Arab League seeks Beijing, Moscow support on Syria

Arab League chief Nabil al-Arabi is fighting an uphill battle to court Russia and China to win their support at the United Nations for the latest Arab plan aimed at ending the bloodshed in Syria.Russia has made it clear that regime change in Damascus constitutes a red line, but Arabi said on Sunday as he left for New York that his organisation was in talks with Moscow and Beijing.He hoped the two veto-wielding countries would change their stand on a draft resolution under discussion at the UN Security Council, based on an Arab proposal for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to hand over power to his deputy.The Arab League chief, accompanied by Qatar Prime Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassem Al-Thani, is to present details of the plan to the council on Tuesday.Qatar says the plan foresees the peaceful departure of the Syrian regime.It also calls for an end to the violence and a power transfer, with Assad handing over responsibilities to his deputy, before the launch of negotiations between the government and the opposition.The Syrian authorities have flatly rejected this formula.And Moscow, which along with Beijing represents one of Damascuss staunchest allies, remains hostile to the Arab proposition, saying it crosses its clearly drawn lines.Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Sunday also slammed the Arab Leagues decision to suspend its hard-won monitoring mission in Syria.The Arab League suspended its observer mission the previous day saying it took the decision in response to an upsurge of violence whose victims are innocent civilians.Russia and China vetoed a previous European-backed draft resolution at the Security Council last October that would have condemned Damascus, accusing the West of seeking regime change.The Leagues decision to turn to the Security Council, experts say, aims to step up the pressure on Assads regime but it is not likely to put a stop to the violence.