Lebanon Disavows U.N. Statement Condemning Syria
Lebanon "disassociated" itself Wednesday from a U.N. Security Council statement condemning Syria's crackdown on opposition protests.
Lebanon’s envoy told a council meeting that the statement would not "help" end the Syrian crisis.
“Today more than ever the Lebanese stand by Syria and its sovereignty and the council’s statement does not help improve the situation there, that’s why Lebanon is dissociating itself from the statement,” deputy ambassador Caroline Ziade said.
"Whatever affects Lebanon, affects Syria, whatever affects Syria will also affect Lebanon," she told the meeting.
"Since Lebanon considers that the statement being discussed today does not help address the current situation in Syria, Lebanon therefore disassociates itself from this presidential statement," Ziade added.
A Security Council statement agreed after weeks of often-acrimonious talks said the body "condemns the widespread violations of human rights and the use of force against civilians by the Syrian authorities."
But it also urged “all sides to act with utmost restraint, and to refrain from reprisals, including attacks against state institutions.”
"The Security Council calls on the Syrian authorities to fully respect human rights and to comply with their obligations under applicable international law. Those responsible for the violence should be held accountable," the text read.
The council also called on Syrian authorities to "cooperate fully" with the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights.
The statement also highlights President Bashar al-Assad's reform promises. The members regret "the lack of progress in implementation, and call upon the Syrian government to implement their commitments."
The Security Council had been struggling since Monday over how to respond to the crisis, with European powers and the United States seeking a tough condemnation.
Russia, China and some other nations initially blocked any action, saying it could lead to a Libya-style military intervention by the West.
But on Wednesday, ambassadors agreed to a text that would condemn Syria.
Following those changes, Russia lifted its objections, with U.N. envoy Vitaly Churkin calling the new version "balanced."
It was the council's first pronouncement on Syria since protests started on March 15.
The statement dropped references to a human rights inquiry that Britain, France, Germany and Portugal had called for in their earlier versions of the text.
But it said those responsible for the violence would be held "accountable."
Global condemnation of the crackdown mounted after weekend violence in which an estimated 140 people were killed in a military assault on Hama and other protest towns.
According to the Syrian Observatory 1,629 civilians and 374 members of the security forces have been killed since pro-democracy protests erupted in Syria on March 15.
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