UN to only send Syria an angry letter?

Despite the deaths of some 2,700 people in Syria, the UN Security Council cannot agree on sanctions for Syria. Instead, a compromise proposal is being promoted that does not include sanctions and asks the Syrian government to stop killing people.

NEW YORK, NY (Catholic Online) - The compromise proposal would condemn the violence in Syria, urge that reforms be adopted, and ask for talks between the opposition and the government.

Because the sanctions lack any real power to influence the Syrian government, it is unclear how seriously they will be taken by Assad's regime which has used soldiers and tanks to kill civilians suspected of opposing him. 

The countries that oppose tough sanctions are chiefly Brazil, India, and Russia. 

Earlier efforts to impose sanctions failed in August, and ended instead with a "presidential statement" which does not carry the same weight as a resolution.

The European members of the security council, Britain, France, Germany, and Portugal passed around a revised resolution that only threatens sanctions if reforms and other measures are not taken by the Syrian government to prevent further bloodshed. The European proposal is considered to be a compromise. 

The Russian ambassador, Vitaly Churkin, told reporters on Wednesday that he felt the European draft proposal was, "a continuation of the openly declared policy of regime change." Moscow believes the Syrian opposition is made of "destructive elements." and is opposed to anything that could end Assad's regime. 

By Wednesday evening, the 15 ambassadors seated on the UN Security Council discussed the two proposals and were optimistic that a compromise agreement could be reached. 

Churkin said, "The main thing is not to lose sight of those two objectives - stop violence immediately and put in train a political process which would lead to reforms and which would lead to a satisfactory situation of the people of Syria." 

Meanwhile, the Syrian Ambassador Bashar Ja'afari remained outside the council during the closed meeting. He told reporters that the European draft proposal was designed to distract the Security Council from discussing  the petition for Palestinian statehood that was submitted last week by Palestinian President Abbas. He said that he believed the resolution on Syria is meant to be a diversion. He further said the situation in Syria is improving. 

The Syrians have insisted that they do not need outside observers or interference as they implement "reforms" designed to quell the unrest in the country.

At present, it appears the UN Security Council will oblige that request, resolution or not. 

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