NOVANEWS
Moscow opposes Security Council resolution calling for end to Qusair violence, saying no move was made when rebels seized the town
Times of Israel
Russia blocked a Security Council declaration that would have criticized the Syrian regime’s offensive against the rebel-held town of Qusair, a UN diplomat said late Saturday.
The Security Council diplomat said Russia blocked the declaration because the council made no statement when rebels seized the town. The diplomat spoke on condition of anonymity because the discussions Saturday were private.
Qusair has become a flashpoint in Syria’s civil war, with the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah joining the regime’s offensive. Syria’s political opposition cited Hezbollah’s role in the war and the dire situation in Qusair as reasons for not attending peace talks with the regime in Geneva.
Earlier Saturday, the International Committee of the Red Cross and the United Nation’s two top officials dealing with human rights and humanitarian issues said they were alarmed by reports that thousands of civilians are trapped in Qusair and that hundreds of wounded people are in urgent need of medical care.
The UN officials called for a cease-fire to allow the wounded to be evacuated. They said more than 10,000 people have fled to two nearby towns and need food, bedding, water and medical care.
The Red Cross said it has requested access to Qusair and is prepared to enter the city immediately to help the civilians there.
Syria’s political opposition cited Hezbollah’s role in the war and the dire situation in Qusair as reasons for not attending peace talks with the regime in Geneva, which the US and Russia had hoped could be launched at an international conference this month.
Qusair has also become a rallying cry for rebels demanding Western weapons shipments, with the commander of the main Western-backed rebel group warning this week the town could fall soon if such arms are not delivered.
A regime victory in Qusair would deal a demoralizing blow to the rebels and solidify Assad’s control over the central province of Homs, the linchpin linking the capital Damascus with the Alawite strongholds on the Mediterranean cost.
For the rebels, holding the town means protecting their supply line to Lebanon. Rebels have sent reinforcements to the town to try to stem the regime advances. Both sides have suffered heavy casualties.
Russia is a key ally of Syria and has vetoed three Western-backed resolutions aimed at pressuring President Bashar Assad to end the war.
Moscow has also said it will continue sending arms to Damascus, including the advanced S-300 air defense system, with Israel and the West have lobbied against being provided to Syria.
On Tuesday, Russia’s ambassador to the UN, Vitaly Churkin, defended the deal and called on Israel to refrain from trying to stymie the delivery of the missiles.
“The Israelis will keep a cool head and refrain from reckless actions,” Churkin told CNN, adding that in the past Russia has responded to Israeli concerns about advanced weapons shipments falling into the wrong hands by guaranteeing that the arms only go to their intended destinations and not to third parties.
“The weapons are for regional stability,” Churkin said, and argued that the missiles will be a benefit to the area, rather than making matters worse. ”They are not for domestic use. They can deter foreign intervention.”
Churkin said that by removing the element of outside intervention from Syria’s civil war, the focus will hopefully turn to a diplomatic solution instead of continued battle.
Nobody was available for comment Saturday at Russia’s UN mission.
