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Syria: Annan Plan: Paris and London accuse Damascus of not keeping his word

 

The Syrian army bombed several towns Tuesday, making new deaths, despite assurances from Damascus on a partial withdrawal of its troops and plan implementation of the Kofi Annan International envoy.

But France and Britain immediately accused the regime of Bashar al-Assad for not having kept his word, the Annan plan providing for the withdrawal foremost tanks cities Tuesday at the latest.

In Moscow, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov assured that Syria had begun to implement the Annan plan, but called his ally to be "more active" and " ; firmer "in its application, at a press conference with his counterpart Walid Moallem. 

The Syrian foreign minister assured his side that Damascus had "already made" the withdrawal of military units "in some provinces."

"The cease-fire must begin with the arrival of international observers," he added, while the United Nations determines the sending of observers to the cessation of violence.

France has called these assertions "new expression of a blatant lie and unacceptable", while in London, Damascus seems "to have no intention of keeping its commitments." The international community had already accused the regime of not keeping its promises.

In the field, any withdrawal of forces was found, told AFP Rami Abdel Rahman, president of the Syrian Observatory of Human Rights (OSDH), which Tuesday identified 17 dead, including seven civilians in Homs (center), bombarded with several other localities.

The Syrian Muslim Brotherhood, influential within the opposition, argued that the Annan Plan gave an "unlimited license to kill" the regime of Assad, adding: "Our people have paid 1000 martyrs (...) as the price for the plan (Annan) that the whole world knew in advance the results. " 

According to critics, a thousand people were killed in Syria since April 2, when the UN had announced the acceptance by Damascus of the peace plan in six points of Kofi Annan.

In addition, Mr. Moallem again accused Turkey of supporting the rebels, while the tension is rising sharply Monday between the two neighbors after the fire from Syria have caused injuries in Turkey.

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan raised their voices Tuesday, arguing that "there was a clear violation of the border." "We obviously take the necessary measures," he added, without specifying which.

The Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu has interrupted a visit to China and was to return immediately to Turkey.

"Turkey supports the Syrian illegal armed groups (...) and contributes to the unlawful entry of militants in Syria," replied Mr. Moallem, saying " , this contradicts the Annan plan ".

According to Ankara, some 25,000 Syrians took refuge on its territory since the outbreak of popular revolt March 15, 2011.

Mr. Annan has also arrived in Turkey to visit refugee camps in Syria. It must then send a letter to the Security Council on the UN plan, said his spokesman.

Hours before the deadline set by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon launched a final appeal to the regime to stop its attacks , while 105 people, mostly civilians were killed on Monday according to OSDH.

Even before the resumption of violence, the U.S. felt that Damascus was "no evidence to date" to show it was meeting its commitments to a cease-fire.

The regime of Bashar al-Assad had accepted the Annan plan, before requiring such prior written guarantees on the cessation of violence by rebels in his opinion, which he likens to "terrorists". 

These conditions are "unacceptable" and "unworkable", denounced Bassma Kodmani, spokesman for the Syrian National Council (CNS), the main component of the opposition.

According to activists and analysts, the authority seeks to save time.

In Damascus the night, protesters had joked on signs: "Give it time yet, there are children who have not yet been killed."

"The tactics of the regime, it is + one says 'yes' but it is thought 'no' +. They accept the Annan plan and then begin to add clauses ", told AFP Fabrice Balanche, director of the French Research Gremmo. "Bashar al-Assad may well say 'I agree to the plan, it is others who refuse,'" he adds.

Experts estimate, however, that this tactic is not sustainable. For Salman Shaikh, director of the Brookings Doha, Damascus "can not continue to lie forever. The Annan plan failed but the plan is even more isolated. "

According to the OSDH, violence has claimed more than 10,000 deaths since mid-March 2011 and more than 100,000 people are or were held during this period.