World powers agree on Syria transition plan

UN envoy Kofi Annan says transition setup would be established in the country facing a civil war like situation.

GENEVA: World powers agreed a Syria transition plan Saturday with a unity government to include members of the present administration, although envoy Kofi Annan said he doubted Syrians would "select people with blood on their hands".

A crunch meeting in Geneva agreed that the transitional government "could include members of the present government and the opposition and other groups and shall be formed on the basis of mutual consent," Annan said.

Asked what the transition plan spelled for President Bashar al-Assad, Annan said: "The document makes it clear that we have provided guidelines and principles to assist the Syrian parties as they move ahead with the transition and establish a transition government and go through changes required.

The future of Assad "will be left to them."

Pressed if members from the regime who have engaged in repression would be part of the interim government, he said: "People with blood on their hands are hopefully not the only Syrians.

"I would doubt that Syrians... would select people with blood on their hands to lead them."

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton though said that the US would be taking the Geneva Syria plan to the UN Security Council.