UNITED NATIONS, Oct 15 (KUNA) -- Under Secretary-General for Political Affairs on Monday said the conflict in Syria has resulted in the death of over 30,000 people, stressing that even if the war was won militarily, it would unlikely meet the Syrian people's aspirations.
"The conflict in Syria, has reached new and appalling heights of brutality and violence. Available estimates, which the UN is not in a position to verify, put the number of people killed at over 30,000," Feltman told the Security Council during its monthly meeting on the situation in the Middle East.
After all the killing and destruction, he said, "it is plain to see that this conflict cannot be won military - and if it were, it would be at an excruciating cost unlikely to lead to a lasting solution that respects the will of the Syrian people." He expressed regret that the "voices of the peaceful protests that emerged so proudly last year have receded in the tremor of fighting." For a ceasefire to succeed, he noted, "this must be a collective effort by all inside Syria, in the region and beyond, All governments should desist from supplying arms and military assistance to any party to the conflict, some of which may violate UN Security Council 1747," in an indirect reference to Iran supplying weapons to Damascus. (end) sj.rk KUNA 151815 Oct 12NNNN