UN / RICE SYRIA

US Ambassador Susan Rice told reporters Wednesday that fighting is "still raging in Syria" and that given the Government's "track record" she does not expect it to live up to tomorrow's deadline for a cessation of hostilities. UNTV

• Categories: News & Features / News Stories / Unifeed
• Video Length: 00:01:47
• Production Date: 11 April 2012
• Asset Language: Original
• Subject Topical: POLITICAL AFFAIRS; LAW; INTERNATIONAL LAW; POLITICAL CONDITIONS; POLITICAL CONDITIONS; POLITICAL MOVEMENTS; INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS; PEACE AND SECURITY
• Geographic Subject: SUDAN; SYRIA; SOUTH SUDAN
• MAMS Id: U120411b

Description

STORY: UN / RICE
TRT: 1.47
SOURCE: UNTV
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH/ NATS

DATELINE: 11 APRIL 2011, NEW YORK CITY / FILE

Shotlist

FILE – RECENT, NEW YORK CITY

1.Wide shot, exterior United Nations headquarters
2.Close up, reporter’s laptop computer

11 APRIL 2011, NEW YORK CITY

3.SOUNDBITE (English) Susan Rice, Permanent Representative of the United States to the United Nations:
“Juba has confirmed that it’s seized Heglig. This is a very serious development which comes in the context of repeated violations over the last several weeks of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of both countries. Council members stressed that the SPLA must withdraw immediately and Sudan must stop aerial bombardments and incursions into South Sudan. Both sides must return to talks and cease all hostilities.”

FILE – RECENT, NEW YORK CITY

4.Close up, reporters’ notepads

11 APRIL 2011, NEW YORK CITY

5.SOUNDBITE (English) Susan Rice, Permanent Representative of the United States to the United Nations:
“Fighting is still raging as we speak reflecting what has been an intensification of the violence that the Syrian Government has pursued since April 1st when it committed to cease all hostile actions by yesterday. Its commitments therefore have little if any credibility - and I am, let me clarify, speaking in my national capacity - given that track record.”

FILE – RECENT, NEW YORK CITY

6.Close up, reporter’s notepad

11 APRIL 2011, NEW YORK CITY

7.SOUNDBITE (English) Susan Rice, Permanent Representative of the United States to the United Nations:
“The burden remains squarely on the Syrian regime and not the opposition in the first instance, to meet its obligations in full and visibly under the Annan’s plan. The caveats in the letter are worrying and yet again cast into doubt the credibility of any such commitments. But nothing casts more doubt on the credibility of the commitments than the fact that commitments have been made and made and made and broken and broken and broken.”

FILE – RECENT, NEW YORK CITY

8.Close up, reporter’s notepad

11 APRIL 2011, NEW YORK CITY

9.Zoom out, Rice walks away from the stakeout position

Storyline

The Security Council held consultations behind closed doors today (11 April) on the escalating situation in the border region between Sudan and South Sudan.

After the meeting, United States (US) Ambassador Susan Rice confirmed that the South Sudanese Armed Forces (SPLA) have seized the disputed oil-rich town of Heglig, 100 kilometres east of Abyei.

Rice, speaking in her capacity as Security Council President for the month of April, told journalists that this was “a very serious development” which she said “comes in the context of repeated violations over the last several weeks of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of both countries.”

The US Ambassador said that the SPLA “must withdraw immediately” and Sudanese forces “must stop aerial bombardments and incursions into South Sudan”

She stressed that “both sides must return to talks and cease all hostilities.”

On the Syrian situation Rice noted that “fighting is still raging as we speak,” the day after the deadline to which the Government had committed to cease all hostile actions.

She added that given its track record, the Syrian Government commitments have “little if any credibility.”

The US Ambassador pointed out that “the burden remains squarely on the Syrian regime and not the opposition” to stop the violence and added that “nothing casts more doubt on the credibility of the commitments” than the fact they have been “made and made and made and broken and broken and broken.”

The Joint Special Envoy of the United Nations and the League of Arab States, Kofi Annan has urged the Syrian Government and opposition forces to stop the violence, stressing that all hostilities must end by 06:00 Damascus time on 12 April.

In a letter to Annan, the Syrian Government pledged to stop military action by the Thursday deadline but reserves the right to respond to attacks from the rebels.