By Matthew Russell Lee
UNITED NATIONS, March 31 -- In the run up to Kofi Annan's briefing of the Security Council on April 2, Syria late on March 30 wrote to the Council and Secretary General Ban Ki-moon to say that nearly 6000 people have been killed in the country by "terrorists."
This seeks to counter the numbers of civilians killed provided in briefings by High Commissioner on Human Rights Navi Pillay and outgoing head of UN Political Affairs Lynn Pascoe. Inner City Press has obtained the letter and puts it online here, before the UN has made it publicly available.
The Syrian letter states figures for killed civilians, police, army, then women and children, presumably already included in the civilian number. It also states for example that 2256 government vehicles have been stolen.
Meanwhile as the Friends of Syria grouping meets in Istanbul, Kofi Annan is not there. Instead, present is his Arab League selected deputy Nassar El-Kidwa, who is not allowed into Syria. Some call it a dysfunctional mediation. But not, it seems, Bashar al Assad. Watch this site.