KOFI ANNAN QUITS. RUSSIA IS SHOCKED, SHOCKED!

KOFI ANNAN

QUITS AS

SPECIAL ENVOY

ON THE SYRIA CRISIS

KOFI ANNAN (r.)

speaks to

VLADIMIR PUTIN (l.)

at the 2006 Expanded G-8 Summit

St. Petersburg, Russia

Today former U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan announced his resignation from the post of U.N.-Arab League Special Envoy on the Syrian crisis (see here). "In an announcement tinged with bitterness and regret," said the New York Times, Annan "said he could no longer do the job...." According to the Los Angeles Times, Annan's quitting "appeared to be an unpleasant surprise to Russian officials...." Kofi Annan himself was critical of the "finger pointing and name calling in the Security Council."

KOFI ANNAN TO WORK ON SYRIA CRISIS

THE NEWLY-APPOINTED

U.N.-ARAB LEAGUE

ENVOY ON THE SYRIAN CRISIS

KOFI ANNAN

as

UNITED NATIONS SECRETARY-GENERAL

served from 1997-2006

Co-Winner, NOBEL PEACE PRIZE, 2001

Kofi Annan's new post has been called a "near-impossible job." He was officially chosen jointly by his successor at the U.N., Ban Ki-moon, and the head of the Arab League, Nabil Elaraby. This was part of the U.N. General Assembly work-around after the Russians and the Chinese made it impossible for the Security Council to sanction the removal of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Some discussions of Annan's record and prospects for success ("is he the right trouble shooter for Syria?") can be found here and here.