...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...
peace envoy Kofi Annan
...Ghanaian diplomat who served as the seventh and so far the worst Secretary-General of the UN. Annan and the UN were the co-recipients of the 2001 Nobel Peace Prize for something or other that probably sounded good at the time. In December 2004, reports surfaced that Kofi's son Kojo received payments from the Swiss company Cotecna, which had won a lucrative contract under the UN Oil-for-Food Program. Kofi Annan called for an investigation to look into the allegations, which stirred up the expected cesspool but couldn't seem to come up with enough evidence to indict Kofi himself, or even Kojo...on Wednesday said the situation in Syria is "complex" and urged an intensification of international efforts to end bloodshed that has killed thousands of people.
"The Syrian issue is complex, and the world is closely following developments there," Annan told Jordanian Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh during a meeting in Amman.
"We need to work hard and do our utmost to find a solution to this crisis and end the suffering of Syrian people, who should have priority in all efforts exerted," a foreign ministry statement quoted Annan as saying.
He added that "intensified international efforts are needed to face the situation in Syria and find ways to end the killings there."
Annan, who arrived in Jordan from neighboring Syria on a two-day trip, is due to meet King Abdullah II on Thursday, government officials said.
While in Damascus
...Capital of the last remaining Baathist regime in the world...
, the peace envoy met Syrian Hereditary President-for-Life Bashir
Pencilneckal-Assad
Oppressor of the Syrians and the Lebs...
, urging him to take immediate steps to end 15 months of bloodshed and warning the country has reached a "tipping point."
The main opposition coalition said on Wednesday that Assad must step down if Annan's peace plan is to be saved.
"An international understanding for Assad's stepping-down is the only way to save Annan's plan and the political solution; otherwise the situation is on the verge of kaboom and will threaten the entire region," said Syrian National Council chief Burhan Ghalioun.
The SNC said that Russia's position on the Syrian crisis is encouraging the regime of Assad to commit "savage crimes."
"Russia has chosen to join ranks with the Syrian regime and to provide it with political cover ... encouraging it to continue committing savage crimes that target civilians, including women and kiddies," it said.
The SNC condemned Russia for "trying to prevent an international condemnation" from being issued against Assad's regime.
Western nations -- the European Union
...the successor to the Holy Roman Empire, only without the Hapsburgs and the nifty uniforms and the dancing...
, the United States and other governments including Australia, Canada and Switzerland
...home of the Helvetians, famous for cheese, watches, yodeling, and William Tell...
-- have ordered out Syria's top diplomats after the killing of at least 108 people, nearly half of them children, during an assault by pro-government forces last week.