Several countries push for sanctions against his govt

UNITED NATIONS - A humanitarian mission is readying to visit Syria on the weekend, the United Nations said, as European powers press the UN Security Council for tough sanctions against the government for its crackdown.

As a UN official announced the long-delayed mission, President Bashar al-Assad's envoy accused the West of waging a "humanitarian and diplomatic war" against the government in Damascus, which has been blamed for at least 2,000 deaths since protests started in mid-March.