UNITED NATIONS
\nMembers of the UN Security Council on Monday discussed the fluid situation in Syria after President Bashar Assad\u2019s fall, opting to stand by and await further developments, according to ambassadors who attended the closed-door meeting.
\n\u201cThe Council, I think, was more or less united on the need to preserve the territorial integrity and unity of Syria, to ensure the protection of civilians, to ensure that humanitarian aid is coming,\u201d Russian UN ambassador Vassili Nebenzia told reporters after the emergency meeting requested by Moscow.
\nRussia was a key ally of Assad, who was toppled by Islamist-led rebels over the weekend after a short and stunning offensive.
\n\u201cBut look, everyone was taken by surprise by the events, everyone, including the members of the council. So we have to wait,\u201d to see how the situation will evolve, he said.
\nDeputy US Ambassador Robert Wood called it \u201ca very fluid situation.\u201d
\n\u201cNo one expected the Syrian forces to fall like a house of cards,\u201d he continued.
\n\u201cAs many folks said in the consultations… the situation is extremely fluid and is likely to change day to day for the time being,\u201d Woods said.
\nHowever, Woods noted that \u201cjust about everyone spoke about the need for Syria\u2019s sovereignty, territorial integrity, independence to be respected, and concern about the humanitarian situation,\u201d indicating the council is working on a joint statement.
\n\u201cThe intention is for the council to speak with one voice on the situation in Syria,\u201d he said.
\nWhen asked about the Islamist Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS) group, which led the rebel coalition which toppled Assad, and whether it would be removed from the UN sanctions list, both Nebenzia and Wood said the council has not yet broached the topic.
\nSince the Syrian civil war first broke out in 2011, the UNSC has largely been paralyzed in its response, with Russia consistently using its veto power to protect Assad\u2019s government.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
UNITED NATIONS Members of the UN Security Council on Monday discussed the fluid situation in Syria after President Bashar Assad\u2019s fall, opting to stand by and await further developments, according to ambassadors who attended the closed-door meeting. \u201cThe Council, I think, was more or less united on the need to preserve the territorial integrity and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":448640,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-448615","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-world"},"yoast_head":"\n