Clinton on Syria: Sand running out of the hourglass

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton speaks during a joint press conference with Koichiro Gemba of Japan (not pictured) following their talks at the Foreign Ministry's Iikura guesthouse in Tokyo on July 8, 2012. / BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP/Getty Images

(CBS/AP) U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said Sunday that time is running out on Syrian peace hopes and warned that the Syrian state could collapse.

Speaking in Japan, Clinton said Annan's acknowledgement that his peace plan is failing "should be a wake-up call for everyone."

She said last month was the deadliest for the Syrian people in the 16-month revolt, but added that the opposition "is getting more effective in defense of themselves and going on the offensive against the Syrian military."

"The sooner there can be an end to the violence and a beginning of a political transition process, not only will fewer people die, but there is a chance to save the Syrian state from a catastrophic assault that would be very dangerous not only to Syria but to the region," Clinton said.

She said that for those who continue to support the regime of President Bashar Assad, the future "should be abundantly clear: ... The sand is running out of the hourglass."

Clinton: "Friends of Syria" must unite to stop Russia, China "blockading" progress

Special U.N. envoy Kofi Annan acknowledged in an interview published Saturday that the international community's efforts to find a political solution to the escalating violence in Syria have failed.

"The evidence shows that we have not succeeded," he told the French daily Le Monde.

Annan, the special envoy for the United Nations and the Arab League, is the architect of the most prominent international plan to end the crisis in Syria.

His six-point plan was to begin with a cease-fire in mid-April between government forces and rebels seeking to topple Assad. But the truce never took hold, and now the almost 300 U.N. observers sent to monitor the cease-fire are confined to their hotels because of the escalating violence.

Kofi Annan: Syria peace effort failing

In Syria, the military began large-scale exercises simulating defense against outside "aggression," the state-run news agency said Sunday — an apparent warning to other countries not to intervene in the country's crisis.

The exercise began Saturday with naval forces in a scenario where they repelled an attack from the sea, and will include air and ground forces over the next few days, SANA agency said. State TV broadcast footage of missiles being fired from launch vehicles and warships.

Some in the Syrian opposition have appealed to the West for foreign forces to step in to stop bloodshed that they say has left more than 14,000 dead since an uprising against Assad began in March 2011. So far, the West has shown little appetite to intervene.

Defense Minister Dawood Rajiha attended the maneuvers and praised the "exceptional performance" of the naval forces which showed "a high level of combat training and ability to defend Syria's shores against any possible aggression."

"The navy carried out the training successfully, repelling the hypothetical attack and striking at given targets with high precision," the report said.

[Wim_Roffel]

Annan has betrayed his own plan. There is nothing in the plan that says that there should first be an armistice and that only then there should be talks. On the contrary, given that some opposition groups had openly announced not to follow the truce while it was clear that the allegiance of many others was dubious at best, achieving some negotiation results should have had the highest priority.

The problem was that Annan never believed in his own plan. He is a stooge for the US who has copied their aim of regime change.

[-TeaPartyNation--]

Remember that clueless leftist nitwit (pardon the redundancy) hillary repeatedly praised mass-murderer thug assad for being a "REFORMER" !!!!

[smittyc]

The vote in Egypt went for the muslim brotherhood. That is what Clinton is advocating?

[IPonUall]

Egypt has a right to elect anyone they want.
Of course most Egyptians are prejudice, extreme and ignorant.
For 30 years Mubarak had the chance to make a change.
He didn't. He ran Egypt for that time under emergency powers....meaning there was no civil rights.

[smittyc]

The situation is not bright for any involved. Other nations are taking sides and doing so on the streets. Jordan is having trouble within the population. Over 80% of the Egyptian population is in favor of overthowing Israel and the Hamas celebrated the victory of the Muslim brotherhood. Outside the Middle East the net gain has been for Eastern Europe and Russia and of course China who have all benefitted by the oil embargo while fuel prices spiral in Western Europe and the U.S. China has oil contracts with Iran and Syria and Western Europe is riding bicyles. In Afghanistan and Pakistan the military is divided, those with rank are being shot by enlisted soldiers and bodyguards are killing elected politicians in both nations while throughout Afghanistan in the countryside, for the most part Americans and other NATO troops have been confined to their barracks due to attacks by Afghan allied forces. For Clinton and the United Nations it is quite obvious that contrary to Clintons claims Syria is quite comfortable with the current situation, the American public will not support another war.

[sjc_1]

It sounds like Syria could fail at any time. There are key defections and the opposition will not give up. People need to evacuate the cities before the shelling starts, they need to go to neighboring countries. The U.N. can not keep the peace if there is no peace to keep.

[Nocults]

The Mossad plan has worked to perfection, and the USA is looking to start wars with Syria, Iran, and North Korea.

Brilliant!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[jgnv]

Very true. I'm so dismassed to read all the negative comments posted deriding our Secretary of State's efforts to diffuse the inevitable conclusion of this latest conflict. Syria may ultimately fail, and as we have witnessed for many months, so have many other middle eastern countries who proclaim to want a democratic government. It is impossible to conclude that the UN can police and protect all of the citizens of these countries. It is imperative that the younger generation living in these parts of the world band together and form an independent organization that can force the dictatorship of their parents and grandparents alike to recognize a new regime. It is not the responsibility of outside countries, such as the United States, to be the savior that comes in and dictates their own set of values on any foreign nation. If there is one message we can and should all relate to, it is found in the movie "Avatar", which exemplifies a simple yet very relevant message that everyone living throughout the globe should acknowlege and respect.

[Tamala-Prince]

just shut up hillary.
Aint nobody listening to you anymore. you think anyone cares about what you have to say?? wheres your solution? you have none, you just keep talking holding face cause all the 'men' wimped out. well, i'll give you kudos for that! but please have a seat now

[Nocults]

Ummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm............you want the Secretary of State to shut up????????????

[112844]

Good post except you got one tiny thing wrong. The name should have been Sahra, BIG MOUTH, Palin.

[dustin93sc]

If Assad has any courage, he would come out in the open and take one clean shot to his head.

[ffoulkes2009]

Still trying to figure out what is wrong with using your military to put down armed insurrection. I know that is what would happen here in the USA should 10,000 people gather in front of the White House...armed...and demand Obama leave. We saw what happens when we just have more weapons than the government sees appropriate at Waco.

[hypnotoad72]

And replaced with whom?

The "Anybody But Obama" crowd can't seem to figure out what they want from their side, especially as Obama - by using GOP tactics - only compounds the issue and not to the favor of the ABO crowd.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3096434/vp/40575006#40575006

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011/10/11/romneys-advisers-met-with-obama-to-help-craft-obama-care/

You lot must really despite Republicans, which is irony at its fullest...

[112844]

I wonder if the secret service would be interested in your comment ?

[ffoulkes2009]

Still trying to figure out what is wrong with using your military to put down armed insurrection. I know that is what would happen here in the USA should 10,000 people gather in front of the White House...armed...and demand Obama leave. We saw what happens when we just have more weapons than the government sees appropriate at Waco.

[pcwag]

Hillary should retire somewhere remote and take Bill and congress with her.

[Tamala-Prince]

thank you! or at least learn to give head right!!
you hear that hillary me and pcwag feels you needeth to learn to suck a betta throne!! ha ha

[112844]

You want to send Bill and Hillary to some where along with the Obstructionist Tea Baggage Nazi Congress idiots ?????????