Syria's envoy to the United Nations has harshly criticized a draft resolution submitted by Germany to the General Assembly's human rights committee, which condemns the eight-month-long crackdown on opposition protests.
Ambassador Bashar Ja'afari said the document, crafted by Germany, Britain and France, was introduced "in the context of declaring a political, media, and diplomatic war on Syria."
Germany's U.N. Ambassador Peter Wittig, who introduced the nonbinding resolution, said 60 countries are co-sponsoring the document, including Syria's fellow Arab nations of Bahrain, Jordan, Morocco, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia. Turkey, a predominantly Muslim country that has become increasingly critical of Damascus, is also co-sponsoring it.
The General Assembly's human rights committee is scheduled to vote on the document Damascus has been facing mounting international pressure to end the unrest. The United Nations says the crackdown has resulted in more than 3,500 deaths..
Damascus has been facing mounting international pressure to end the unrest. The United Nations says the crackdown has resulted in more than 3,500 deaths.
