Latest draft res on Syria; Assad allies call for watering it down

In advance of today’s urgent meeting in Geneva of the UN Human Rights Council to address Syria’s Ramadan Massacre, President Bashar al-Assad’s allies are leaping  to his defense.

In informal talks Friday on the proposed resolution, China, Russia, Cuba, Egypt, Nigeria and Pakistan all demanded a severe weakening of the text, calling to delete or water down condemnatory language,  to praise  Syria for so-called “positive acts,”  and to condemn “other armed forces”.  The moves were opposed by France, the US, Australia and Canada.