Annan quits saying Syria peace deserved more support

NEAR ALEPPO, Syria (AFP) - Former United Nations (UN) chief Kofi Annan said on Thursday he was quitting as international envoy for Syria, complaining that his April peace plan had not received the support it deserved from major powers.

As the Syrian army deployed fighter jets against rebels armed with tanks around the commercial capital Aleppo, Mr Annan regretted an "increasing militarisation" of the 17-month conflict.

He also hit out at "continuous finger-pointing and name-calling" at the UN Security Council which he said had prevented coordinated action to end the bloodshed, but his resignation sparked a new round of recriminations amongst the major powers.

"I did not receive all the support that the cause deserved," Mr Annan told a hastily scheduled press conference in Geneva after his resignation was announced by UN chief Ban Ki Moon at UN headquarters in New York.