France, Germany and Britain are embarking on a new diplomatic offensive to get the UN Security Council to add to international pressure on Syria's President Bashar al-Assad over his crackdown on protests, diplomats said.
The European powers are seizing on the Arab League's tough new stance on Syria, which Germany's UN ambassador Peter Wittig said could be a "game changer."
Wittig and the UN ambassadors from Britain and France met counterparts from some Arab League nations late Monday, Jan 23, to discuss the next moves at the UN, after League foreign ministers sought Security Council endorsement for their new plan which calls for Assad to hand over powers to a deputy and elections.
The European countries have asked for the UN Security Council to request that Arab League secretary general Nabil al-Arabi brief the 15-member Security Council "as soon as possible", diplomats said.
South Africa's UN ambassador, Baso Sangqu, who is president of the council for January, said that no decision has been taken yet on the request, AFP reported.
