Syria heading for ‘all-out’ civil war, says peace envoy

Mr Annan today told a meeting of members of the Arab League: “The spectre of an all-out war, with an alarming sectarian dimension, grows by the day.”

Across the border, in Tripoli, Lebanon, eight people were killed and as many as 40 wounded in the port city in clashes involving gunmen between those supporting and opposed to Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad.

The death toll in Tripoli is the highest in a single day in Lebanon, and comes after a number of skirmishes related to the Syrian crisis. Fears that the unrest is spilling over into its smaller neighbour have been growing.

Mr Annan’s warning, which appears to admit in part that his ceasefire agreement is destined to fail, came as Burhan Ghalioun, of the Syrian National Council, warned that Russia was making the problem worse.

“With its support of the regime and for [President] Assad remaining, Russia has become part of the problem rather than part of the solution,” he said. “If it cooperates to find a formula that makes Assad leave, it will become part of the solution.”

Mr Ghalioun’s warning came after Russia’s President Vladimir Putin resisted diplomatic pressure from Western nations to support tougher action against Syria’s government.

At a meeting of the United Nations human rights council, Russia, along with China and Cuba, voted against a resolution to hold an international criminal inquiry into the brutal massacre of more than 108 women, children and other civilians in the town of Houla. The resolution was approved by 41 of the 47 members.

Watch Alex Thomson's eye-witness account: The searing grief of Houla's survivors

‘Supply of arms’

Fears that the 16-month crisis is heading for an all-out sectarian civil war have been growing by the day. Diplomats have been frantically attempting to bring an end to the crisis, with Western leaders increasingly signalling that they may be prepared to use military force against President Assad’s regime if necessary.

But Russia and China are firmly against that option, arguing that Mr Annan’s peace plan requires more time to be allowed to work.

US Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, has accused Moscow of providing weapons and cover for killings blamed on pro-government militia and Syrian troops.

“The continued supply of arms from Russia has strengthened the Assad regime,” she said, adding that “serious concerns” had been raised.

Russia denies that it has been providing military support to Syria.

Last night, a US government website published what it said was photographic evidence of mass graves and attacks on civilian areas by Syrian government forces.

Operated by a bureau of the State Department, the website published overhead photos, said to be taken earlier this week by commercial satellite.

They were said to show mass graves dug up following the massacre at Houla, which has sparked widespread international condemnation since it emerged eight days ago.

A new poll in France – which spearheaded the campaign to militarily intervene in Libya last year – has suggested that the majority of people polled believe the country should launch military action in Syria.