Syria faces catastrophic 'civil war'

UN chief issues warning

 UN chief Ban Ki-moon warned on Thursday that Syria risks a catastrophic “civil war” following a massacre that sparked global outrage, as the US slammed Russia for resisting UN action against Damascus.

Armed Syrian rebels upped the ante meanwhile by threatening new action against the Syrian regime unless it falls in line by midday on Friday with a six-point peace plan brokered by UN-Arab League peace envoy Kofi Anna. Ban, addressing a forum in Istanbul, made it clear he too expected Damascus to implement Annan’s blueprint, which includes a ceasefire that should have taken effect on April 12.

“I demand that the government of Syria act on its commitment to the Annan peace plan,” he told a UN-led Alliance of Civilisations initiative.

“The massacres of the sort seen last weekend could plunge Syria into a catastrophic civil war, a civil war from which the country would never recover.”