The US is still widely concerned with the Syrian crisis as they pressure the Arab League to meet int Baghdad, gathering ahead of the Arab League summit. The UN-Arab League peace plan brokered by Kofi Annan urges Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to put commitments into immediate effect. Head of UN Ban Ki-moon believes that there is no time to waste and that the plan is the initial step forward.
US State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland says that Assad has not fulfilled his promises. Syria which was suspended from the League last year seems reluctant to take in the 6-point peace deal. A Syrian government spokesman told BBC "Since our membership was suspended, we deal with other Arab countries on a bilateral level only." The Syrian government does not hope to deal with any of the proposals made by the league at any level.
The summit will be the first major summit to be held in Baghdad in more than 20 years. A clear sign that the country is progressing forward. Though with levels of hope low and tensions high many Arab leaders have chosen not to attend the summit. Their absence will disappoint the Iraqi government which has hoped to re-establish itself within the Arab world after almost a decade of violence.
Meanwhile, in Syria violence continues as millions of women and children, innocent civilians are being killed everyday. Louay Safi a member of the opposing Syrian National Council exclaims "We are not sure if it's political maneuvering or a sincere act (regarding the peace plan)". What he says he does know is "We have no trust in the current regime... We have to see that they have stopped killing civilians.
Source: BBC
Update: The Daily Star, Lebanon reports that as of 6 hours ago twelve foreign ministers have gathered in Baghdad on Wednesday to debate a draft resolution to end violence in Syria. The talks were also attended by Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki. Talks on the Palestinian territories, Yemen and Somalia also pervaded. Though talks of Syria was the central theme.
"Our brothers in Syria are continuing to suffer from the regime there" said Libyan Foreign Minister Ashur bin Khayyal in the opening meeting.
Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari says he rejects foreign intervention in Syria but supports Syrians to determine their own future. "We support the legitimate ambitions of the Syrian people for freedom and democracy and their right to determine their future and choose its rulers," he said.
Read more at The Daily Star Lebanon
Iraq's Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari (right) and Arab League envoy to Iraq Ahmed Ben Helli (source: www.firstpost.com)
