AP/ October 20, 2012, 4:24 PM

Annan: Military intervention in Syria won't work

U.N.-Arab League special envoy Kofi Annan is seen at a June 30, 2012 press conference in Geneva.

U.N.-Arab League special envoy Kofi Annan is seen at a June 30, 2012 press conference in Geneva. / FABRICE COFFRINI/AFP/Getty Images

WASHINGTON Former U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan is warning that military intervention in Syria by the major powers won't work.

In comments to be aired Sunday on CNN's "Fareed Zakaria GPS," Annan says the situation in Syria is more complex than in Libya, and that military intervention could make things worse.

Annan was the special envoy to Syria until August, when he resigned after his peace plan failed. That led Republican Paul Ryan to say in the vice presidential debate that the U.S. shouldn't have waited for Annan to develop an agreement and that the delay had bought Syrian President Bashar Assad more time.

Annan says Ryan is, quote, "dead wrong." He says raising the hopes of the Syrian people while other countries are still reluctant to intervene complicates the situation.

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