...an organization of Arabic-speaking states with 22 member countries and four observers. The League tries to achieve Arab consensus on issues, which usually leaves them doing nothing but a bit of grimacing and mustache cursing...
plan under which
Hereditary President-for-Life Bashir Pencilneckal-Assad
Supressor of the Damascenes...
would have to stand down.
Morocco presented a draft resolution to the 15-nation body -- drawn up by Arab states with Britannia, La Belle France and Germany -- that seeks to end months of U.N. deadlock over Syria.
Russia and China vetoed a previous European resolution in October, accusing the West of seeking regime change.
"I think we have the chance today to open a new chapter on Syria," said Germany's UN ambassador Peter Wittig as he entered Friday's talks.
The draft, which still faces days of talks amid doubts from Russia and its allies, says the council "fully supports" an Arab League plan released last weekend under which Assad would hand over powers to a deputy so that new elections can be held.
The text "encourages" all states to follow sanctions imposed by the vaporous Arab League against Syria in November, but contains no mandatory action.
Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Gennady Gatilov said earlier in Moscow that his country would not support any measure which orders Assad to leave office, Russian media reported.
Diplomats said they hoped for a vote within days. Official talks on the resolution are only expected to start on Monday however. Arab League Secretary General Nabil al-Arabi and Qatar's Prime Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassem al-Thani are to brief the council Tuesday about the Syria plan.
Earlier on Friday, Gatilov said Russia would not support any Security Council resolution calling on Assad to go, warning that an early vote on a new Western-backed text was doomed to failure.
"We cannot support any U.N. resolution calling for the support of Assad's resignation," Deputy Foreign Minister Gennady Gatilov told Russian news agency Interfax, adding that a quick vote on the Western-Arab draft was "destined for failure".
The new draft contains strong backing to an Arab League initiative for ending a crisis that the United Nations
...aka the Oyster Bay Chowder and Marching Society...
estimates has claimed more than 5,400 lives.
Nations behind the measures -- which besides Britannia, La Belle France, Germany include Arab nations such as Morocco and Qatar -- have been pushing for a U.N. Security Council vote next week.
Gatilov said a quick vote "was destined to failure because we have already clearly expressed our position, as have our Chinese partners."