Syria Accepts U.N. Peace Plan

The Syrian government has accepted a peace plan developed by U.N. Arab League Envoy Kofi Annan to end violence, Anan’s spokesperson told CNN on Tuesday. 

According to MSNBC, Annan has a six-point plan to end violence in Syria, and he described the details of this plan at a meeting in China on Wednesday. 

“I have a six-point plan which the Security Council has endorsed, dealing with issues of political discussions, withdrawal of heavy weapons and troops from population centers, humanitarian assistance being allowed in unimpeded, release of prisoners, freedom of movement and access to journalists to go in and out," he said to MSNBC. "So we will need to see how we move ahead and implement this agreement that they have accepted." 

According to FOX, China and Russia accepting the plan in a non binding presidential statement may have been important in nudging Syria to agree with the six point plan.  China and Russia have previously vetoed two U.N. Sanctions to stop the Syrian government’s crackdown on the yearlong uprising.

According to CNN, Many world powers would like Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to step down from his office.  However, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev doesn’t believe that him stepping down will solve the entire countries problems. 

"The internal conflict currently tearing Syrian society apart will not disappear with the departure of one or another political figure," Medvedev told CNN. "To consider that Assad's departure would solve all the problems would be very nearsighted."

Annan’s spokesperson told FOX he viewed Syria’s positive response for the plan as “an important initial step that could bring an end to the violence and the bloodshed, provide aid to the suffering, and create an environment conducive to a political dialogue that would fulfill the legitimate aspirations of the Syrian people."

Fighting continued between rebels and the Syrian government after a positive response was seen, and the fighting is beginning to spill over the border into Lebannon, according to ABC.  The U.N. told ABC that more then 8,000 people have been killed since the uprisings began last year. 

Syrian Opposition member Rami Jarah told ABC he thinks President Assad is just trying to stall for time.

"The Syrian government is going to depend on propaganda as it has over the past few months — propaganda of armed terrorists," he said to ABC. “The government denies that there is a popular uprising in the country, saying the revolt is being driven by terrorists.”