Russia Steps Up Syrian Diplomacy

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has hinted that Moscow may be accessible to a U.N. Aegis Council resolution aimed at sending a "strong message" to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, but alone if it aswell addresses anti-government protesters.
Speaking to Euronews television on Thursday, Medvedev said the Syrian government's "disproportionate use of force" and "high assessment of casualties" are unacceptable.
But he aswell bidding affair at the activity of anti-Assad protesters, adage some of them should be advised "terrorists," and claiming they do not apostle "refined European models of democracy."
Russia has adjoin attempts by Western governments to canyon a U.N. Aegis resolution adjoin Assad, instead preferring their own abstract advancement Syria to apparatus autonomous reforms.
On Thursday, Medvedev hinted that Russia may abutment a U.N.-backed message, but alone if it does not bulk to a "one-sided accusation of the government and President Assad."
Medvedev's animadversion came the aforementioned day Russia appear affairs to arbitrate talks that could acquiesce Assad to abide in power.
Russian agent Mikhail Margelov affairs to accommodated Syrian action abstracts in Moscow Friday afore affair with Buthaina Shabban - an aid to Assad - on Monday. Margelov said Russia is captivation out adjoin a United Nations resolution in the achievement that its own angle would win support.
Meanwhile, Syria's crackdown on anti-government protesters connected Thursday if troops raided a abode in the northwestern apple of Ibleen, killing three aggressive defectors.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the abode belongs to the brother of Hussein Harmouche, who allegedly defected from the army in June and set up the Syrian Free Officers movement.
The state-run SANA account bureau said Thursday that eight law administration and aegis force associates were dead by "armed agitator groups" in the city-limits of Homs. Assad's government has abhorrent abundant of the baleful abandon on armed gunmen and terrorists.
Meanwhile, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said he has apprenticed Syria to backpack out political reforms "before it is too late." During a accent in Australia Thursday, Ban said abandon adjoin Syrians had connected admitting his again calls for President Assad to arrest his forces' "excessive and lethal" actions.