London to muscle resolution against Syria

LONDON, Jan. 30 (UPI) -- London hopes a visit to the United Nations by Foreign Secretary William Hague will push a resolution through on Syria this week, a spokeswoman said.

The British foreign secretary left for U.N. headquarters to throw London's weight behind an Arab-led effort to pressure Syrian President Bashar Assad to step aside. A draft resolution circulated by Morocco aims to impose a deadline on Damascus to establish a unity government and prepare for free elections.

A spokeswoman for British Prime Minister David Cameron said the United Nations needs to act now to counter the regime's crackdown on opponents.

"There is hope to agree a U.N. Security Council resolution this week and to make it very clear to President Assad and his regime that the killing must stop," a spokeswoman was quoted by The Daily Telegraph newspaper in London as saying.

The government added that Russia was running out of excuses for blocking Syrian-related resolutions offered at the U.N. Security Council.

Moscow maintains a military trade relationship with Syria despite the international criticism of the regime in Damascus.

Russia, a veto-wielding member of the Security Council, said it wants to examine recommendations from the Arab League before taking action at the world body. The Kremlin said Monday it invited pro- and anti-government figures from Syria to Moscow for negotiations.