Arab invasion in Syria 'not an option': UN envoy

Moscow, Sep 3 (IANS/RIA Novosti) The UN's new envoy to Syria has said a military intervention in the country by Arab forces is not on the cards.

"A military interference in Syria means failure of diplomatic efforts," said Lakhdar Brahimi Sunday in an interview to Al Arabiya television.

"For me, this option is not available, and personally, this will be neither today nor tomorrow nor after tomorrow," said the 78-year-old diplomat while urging a ceasefire in the conflict, which claimed 25,000 lives since March 2011, according to UN's estimates.

Brahimi has replaced Kofi Annan, a former UN secretary general who introduced in February a peace plan for Syria which was endorsed by Russia but ignored by both -- the Syrian government and the opposition.

He avoided allocating the blame, but said that "the government's responsibility to stop the violence is bigger" than that of the opposition.

Sunday marked the first day at the job for Brahimi, a former Algerian foreign minister and a member of the Global Elders, a group of ex-world leaders and prominent public figures brought together by Nelson Mandela in 2007 to tackle various global issues.

--IANS/RIA Novosti

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