[ti:As Annan Resigns UN Condemns Violence in Syria] [ar:Steve Ember] [al:IN THE NEWS] [by:www.51voa.com] [00:00.00]This is IN THE NEWS in VOA Special English. [00:12.21]The United Nations General Assembly [00:15.38]has approved a resolution on Syria. [00:18.68]But it does not require any actions [00:20.86]and cannot be enforced. [00:24.84]The resolution condemns the government's use of [00:27.08]heavy weapons against rebels. [00:31.80]It also criticizes the U.N. Security Council [00:35.80]for failing to stop the violence in Syria. [00:40.47]Friday's vote came as Syrian activists [00:42.39]reported more violence [00:46.07]in the seventeen-month-old uprising against [00:48.68]President Bashar al-Assad. [00:52.47]On Thursday, Kofi Annan announced [00:54.96]he will leave at the end of the month [00:59.75]as the United Nations and Arab League negotiator [01:03.14]for Syria. He blamed his resignation [01:07.87]what he called a lack of unity in the Security Council. [01:11.24]KOFI ANNAN: "Syria can still be saved [01:13.17]from the worst calamity [01:15.60]if the international community [01:18.83]can show the courage and leadership necessary [01:22.56]to compromise on their partial interest [01:24.80]for the sake of the Syrian people." [01:28.47]U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon says [01:33.09]the Security Council has become "paralyzed" over Syria. [01:38.26]On Friday he urged the major powers to cooperate. [01:43.48]He said "the immediate interests of the Syrian people [01:48.91]must be paramount over any larger rivalries of influence." [01:52.64]Unlike Security Council measures, [01:56.87]General Assembly resolutions cannot be vetoed. [02:02.16]Since last year, Syrian allies Russia and China [02:08.16]have vetoed three Security Council resolutions on Syria. [02:13.67]The proposals would have held President Assad responsible [02:17.77]for his failure to honor Mr. Annan's peace plan. [02:22.75]They would have also threatened the president with sanctions. [02:26.87]The Annan plan included a cease-fire [02:30.10]and talks on a temporary government. [02:35.08]Rebel forces did not commit themselves to the plan either. [02:38.25]The Obama Administration said [02:42.05]Mr. Annan's resignation shows the failure [02:46.28]of Russia and China to support meaningful [02:49.45]resolutions against Mr. Assad. [02:53.31]But China says it has been actively [02:57.62]"supporting and cooperating with" Mr. Annan's efforts. [03:01.10]A Foreign Ministry spokesman said [03:04.90]China regrets his resignation and [03:08.32]understands the difficulties of his work. [03:12.48]The Security Council established a U.N. [03:16.22]observer mission in Syria in April. [03:18.95]But the violence increased, [03:23.74]and half of the three hundred military observers [03:25.67]left in July. [03:30.96]French ambassador Gerard Araud is this month's president [03:32.76]of the Security Council. [03:36.99]He denied suggestions that he opposes [03:42.84]an extension of the United Nations Supervision Mission in Syria, [03:46.89]or UNSMIS, past August nineteenth. [03:51.05]He noted a recent Security Council resolution [03:54.97]permitting a renewal, if the government stops [03:57.91]shelling civilian areas and [04:01.40]if the level of violence decreases. [04:02.95]GERARD ARAUD: "And on this basis, [04:06.43]I think we'll decide whether we keep the UNSMIS. [04:09.48]If we can't keep the UNSMIS in Syria, [04:11.78]I think we are ready, of course, to consider [04:16.64]any proposal by the secretary-general." [04:20.10]British Prime Minister David Cameron is [04:22.53]calling for more aggressive action. [04:26.26]DAVID CAMERON: "We need to pass resolutions at the United Nations [04:28.34]to put further pressure on Syria. [04:30.46]I want to see them under so-called Chapter 7 [04:32.82]so they have full legal backing of the UN: [04:35.44]sanctions, travel bans, asset freezes -- [04:36.80]all the steps we can take." [04:39.73]Government forces have been attacking Aleppo, [04:44.33]Syria's largest city, with tanks and helicopters [04:46.20]over the last three weeks. [04:49.56]Hundreds of thousands of civilians [04:53.35]have fled and an unknown number have died. [04:58.64]And that's IN THE NEWS in VOA Special English. [00:00.00]I'm Steve Ember.