U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton lashed out at Russia and China
over their Syria policy Friday, at the conclusion of a meeting in Tunis
designed to increase pressure on the Syrian regime and its supporters to
allow democratic change.
Secretary Clinton said Syrian President Bashar al-Assad will have even
more blood on his hands if he does not stop the violence and allow
humanitarian aid to reach civilian areas his troops have been shelling
for weeks. But she reserved some of her harshest words for Assad's main
international supporters, Russia and China, who vetoed a U.N. Security
Council resolution that would have condemned him.
“They are setting themselves against the aspirations not only of the
Syrian people, but of the entire Arab Spring, the Arab awakening. It's
quite distressing to see two permanent members of the Security Council
using their veto when people are being murdered," said Clinton. "It is
just despicable. And I ask, 'Whose side are they on?' They are clearly
not on the side of the Syrian people.”
Russia, China called out
Clinton said the Russian, Chinese and Syrian positions are contrary to
history and are not sustainable.
She also said several times that there are signs that the network of
domestic support around Assad is cracking, and she called on members of
his security services, in particular, to break with the regime.
“Their continuing to kill their brothers and sisters is a stain on their
honor. Their refusal to continue this slaughter will make them heroes in
the eyes of not only Syrians, but people of conscience everywhere,” said
Clinton.
The secretary spoke after a long afternoon of meetings at the conference
of the 70 countries and organizations that call themselves the Friends
of the Syrian People. The meeting agreed to intensify efforts to deliver
humanitarian aid to besieged Syrian towns, but only if the Syrian
government provides safe passage. The meeting did not discuss sending
foreign troops, and there was no agreement on a request for arms from
the main Syrian opposition group at the meeting, the Syrian National
Council.
Growing network
Reuters quoted one member of the Council as being disappointed in the
meeting, and some Arab delegations also were reported to have wanted to
move on arms sales. One human rights group, Avaaz, said the meeting
“failed to go far enough fast enough” to end the shelling and deliver
aid.
The
meeting agreed to continue to work with the Council, and called on it to
further broaden its support inside Syria. Tunisia's foreign minister
said the Council could be recognized as the sole legitimate
representative of the Syrian people at the Friends' meeting in Turkey in
March, or the following one, planned for France in April.
Delegates also agreed to increase sanctions on the Assad regime,
including possible travel bans on senior Syrian officials, freezing
their assets, boycotting Syrian oil, suspending new investments and
beginning to close embassies and consulates. They want Assad to step
down in favor of a transitional council leading to elections and a new
constitution.
Clinton said members of the Syrian regime must be held accountable for
the current violence, which human rights groups say has killed about
9,000 civilians. She said Assad's days in office are numbered, and that
she deeply regrets that there will be more killing before he goes.
