UNITED NATIONS — Arab and western states will launch a fresh bid at the United Nations this week to put pressure on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, setting off new diplomatic hostilities between Assad’s friends and foes.
Saudi Arabia and Qatar have drawn up a resolution backing an Arab League plan to end the 11-month-old crackdown on protests which could be voted on at the UN General Assembly this week.
The move follows Russia and China’s veto of virtually the same resolution in the UN Security Council eight days ago.
Russia and China are expected to oppose the new text but no one can veto resolutions in the 193-nation General Assembly, though they carry less weight.
Arab foreign ministers, meanwhile, on Sunday said they would open contacts with the Syrian opposition and called for a joint UN-Arab peacekeeping mission in the besieged country.
[More]