Paris claims Syrian demand for halt of violence unacceptable

The French ministry spokesman Bernard Valero claimed on Sunday that it would have to “draw the consequences” of the Syrian demand.

UN Arab League special envoy to Syria Kofi Annan offered a six-point plan to Damascus last month to withdraw its forces from populated cities hit by violence.

On April 5, Annan’s spokesperson Ahmad Fawzi said, “What we expect on April 10 is that the Syrian government will have completed its withdrawal from populated centers.”

The insistence on Syrian withdrawal of forces comes despite overt pledges by the US and some of its Arab allies to persist with supplying logistics and arms to anti-Damascus opposition forces.

However, the Syrian foreign ministry issued a statement earlier on Sunday, declaring that it would not withdraw its forces as it was still awaiting a guarantee from Annan that the foreign-backed gunmen would end all violence.

“To say that Syria will pull back its forces from towns on April 10 is inaccurate, Kofi Annan having not yet presented written guarantees on the acceptance by armed terrorist groups of a halt to all violence,” the Syrian foreign ministry’s statement said.

“Mr. Annan has not submitted written guarantees from the governments of Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Turkey on stopping their funding to terrorist groups,” the statement added.

“Syria will not repeat what happened during the (Arab League) mission, when it committed to the exit of its armed forces from the cities and surrounding areas; then the armed terrorist groups took advantage to arm its members and conduct all forms of terrorism.”

The Foreign Ministry, however, expressed the willingness of Damascus to cooperate with Annan and “continue to inform him of the steps we are taking to implement the plan, in the hope of obtaining documented guarantees.”

The Sunday statement was issued one day after Syrians held another demonstration in the capital Damascus in support of the government of President Bashar al-Assad.

France, meanwhile, vowed to continue its “full support” for Annan’s plan.

Syria has been experiencing unrest since mid-March 2011. The violence has claimed the lives of hundreds of people, including many security forces.

Damascus blames outlaws, saboteurs, and armed terrorist groups for the unrest, asserting that it is being orchestrated from abroad.

The West and some factions of the Syrian opposition, however, accuse the government of killing protesters.