As the violence in Syria hit new records, yesterday both Russia and china vetoed a watered down U.N. Security Council resolution calling for a peaceful resolution to the conflict in Syria. Although Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton spoke before the Security Council vote, there is no mistaking the intent of her words. In this OC180NEWS special report, we present both Clinton’s remarks and comments by U.S. Ambassador to the UN, Susan E. Rice, who sent an equally clear message after the vote/veto yesterday.
Most Western diplomats, including those from the U.S. are extremely careful about their language when offering on the record comments about other countries. These people go so far in the direction of avoiding anything which could be construed as an affront to another country, that the words become almost meaningless. Reporters spend hours studying the exact words to find clues of new diplomatic developments, but yesterday, the words were pretty clear.
Speaking to reporters before the Security Council vote, Secretary of State Clinton said at the Munich Security Conference in Germany:
“As a bankrupt regime clings to power by shelling its own people in their homes, we have seen a living nightmare play out in the city of Homs. It’s a nightmare that has been repeated across Syria over these past many months.”
Then later, in response to a reporter’s question about the threatened Russian veto, Clinton said “I thought that there might be some ways to bridge, even at this last moment, a few of the concerns that the Russians had. I offered to work in a constructive manner to do so. That has not been possible. And we are going forward, as we said we would, with the vote this afternoon. And as members of the Security Council, we feel strongly it is time to declare ourselves. Are we for peace and security and a democratic future, or are we going to be complicit in the continuing violence and bloodshed? I know where the United States stands, and we will soon find out where every other member of the Security Council stands.”
Where Russia and China stood was to veto the resolution. Where U.S. Ambassador Susan E. Rice stood after the vetoes was pretty clear. She made the following comments to reporters after the vote:
“Today, we saw clearly which countries are prepared to support the people of Syria-and, indeed, the people of the entire region-as they struggle to attain a future of peace and democracy. And we saw which countries, for their narrow interests, do not.”
Ambassador Rice, like nearly every other U.S. diplomat, tries very hard to avoid mentioning the names of countries with which they disagree. The stronger the disagreement, the harder the diplomats try to avoid talking about it. But, at OC180NEWS, we have no qualms about calling a spade a spade. Rice, of course, is referring to Russia and China. But, she didn’t stop with those remarks, she continued as follows:
“We had many, many attempts, Raghida [a reporter], up until the minute before we went into the vote to try to find common ground. And I want to say that we-the United States, Morocco, the Arab League, the co-sponsors-made every effort, and those that-no effort was good enough.”
One of the issues raised by Russia in their opposition to the Security Council resolution is that according to the Russians, the opposition is as much to blame as the Syrian Government for the violence. Rice saved her strongest condemnation for this idea. She continued in response to a reporter’s question:
“There were many other aspects [to Russia and China’s complaints]-efforts to equate the opposition and their actions with those of the regime, which we thought were not only indefensible but reprehensible in their formulations.”
Calling another countries actions “indefensible” and “reprehensible” is not something U.S. diplomats do often or lightly – strong words to be sure. For the record, the full transcripts of Clinton’s and Rice’s remarks follow:
Remarks at the Munich Security Conference
Hillary Rodham Clinton
Secretary of State
Bayerischer Hof
Munich, Germany
February 4, 2012
SECRETARY CLINTON: Thank you. It’s good to be back here in Munich for this important conference and the first time that the American delegation includes both the Secretary of State and the Secretary of Defense, which I think speaks volumes about the importance of our transatlantic relationship.
As I said this morning, I have now traveled to Europe 27 times as Secretary of State. President Obama has visited ten times. So when President Obama says that Europe remains the cornerstone of our engagement with the world, those are not just reassuring words; that is the reality. Europe is our partner of first resort.
Here in Munich, I have had productive discussions with a number of my counterparts concerning a list of critical issues. One that kept coming up is the ongoing violence in Syria. As a bankrupt regime clings to power by shelling its own people in their homes, we have seen a living nightmare play out in the city of Homs. It’s a nightmare that has been repeated across Syria over these past many months. Almost 30 days – almost 30 years to the day after the infamous Hama massacre, the international community must send Assad a clear message: By repeating the horrors of Syria’s past, you have lost your place in Syria’s future.
As President Obama said today, we owe it to the victims of Hama and Homs to learn one lesson – that cruelty must be confronted for the sake of justice and human dignity. The United States and our partners have engaged in intensive diplomacy at the United Nations Security Council to put the world on record in support of an immediate halt to the violence; a negotiated, peaceful solution; and a responsible democratic transition.
It is difficult, however, to imagine that after the bloodiest day yet in Syria, there are those who would prevent the world community from condemning this violence. And I would ask them: What more do we need to know to act decisively in the Security Council? The Syrian Government has shown its contempt for the international community, for its Arab neighbors, and most of all for its own citizens. As I said at the United Nations on Tuesday, to block this resolution is to bear responsibility for the horrors that are occurring on the ground in Syria.
Now, no one should minimize the challenges Syrians will face after Assad. But the alternative is in no one’s interests. As the Security Council has debated, the killing has intensified. Each day of repression and violence makes it more difficult for Syrians to reconcile, rebuild, and chart that new future that they deserve. It also increases the risk of sectarian conflict and chaos in the heart of the Middle East. The Syrian people have asked the Security Council to act. The Arab League has asked the Security Council to act.
The draft on the table being considered as I speak gives full backing to a Syrian-led process that will benefit the region and the world, and give the Syrian people the chance they deserve. We should act now. And I’m grateful to say that on this issue, as on so many others in this fast-changing world we inhabit, America and Europe are standing shoulder to shoulder in confronting the challenges and seizing the opportunities of the 21st century.
So let us hope that we will continue to work closely together to realize the benefits of that extraordinary Euro-Atlantic relationship and to help not only our own people, but the people of the world realize a better tomorrow.
I’ll be happy to take some questions.
MODERATOR: We have time for three tonight. First one, Reuters, Arshad Mohammed.
QUESTION: Secretary Clinton, you didn’t mention Russia by name in your statement, though it is believed to be the only holdout at this point. Is there anything that you heard either in your meeting with Secretary – with Foreign Minister Lavrov or in the couple of hours since then that has given you any hope that Russia might support or might abstain on the resolution?
SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, Arshad, I had a long meeting with Foreign Minister Lavrov today. I reiterated our strong view that the Syrian people are counting on the Security Council to act, and act today. I pointed out that this resolution had been debated and discussed by our representatives in New York. It had taken into account some of the concerns that were raised by Russia and others, but that we needed to pass a resolution that laid out a clear path to end the violence, protect civilians and human rights, and chart a political, democratic transition.
There were questions that were raised by Minister Lavrov concerning amendments that Russia sought in the resolution that had been agreed to and had already moved into what’s called being in blue, which means it can be brought up at any time by any member of the Security Council. I thought that there might be some ways to bridge, even at this last moment, a few of the concerns that the Russians had. I offered to work in a constructive manner to do so. That has not been possible. And we are going forward, as we said we would, with the vote this afternoon.
And as members of the Security Council, we feel strongly it is time to declare ourselves. Are we for peace and security and a democratic future, or are we going to be complicit in the continuing violence and bloodshed? I know where the United States stands, and we will soon find out where every other member of the Security Council stands.
MODERATOR: Next question, Ralf Borchard, ARD.
QUESTION: Thank you. Secretary Clinton, we could all hear your counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, ask a question about the endgame in Syria. What is the way ahead in case there is no President Assad stepping aside, even in case of a weakened resolution Russia agrees to? How does the endgame look like?
SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, we don’t know what the endgame will be until we start the game, and that is what the Arab League has been working on and reaching consensus about and setting forth in a plan that they adopted to make clear that we need to have a transition process that begins. Now, standing here in Munich, I cannot predict to you every step along the way, but one thing I am sure of – if we do not begin the process, I know what will happen: more bloodshed, increasing resistance by those whose families are being killed and whose homes are being bombed, and a greater likelihood that Syria will descend into a civil war. That is the outcome every one of us must work to avoid.
So I know my friend Minister Lavrov says, “Well, what’s the endgame?” Well, the endgame, in the absence of us acting together as the international community, I fear, is civil war. The potential endgames, if we are serious about putting this kind of international pressure on the Assad regime, making it clear to the opposition that they should pursue their changes in a peaceful manner, is the possibility of beginning a transition.
Similar to what we have seen now beginning in Yemen, it took a long time, it was a lot of false starts, but we just kept at it day after day. And they’re going to have an election; they’re going to have the chance to at least try to move forward. So I think that asking what the endgame is can’t be answered until we actually start to bring about the changes that we think will be beneficial.
QUESTION: Any possibility of (inaudible)?
MODERATOR: Les, I’m sorry.
SECRETARY CLINTON: No, military intervention has been absolutely ruled out, and we’ve made that clear from the very beginning.
MODERATOR: Last question – a short one because the Secretary’s got to go – Matt Lee, AP.
QUESTION: I’ll try to – okay. I’ll try to make this as short as possible. Staying in the region, but not on Syria, it’s no secret that U.S. relations with Egypt have been strained for some time now, especially over the detention or the no-fly status of these NGO workers. You met with the Egyptian foreign minister a little earlier this afternoon. I’m wondering if anything has been resolved, what did you tell him, and have you renewed the warning that U.S. aid to Egypt might be at stake?
SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, I did meet with Foreign Minister Amr today. I had a chance to once again express our deep concerns about what is happening to our NGOs, and Americans and others who work for them, as well as the Konrad Adenauer Foundation that is based here in Germany. We do not believe there is any basis for these investigations, these raids on the sites that the NGOs operate out of, the seizure of their equipment, and certainly no basis for prohibiting the exit from the country by individuals who have been working with our NGOs.
We are very clear that there are problems that arise from this situation that can impact all the rest of our relationship with Egypt. We do not want that. We have worked very hard the last year to put into place financial assistance and other support for the economic and political reforms that are occurring in Egypt, and we will have to closely review these matters as it comes time for us to certify whether or not any of these funds from our government can be made available under these circumstances.
MODERATOR: Thank you very much.
SECRETARY CLINTON: Thank you very much.
Susan E. Rice
U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations
U.S. Mission to the United Nations
New York, NY
February 4, 2012
Ambassador Rice: Good afternoon. Let me begin by speaking directly to the Syrian people. The United States stands with you, the Syrian people, and we will not rest until you and your bravery achieve your basic, universal human rights, to which all human beings are entitled. Today, we saw clearly which countries are prepared to support the people of Syria-and, indeed, the people of the entire region-as they struggle to attain a future of peace and democracy. And we saw which countries, for their narrow interests, do not. But let there be no doubt. The United States will continue, with partners around the world-partners particularly in the Arab world-to ratchet up the pressure on the Asad regime until finally the people’s voice prevails. We will not rest until that occurs.
This Council, today, again, had a sad moment, which will be recorded in its history, but there was a hopeful aspect to it as well. And that is that more and more countries are united in saying the violence must stop, change must come, there must be a democratic and peaceful transition. Thirteen members of this Council clearly and firmly made that point, and perhaps two more will one day come along-I hope not after too many more innocent Syrians have been killed. I’m happy to take a couple questions.
Reporter: Ambassador, what comes next? You said further measures, further pressure. Can you be more specific about what you think that might be please?
Ambassador Rice: Neil, we have, as the United States, as you know, put increasing sanctions, increasing pressure on the Syrian regime. We are certainly committed on a national basis to continue to intensify our pressure. We have worked with partners in Europe, in Turkey, in the broader Arab world towards that end. We will certainly be consulting with partners in the Arab League and on this Council in the days to come. I think it is fair to say that nobody is giving up. Nobody is turning our backs on the Syrian people. And we will find a way forward to affirm our support for the people of Syria.
Reporter: Ambassador, some believe and feel that it is due to the fact that the U.S. and Russia did not understand each other and did not agree outside of this whole-that this is the result of the double veto. So, A, tell us if you agree and B, tell us kindly, what is your understanding of Mr. Sergei Lavrov’s initiative, probably, in Damascus next week? And are you surprised particularly by the Chinese veto?
Ambassador Rice: I can’t answer the question of what Minister Lavrov’s visit intends or aims to achieve. I can say this: the members of this Council worked tirelessly, exhaustively over the last several days to try to come to consensus. We bent over backwards as co-sponsors to accommodate and meet the concerns of member of this Council. There were those who saw what seemed to me to be a phantom, that somehow this resolution might be construed as authorizing the use of force, even when it was patently obvious that that wasn’t the case. But just to underscore it, we wrote that into the resolution. There were some who wanted to pretend that this resolution imposed sanctions. It never did, never from the beginning in any other iterations. That became clear. There were members of this Council that were uncomfortable with outlining certain elements of the Arab League plan. We insisted that the Arab League initiative be supported. The text that was vetoed did that. But it did so in a way that was garnered-that was intended to garner consensus. It failed. We had many, many attempts, Raghida, up until the minute before we went into the vote to try to find common ground. And I want to say that we-the United States, Morocco, the Arab League, the co-sponsors-made every effort, and those that-no effort was good enough. And so countries took their decision.
There was discussion over the last couple of days, and we indicated, again, that we were interested in reaching consensus but not at the expense of doing violence to the fundamental purpose.
And this is to answer your question, Matt: What was unacceptable, first and foremost, was the amendments that would have rewritten the Arab League plans, both Arab League plans-the one of November 2nd, which both parties have agreed to and committed to but the Syrian government hasn’t implemented but which indeed the Russian Federation has supported. Now, months later, it’s to be revised and rewritten. That was unacceptable.
And it was also unacceptable to try to remove from the plan of the 22nd the timeline that was crucial, an integral aspect of the Arab League initiative. There were many other aspects-efforts to equate the opposition and their actions with those of the regime, which we thought were not only indefensible but reprehensible in their formulations. But they were also not offered during the course of the week when we were engaged in meaningful efforts at negotiations but rather at the 11th hour with a request that the vote be delayed until some indefinite point next week.
With people dying every day, with the regime escalating its violence in a horrific fashion, and the people of Homs under immediate assault, delay was not an option.
Thank you.
(No Ratings Yet)
Loading …
About Dolores Barr, Publisher
Dolores Barr has lived in Rossmoor since 1992 and has created this site to provide local news for the people of Los Alamitos, Seal Beach, Rossmoor, Leisure World, Sunset Beach, and Surfside, California. My husband and I have had two students graduate from the Los Alamitos Unified School District and currently our Grandson, Ricky Apodaca, grade 3 at Weaver Elementary, is actively involved in youth baseball through LAYB and youth football through FNL.
In 
