Kofi Annan quits UN mediator role in Syria, his mission had no realistic prospect of success as ‘cold war’ stand off in UN fails to break deadlock

Dear All

Kofi Annan has quit as special envoy to Syria.

The truth is that his mission was never realistic in any meaningful sense.

It was always doomed to failure.

Syria like other countries in the Middle East is experiencing what is termed an ‘Arab Spring’, this is were poor people sick of living in constant poverty have decided that their rulers aren’t there to serve them but instead line their own pockets.

And they have got to go.

Unfortunately, the West has been fanning the flames trying to position themselves but in their key allies the Saudis, they have been very quiet.

Apparently it’s okay to have an ‘Arab Spring’ aware where the West doesn’t have influence.

With Kofi Annan quitting David Cameron feels this is time to called on the international community to ‘ramp up’ the pressure on Syria, sanctions to disable their ability to function as a nation.

Russia however is a key ally of the Syrian in resisting measures thus helping their position, its old cold war stuff of old.

However before leaving his position Annan took the opportunity to launch a blistering attack on world powers over their failure to unite over escalating violence in the country.

Annan says he was unable to carry on his role while the current stand-off remains between the five veto-wielding members of the UN Security Council.

Self interest on the Council sees a more or less permanent stand off between China and Russia on one side with US, UK and France on the other.

Speaking in Geneva, Annan said:

‘When the Syrian people desperately need action, there continues to be finger pointing and name calling in the Security Council.

‘It is impossible for me or anyone to compel the Syrian government, and also the opposition, to take the steps to bring about the political process.

'As an envoy, I can’t want peace more than the protagonists, more than Security Council or the international community, for that matter.’

Annan must surely know that free Syria crew have gone too far to go back now, they are committed to war, if the regime catches up with any of them; they face trial and probably execution.

Unlike other countries in the Middle East it is hard for the regime there to fall, they are more organised and they have backers.

The world has entered a new type of warfare, economic warfare, where finance rather than the bomb and bullet can create a devastating effect on conquering territory.

China has been most successful in the operation of the model of conquest.

David Cameron thinks that the Russians can be won round and persuaded to back a political transition in Syria.

That won’t happen.

Ban Ki-moon, secretary general of the UN, said last night that he was looking for a successor to Mr Annan to serve as Syria envoy.

He said:

‘Kofi Annan deserves our profound admiration for the selfless way in which he has put his formidable skills and prestige to this most difficult and potentially thankless of assignments.’

Whoever takes that job is a bystander watching the world go by, however they better put in for a bulletproof vest and steel helmet.

One thing for certain, the Syrians are locked in a death struggle whoever weakens better have wings of angels for flight because victor’s justice might be a Russian made bullet through the back of the head in a cellar.

Yours sincerely

George Laird
The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University