Editorial
G20 talks
Sharp division sufaces over Syria
President Obama has been under pressure at the G20 summit to back off from authorising a military strike on Syria. It is not only Russia and China who oppose the move, indeed going by vibes of the meeting, the European Union and BRIC countries also joined in to have US desist from any drastic action out of apprehension that it would hurt the global economy and push up oil prices.
The meeting taking place at St. Petersburg saw the office of the UN General Secretary Ban Ki-moon issue the statement "there is no military solution." Despite the best attempts of the US administration to get the UN Security Council to authorise a military response to the alleged-gas attack by the Syrian regime, such an outcome appears increasingly unlikely. With Moscow adamant on vetoing any resolution that favours the use of force against Assad regime, the US is left to pull together a coalition outside of the UN.
Such an attempt would help exacerbate what slim chance there is of attaining peace in the war-torn country. We strongly believe that war is not the answer. What with the horrendous loss of life and the continued displacement of millions of Syrians, there cannot be a lasting peace without a negotiated settlement. And such settlement must be overseen by the UN that would preside over a lasting and workable peace plan to restore peace in the troubled country.
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