Tuesday, January 29, 2013

On Syria, Brahimi Tells ICP Atrocities on Both Sides, "Not in Number But Yes"



By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, January 29 -- After Lakhdar Brahimi briefed the UN Security Council on Tuesday, Council President Masood Khan of Pakistan came out to speak to the media.

  Inner City Press asked him about the follow up meeting of Brahimi and the Permanent Five members of the Council: didn't this devalue the Council as a whole?

  Khan said no, the P5 meeting could be very valuable.

  When Brahimi came out, the Department of Political Affairs spokesman Jared Kotler is the one who chose the questions. They went one way; afterward Brahimi walked over to Inner City Press, what was the question?

"Did you tell the Council that both sides have committed "equally atrocious crimes"?
Not by numbers, Brahimi said. But yes, atrocities.

During the meeting, a Security Council diplomat told Inner City Press that while Brahimi was pushing for a resolution based on the Geneva declaration, he wants Assad to go. The diplomat, anonymous because not the Permanent Representative authorized to speak on the record, said that made it a non-starter. We'll see. Watch this site.