UN Aide, Behind Closed Doors, Likens Slaughter in Syria To Plight of Palestinians

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The New York Sun

UNITED NATIONS — The United Nations representative in Syria, Lakhdar Brahimi, who has a long history of anti-Israel animosity, told the Security Council that the horrors suffered by civilians in Syria remind him of the plight of Palestinian Arabs during their wars with Israel.

Briefing the Security Council behind closed doors Friday, Mr. Brahimi issued an “apology” to the Syrian people for his, and the organizations he represents, inability to do more to help them. He detailed the plight of civilians in the two-year civil war.

The UN estimates that more than 70,000 persons were killed in the conflict between loyalists of President Assad’s regime and its opponents. In addition, Mr. Brahimi told the council that 6.8 million Syrians now need some form of assistance and that the number of Syrian refugees will rise to 3.5 million by the end of the year.

“Almost 50% of the Syrian population are being gravely affected by the conflict,” Mr. Brahimi told the council, according to his prepared notes, which were provided today to The New York Sun. “I wonder if this is not a depressing record in the history of the conflict, reminiscent perhaps of the exodus of Palestinians from their land in 1948 and 1967.”

Mr. Brahimi, a 79-year-old Algerian national and a veteran diplomat who has started his career as a top Arab League official and went on to become the UN’s go-to troubleshooter in war-afflicted zones, currently serves as joint UN-Arab League special representative in Syria.

In December 2004, he called Israel’s then-prime minister, Ariel Sharon, an “assassin.” Two weeks earlier that year he told an Arab audience that while America professes to promote human rights in the Arab world, it ignores Israeli human rights violations.

“We’ve had enough,” Israel’s former ambassador here, Daniel Gillerman, told the Sun at the time. In a letter to secretary general, Kofi Annan, Mr. Gillerman called for the firing of Mr. Brahimi, who was one of Mr. Annan’s top advisers on Middle East issues and a trouble shooter in war zones.

Last year Mr. Annan’s successor, Ban Ki-moon, named Mr. Annan as his special envoy to Syria, representing both the UN and the Arab League. In August, but five months into his mission, Mr. Annan resigned, admitting he failed to make progress in ending the conflict. The 79-year-old Mr. Brahimi was named his successor.

Despite a record of failure comparable to Mr. Annan’s, Mr. Brahimi informed the Council Friday that, contrary to rumors, he was not planning to resign his post.

Last month the Russian envoy here, Vitaly Churkin, told reporters that the Arab League should no longer partner with the UN in overseeing the Syrian crisis. Controlled by Mr. Assad opponents like Saudi Arabia and Qatar, Mr. Churkin said, the Arab League has lost credibility and can no longer be an honest broker between Mr. Assad and the rebels. Russia is Mr. Assad’s strongest backer. Nevertheless, in a press conference last week, Mr. Ban told the Sun that Mr. Brahimi will continue to represent both the UN and the Arab League.


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