Arab League envoy Kofi Annan told the Security Council Thursday that Syria has not fully complied with the terms of his peace plan but called for the swift deployment of a UN truce-monitoring force to the country, Council diplomats said. Annan told council members that the precarious truce needed support and called for the early arrival of a first wave of unarmed observers to monitor implementation of his six-point peace plan, to be followed by a second wave of observers later. “Mr. Annan confirmed that what has happened today does not constitute full compliance by the Syrian government ... as Syrian forces and weapons remain in and around population centers,” said US Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice, the Security Council president for April. “He (Annan) emphasized that Syrian troops and armor must return to their barracks immediately,” she told reporters after a closed-door council meeting which Annan addressed via video link from Geneva. Annan's six-point plan calls for a ceasefire by Syrian armed forces and rebels, the withdrawal of troops and heavy weapons, and dialogue between the government and opposition aimed at a “political transition” for the country. The UN Security Council could pass a resolution Friday to allow unarmed observers to go to Syria next week to monitor the fragile ceasefire, diplomats said. An advanced mission of 20-30 observers could be in place early next week, diplomats said. The full mission would be at least 200 monitors. Annan said the mission must have guaranteed free access across the country and security assurances from the Syrian government and opposition. Rice, the Security Council president for April who gave details of Annan's closed briefing to the 15-nation council, said “urgent” talks on the resolution had started. Russia's UN envoy Vitaly Churkin said the resolution could be passed Friday. “We hope that even tomorrow we might adopt a Security Council resolution on the deployment of that advance group of monitors,” Churkin told reporters. “The full-fledged mission will take some time to deploy,” he added. “If we are able to put 20 or 30 monitors early next week, very good. If we are able to put more in the next few days that's even better.” Russia, which has blocked two previous resolutions on Syria, would support the move and that it was “crucial” for the monitors to be quickly in place. He told reporters that at least 20-30 monitors should be in the advanced force which should be in place “early next week”. Annan asked the council to pass a resolution which would allow the advanced mission and express the Council's intent to send the full observer force.
