Saturday, 05 November 2011
Handcuffed Syrians lie on the ground after being arrested in the northwestern village of Baida in a security crackdown amid pro-reform protests. (AFP)
The Arab League chief on Saturday urged Syria to implement a plan it had agreed with Arab states to put an end of deadly violence against pro-democracy protesters by withdrawing troops from the streets and starting dialogue with the opposition.
League Secretary-General Nabil Elaraby, in a statement, expressed his “serious worry over the continuing violence” in Syria and “appealed to the Syrian government over the need to take immediate steps to protect civilians.”
League Secretary-General Nabil Elaraby, in a statement, expressed his “serious worry over the continuing violence” in Syria and “appealed to the Syrian government over the need to take immediate steps to protect civilians.”
“The failure of the Arab solution would lead to catastrophic results for the situation in Syria and the region as a whole,” he said referring to a League plan that Syrian had agreed to, adding that the League want to ensure Syria’s security and avoid “foreign intervention.”
Elaraby’s statement came amid continuous deadly crackdown against protesters throughout the country. On Saturday seven were reportedly killed in tanks shelled the neighborhood of Bab Amro in Homs.
“At least three civilians were killed by gunfire and heavy machinegun fire in the Baba Amro neighborhood of Homs,” the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said in a statement received by AFP in Nicosia.
“The sound of explosions was also heard in the area of Karm al-Zaitun” in the flashpoint central city, it said.
In the northwestern province of Idlib, near the Turkish border, “four (Shabiha) militiamen loyal to the regime were killed by suspected deserters in the town of Saraqeb,” added the Britain-based Observatory.
On Friday, Syrian troops killed at least 23 people when demonstrators took to the streets denouncing “despots and tyrants,” as world powers cast doubt on the regime’s commitment to the peace deal agreed with the Arab League.
The plan calls for an end to violence, the release of those detained, the withdrawal of the army from urban areas and free movement for observers and the media, as well as talks between the regime and opposition.
Members of the U.N. Human Rights Council said they seek to “shine a spotlight” on violations in Syria as a U.N. commission of inquiry prepared to file later this month a report on the violence-wracked country.
Syria’s interior ministry announced an amnesty on Friday for people who surrender their weapons between Saturday and November 12 in a concession to mark the Eid al-Adha feast, state television reported.
In response, the United States advised Syrians against surrendering to President Bashar al-Assad’s regime.
“I wouldn’t advise anybody to turn themselves in to regime authorities at the moment,” said spokeswoman Victoria Nuland, adding Assad’s regime had so far failed to live up to a deal to end eight months of violence struck on Wednesday.
“This would be about the fourth amnesty that they’ve offered since I took this job about five months ago,” she told reporters. “So we’ll see if it has any more traction than it’s had in the past.”
Damascus hit back on Saturday, strongly condemning U.S. statements. “The American administration disclosed again its blatant interference in Syria’s internal affairs, and its policy which supports killing, in addition to its funding of the terrorist groups in Syria,” SANA state news agency reported, citing a foreign ministry official.
“The Syrian government calls on the international community to stand against these policies which contradict with the provisions of the international law and the U.N. Security Council’s resolutions related to combating terrorism and financing it,” the Agency added.
Elaraby’s statement came amid continuous deadly crackdown against protesters throughout the country. On Saturday seven were reportedly killed in tanks shelled the neighborhood of Bab Amro in Homs.
“At least three civilians were killed by gunfire and heavy machinegun fire in the Baba Amro neighborhood of Homs,” the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said in a statement received by AFP in Nicosia.
“The sound of explosions was also heard in the area of Karm al-Zaitun” in the flashpoint central city, it said.
In the northwestern province of Idlib, near the Turkish border, “four (Shabiha) militiamen loyal to the regime were killed by suspected deserters in the town of Saraqeb,” added the Britain-based Observatory.
On Friday, Syrian troops killed at least 23 people when demonstrators took to the streets denouncing “despots and tyrants,” as world powers cast doubt on the regime’s commitment to the peace deal agreed with the Arab League.
The plan calls for an end to violence, the release of those detained, the withdrawal of the army from urban areas and free movement for observers and the media, as well as talks between the regime and opposition.
Members of the U.N. Human Rights Council said they seek to “shine a spotlight” on violations in Syria as a U.N. commission of inquiry prepared to file later this month a report on the violence-wracked country.
Syria’s interior ministry announced an amnesty on Friday for people who surrender their weapons between Saturday and November 12 in a concession to mark the Eid al-Adha feast, state television reported.
In response, the United States advised Syrians against surrendering to President Bashar al-Assad’s regime.
“I wouldn’t advise anybody to turn themselves in to regime authorities at the moment,” said spokeswoman Victoria Nuland, adding Assad’s regime had so far failed to live up to a deal to end eight months of violence struck on Wednesday.
“This would be about the fourth amnesty that they’ve offered since I took this job about five months ago,” she told reporters. “So we’ll see if it has any more traction than it’s had in the past.”
Damascus hit back on Saturday, strongly condemning U.S. statements. “The American administration disclosed again its blatant interference in Syria’s internal affairs, and its policy which supports killing, in addition to its funding of the terrorist groups in Syria,” SANA state news agency reported, citing a foreign ministry official.
“The Syrian government calls on the international community to stand against these policies which contradict with the provisions of the international law and the U.N. Security Council’s resolutions related to combating terrorism and financing it,” the Agency added.
Turkey
Meanwhile, Turkey is hardening its stance against former ally Syria, laying the ground for Syrian dissidents including army defectors and readying to announce new measures against Damascus.
“We cannot remain a mere bystander” to the developments unfolding in Syria, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said in Berlin during an official visit on Wednesday.
“We believe it is necessary to implement certain sanctions” against Assad’s regime, whose crackdown on protests has claimed more than 3,000 lives since mid-March, according to the United Nations, he said.
Erdogan however did not elaborate on what kind of sanctions he was mulling against his former “friend” Bashar.
Turkey had enjoyed good relations with its neighbor before the uprising began, holding joint cabinet meetings, abolishing visas and fostering trade.
Erdogan had been expected to announce sanctions as early as October on a planned visit to Syrian refugee camps, but escalating Kurdish rebel attacks and a devastating earthquake which killed more than 600 in Turkey’s east put them on hold.
“We cannot remain a mere bystander” to the developments unfolding in Syria, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said in Berlin during an official visit on Wednesday.
“We believe it is necessary to implement certain sanctions” against Assad’s regime, whose crackdown on protests has claimed more than 3,000 lives since mid-March, according to the United Nations, he said.
Erdogan however did not elaborate on what kind of sanctions he was mulling against his former “friend” Bashar.
Turkey had enjoyed good relations with its neighbor before the uprising began, holding joint cabinet meetings, abolishing visas and fostering trade.
Erdogan had been expected to announce sanctions as early as October on a planned visit to Syrian refugee camps, but escalating Kurdish rebel attacks and a devastating earthquake which killed more than 600 in Turkey’s east put them on hold.
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