U.S., Britain, France block Russia bid to blacklist Syria rebels
Source: Reuters
World | Wed May 11, 2016 8:50pm EDT
U.S., Britain, France block Russia bid to blacklist Syria rebels
Britain, the United States, France and Ukraine blocked a Russian proposal at the United Nations to blacklist Syrian rebel groups Jaish al-Islam and Ahrar al-Sham for links to Islamic State and al Qaeda militants, diplomats said on Wednesday.
Russia made the proposal late last month and the U.S. mission to the United Nations had signaled it would oppose the move, saying it would undermine attempts to get a sustained halt in the fighting in Syria.
The U.N. Security Council's 15-member Islamic State and al Qaeda sanctions committee has to agree by consensus before individuals or groups can be blacklisted.
Jaish al-Islam (Islam Army) is a major armed rebel group in Syria and part of the High Negotiation Committee, which was set up in Riyadh last December to negotiate on behalf of opposition groups at U.N.-brokered peace talks with the government.
The High Negotiation Committee is backed by Western nations and key Arab states.
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