Civil war in Syria is imminent, UN leaders warn

UN monitors were scheduled to try again on Friday to reach the site of a new Syrian massacre after being shot at in their first attempt, as Kofi Annan urged united action to stop the crisis from spiraling out of control.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon described as "unspeakable barbarity" the reported killing of at least 78 villagers by forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and warned that a civil war was imminent.

Ban said hopes for consolidating a peace plan were fading and Annan himself warned the UN Security Council that the crisis in Syria could soon spiral out of control, diplomats said. Annan, Ban's predecessor as UN secretary-general, called for "substantial pressure" on Damascus to stop the violence.

'Barbaric actions'

China on Friday called on the international community to continue to support Annan's mediation efforts to resolve the Syrian conflict.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Weimin said that the international community should remain "confident and patient" regarding the former UN chief's mediation efforts.

Liu also reiterated China's strong condemnation of the "barbaric actions" in Syria, especially the killing of women and children, stressing that the murderers should be brought to justice as soon as possible.

"I think the Syrian government and opposition should both truly shoulder their responsibility, cease fire and halt violence," Liu said. "Both sides have this responsibility because they both undertook this commitment."

China holds an open attitude toward all proposals that may help alleviate tensions and promote the early start of a political process, he said.

Annan told the UN General Assembly earlier on Thursday that his six-point plan "is not being implemented" and that the situation in Syria is deteriorating.

China believes Annan's role should be enhanced, Liu said, adding that international support for Annan should be increased.

The international community should provide full support to Annan in a variety of ways, the spokesman said.

China will continue to work with the international community to play a constructive role in ending the violence in Syria, Liu said.

Demonstrations

Anti-government demonstrations were expected after weekly Muslim Friday prayers, including in the capital.

In a closed-door briefing to the UN Security Council, the UN-Arab League envoy called on world powers to warn Syrian President Bashar al-Assad of "clear consequences" unless it abides by his widely flouted peace plan, a diplomat told AFP.

"The longer we wait, the darker the future looks for Syria," Annan was quoted as saying.

Annan called for "united" and "substantial" pressure on Assad and said there must be "real results soon or the crisis will spiral out of control".

His remarks came after at least 78 people were killed on Wednesday in an assault on Al-Kubeir, a Sunni farming enclave surrounded by Alawite villages in the central province of Hama.

A convoy of UN observers was fired on when it tried to investigate the killing on Thursday and was set to make a new attempt to enter the village on Friday, the UN said.

According to preliminary evidence, Syrian soldiers had surrounded Al-Kubeir and militia had entered the village and killed civilians with "barbarity", Ban was quoted as telling the Security Council.

Damascus denied responsibility for the massacre and, as it has done repeatedly in the past, blamed foreign-backed "terrorists".

"A terrorist group committed a heinous crime in the Hama region which claimed nine victims.

The reports by the media are contributing to spilling the blood of Syrians," state media said.

The new UN attempt to visit the site comes as Annan holds talks on Friday with US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and as her Syria frontman meets Russian diplomats in a bid to persuade Moscow to back Assad's removal.

It comes despite the almost daily targeting of the UN Supervision Mission in Syria, including the use of heavy weapons, armor-piercing bullets and surveillance drones to hamper its efforts, according to Ban.

The observers had seen military convoys approaching villages and tried to stop tank assaults against populated areas, but had been "ignored", said the UN chief.

At least two roadside bombs have targeted their convoys since the observers first began deploying in mid-April.

Such tactics had been used to try to force the unarmed monitors to withdraw from areas where government forces have been accused of staging attacks, the UN chief was quoted as saying.

Ban praised the "brave" monitors, but said the Security Council would have to consider whether the mission is "sustainable".

AFP-Reuters-Xinhua-China Daily