Clinton calls for Syria’s action on peace plan

CeasEfire:Assad accepts Annan’s road map U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Tuesday called for immediate actions from the Syriangovernment following its acceptance of the peace plan put forward by UN special envoy Kofi Annan.When asked about Syria’s decision by a reporter, Clinton, alongside visiting Estonian Foreign Minister Urmas Paet at the State Department, avoided offering her direct comment, only citing the response by Annan and the Syrian National Council which described it as an “important initial step.”Earlier in the day, a spokesperson for Annan, who is the UN- Arab League joint special envoy for the crisis in Syria, announced that the Syrian government had written to express its acceptance of Annan’s plan, which includes proposals for a cease-fire initiated by the Syrian government, a daily halt in fighting for the delivery of humanitarian aid and treatment for the wounded, and talks between the government and the opposition.Syria’s decision was generally well-received by the international community. Mark Lyall Grant, permanent representative of Britain to the UN and the current president of the UN Security Council, on Tuesday termed it as “potentially a significant step.”However, Clinton cautioned that what really counts is the actions by the Syrian government.“Given Assad’s history of overpromising and under-delivering, that commitment must now be matched by immediate action,’’ she said. “We will judge Assad’s sincerity and seriousness by what he does, not by what he says. If he is ready to bring this dark chapter in Syria’s history to a close, he could prove it by immediately ordering regime forces to stop firing and begin withdrawing from populated areas,” said Clinton.Meanwhile, Clinton pressed the Syrian opposition to come up with a “united vision” at the second meeting of Friends of Syria due to be held in Istanbul of Turkey over the weekend.