Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
AMID A FLURRY of moves to organise peace talks to end Syria’s bloody civil war, US President Barack Obama and Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan insisted Bashar al-Assad must step down.
The two met Thursday in Washington as efforts to bring the Assad regime and the Syrian opposition together at an international conference next month gathered pace.
At a joint White House news conference, the Turkish and US leaders restated their position, but Obama admitted: “There is no magic formula for dealing with an extraordinarily violent and difficult situation like Syria’s.”
World leaders have been beating a path to Moscow’s door in recent days, amid hopes that Russia can sway the Assad regime to come to negotiations, and end the killing which rights activists say has claimed some 94,000 lives.
Russian President Vladimir Putin was to meet UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Friday as French President Francois Hollande said greater efforts were needed to convince Moscow to drop its support for Assad.
“We must have a frank discussion with Russia to convince it that it is in its interests, in the interests of the region, in the interests of peace, to finish with Bashar al-Assad,” Hollande said.
Jordan, meanwhile, announced it would host next week the “Friends of Syria” group, bringing together foreign ministers from 11 key countries including Egypt, Qatar, the United States, Britain, France, Turkey and Germany.
Top political directors from the US, Britain and France also held low-key talks in Washington Thursday to prepare for the planned peace conference.
Even as Obama and Erdogan were meeting, Israeli officials told AFP that John Brennan, director of the US Central Intelligence Agency, had also arrived in Israel for talks on the Syrian crisis.
Obama has made strenuous efforts to court the Turkish leader but there are signs of frustration in Ankara, which is struggling under a tide of Syrian refugees, at Obama’s cautious approach on Syria.
The president has balked at providing arms and ammunition to the guerrillas, fearing they could fall into the hands of extremist elements linked to Al-Qaeda.
After meeting Erdogan, Obama gave no sign his position has changed.
“We both agree that Assad needs to go. He needs to transfer power to a transitional body,” he said. “That is the only way we’re going to resolve this crisis.”
Earlier a Turkish official told AFP Erdogan would push for direct US military aid for the rebels.
“Everyone in the international community is very much concerned, worried about the radical elements,” he said.
“We are of course concerned more than anyone else, being a neighbour of Syria — but the way to deal with that problem is not withholding your support. Not doing anything is not a solution.”
Obama has said Washington has a moral and national security incentive to stop the killing, but has demanded more evidence to stand up reports that Syrian forces have used chemical weapons, crossing a US red line.
Turkey also seems skeptical that the peace conference Washington is planning with Assad’s main ally Moscow will lead to a roadmap to a political transition.
“We have to be… realistic and very careful as to not turn this into an open-ended process which would give the opportunity to the regime to gain time and to continue its campaign of violence,” the official said.
Despite their joint peace push call, a vote on Wednesday at the United Nations underscored the lingering divide between Washington and Moscow.
Russia voted against a motion before the UN General Assembly to condemn what Arab and Western powers denounced as Assad’s “escalation” in attacks on civilians.
The vote passed despite Russian anger, but the number of states backing the motion was only 107, down from 133 when a similar vote was held in August.
In another sign of the tensions, attackers briefly abducted three UN peacekeepers in the Golan Heights, a top UN official said Thursday.
UN peacekeeping chief Herve Ladsous said the three unarmed UNTSO observers “were taken and held for approximately five hours and were released unharmed.” He did not give their nationalities, but at least one was said by New Zealand media to come from their country.
It was the third abduction of UN forces in the Golan zone in two months.
Shouldn’t Brady be charged for withholding evidence?
Was rape a crime back then? Yes it was. Was the rape of a child a crime? YES. Cardinal Brady withheld evidence of serious crimes, and ENABLED this rapist to continue raping children for many more years after Brady became aware of Smyths crimes. Brady should be arrested and charged and jailed when found guilty.
Or is there a new category of criminal, blue collar, white collar and now dog collar. It seems the last two categories are beyond the reach of the law in this state. Remember priests jailed previously in Ireland were defrocked beforehand. Heaven help us.
Late but welcomed input from Gilmore… I set up a facebook campaign 3 years ago, looking for Brady to resign, when his involvement in cover-ups broke in the media …. Call me cynical, but, now that this has been broadcast on BBC, and not RTE and TV3 (like it was 3 years ago), now, people think he should resign…. Why do we need to wait for a foreign TV station to broadcast to 100′s of millions what an absolute sham we have in this country, when we were told all these same facts 3 years ago… I can’t figure this part out… GRRRRRRRRRR
I think its because RTE and TV3 are not seen as very credible when it comes to documentary alot of the time when compared to say Channel 4 or BBC, they also air to a smaller audience then the likes of the BBC.
I know many people who just don’t watch RTE anymore and as such would not be aware of the shows they air.
Cal
I agree that it is a dis grace that an English tv channel has highlighted Brady’s involvement with Smiths cover up and his protection … I am getting more and more angry at all that is happening . Is he like so many people in ”powerful ministries” be it banking or politics or the church that he believes he is beyond retribution? e is so far removed from reality that he is not affected by the damage and reality of child rape in a victims life and the lives of family and friends . He must leave or be removed .
There are many people in Ireland unworthy of positions of authority, political opportunists and senior clerics alike.
Well, you have to start weeding them out sooner or later, or they’ll weed you out.
About time a leading politician made a clear unambiguous statement on this.
Three days ago, his backbencher TDs were on thejournal.ie arguing at length that we couldn’t just chuck the religious orders out of primary education, that we have to work with them to achieve some sort of consensus.
Now Gilmore’s saying that anyone who knew what Brady knew shouldn’t be in a position of authority.
Is it me, or do those two things seem to be mutually exclusive philosophies?
Those backbencher TD comments are here btw:
http://www.thejournal.ie/poll-indicates-three-quarters-of-parents-want-change-in-primary-school-patronage-434184-Apr2012/#comments
The sad thing is whomever would replace Brady would share the same mindset.The Vaticans defense of Brady shows nothing has changed.No one it seems to me in the church feels any wrong was done Brady therfore i feel in its present form it is doomed.
To have known and not reported this to the police and the result is this fowl human beast to continue raping innocent children is unforgivable. Brady is as guilty as if he raped these poor children himself, he should face criminal charges
Is Gilmore implying that Brady STILL has authority? Why isn’t Gilmore insisting on the complete dismantling of Brady’s architecture of child abuse concealment? In the new Ireland that Gilmore’s government is busy building, ordinary people, who have lost their jobs through no fault of their own, or who need help from the social welfare, are going to be harassed, bullied and intimidated yet those who are known to have facilitated the coverup of child abuse are just going to be subject to a bit of finger-wagging!
Not good enough Gilmore. It’s time we treated criminals for what they are and afford dignity to those who deserve it.
Martin McGuinness has also called on Cardinal Brady to “consider his position” because of wrongs committed in the 70s… Ehhh… Mr Pot, this is Mr Kettle…
Paul,
actually related to the subject….Remember Michael Woods and the “deal” with the Religious?
Pot, Kettle etc.
Paul, Gerry Adams advised his own Niece to go to the Police about the fact that his niece was being abused. I think your comment is a pretty desperate attempt to slag off SF on a topic like this. Pretty sad really. If i understand your position, you are implying Martin McGuinness shouldn’t have made any requests for Brady to stand down???
Child abuse is a very very serious matter. Dragging it into party political slagging matches is totally inappropriate.
Paul, i just read your twitter account header .. You are a proud FF member … If you consider slagging off Martin McGuinness for criticizing Brady on this issue as one of FF’s prouder moments, you are just demonstrating how little FF have learned in the last few years. I am sick to the pit of my stomach with you and your ilk. You know no bounds or depths to lower yourselves to.
Brady said he didn’t realise the damage that was caused to the children !!! He also maintains that he reported to his bishop who in his turn reported it to the norbertine order (Smith’s order) BUT Why wasa it not reported to the police .These were educated men ! Why did Sean Brady not walk into his local police / garda station and report it . He was a teacher , he was with kids , he should have known the damage smith caused.
Of course he should resign . Exercise some decorum and put his hands up and leave . He is after all only one man and should not be so proud to believe he is any thing more.
Resign? Decorum? I don’t want him to resign with decorum.
I want to see him arrested by the Gardai for failing to report a series of serious crimes against children and perverting the course of justice, and then I want to see him prosecuted for that in court by the DPP and then I want to see him in jail to send a message to the other priests and members of the RCC that Ireland is a hostile place to anyone who rapes a child.
Mark Dennehy
Apologies ! I do not mean he should resign with decorum . Obviously I have not made my self clear . He should resign if he had any dignity and leave. Failing that he should be removed. The problem here is that these guys think they are above all of us . I personally know what I would like to see happen …… However! I did not mean to give the impression that i have any sympathy for him . He is the one lacking dignity and he lacks humility.
Captain Blowhard,more hot air and no action,as usual.The Labour party way!!!
After using opinions to steal from Social Welfare Recipients for over a decade politicians display that no one could be trusted in positions of responsibility until all of the victims are found.
Eh?
All this new information about Cardinal Brady merely having the responsibility of “taking notes” during the 1975 investigation really annoys me.
The TRUTH of the matter, ironically, can be found in a Church statement from 2010 and reads as follows:
A statement from the Church in March 2010 said: “Cardinal Brady had been drafted in to CONDUCT THE INVESTIGATION because he held a doctorate in canon law”.
He says things that court popularity and he fooled a lot of people coming up to the last election.
His pronouncements on this issue have to be taken in that context.
For he knows words are cheap and easy.
What action is he prepared to demonstrate.
For action is warranted in this case.
I have no interest in what the tanaiste says.
Hah Gilmore out of his box again. And flogging a dead horse! Yet silence on the flogging of live horses…. the Irish people. Why don’t you resign Gilmore because as far as I can see you are far more dangerous than some old fop trying to hold onto his career……. oh wait……. And yes I am a disgruntled labour voter.
He should be defrocked,and expelled from ireland.He covered up for too long.
Auld Gil must have been reading the journal.ie poll…
This man Cared more fore his career than the care of children, just as guilty than Smyth.
Credit where it’s due, not often have we seen a politician come out and call it as it is. Thought I’d wait a lifetime to hear the likes of it.
What’s the difference between stating something and suggesting it ?
have your say