Kofi Annan: Paul Ryan ‘Dead Wrong’ On Syria Military Intervention

Former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, who was also the UN’s special envoy to Syria, told CNN’s Fareed Zakaria that Paul Ryan is “dead wrong” when it comes to his ideas on the Syria situation.

Annan added that the situation in Syria is much more complex than the one in Libya last year, and that military intervention, instead of helping, will likely make things worse, reports The Washington Post.

During the vice presidential debate, Republican nominee Paul Ryan stated that the US shouldn’t have waited for Kofi Annan to develop an agreement for peace, adding that the delay gave Syrian President Bashar al-Assad more time.

After saying that Ryan was “dead wrong” about Syria, the former UN special envoy to the Middle Eastern nation stated that raising the hopes of the Syrian people by making comments in favor of military intervention, while other countries are still undecided will complicate the situation.

Bloomberg BusinessWeek notes that Annan added:

“Sometimes by making these statements and raising the hope of the people that the cavalry is on the horizon, you complicate the situation.”

Annan resigned as peace envoy to Syria after his brokered peace plan between the Syrian government and rebel fighters failed. Since the start of the conflict, more than 30,000 people have been killed.

Lakhdar Brahimi, who took over for Kofi Annan as special envoy, spoke to the UN Security Council last month, saying that reducing the violence in Syria will not be possible unless the world body is united together on a plan to end the months-long conflict.

The Syria conflict has threatened to destabilize the region as tensions mount between the country and at least two of its neighbors.

The full interview with Kofi Annan, where he calls Paul Ryan “dead wrong” will air on CNN’s Fareed Zakaria GPS on Sunday.