Syria has prevented a UN humanitarian mission from entering Daraa and may also bar a committee from the UN Human Rights Council, leading to further negative consequences for the regime, writes Bassel Oudat in Damascus Syrian authorities refused to allow a UN mission designed to investigate humanitarian conditions in the country to enter the southern town of Daraa this week, the cradle of the demonstrations which began two months ago and have so far seen the deaths of more than 250 civilians, according to human rights groups. Damascus did not explain why the mission had been barred from visiting the town, but observers said that the ban had been expected because there were signs of destruction everywhere and the families of the victims would not be silent before a UN mission, despite pledges signed with the Syrian security agencies. "This mission had nothing to do with the committee formed by the UN Human Rights Council [HRC]," Radwan Ziyada, director of the Damascus Human Rights Centre, told Al-Ahram Weekly. "It was to deliver humanitarian aid as part of missions by UN agencies, as the HRC has asked the Syrian government to allow the passage of humanitarian aid to regions that need it." A few days earlier, a commission from the Red Cross visited Daraa, though Syrian security forces shadowed the convoy the minute it entered the town until it left two hours later. It was not allowed to meet any of the town's inhabitants, though it did deliver two trucks of medicine to the government hospital, which locals say is under the control of the Syrian security forces. Members of the Syrian opposition also expect the government in Damascus to refuse to meet the investigation committee set up by the HRC in Geneva at the beginning of May to probe alleged human rights violations in Syria. The move is expected to trigger negative repercussions for Syria, with Ziyada commenting that "the Syrian government can refuse to meet the committee, but this will not prevent it from writing a report." "If the government does not give the HRC committee access, it will visit neighbouring areas and rely on reports by international and Syrian human rights groups. These could confirm that the Syrian regime has committed crimes against humanity, and accordingly the matter could go to the International Criminal Court [ICC] on the basis of a UN Security Council resolution." Syria has already been forced to abandon plans to take a seat on the HRC vacated by Libya because of pressure from Council members in the light of the way the Syrian authorities have been responding to pro-democracy protesters in the country. Kuwait has taken Syria's place on the HRC, following pressure on Damascus from the West and from Arab and Asian countries to withdraw its candidacy. The Syrian National Human Rights Organisation (SNHRO) has reported efforts by the Syrian authorities in Daraa "to cover up evidence of crimes committed by military forces" in the city before the possible arrival of the HRC committee. The Syrian authorities have been resurfacing streets, painting walls, and writing phrases supporting the government on banners in preparation for any visit by a UN committee, the Organisation said. "The information we have confirms that the committee is well aware of what has taken place in Daraa," Ammar Qorba, director of the SNHRO, told the Weekly. "They have documentation of crimes committed by the Syrian authorities there. This visit aims to compare information on the ground with this documentation and to put an end to the bloodbath the Syrian authorities have been responsible for. In its report, the committee will not only rely on its observations, but also on reports provided by international and national human rights groups." Asked about the conditions set by the Syrian authorities, Qorba said that Damascus "insists on accompanying the committee, which is what it did with the Red Cross convoy, undermining the Red Cross visit and reducing it to a delivery of humanitarian aid." "In contacts with the HRC, we are insisting that the Council should refuse any Syrian government escort and reject government oversight." Meanwhile, the US imposed sanctions two weeks ago on 13 Syrian officials, including Maher Al-Assad, brother of Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad and chief of the country's Republican Guard, and his cousin businessman Ramy Makhlouf. The US sanctions were followed one week later by similar sanctions imposed by the EU. The Syrian government has played down the reach of the EU sanctions, saying that "they are only ink on paper" and asserting that none of the 13 officials targeted had bank accounts in Europe. "They don't visit Europe for pleasure," a government spokesman said, "but only in response to invitations for cooperation." Europe also does not supply arms to Syria. According to the Syrian newspaper Al-Baath, mouthpiece of the ruling Syrian Baath Party, "the US and France lost their grip when they saw the success of the military and security forces in aborting plots of sectarian strife" in the country. In a statement, EU Representative for Foreign Affairs Catherine Ashton said that the Syrian regime had "lost its legitimacy" owing to the "violent suppression of the people's aspirations for democracy." According to Ashton, the Syrian regime "refuses to see the reality around it. This is not a conspiracy by foreign powers against the country." She also threatened "harsher" sanctions against Syria that could affect President Al-Assad, so far not targeted by the US or EU sanctions. US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said that Washington and its allies were looking into ways of holding Syria accountable for its "brutal revenge" against the protesters, but she did not call for the Syrian president to step down from power. "President Al-Assad has become more isolated, and we will continue working with our international partners in the EU and others to take steps to hold Syria accountable for its blatant violation of human rights," Clinton said. German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle also threatened further sanctions against Syria, saying that the present EU sanctions were just a "first step". Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini said that "time is running out for Al-Assad" and that "Europe has passed a number of sanctions which include Al-Assad's brother but not him personally" as a warning. For its part, Syria has accused Europe and the US of interfering in its domestic affairs. The Syrian newspaper Al-Thawra asserted last week that "the zeal of the West about human rights is a lie" and that the West has "a devious agenda against Syria". The US "is trying to meddle in Syria and make Damascus submit after political disputes that have defeated consecutive US administrations," the newspaper said. "We are pursuing a UN Security Council resolution condemning the use of force against peaceful demonstrators in Syria," Ziyada told the Weekly. "We also have a list of 68 officers who gave orders to fire on protesters and of businessmen funding militias to assault demonstrators. We will hand this list over to the Security Council in our pursuit of a resolution calling for sanctions against them and for the matter to be turned over to the ICC for investigation." Observers believe that Syrian officials have so far had little difficulty in blocking international missions and investigation committees to the country, though they add that if the Syrian leadership does not respond to regional, European and US warnings this could lead to sanctions against the president or the recall of foreign ambassadors from Damascus. The US could also press the Gulf states to take punitive actions against Syria, and it could support moves to refer the situation in Syria to the ICC for criminal investigation.
