U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon said Thursday that the Security Council has sent an unmistakable message to Syria that all violence must stop as the death toll from a year of violence passed 8,000, Ap reported. Speaking to reporters in Malaysia, Ban said there must be a cease-fire so that humanitarian aid can be dispatched. The Syrian uprising, which began one year ago, is transforming into an armed insurgency that many fear is pushing the country toward civil war. Ban said Thursday that "nobody is discussing military operations" to resolve the crisis. But he said the Red Cross has proposed a few hours' halt in violence every day so humanitarian aid can be delivered. The previously divided U.N. Security Council sent a united message to the Syrian government and opposition on Wednesday to immediately implement proposals by international envoy Kofi Annan to end the yearlong bloodshed. A nonbinding statement approved by the 15 council members and read at a formal meeting spells out Annan's six proposals which include a cease-fire first by the Syrian government, a daily two-hour halt to fighting to evacuate the injured and provide humanitarian aid, and inclusive Syrian-led political talks "to address the legitimate concerns of the Syrian people." Annan, the joint U.N.-Arab League envoy, appealed to the Security Council last Friday for its backing, saying the stronger and more unified the message, the better the chances of shifting the dynamics of the conflict.
