Russia offers new U.N. resolution on Syria - CNN.com

Russia offers new U.N. resolution on Syria - CNN.com

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(CNN) -- Russia's new draft for a Security Council resolution on the Syrian crisis is "insufficient" but could be improved, Germany's U.N. ambassador said Thursday.

Russia's ambassador insisted that the resolution "considerably strengthens" previous drafts "with regard to the interest in violence, with regard to the need to uphold human rights, with regard to expediting reforms."

The resolution would also "give a strong message to the Arab League that we encourage them to continue their efforts, and working together with the government of Syria, and to carry out its plans to deploy the monitoring mission in Syria," Russian Ambassador Vitaly Churkin said at the U.N. on Thursday.

The Russian proposal "strongly condemns" violence "coming from all parties, including disproportionate use of force by Syrian authorities."

The draft does not include any sanctions or arms embargo.

German Ambassador Peter Wittig suggested that diplomats "can close the gaps between members of the council" on a resolution.

"We are considering the Russian draft, and after our first study, we think it is insufficient," Wittig said.

French Ambassador Gerard Araud said, "Russia has felt the pressure from the international community."

The Russian proposal comes as a new Human Rights Watch report, based on interviews with dozens of Syrian soldiers who have fled to neighboring countries, gave details about government attacks on civilians.

"The defectors provided detailed information about their units' participation in attacks, abuses against Syrian citizens, and the orders they received from commanders and officials at various levels, who are named in the report," Human Rights Watch said.

The report -- titled "By All Means Necessary!" -- includes the "names, ranks and positions of those who gave the orders to shoot and kill, and each and every official named in this report, up to the very highest levels of the Syrian government, should answer for their crimes against the Syrian people," said Human Rights Watch Associate Director Anna Neistat, one of its authors.

The U.N. Security Council "should ensure accountability by referring Syria to the International Criminal Court," Neistat said.
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