By Wil Longbottom

Last updated at 8:20 AM on 23rd November 2011

'Syria-phobia': Ambassdor Bashar Ja'afari has accused Britain of waging a diplomatic war against his country

Syria's ambassador to the UN accused Britain of declaring political and diplomatic war against his country by sponsoring a resolution that condemns its human rights abuses.

Bashar Ja'afari said Britain, France and Germany were 'suffering from Syria-phobia' at a meeting of the UN General Assembly's human rights committee.

The non-binding resolution is expected to be adopted when all 193 member states vote later today and was also con-sponsored by Syria's fellow Arab nations Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Jordan and Bahrain.

Peter Wittig, Germany's ambassador to the UN, told the committee the international community must respond to the 'terrible atrocities' in Syria, where an estimated 3,500 people have been killed.

Last week, the 22-member Arab League decided to suspend Syria over its brutal crackdown and threatened economic sanctions if the regime continued to violate a peace plan.

Mr Ja'afari said the resolution was introduced 'in the context of declaring a political and media and diplomatic war on my country'.

President Assad blames the unrest on armed gangs carrying out a foreign agenda that seeks to destabilise Syria.

The uprising has been largely peaceful, but has grown increasingly militarised with army defectors fighting back and some protesters taking up arms.

Unrest: Thousands of protesters march in Kafranbel as calls for President Assad to step down increase

Brutal: Syrian President Bashar Assad's forces have killed an estimated 3,500 protesters after six months of demonstrations

The draft resolution calls on Syrian authorities to implement the Arab initiative, agreed earlier this month, 'without further delay'.

It calls for the withdrawal of tanks from the streets, the release of political prisoners, a halt on attacks on civilians and allowing observers into Syria.

And it 'strongly condemns the continued grave and systematic human rights violations by the Syrian authorities, such as arbitrary executions, excessive use of force and the killing and persecution of protesters and human rights defenders...'

It comes as Turkey's prime minister, who has been an outspoken critic of President Bashar Assad's eight-month crackdown on civilians, called for the first time for him to step down.

Recep Tayyip Ergodan reminded Assad of the bloody end of Libyan leader Moammar Gaddafi, as well as other dictators.

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