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Chinese envoy: Blast offers excuse for Syria intervention

By Zhang Ming'ai: 0 Comment(s)Print E-mail China.org.cn, July 19, 2012

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The bomb blast which killed three top officials in Damascus on Wednesday is likely to offer a pretext for the UN Security Council to endorse international intervention in Syria, a Chinese envoy said in an interview with CNTV.

Syrian state television has reported that a suicide "terrorist explosion" has struck a national security building in Damascus, killing the defence minister, General Dawoud Rajha.

Syrian Defense Minister Dawood Rajha and his deputy, President Bashar al-Assad's brother-in-law, Assef Shawkat, and Assistant Vice President Hassan Turkmani were killed Wednesday in a deadly explosion targeting the National Security Headquarters in Damascus where a high level meeting was taking place.

Chinese special envoy to the Middle East Wu Sike said that the explosion was closely connected with a resolution concerning Syria. The UN Security Council (UNSC) is mulling a possible vote on the resolution.

Wu said that the Free Syrian Army launched a full scale offensive against Damascus on July 16, called the "Damascus volcano and earthquakes of Syria", which resulted in an escalation of violence in the country. Yesterday's blast offered further proof that the Assad government has little power over the situation, and the act could be interpreted as a move aimed at forcing Assad to step down. The killing of the defense minister showed that clashes between Syrian government forces and opposition fighters have escalated.

Wu said that currently neither the Syrian government nor the opposition is willing to give up the use of weapons. The UN Syrian Supervision Mission (UNSMIS) will end its mandated operation on July 20 and the UNSC is expected to pass the resolution before then.

Council members are, however seriously divided over the resolution. Russia proposes a three-month extension of UNSMIS' mission along with additional political support for Syria. Western countries, including Britain, believe that in order to be effective, the resolution should include the imposition of sanctions on the Syrian government and possible military intervention under Chapter VII of the UN Charter.

According to Wu, the escalation of violence, occurring just at the time the UNSC is discussing the Syrian resolution, will surely offer a pretext for the UNSC to endorse military intervention in the country.

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