U.N.'s Ban urges Assad to implement peace plan

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urged Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on Wednesday to quickly implement a peace plan that he has accepted which calls for the army to return to its barracks.    

Speaking in Kuwait, Ban said: "I strongly urge President Assad to put these commitments into immediate effect. There is not time to waste."

Arab foreign ministers met today to discuss how to implement a U.N.-backed peace plan for Syria after President Bashar al-Assad agreed to the proposal that urges an end to violence but does not demand the Syrian leader step down.
   
Arab leaders in Baghdad for an Arab League summit were expected to endorse the six-point proposal from special envoy Kofi Annan, which seeks a ceasefire and political dialogue in what Iraq called a "last chance" for Syria.
   
The proposal by Annan, a U.N. and Arab League special envoy, is the latest attempt to broker an end to more than a year of violence in Syria after Assad sent troops into cities to try to crush rebels seeking to end his 12-year rule.
   
Annan's proposal calls for the withdrawal of heavy weapons and troops from population centres, humanitarian assistance, the release of prisoners and free movement and access for journalists. But it does not hinge on Assad leaving office.
   
Reuters