The Syrian regime has suffered its first major diplomatic defection as the country's serving ambassador to Iraq quit in protest at the brutality of a government onslaught.
The defection came as Russia and the
West embarked on a fresh tussle over Syria, with Moscow and Britain both
preparing rival UN Security Council resolutions to decide the fate of
Kofi Annan's ill-starred observer mission to Syria
As Western powers scrambled to a secure a new UN resolution to resolve the
crisis, rebels said that Nawaf al-Fares, a Syrian
government veteran with close ties to Bashar al-Assad's security
establishment, had switched sides. They said he was on his way to seek
asylum in Turkey.
The loss of the ambassador, who was born in Deir al-Zor, a town where the
government crackdown has been ferocious, suggests the loyalty of officials
from Syria's Sunni majority is starting to crack.
It follows last week's defection of General Manaf Tlas, also a Sunni, who was
regarded as a close friend and confidante of Mr Assad.
The Syrian opposition last night claimed that more senior diplomats would
follow suit, although there is no sign yet of waning loyalty among
high-level members of Mr Assad's Alawite minority, the real power-brokers in
the country.
"This is just the beginning of a series of defections on the diplomatic
level," Mohammed Sermini of the main exiled opposition group, the
Syrian National Council, said. "We are in touch with several
ambassadors."
The defection came as Russia and the West embarked on a fresh tussle over
Syria, with Moscow and Britain both preparing rival UN Security Council
resolutions to decide the fate of Kofi Annan's ill-starred observer mission
to Syria.
The Kremlin sought to outflank Western powers by circulating a draft resolution that would extend the mandate of the 300-strong monitoring force for a further three-month period, overriding British and American objections that the mission no longer serves a useful purpose.
But Russian hopes of an easy diplomatic victory were thwarted as Western powers dismissed the proposal. Instead, Britain confronted Russia with an alternative resolution that would drastically reshape Mr Annan's remit as the UN and Arab League's special envoy.
Under the draft resolution, Western nations specify a 10-day deadline for Assad to halt the use of heavy weaponry, with tough economic and diplomatic sanctions if his forces fail to acknowledge the ultimatum.
It would also see the UN team halved to 150, with on-the-ground monitors replaced by a political negotiating team that would nurture talks between the Assad regime and opposition forces to form a transitional government of national unity.
"We want to make the Annan plan more effective and capable of delivering on its negotiating objectives," one Western diplomat said. "There needs to be a reconfigured Annan team that can foster political negotiations between the regime and the opposition."
Any hopes of the resolution threatening the Syrian government with mandatory sanctions under Chapter VII of the UN charter however, are almost certain to be thwarted by Russia which opposes Mr Assad's removal.
Activists reported a new bombardment of rebel areas of Homs, a hotbed of opposition to Assad, as well as fighting in many other parts of the country.
Syria's army also fired live missiles in an exercise aiming at showcasing its ability to "destroy any enemy targets", state media reported. The tests concluded five days of war games, which analysts say are a warning to Assad's foes.
Mr Annan was due to brief the Security Council last night on the results of a lightning diplomatic shuttle this week to Damascus, Tehran and Baghdad. He is hoping to secure some kind of political transition in the country.
The rebels, on the other hand, believe the tide of the 16-month insurrection is finally running in their favour and may have no interest in sharing power with anyone in the Assad regime when victory might at last be in their grasp.
Senior opposition figures travelled to Moscow for talks at the Kremlin. They excoriated Russia's position, calling it immoral and blaming it for the deaths of thousands of Syrian civilians.
"We reject the Russian policy, however it is presented, as this policy of supporting the regime is allowing the violence to continue," Abdelbasset Sayda, the leader of the Syrian National Council, told a press conference in the Russian capital.
"If there was no cultural, moral or military support from Russia then the Syrian regime could not continue its policy against its own people."
The Kremlin sought to outflank Western powers by circulating a draft resolution that would extend the mandate of the 300-strong monitoring force for a further three-month period, overriding British and American objections that the mission no longer serves a useful purpose.
But Russian hopes of an easy diplomatic victory were thwarted as Western powers dismissed the proposal. Instead, Britain confronted Russia with an alternative resolution that would drastically reshape Mr Annan's remit as the UN and Arab League's special envoy.
Under the draft resolution, Western nations specify a 10-day deadline for Assad to halt the use of heavy weaponry, with tough economic and diplomatic sanctions if his forces fail to acknowledge the ultimatum.
It would also see the UN team halved to 150, with on-the-ground monitors replaced by a political negotiating team that would nurture talks between the Assad regime and opposition forces to form a transitional government of national unity.
"We want to make the Annan plan more effective and capable of delivering on its negotiating objectives," one Western diplomat said. "There needs to be a reconfigured Annan team that can foster political negotiations between the regime and the opposition."
Any hopes of the resolution threatening the Syrian government with mandatory sanctions under Chapter VII of the UN charter however, are almost certain to be thwarted by Russia which opposes Mr Assad's removal.
Activists reported a new bombardment of rebel areas of Homs, a hotbed of opposition to Assad, as well as fighting in many other parts of the country.
Syria's army also fired live missiles in an exercise aiming at showcasing its ability to "destroy any enemy targets", state media reported. The tests concluded five days of war games, which analysts say are a warning to Assad's foes.
Mr Annan was due to brief the Security Council last night on the results of a lightning diplomatic shuttle this week to Damascus, Tehran and Baghdad. He is hoping to secure some kind of political transition in the country.
The rebels, on the other hand, believe the tide of the 16-month insurrection is finally running in their favour and may have no interest in sharing power with anyone in the Assad regime when victory might at last be in their grasp.
Senior opposition figures travelled to Moscow for talks at the Kremlin. They excoriated Russia's position, calling it immoral and blaming it for the deaths of thousands of Syrian civilians.
"We reject the Russian policy, however it is presented, as this policy of supporting the regime is allowing the violence to continue," Abdelbasset Sayda, the leader of the Syrian National Council, told a press conference in the Russian capital.
"If there was no cultural, moral or military support from Russia then the Syrian regime could not continue its policy against its own people."
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