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TEHRAN: UN-Arab League envoy Kofi Annan warned on Wednesday it would be "disastrous" if rebels fighting the Syrian regime were to be armed, as proposed by Saudi Arabia and Qatar.
"I've always said the militarization of the conflict will be disastrous," Annan told a news conference in Tehran during a visit to Iran, Syria's chief ally in the Middle East.
Annan, who drew up a six-point plan to end combat in Syria, said a new conflict could not be tolerated in the Middle East.
The envoy said he believed his plan could still be salvaged and be fully implemented by a deadline at 6:00 am Damascus time (0300 GMT) on Thursday if both the Syrian regime and rebels respected its terms.