The new UN special envoy to Syria has rejected criticism from opposition groups for refusing to say whether President Bashar al-Assad must resign.

Lakhdar Brahimi told the BBC that he was “not in a position to say yet” but was “committed to finding a solution”.
Mr Brahimi, a former Algerian foreign minister, last week succeeded Kofi Annan, who resigned after both sides largely ignored his peace plan.

On Sunday, UN observers ended their mission to verify its implementation. Their departure came after the UN Security Council agreed to allow their mandate to expire at midnight, and instead set up a new civilian office in Damascus to pursue political contacts which might lead to peace.

Meanwhile, Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu has said his country is struggling to cope with the influx of refugees from Syria.

Mr Davutoglu again proposed that the UN establish a safe zone inside Syria to house those fleeing the conflict because Turkey would be unable to accommodate more than 100,000 people. To date, 70,000 have fled there, most within the past month.

Syrian opposition groups have also called for safe havens, but the idea has gain little traction internationally, with Russia and China opposed.

Since being confirmed as the new UN and Arab League envoy to Syria, Mr Brahimi has acknowledged that he has no concrete ideas of how to end the conflict in Syria, which he believes has been a civil war for some time.

On Monday, he told the BBC that he was not ready to say whether President Assad should step down despite widespread international condemnation of his government’s crackdown on dissent since protests erupted in March 2011.

“I am not in a position to say yet, because I was appointed a couple of days ago. I am going to New York for the first time to see the people who I am going to work for, and I am going to Cairo see the Arab League,” he explained.

After announcing his resignation, Mr Brahimi’s predecessor, Kofi Annan, said: “It is clear that President Bashar al-Assad must leave office.”

The main opposition coalition, the Syrian National Council (SNC), said Mr Brahimi’s stance showed “disregard for the blood of the Syrian people and their right of self-determination” and demanded he apologise.

“Whoever gives this criminal regime an opportunity to kill tens of thousands more Syrians and destroy what is left of Syria does not want to recognise the extent of the tragedy,” an SNC statement said.
Mr Brahimi stressed that he was “committed to finding a solution full stop”.

“I am a mediator. I haven’t joined any Syrian party. I am a mediator and a mediator has to speak to anybody and everybody without influence or interest,” he added.

“Then I’ll make up my mind about what to say and what to do.”
UK intelligence helping Syria rebels against Assad regime

British intelligence on Syrian troop movements is playing a major role in helping the country’s rebel groups in their fight against President Bashar al-Assad’s regime, it has emerged.

According to an official, intelligence on troop movements is being passed from British authorities’ Cyprus bases to the rebel troops of the Free Syrian Army through Turkey.

“British intelligence is observing things closely from Cyprus. It’s very useful because they find out a great deal,” the official told The Sunday Times.

“The British are giving the information to the Turks and the Americans and we are getting it from the Turks,” he added.
The official said that most valuable intelligence till date has been regarding the movements of troops loyal to Assad towards Aleppo city, which is partly controlled by rebels, the Daily Mail reports.

According to the paper, the UK has two sovereign military bases in Cyprus at Dhekelia and Akrotiri.
They draw intelligence from the airwaves for GCHQ, Britain’s listening post in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire.
According to the paper, the official said rebel forces in Aleppo had also received US satellite imagery, which the Turks had passed on from the CIA.