US slams Syria election at UN on 10th anniv of war’s start

The US ambassador to the United Nations urged the international community not to "be fooled" by Syria's forthcoming presidential election during a Security Council meeting Monday on the 10th anniversary of the start of the conflict.

"These elections will neither be free nor fair. They will not legitimize the Assad regime," said Linda Thomas-Greenfield, referring to president Bashar al-Assad.

The diplomat told council members the elections set for this summer "do not meet the criteria laid out in Resolution 2254 -- including that they be supervised by the UN or conducted pursuant to a new constitution."

Thomas-Greenfield said the United States, which has the rotating presidency of the council, had decided to hold the monthly meeting on Syria on March 15 because it coincided with the anniversary of the beginning of the conflict in 2011.