Lawrow: Keine Verhandlungen über Assads Schicksal – Kein neues „Libyen-Szenario“ in Syrien

09. Dezember

„Bin keine Marionette des Westens“: Assad lehnt Flucht aus Syrien ab
Medwedew: Sowohl Assad als auch Opposition für Gewalt in Syrien verantwortlich – MEHR
Cameron will Assad zu Ausreise aus Syrien verhelfen – „Armee muss Kämpfe einstellen“
Frankreichs Außenminister: Moskau will nicht über Assad-Rücktritt verhandeln
Chávez: Venezuela wird Assad weiter unterstützen
Washington fordert von Russland Druck auf Assad

Moskau führt laut Russlands Außenminister Sergej Lawrow keine Verhandlungen über das Schicksal von Syriens Präsident Baschar al-Assad. „Alle Versuche, die Sache anders darzustellen, sind recht unsauber, und zwar selbst für die Diplomatie der Länder, die für ihr Streben bekannt sind, Fakten zu ihrem Gunsten zu entstellen.“
„Eine Wiederholung der libyschen Erfahrungen in Syrien werden wir nicht zulassen“, sagte der Minister am Sonntag in Moskau. „Leider sind unsere westlichen Partner von den Genfer Vereinbarungen zu Syrien abgewichen und arbeiten auf einen Rücktritt von Präsident Assad hin.“
Zugleich betonte Lawrow, dass Russland sich an keinen konkreten Landesführer in Syrien festklammere.

Ron Paul and Dennis Kucinich team up to oppose drones

Saturday, December 8, 2012

The use of combat drones overseas divides Congress, but not in the usual partisan way.

Supporters of the “war on terror” in both parties tend to support the use of unmanned aircraft that often try to assassinate terrorism suspects. But libertarian Republicans have teamed up with civil liberties-backing Democrats to oppose the drones.

Now, the partisan trenches have been crossed by Rep. Dennis Kucinich, D – Ohio, and Rep. Ron Paul, R – Texas, in order to force the administration to release its legal justification.

The two mavericks who are leaving Congress at year’s end have introduced a resolution of inquiry — legislation that is used to compel specific documents from the administration, and must be considered by the committee of jurisdiction, or on the House floor, within 14 legislative days.

Since the legislation was introduced on November 28, it could come before the House this year, which means that the administration will be forced to turn over the legal justification it uses for the strikes, including any memos from the Office of Legal Counsel.

“Thus far, the administration has refused to release the memo or any documents, despite multiple requests from members of Congress on both sides of the aisle. Intelligence operations that have virtually no transparency, accountability or oversight raise serious legal questions, particularly when such programs may constitute possible violations of international law or the Constitution of the United States,” Kucinich said in a press statement.

Both Kucinich and Paul oppose the use of drones “because they increase radicalization among the population of the countries we use them in, violate the U.S. Constitution, kill innocent people and stain our nation’s moral consciousness.”

Russia will not allow Libyan scenario in Syria: Lavrov

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has expressed Moscow’s strong opposition to repetition of the Libyan scenario in the conflict-stricken Syria, stressing that the Kremlin will not allow such a thing happen again.

“We’ll not allow the Libyan experience to be reproduced in Syria. Unfortunately our Western partners have departed from the Geneva accords and are seeking the departure of [Syrian President] Bashar al-Assad,” RIA Novosti news agency quoted Lavrov as saying on Sunday.

He went on to note that Russia had not been involved in any talks on Assad’s future, dismissing speculation that Moscow was preparing for the Syrian leader’s departure.

„We are not holding any talks on the fate of Assad,“ Lavrov said. „All attempts to present the situation differently are rather shady, even for the diplomacy of those countries that are known for striving to distort facts in their own favor.“

He stressed that the priority was to end the unrest in Syria, not to discuss the fate of one man.

The Russian foreign minister added that the Kremlin was not clinging to any individual leader in Syria, saying, „Our position on Syria is well-known. Moscow does not stick to Assad or to some other figure on the Syrian political scene.“

Syria has been experiencing unrest since March 2011. Many people, including large numbers of security forces, have been killed in the turmoil.

The Syrian government says the chaos is being orchestrated from outside the country, and there are reports that a very large number of the militants are foreign nationals.