SYRIA (3)

I have to say that I don't understand the West's position on Syria. Given Russia's and China's veto-wielding rights in the U.N. Security Council, they should in my view let them take the blame for what is happening on the ground (which is pretty grim and getting worse). What they shouldn't do is allow Kofi Annan or anybody else to come up with ever more complicated and unrealistic plans for a ceasfire, monitoring force and/or other non-military options. President Assad is not going to respect bits of paper, as I said a month ago.

I know that diplomats like to diplome, so to speak. But this is an example where diplomacy is not going to work.

Walter Blotscher