over the UN missions, some UN Security Council powers reacted with anger when told that it will take a month to get the first 100 monitors into the country.Annan told the council that President Bashar al-Assad has still fulfilled a promise to end violence."The situation in Syria continues to be unacceptable. It is entirely contrary to the will of the international community," he told a council meeting, according to diplomats who were present.The special envoy said he was "particularly alarmed" at reports that government forces had entered the city of Hama after a visit by UN monitors and killed "a significant" number of people."If confirmed this is totally unacceptable and reprehensible," he told the council, adding that two UN observers were in Hama on Tuesday.The Damascus-based Syrian League for Human Rights said nine activists were "summarily executed" by government forces in Hama on Monday, a day after they met UN observers in the city.Video footage posted online by activists showed a street in Hama's Arbaeen neighborhood with large pools of blood and women weeping.There are now about 11 UN observers in Syria and the 30-strong advanced mission is expected to be complete by the end of the week.But UN peacekeeping chief Herve Ladsous told the council it would take a month to get the first 100 of the 300-member full force into Syria."Some complaints were made about the speed of the UN deployment, given earlier assurances about how fast the first 30 advance team members could be there," said one diplomat in the meeting.France, Britain, Germany and Russia all demanded that efforts be made to speed up the deployment, diplomats said.The council voted to allow the 300-strong UN Supervision Mission in Syria (UNSMIS) force on Saturday only days after UN leader Ban Ki-moon called for it to be sent."We must ensure that the momentum generated by the council's speedy decision is not lost," Annan said. "The expeditious deployment of UNSMIS," he added, "is crucial.""We continue to be hampered by the lack of verified information in assessing the situation," Annan said."We need eyes and ears on the ground, able to move freely and quickly, and to engage all parties - something which must be guaranteed by the Syrian authorities.""Sustained pressure and engagement from the international community is essential," Annan said.Annan said Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem had written to him on Saturday saying that troops and heavy weapons had been withdrawn from cities in line with promises made to the envoy.But Annan's spokesman, Ahmad Fawzi, said earlier that satellite imagery had since shown that the government has not yet removed heavy weapons.Annan brokered a cessation of hostilities which started on April 12, but the killing has continued, strengthening the doubts of Western nations that Assad will halt his crackdown on a 13-month old uprising. The UN says well over 9,000 people have been killed.UN monitors who have been in the country for 10 days have toured several protest hubs since their arrival, including the battered city of Homs, where two set up base at the weekend.During their visits, they have been greeted by thousands of protesters demanding the ouster of Assad and the arming of the rebel Free Syrian Army.Ladsous said UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon would name the mission's chief "in the coming days."Diplomats said the top candidate to lead the mission is Major General Robert Mood of Norway, who negotiated the deployment with the Syrian regime.The United States and other Western countries expressed anger at Syria's rejection of certain nationalities among the observers, according to diplomats.- AFP/de
Annan calls for quick deployment of Syria observers
UN-Arab League envoy Kofi Annan on Tuesday expressed alarm at reports that Syrian forces had killed people who have spoken to UN monitors but said it was crucial to get all 300 observers quickly in place. Syrian President Bashar Assad (R) meets Kofi Annan, the UN special envoy to Syria, in Damascus. (AP Photo/SANA) Amid growing Western doubts over the UN missions, some UN Security Council powers reacted with anger when told that it will take a month to get the first 100 monitors into the country.Annan told the council that President Bashar al-Assad has still fulfilled a promise to end violence."The situation in Syria continues to be unacceptable. It is entirely contrary to the will of the international community," he told a council meeting, according to diplomats who were present.The special envoy said he was "particularly alarmed" at reports that government forces had entered the city of Hama after a visit by UN monitors and killed "a significant" number of people."If confirmed this is totally unacceptable and reprehensible," he told the council, adding that two UN observers were in Hama on Tuesday.The Damascus-based Syrian League for Human Rights said nine activists were "summarily executed" by government forces in Hama on Monday, a day after they met UN observers in the city.Video footage posted online by activists showed a street in Hama's Arbaeen neighborhood with large pools of blood and women weeping.There are now about 11 UN observers in Syria and the 30-strong advanced mission is expected to be complete by the end of the week.But UN peacekeeping chief Herve Ladsous told the council it would take a month to get the first 100 of the 300-member full force into Syria."Some complaints were made about the speed of the UN deployment, given earlier assurances about how fast the first 30 advance team members could be there," said one diplomat in the meeting.France, Britain, Germany and Russia all demanded that efforts be made to speed up the deployment, diplomats said.The council voted to allow the 300-strong UN Supervision Mission in Syria (UNSMIS) force on Saturday only days after UN leader Ban Ki-moon called for it to be sent."We must ensure that the momentum generated by the council's speedy decision is not lost," Annan said. "The expeditious deployment of UNSMIS," he added, "is crucial.""We continue to be hampered by the lack of verified information in assessing the situation," Annan said."We need eyes and ears on the ground, able to move freely and quickly, and to engage all parties - something which must be guaranteed by the Syrian authorities.""Sustained pressure and engagement from the international community is essential," Annan said.Annan said Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem had written to him on Saturday saying that troops and heavy weapons had been withdrawn from cities in line with promises made to the envoy.But Annan's spokesman, Ahmad Fawzi, said earlier that satellite imagery had since shown that the government has not yet removed heavy weapons.Annan brokered a cessation of hostilities which started on April 12, but the killing has continued, strengthening the doubts of Western nations that Assad will halt his crackdown on a 13-month old uprising. The UN says well over 9,000 people have been killed.UN monitors who have been in the country for 10 days have toured several protest hubs since their arrival, including the battered city of Homs, where two set up base at the weekend.During their visits, they have been greeted by thousands of protesters demanding the ouster of Assad and the arming of the rebel Free Syrian Army.Ladsous said UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon would name the mission's chief "in the coming days."Diplomats said the top candidate to lead the mission is Major General Robert Mood of Norway, who negotiated the deployment with the Syrian regime.The United States and other Western countries expressed anger at Syria's rejection of certain nationalities among the observers, according to diplomats.- AFP/de
Syrian President Bashar Assad (R) meets Kofi Annan, the UN special envoy to Syria, in Damascus. (AP Photo/SANA) Amid growing Western doubts over the UN missions, some UN Security Council powers reacted with anger when told that it will take a month to get the first 100 monitors into the country.Annan told the council that President Bashar al-Assad has still fulfilled a promise to end violence."The situation in Syria continues to be unacceptable. It is entirely contrary to the will of the international community," he told a council meeting, according to diplomats who were present.The special envoy said he was "particularly alarmed" at reports that government forces had entered the city of Hama after a visit by UN monitors and killed "a significant" number of people."If confirmed this is totally unacceptable and reprehensible," he told the council, adding that two UN observers were in Hama on Tuesday.The Damascus-based Syrian League for Human Rights said nine activists were "summarily executed" by government forces in Hama on Monday, a day after they met UN observers in the city.Video footage posted online by activists showed a street in Hama's Arbaeen neighborhood with large pools of blood and women weeping.There are now about 11 UN observers in Syria and the 30-strong advanced mission is expected to be complete by the end of the week.But UN peacekeeping chief Herve Ladsous told the council it would take a month to get the first 100 of the 300-member full force into Syria."Some complaints were made about the speed of the UN deployment, given earlier assurances about how fast the first 30 advance team members could be there," said one diplomat in the meeting.France, Britain, Germany and Russia all demanded that efforts be made to speed up the deployment, diplomats said.The council voted to allow the 300-strong UN Supervision Mission in Syria (UNSMIS) force on Saturday only days after UN leader Ban Ki-moon called for it to be sent."We must ensure that the momentum generated by the council's speedy decision is not lost," Annan said. "The expeditious deployment of UNSMIS," he added, "is crucial.""We continue to be hampered by the lack of verified information in assessing the situation," Annan said."We need eyes and ears on the ground, able to move freely and quickly, and to engage all parties - something which must be guaranteed by the Syrian authorities.""Sustained pressure and engagement from the international community is essential," Annan said.Annan said Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem had written to him on Saturday saying that troops and heavy weapons had been withdrawn from cities in line with promises made to the envoy.But Annan's spokesman, Ahmad Fawzi, said earlier that satellite imagery had since shown that the government has not yet removed heavy weapons.Annan brokered a cessation of hostilities which started on April 12, but the killing has continued, strengthening the doubts of Western nations that Assad will halt his crackdown on a 13-month old uprising. The UN says well over 9,000 people have been killed.UN monitors who have been in the country for 10 days have toured several protest hubs since their arrival, including the battered city of Homs, where two set up base at the weekend.During their visits, they have been greeted by thousands of protesters demanding the ouster of Assad and the arming of the rebel Free Syrian Army.Ladsous said UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon would name the mission's chief "in the coming days."Diplomats said the top candidate to lead the mission is Major General Robert Mood of Norway, who negotiated the deployment with the Syrian regime.The United States and other Western countries expressed anger at Syria's rejection of certain nationalities among the observers, according to diplomats.- AFP/de
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