UN Security Council Seen Split on Syria ‘Safe Zones’

Most Nations Didn't Even Attend Discussion

The UN Security Council remains deeply divided over Syria, and in particular the proposal yesterday from Turkish officials to create a “safe zone” for refugees inside Syria to escape the civil war without fleeing the nation outright.

The meeting for the UN Security Council to discuss the proposal itself was sparsely attended, with only 5 of 15 members even sending ministers to the meeting and two, France and Britain, using the meeting to push for war.

Russia and China are both extremely skeptical of any plan for UN action inside Syria, fearing that as with the Libya “no-fly zone” resolution NATO will use it as an excuse for a full-scale war of regime change.

And indeed, even the idea of a “humanitarian zone” is deeply politicized, as the US has openly talked about using such a zone inside Syria as a base of operation for the rebel factions, primarily a safe zone for them and not for displaced civilians.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.