Syria Crisis: Kofi Annan Feels Mediation Mission Is On Track

By Alistair Lyon

BEIRUT, March 12 (Reuters) - U.N.-Arab League envoy Kofi Annan feels his Syria mediation mission is on track even though violence still raged as he held talks with President Bashar al-Assad, his spokesman said on Monday.

Annan twice met Assad in Damascus, as well as opposition figures, at the weekend and saw Qatari leaders in Doha on Monday before heading to Turkey.

Before he went to Syria, he held separate talks with the Arab League chief and the foreign ministers of Russia and Saudi Arabia in Cairo, his spokesman Ahmad Fawzi said.

"This is the beginning of a process and the joint special envoy feels the process is on the right track," Fawzi told Reuters by telephone from Qatar.

"He has left a set of concrete proposals with Bashar on a cessation of hostilities, humanitarian access and political dialogue, and expects to hear from him shortly," Fawzi said.

"He is concerned that the fighting and the killing seem to be continuing while he is trying to put an end to it and while he is trying to talk to Bashar," he said.

Scores of people were reported killed in Syria during Annan's visit, when the military assaulted the rebel-held city of Idlib in the northwest. State media and opposition activists also said dozens of civilians were slain in Homs but gave conflicting accounts of who was responsible.

After his "comprehensive and candid" talks with Assad, Annan said it would be hard to reach a deal but he remained optimistic.

"The situation is so bad and so dangerous that all of us cannot afford to fail," he told reporters in Damascus.

Annan plans to pursue contacts with opposition factions, including the Syrian National Council, the National Coordination Body, the Free Syrian Army and others, and will encourage them to create a unified opposition front.

"It will be a step by step process. We have to get the opposition on board. We have to get the opposition parties to unify under one umbrella," Fawzi added. "And then we have to convince the government to come and meet them in whichever venue he (Annan) proposes."

Annan, who is based in Geneva, also wants foreign powers that have influence with the Syrian government or opposition to use their good offices to promote his mission.

"He has made proposals that he feels will push the process forward," Fawzi said.

Comments

[Steve68112]

03:03 AM on 03/13/2012

Huh? This guy worked for the U.N., right? The bunch known for getting results of 'nothing'. So when he says things are 'on track', you can expect a bunch of empty smiles, pleases, and thank yous, along with photo op handshakes all on a slow-motion train wreck. Just wasting time while more people die for nothing at all. Can they just start shooting some missiles in there? If they do it quick enough maybe they can put this one out of our misery at the same time. We want real RESULTS!

[Big Horn Man]

02:35 AM on 03/13/2012

Annan, you are wasting your time. Let the people of Syria capture Assad and punish him, according to the Syrian law. If necessary, create a new law allowing a death penalty option before his trial begin.

[FHTEX]

01:27 AM on 03/13/2012

The so-called "Free Syrian Army" needs to lay down its arms and form an opposition party and compete in the upcoming parliamentary elections in Syria. Western and Arab commandos need to leave Syria and fight for democracy in their own nations. Any legitimate opposition will have a voice in the new parliament, but those who continue to fight against the Syrian government are doomed to fail. .

[jrp1947]

01:25 AM on 03/13/2012

This man (kofi annan) should be held for war crimes considering the murders that are being done while he sits in grand fashion enjoying life while people are butchered and murdered. He reminds me of Nero and of Rome burning. Once against you have a prime example of the callous and barbaric behavior of Arabs. what have they as people or an individual contributed to the advancement of humanityin the last thousand years? All history shows is violence and war crimes against their own and others. I have seen nothing that warrants their existence or ability to join a civilized world society.

[Mailman]

12:40 AM on 03/13/2012

As they sat there and talked more people were being killed.

[heikhali]

12:38 AM on 03/13/2012

Is it just all talk, or is someone going to stop Asaad from burning live babies, torturing and murdering ciizens, and conducting his "purification?"

Asaad is a sadist who is "off his rocker."

Who will stop him?

[f1nesse101]

11:39 PM on 03/12/2012

The killings don't "seem" to continue they do continue. Bashar Assad is on track alright, on track to keep up the shelling and killing of innocent women and children. Assad is on his way to getting popped, and if the gates of Hell aren't opened for him yet, they will be soon. He and his pretty little bride.

[dellbecky2000]

10:54 PM on 03/12/2012

KOFI ANNIN, SAYS,SYRIA MISSION IS ON TRACK....are you kidding me? KOFI ANNIN holds a nobell peice award, there is a time for diplomicy and a time to say it like it is....ITS A MASSARCE, HOLICOST, the UNITED NATIONS is run by a bunch of NAZI,S .JUST REMEMBER , history tells everything. may god have mercy on the syian goverment and the UNITED NATION, I WONT

[harolddundee]

10:43 PM on 03/12/2012

Kofi Anus is an anti American idiot.

[evelynranma52]

10:37 PM on 03/12/2012

Mediation mission while those poor people are being systematically slaughtered. The UN is the most useless organization on this planet, and that includes Kofi Anan.

Get some guts and backbone and drag Assad into the streets so the people can exact their justice.

[mostberg]

10:25 PM on 03/12/2012

Body language implies that Asad is there, but only for appearances sake, and has no intention of cooperating. Hopefully that is not true, but he is more brutal than the leadership we saw in Egypt and Libya.

[peoplesmoks]

08:58 PM on 03/12/2012

Mediation is working? Tell that to the latest victims in the city of Homs.

[lylenpat]

08:04 PM on 03/12/2012

Hopefully our leaders in Washington, excluding the bleeding heart liberal in the white house who wants to promote this kind of tyrany be pacifing the leaders in the Middle East. Hopefully, but doubt it, Congress will pull us out of all the Muslin countries of the Middle East and Like Newt Gingrich stated, let the do what they want and be controlled by TyRANTS like the Taliban and the Muslim Brotherhood. The more they kill each other, the less of a threat they will be to the rest of the world. The UN is a gutless toothless tiger. A lot of show but no action. Disbanned it.

[lawa]

08:02 PM on 03/12/2012

the media will destroy any chance of peace, Kofi may prayers are that a solution will be found. America needs a peace break. sorely

[mooncop1]

07:52 PM on 03/12/2012

Yea its still on track. this guy saw what happened to the leader of Libya. I suspect that he will continue the bombardment.