“We are of course concerned more than anyone else, being a neighbour of Syria – but the way to deal with that problem is not withholding your support. Not doing anything is not a solution.”
Obama has said Washington has a moral and national security incentive to stop the killing, but has demanded more evidence to stand up reports that Syrian forces have used chemical weapons, crossing a US red line.
Turkey also seems sceptical that the peace conference Washington is planning with Assad’s main ally Moscow will lead to a roadmap to a political transition.
“We have to be… realistic and very careful as to not turn this into an open-ended process which would give the opportunity to the regime to gain time and to continue its campaign of violence,” the official said.
Despite their joint peace push call, a vote on Wednesday at the United Nations underscored the lingering divide between Washington and Moscow.
Russia voted against a motion before the UN General Assembly to condemn what Arab and Western powers denounced as Assad’s “escalation” in attacks on civilians.
“We have to be… realistic and very careful as to not turn this into an open-ended process which would give the opportunity to the regime to gain time and to continue its campaign of violence,” the official said.
The vote passed despite Russian anger, but the number of states backing the motion was only 107, down from 133 when a similar vote was held in August.
In another sign of the tensions, attackers briefly abducted three UN peacekeepers in the Golan Heights, a top UN official said Thursday.
UN peacekeeping chief Herve Ladsous said the three unarmed UNTSO observers “were taken and held for approximately five hours and were released unharmed.” He did not give their nationalities, but at least one was said by New Zealand media to come from their country.
It was the third abduction of UN forces in the Golan zone in two months.
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