Russian Ambassador Vitaly Churkin on Monday described a draft resolution by his western colleagues on the situation in Syria as "stepping stone" for a military intervention "Iraq style" and vowed to veto it.

Churkin, in an out from an informal Council meeting to discuss a western draft resolution on Syria under Chapter 7, told reporters waiting outside "I don't see any point in my personal participation in this. I made it very clear that Chapter 7 reference in draft resolution is absolutely unacceptable to us." He said they "want to attach their individual political agendas, then they don't want that Mission to continue," in reference to the UN Supervision in Syria (UNSMIS) whose mandate expires on July 20.

Council Western members circulated a draft resolution, under Chapter 7 of the UN Charter, that would renew UNSMIS mandate for 45 days and threaten to impose sanctions on Damascus if it does not pull its heavy weapons from the streets in 10 days from the adoption of the resolution.

"I made it very clear that we are going to vote against their draft and we are not going to be the only one," he indicated, adding "This is seen by some as a stepping stone for military intervention. It is not in line with Geneva communique of June 30," adding "their idea is to get rid of the monitoring Mission." "We are not going to share the responsibility for what's going to happen in Syria. They were asking for Security Council authorization for the invasion of Iraq (in 2003). They didn't get. They are not going to get authorization of the invasion of Syria this time around," he stressed.

"This is their decision to make, but it is counter-productive and wrong and I don't want to participate in that. We are not interested in discussing their text," he said.

"We don't want to engage in some kind of diplomatic competition in the Security Council. This is a serious matter, and the task we have is very simple and this is to extend the UN monitoring Mission." He speculated that the situation can develop in three ways: "a protracted sectarian and civil conflict, a massive military intervention along the Iraqi scenario and the third is dialogue and implement what was said in the Geneva communique." But, he added, "if you set the goal of changing regime by force no matter what, you have your geo-political agenda, then you do what you have to do. But it they want us to approve of their sanctions and policy of forcible regime change, this is not going to happen." He said there is a Russian draft on the table as well which is now in blue, ready for a vote.

"We are prepared to go for a simple draft resolution which would extend the mandate of the UN monitors," he said.

He indicated that one new element in the Russian draft is to start dealing from one locality to another, to arrange synchronized separation of government and opposition forces, as proposed by President Assad to Annan during his most recent visit.

"That would be a new way to change the dynamic of the situation," he said.
According to US sources, the Russian draft does not have nine votes.