U.N. Security Council tells Syria to end attacks on opposition Annan, a former U.N. secretary general who is serving as the joint envoy for the United Nations and the Arab League, told the General Assembly that "clearly, the violence is still continuing" and that "alarming levels of casualties and other abuses continued to be reported daily." He urged member states to use whatever influence they have on all sides in the conflict to stop the fighting and enter "Syrian-led" political talks that meet "the democratic aspirations of the Syrian people." "We must silence the tanks, helicopters, mortars, guns and stop all other forms of violence, too," Annan said in his address, delivered via videolink from Geneva. I am impatient for action on commitments made. I hope both the government and the opposition understand what is at stake and seize this moment. Let us stop the killing and start serious political dialogue, for the well-being of the Syrian people. The General Assembly session underscored some of the underlying tensions between Syria and other key players at the United Nations over the course of diplomatic efforts. Before Annan spoke, Syria's U.N. envoy, Bashar al-Jaafari, appealed to the General Assembly president, Nassir Abdulaziz al-Nasser, of Qatar, to observe a minute of silence in honor of the Syrian victims of violence. The Qatari diplomat ignored the request and later had the U.N. Webcast shut off when Jaafari began to deliver his statement. An official from the French U.N. mission, meanwhile, tweeted from the room: "Endless rant by Syrian Ambassador interrupted by President of the General Assembly." U.N. officials said that the decision was not intended to silence the Syrian envoy, but that there had been no intention of broadcasting public reactions to Annan's statement. "It was an informal session which typically would be entirely behind closed doors, but because there were remarks by the president of the General Assembly and the secretary general and the joint special envoy, those remarks were televised and after that the interjections by the member states were behind closed doors," said Martin Nesirky, the United Nations" chief spokesman. It's standard procedure. The Security Council's presidential statement demands that the Syrian government "immediately and verifiably implement its commitment" to cease the use of heavy weapons against opposition elements, to stop sending military forces into towns and to "begin pullback of military concentrations in and around population centers" by April 10. It also calls on both the Syrian security forces and the armed opposition to "cease armed violence in all its forms" within 48 hours of the government completing its withdrawal from key towns. The statement throws the council's full weight behind Annan's six-point peace initiative and his plan to establish a small U.N. mission in Syria to monitor a possible cease-fire. "The U.N. Security Council underscores the importance of an effective and credible United Nations supervision mechanism in Syria to monitor the cessation of armed violence . . . by all parties," the statement said. Annan, meanwhile, said that he hopes a "full cessation of violence" can be achieved by 6 a.m. Damascus time on Thursday and that he would need a "small and nimble" monitoring mission with "freedom of movement throughout the country" to assess what unfolds after that. But he cautioned that U.N. blue berets would not be enough to stem the violence, saying "peace will not be consolidated without a credible political process." Annan's plan, which was endorsed by Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, requires the government to implement a cease-fire, engage in political talks with the opposition, release political prisoners, provide access to journalists and humanitarian relief workers and permit peaceful demonstrations. Annan said the Syrian government has informed him its has taken some steps, including the partial withdrawal of security forces from the towns of Idlib, Zabadani and Daraa. He said it has also told him it recently issued visas to 21 journalists from the United States, Europe, Russia and South Korea and plans to release prisoners "within a few weeks." "But it is clear that more far-reaching action is urgently required," Annan said.