U.N. Council negotiating Syria monitors resolution

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - Russia and the European Union on Friday circulated separate draft U.N. Security Council resolutions to authorize the deployment to Syria of up to 300 more ceasefire observers and a vote over the weekend was likely, diplomats said.

There are seven monitors already in Syria after the council authorized an advance team of up to 30 on Saturday. A new resolution is needed for a further "initial deployment" of up to 300 as recommended by U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

Some council members, however, have expressed reluctance to give swift approval for an expanded observer mission because of concern about the failure of the Syrian government to halt the violence, return troops to barracks and withdraw heavy weapons.

At least 23 people were killed on Friday, 10 of them in a roadside bomb targeting security forces and most of the others in shelling by President Bashar al-Assad's forces on the city of Homs, further undermining the truce.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Alexander Lukashevich said in a statement published on the ministry's website on Friday: "Active work is taking place on the basis of the Russian text in order to take the decision tomorrow."

Council diplomats confirmed that negotiations are focusing on the Russian draft. Traditionally, efforts are made to combine similar drafts. The Security Council was due to hold closed-door consultations on Friday evening and diplomats said a vote on a resolution over the weekend was likely.

The texts by Russia and the four European Security Council members, obtained by Reuters, authorize the deployment of 300 unarmed observers for an initial three-month period and call upon Syria to implement its pledges under a six-point plan by U.N.-Arab League mediator Kofi Annan.

A key difference is that the European text, which diplomats say was drafted by France, "underlines the need for the Syrian government to agree rapidly with the United Nations the independent use of air assets" by the observer mission.

The Russian draft resolution makes no mention of air assets and is less critical of Syria's government than the European text.

Syria has dismissed any need for U.N. aircraft. U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has said helicopters and other military hardware would be necessary and that would be discussed more closely with Syrian authorities.

The European draft also threatens sanctions under Chapter 7 of the U.N. Charter if there is not a sustained cessation of violence to allow the observer mission to operate.

Russia is unlikely to support such a measure. It has accused the United States and Europe of tricking it into using a U.N. mandate to protect civilians in Libya to enable NATO engage in "regime change."

BRINK OF CIVIL WAR

Assad's 13-month assault on pro-democracy protesters sparked an uprising that has brought Syria to the brink of civil war.

The 15-member Security Council has been divided between Western countries that want to topple Assad and Russia and China, which support him and have twice vetoed council resolutions condemning Assad.

But on Saturday Russia and China joined the rest of the council in voting for a resolution to authorize the deployment of the first batch of U.N. monitors.

It is unusual for Russia to draft a Security Council text. Russia has only recently begun drafting council resolutions on issues like piracy in Somalia, the conflict in Libya and the crisis in its ally and top weapons customer Syria.

In Moscow, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Friday: "We should do everything we can to adopt, as soon as possible, a second resolution that will approve a full-scale observer mission."

The United States has voiced concern over approving an expanded monitoring mission before the Assad government fully complies with demands to halt the violence and pull back troops and heavy weapons.

"We want to see monitors be able to get in. But they've got to be able to do so in the permissive conditions," State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland told reporters on Friday, saying the United States had "extreme concerns" about the continued violence.

"It's got to be a true independent international monitoring effort ... and not regime controlled," she said.

Annan's deputy Jean-Marie Guehenno told the Security Council on Thursday that the swift deployment of more observers to Syria was needed despite continued risks and persistent violence.

Annan's peace plan calls for an end to fighting by government security forces and rebels, withdrawal of heavy weapons from towns, the return of the army to barracks, humanitarian access and dialogue between the government and opposition aimed at a "political transition."

(Writing by Michelle Nichols; Additional reporting by Gleb Bryanski in Moscow and Andrew Quinn in Washington; Editing by Will Dunham)

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