UK's Hague going to U.N. to push Syria resolution

LONDON (Reuters) - Foreign Secretary William Hague will attend a United Nations Security Council session in New York Tuesday to lend support to a draft resolution calling for a political transition in Syria, Britain said Monday.

"The Foreign Secretary is travelling to New York to ... show support for the Arab League and their work to bring a peaceful and Syrian-led solution to the current crisis," said a spokeswoman for Prime Minister David Cameron.

A Foreign Office spokeswoman said Hague wanted to lend support to a draft European-Arab resolution presented to the Security Council by Morocco Friday.

France and Britain drew up the resolution in consultation with Qatar and Morocco, as well as Germany, Portugal and the United States. France's foreign minister, Alain Juppe, is also due to attend Tuesday's Council meeting to try to push through the resolution.

"We believe the U.N. must act to support the people of Syria and that Russia can no longer explain blocking the U.N. and providing cover for the regime's brutal repression," Cameron's spokeswoman said.

Russia and China, which like France and Germany are permanent members of the council, vetoed a European-drafted resolution in October that condemned Syria and threatened it with sanctions. Russia Monday proposed talks in Moscow between the Syrian government and opposition.

The new European-Arab draft resolution would have the council endorse the Arab League's call for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to transfer his powers to his deputy in order to form a unity government and prepare for elections.

The United Nations says more than 5,000 people have been killed in a 10-month crackdown on anti-government protesters. The government says more than 2,000 members of the security forces have been killed by armed "terrorists."

(Reporting by Adrian Croft; Editing by Kevin Liffey)