UN General Assembly to Meet on Syria

 World governments are reacting to the resignation of UN special envoy on Syria Kofi Annan. Russia has expressed regret, while the United States and Syria's opposition forces say his departure highlights a failure at the top level of the United Nations.

The United States reiterated its call on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to step down.

White House spokesman Jay Carney said President Assad continues to brutally murder his own people despite his promise to abide by Annan's plan. Carney said Annan's resignation underscores the failure at the UN Security Council of Russia and China to support resolutions against Assad.

US officials say they will not provide weapons to Syria's opposition, limiting assistance to non-lethal tools such as communication equipment.

Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed regret over Annan's resignation, calling him a brilliant diplomat.

Putin did not refer directly to Annan's criticism of the split at the UN Security Council, pitting Western countries against Russia and China. Putin said only that he hoped the international community would continue efforts to end the violence.

Amidst fierce fighting between Government forces and rebels in Aleppo, Syria, the United Nations General Assembly is meeting later tonight to discuss the draft seeking resignation of Bashar Assad and transfer power to a transitional government. It also strongly condemns the Security Council for failing to take action against Damascus.

Ahead of the UN General Assembly Session, Russia has reiterated that it will vote against the Saudi resolution. It said that the text of the draft resolution is unbalanced and biased. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in a statement that the draft resolution attributes all responsibility for what is happening in the country uniquely on to the Syrian authorities and makes no request to the Syrian opposition. The resolutions at General Assembly are not binding unlike at Security Council. However there are no vetoes and it can be passed by a simple majority. Last time in the voting at UN General Assembly Russia,China, Iran and Iraq had voted against a resolution on Syria. In addition Russia and China have vetoed thrice the UN Security Council resolutions on Syria. The voting on the draft is expected tomorrow.


Situation in Syria has worsened with fighting from both sides continue and the rebels have heavy weapons.Syria's northern city of Aleppo, rebel forces have been using a tank against government troops in a further escalation of fighting.A UK-based human rights group says the anti-government Free Syrian Army attacked a military airbase near Aleppo on Thursday with a tank believed to have been taken from government forces.The rebels had been lacking in firepower to counter the tanks and helicopters of government troops.

But recently they are reinforcing their weaponry with help from neighboring Gulf states.UN ceasefire observers expressed concern on Wednesday, confirming the rebels have heavy weapons.The government army launched a fierce offensive across the country on Wednesday and Thursday.

In the suburbs of the capital Damascus, government troops and pro-regime militiamen known as Shabbiha reportedly assaulted a village, killing more than 40 people.Concern is growing that the fighting in Syria will continue to escalate as the rebels seek more help from outside the country.UN agencies warn that 3 million Syrians are likely to need food aid in the next 12 months due to the huge effect the escalating fighting has had on agriculture.

The World Food Programme, the Food and Agriculture Organization, and Syria's Ministry of Agriculture and Agrarian Reform compiled a report after jointly assessing the nation's food situation.The report says the worsening conflict has sent farmers fleeing to safety and destroyed farmland. It's affected the harvesting of wheat and vegetables and the raising of livestock. The report estimates that the country's agricultural sector has lost 1.8 billion dollars this year.The document says those who have fled fighting in cities and female-headed households are having difficulty securing food.