DAMASCUS, Syria, Sept. 12 (UPI) -- The secretary-general of the Arab League pressed for Syrian reform in Damascus, though a French official said it's much too late for that.
The latest estimates from the United Nations state that around 2,500 people have been killed at the hands of Syrian forces since an uprising began against Syrian President Bashar Assad early this year.
Arab League Secretary-General Nabi El-Arabi presented Assad during the weekend with a 13-point plan outlining proposals to end the violence and usher in a period of reform in Syria.
"I focused on the importance of an open national dialogue that encompasses all personalities on the basis of national reconciliation, in which the Arab League plays a main role," he was quoted by British newspaper The Daily Telegraph as saying.
Assad has rolled out a laundry list of reform pledges since the uprising began. Western critics said those pledges are baseless as long as the bloodshed continues.
French Foreign Minister Alaine Juppe was quoted as saying the time for Syrian reform has passed.
"It's a scandal not to have a clearer position of the U.N. on such a terrible crisis," he said.
Beyond a general statement of condemnation, the U.N. Security Council hasn't issued a formal resolution on Syria. Russia, a veto-wielding member of the Security Council, opposes a resolution.
According to the Telegraph, Washington is working on a draft resolution but it could be at least two weeks before it's circulated at the Security Council.
Syrian forces killed 12 opposition backers during the weekend.
