UNITED NATIONS — Syria’s government will not accept any transition peace plan that excludes President Bashar Assad, Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem said Saturday. Syria FM: No transition peace plan without Assad ADVERTISING UNITED NATIONS — Syria’s government will not accept
Syria FM: No transition peace
plan without Assad
UNITED NATIONS — Syria’s government will not accept any transition peace plan that excludes President Bashar Assad, Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem said Saturday.
He spoke on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, a day after the Security Council approved a resolution that obliges Syria’s government to comply with an international plan to destroy its chemical weapons arsenal. The resolution also endorsed the outcome of the Geneva conference between the government and the opposition in June 2012, which called for the establishment of a transitional government with full executive powers.
The Syrian opposition, which has been embroiled in a bloody conflict with Assad’s forces for two and a half years, has repeatedly said it will not take part in any transition government that includes the president.
The latest statement from al-Moallem could mean that efforts to organize a second meeting of the opposition and the government later this year in Geneva may fail.
Radio blackout preceded deaths of 19 Arizona firefighters
PRESCOTT, Ariz. —A three-month investigation into the June deaths of 19 Arizona firefighters found the men ceased radio communication for a half hour before they were killed in a wildfire blaze. The report did not assign blame, and some family members say that reluctance could put other lives in danger.
The 120-page report released Saturday found that proper procedure was followed in the worst firefighting tragedy since Sept. 11, 2001. Investigators suggested the state of Arizona should possibly update its guidelines and look into better tracking technology.
All but one member of the Granite Mountain Hotshots crew died June 30 while protecting the former gold rush town of Yarnell, about 80 miles northwest of Phoenix, from an erratic, lightning-sparked wildfire. Hotshots are elite backcountry firefighters who hike deep into the brush to fight blazes.
Italy’s coalition government in crisis
MILAN — Italy’s fragile coalition government was pushed into a full-fledged crisis Saturday after five ministers from former Premier Silvio Berlusconi’s political party announced their resignations.
The move drew the ire of Premier Enrico Letta, who accused Berlusconi of a “crazy” gesture aimed at covering up his personal affairs.
The five-month-old government has teetered for weeks since the high court confirmed Berlusconi’s tax fraud conviction.
Berlusconi’s center-right People of Liberty Party is in an unusual coalition of rival forces with Letta’s center-left Democratic Party, and the resignations signals the end of the alliance.
The resignations must be formally submitted to President Giorgio Napolitano, who must decide if there is any way to continue the government or if new elections must be held.
House OKs bill aimed at improving drug safety
WASHINGTON — The House has approved legislation aimed at improving the safety of drugs made by compounding pharmacies, which mix customized medicines.
The measure is a response to a meningitis outbreak last year that killed 64 people and sickened hundreds more. It was traced to a compounding company in Massachusetts that has since closed.
The House approved the legislation by voice vote as lawmakers held a weekend session to focus on their budget and health care dispute with President Barack Obama.
By wire sources
