YEMEN AND SYRIA ALSO FACING REVOLT

CH4 REPORTS HEAVY FIGHTING NEAR JISR AL SHUGOUR,TESTERDAY 120 MEMBERS OF SECURITY FORCES KILLED,THOUSANDS HAVE FLEE TO TURKEY

Syria: Euro Nations' UN Bid To End Violence
Comments6:39am UK, Thursday June 09, 2011

European nations have condemned Syria's deadly crackdown on protesters at a meeting of the United Nations Security Council, in a fresh bid to increase pressure on President Bashar Assad's regime.

Britain, together with France, Germany and Portugal, introduced the text at a closed meeting of the Security Council in New York.

UN diplomats said the new draft is aimed at winning more support for the resolution in the UN Security Council and avoiding a Russian veto.

It came as residents of the village of Jisr al-Shughour fled into neighbouring Turkey, fearing a massacre of anti-regime protesters following an army mutiny.

Activists say elite Syrian forces are heading for the town, while Turkey says it is preparing for a mass influx of refugees.

Speaking of the UN resolution earlier, and in a pointed reference to efforts to secure Russian backing for it, Prime Minister David Cameron said: "If anyone votes against that resolution or tries to veto it, that should be on their conscience."



Syrian refugees wait to enter Turkey on the border


The draft resolution condemns the repression and demands humanitarian access, Mr Cameron said.

But it was unclear how Russia, which holds a veto, would vote. Citing Nato's inconclusive bombing of Tripoli, Moscow said it will not back intervention against Syria in the Security Council.

Syria's draconian media blockade means it is impossible to know for sure what happened in Jisr al-Shughour in the northwest of Syria.

State media has said 120 soldiers were ambushed and killed by armed gangs.

But witnesses in the town claim the army attacked its own soldiers after they refused to open fire on unarmed protesters.



Protesters want President Bashar al-Assad to step down


Syria is in the grips of the worst unrest in decades, after almost three months of protests and bloody repression by the Assad regime struggling to maintain its grip on power.

Activists say more than 1,000 people have been killed and more than 10,000 detained.

There is no way of verifying those claims since foreign journalists have been barred from entering the country.

If an army mutiny is under way or has happened in northern Syria it will be a serious escalation in the situation and a significant threat to the Assad regime.

European nations have condemned Syria's deadly crackdown on protesters in a bid to increase pressure on President Bashar Assad's regime.

'Deaths In New Syria Crackdown' Amid Demos
21 Comments9:32pm UK, Friday June 10, 2011

Dominic Waghorn, Middle East correspondent

More than 20 people are reported to have been killed by the Syrian military as thousands of anti-government protesters took part in demonstrations.

It comes as Turkey braces itself for many more refugees after a day of fierce unrest in the north of Syria.

Syrian forces reportedly shelled the town of Maaret al-Nuuman and opened fire on protests nationwide, killing at least 28 people, activists said.

About 2,800 Syrians have streamed across the border into Turkey, some of them fearful they said of reprisals to be carried out by their own military.

Thousands of protesters overwhelmed security officers and torched the courthouse and police station in Maaret al-Numan, according to an opposition figure quoted by the Associated Press.

The army responded with tank shells.



Syrian refugees wait to enter Turkey on the border


Syria's official news agency SANA reported that "gatherings of scores of citizens took place in a number of provinces after Friday Prayers, chanting various slogans".

It was the most honest official admission yet that the protests are nationwide.

Syria's state-run television reported that gunmen opened fire on police stations in Maaret al-Numan, causing casualties among security officials.

Twenty-five miles to the west in the same province, Syrian troops backed by dozens of tanks massed outside the virtually deserted town of Jisr al-Shughour and shelled nearby villages.

Syrian authorities said that "armed gangs" killed more than 120 security personnel in the town earlier this week.

But campaigners said scores of civilians had been killed after some soldiers refused to shoot at protesters and fighting broke out between loyalist and mutinous forces.


The Syrian Army units involved in the operation to 'secure' the northern town of Jisr al-Shughour will be dominated by soldiers from the ruling minority Allawite sect.

Sky News foreign affairs editor Tim Marshall
New footage emerging YouTube apparently filmed by soldiers shows them abusing and beating terrified prisoners.

"Here's your request for freedom" one soldier says kicking his captive.

'This one's for the martyrs' he says as he does it again.

Syria's military is acting with utter impunity it seems.

The soldiers complete their brutal ritual posing for showing their faces in a final team photo.



Protesters want President Bashar Assad to step down


Despite the brutality, Syrian demonstrators remain defiant.

Protesting in their hundreds and thousands in Homs, central Syria, Deraa where the unrest began and in the capital Damascus after Friday prayers.

The latest reports of a government crackdown intensified international concerns over Syria's handling of the protests.

Britain, France, Germany and Portugal have asked the UN Security Council to condemn President Bashar Assad, although veto-wielding Russia has said it would oppose such a move.
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Why is it Russia veto"s everything? Too many memories of their own treatment of dissidents?

US Denounces 'Outrageous' Syrian Violence
Comments5:59am UK, Saturday June 11, 2011

The Obama administration has strongly denounced what it called the Syrian government's "outrageous use of violence" and voiced support for a UN Security Council resolution.

The European-drafted proposal for the Security Council condemns the crackdown and calls for it to be halted.

"The Syrian government is leading Syria on a dangerous path," the White House said in a statement.

Elite Syrian forces moved swiftly through the country's restive north on Friday, raining tank shells on rebellious towns, torching farmland and shooting protesters who tried to tear down a poster of President Bashar al Assad, activists and refugees said.



Syrian refugees wait to enter Turkey on the border


At least 32 people were killed, activists said, and undaunted protests extended to every major city in Syria.

The leader of neighbouring Turkey, angered by violence that has sent more than 4,000 Syrians streaming across the border, accused the Assad regime of "savagery".

There are also unconfirmed reports of Syrian forces using helicopter gunships to suppress protests for the first time since activists began to rise up against the regime.

President Bashar al Assad has also been avoiding calls from UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon.

UN spokesman Martin Nesirky said that Mr Ban tried to reach President Assad several times, but he would not come to the phone.



Protesters want President Bashar Assad to step down


"The Secretary General has been keen to speak to Assad. He tried to place a call yesterday but unfortunately the president was not available," Mr Nesirky said.

"He tried to place the call more than one time but he was not available."

The UN Secretary General issued a note highlighting his deep concern over the continuing violence in Syria and its heavy toll on the civilian population and called on the government to respect the rights of the Syrian people.

T.V>News Report

Another bloodbath in Syria, U.N. asking if aid Workers can be allowed inside to help tend the wounded. Turkey very worried about the number of Refugees on their Border with Syria.

I SAW ON SKY NEWS ABOUT DEFECTING SOLDIERS ETC IN JISR-AL-SHUGOUR AREA SAYING HOW THEY REVOLTED AND ARE LAYING TRAPS AGAINST GOVERNMENT FORCES.
SOUNDS AS IF THERE WILL BE MORE FIGHTING IN AREA.

Sky News

Inside Syria

Comments

5:56pm UK, Wednesday June 15, 2011
Sky News has been inside Syria where thousands of people have been fleeing an apparent violent crackdown on anti-government protests.

The military action began last week, when the Syrian army accused armed gangs of killing 120 security officers in the town of Jisr al Shughour.

That led to days of heavy shelling by Syrian troops. Some 8,500 civilians fled the village and crossed the Turkish border into makeshift camps.

Sky's chief correspondent Stuart Ramsay has spent the last few days with those refugees in Guvecci.

But despite a ban on foreign broadcasters entering the country, earlier in the day he managed to cross the border into Syria, travelling to just a few miles away from Jisr al Shughour.

He said: "We're in one of the many refugee camps that have sprung up along the border with Turkey.

"People have been sleeping rough here for quite a long time. The longer they are here the more they get 'stuck in' and have homes to live in.

"There are tarpaulin-covered tents. There is a medical centre, and distribution of food from Turkey.

Sky's Stuart Ramsay in Syria

Sky's Stuart Ramsay in Syria

He added: "Quite a lot of families will send their sons and husbands to Turkey to get food and bring it back.

"The people here feel safe because they are not far away from Turkey.

"We've been driving through a number of towns to Jisr al Shughour.

"They are virtually empty and there is this sense of fear because the Syrian army is not very far away.

"They have been moving through villages, clearing people away and pushing them towards the Turkish border.

"It's pretty miserable here - but the people at least feel safe away from the main towns."

ON ITV OR BBC NEWS THEY SHOWED A RUDIMENTARY ROADBLOCK/DEFENCES BY SOME REBELS IN THE HILLS,SYRIAN COULD EASILY OVERRAN THE PLACE

Actress Angelina Jolie visited one of the Turkish refugee camps on Friday in her capacity as a United Nations (UN) goodwill ambassador.

Officials said the Syrians are given three meals a day, medical care, hot water and access to washing machines and televisions.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said nearly 1,300 civilians and 340 security force members have been killed in the country since March.

Authorities in Syria have blamed the unrest on armed groups and Islamists, backed by foreign powers.

Most international journalists have been banned from reporting from the country, so accounts from activists and officials can not be verified.

Syria Crackdown: Forces 'Kill 15 Protesters'
39 Comments8:27am UK, Saturday June 25, 2011

Further evidence has emerged of the violent tactics being used to suppress anti-government protests in Syria.

:: Video warning: This report contains footage of a protester allegedly shot dead.
Video footage has been placed online by activists, claiming to show the clampdown on demonstrations that left 15 people dead.

According to reports, Syrian security forces opened fire as thousands of anti-government protesters took to the streets after Friday prayers.

In a weekly ritual of defiance amid demands for President Bashar al Assad to be ousted, a number of people - including a young child - were reported to have been shot dead.

An activists' group said it had the names of 14 civilians killed in the city of Homs, the town of Kiswa south of Damascus and in the residential district of Barzeh in the capital.

Another protester was shot dead in the town of Qusair, the group said.


Jeremy Thompson In Syria's Capital Damascus
Syrian state TV blamed the killings in Barzeh on armed men who authorities say are behind the violence in the three-month uprising.

It added that members of the security forces were wounded.

Meanwhile, America has warned the crisis in Syria is in danger of escalating as pro-Assad troops were reportedly massing near the Turkish border where thousands of refugees have fled the violence.

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said the reported move by Syria to surround and target the border town of Khirbat al Joz marks a worrying new phase of Syria's attempt to quash anti-regime protests.



Syrian soldiers at police outpost near mountains on Syrian side of Turkish border


"If true, that aggressive action will only exacerbate the already unstable refugee situation in Syria," Mrs Clinton said.

"Unless the Syrian forces immediately end their attacks and their provocations that are not only now affecting their own citizens but (raising) the potential of border clashes, then we're going to see an escalation of conflict in the area."

The European Union said it had expanded its sanctions list, targeting seven more people and four companies.

It brings to 34 the number faced with an asset freeze and travel ban, including President Assad.


What is remarkable about this week’s protests is how close they have come into the heart of the Syrian capital.

Read blog by Sky's Dominic Waghorn
The EU also has an embargo on the sales of arms and equipments that can be used to suppress demonstrations.

Most foreign journalists are banned from the country and local media is restricted.

Sky's Jeremy Thompson is one of the first foreign journalists allowed into the country since protests began.

He is operating under the supervision of the Syrian government.

He said: "There was a call from the opposition for a general strike and that has been going on for the last few days.


Arab Spring: Sam Kiley in Tripoli
"They feel one of the great areas of vulnerability for President Assad's government is the economy.

"If they can do damage to the economy, it weakens his hold over the country and that may well weaken his support by some of the business elite."

Thompson added said that despite the international concern about what is happening in Syria, there is no sign of intervention - in contrast to what has happened in Libya.

Sky's Sam Kiley is in Tripoli and said the reason for that is partly because Libyan leader Colonel Gaddafi is a "friendless leader".



Anti-government protests continue inside Syria


"Bashar al Assad is in a more strategically delicate area, bordering Lebanon and Israel,"he said. "It is a much more complicated situation.

"The issue in Libya is that the intervention was motivated to protect civilians but also to get a resolution to the chaos which was unfolding there."

Hundreds of terrified refugees have crossed into Turkey in the last few days to escape an army crackdown, according to eyewitnesses.

A Turkish Red Crescent official said about 600 Syrians had crossed the border on Thursday morning.

Syrian troops stormed the village of Managh, nine miles south of the border and just north of the commercial hub of Aleppo, according to residents.



Turkish Red Crescent truck drives past Syrian refugee camp at border zone with Syria


"I was contacted by relatives from Managh. Armoured personnel carriers are firing their machine guns randomly and people are fleeing the village in all directions," an Aleppo resident said.

The Turkish Foreign Ministry said the border remains open and refugees continued to arrive.

Human rights groups say more than 1,300 civilians have been killed across Syria since mid-March

More Protesters Killed In Syrian Uprising

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11:39pm UK, Friday July 22, 2011
Two civilians were killed and dozens more injured after protesters took to
the streets of Syria after Friday prayers for the second consecutive week.





Protesters marched through the streets across Syria
following Friday prayers

The deaths happened as Syrian security forces used violence to disperse the
tens of thousands of demonstrators that defied a massive security crackdown and
rallied for the downfall of President Bashar al-Assad's regime.
One demonstrator was knifed to death outside the Amneh mosque in the second
city of Aleppo in the west, a rights activist said.
While another was shot dead by security forces in the central city of Homs,
which has seen some of the most intense fighting as the regime tries to stamp
out the revolt.
Security forces also reportedly wounded several more when they fired on
demonstrators in Idlib in the northwest.
Some 400,000 people massed in a central square in Deir Ezzor, a northeastern
city previously home to some of the largest anti-regime protests.



The protests against the president were held right across
the country


At the same time, gunfire was heard in the southern town of Deraa, where the
protest movement was first sparked on March 15.
It was the second consecutive week pro-demonstrators rallied across the
country after Friday prayers.
Last week saw the largest crowds yet with 32 people reportedly killed.
In an apparent effort to avoid a repeat of that, soldiers and security forces
deployed heavily across the country as early as dawn.
But it did not stop protesters from hitting the streets with some residents
setting up stone barricades and closing off roads with garbage containers to
keep security forces out.



Protesters are calling for the end of President Bashar
al-Assad's regime


Over the past week, activists say up to 50 people have been killed in Homs,
including seven mourners at a funeral, as pro-regime military gunmen launched a
massive crackdown in the city.
The French Foreign Ministry has come out and assailed the actions of the
Syrian government in Homs.
The ministry said in a statement that it condemns "repression by the Syrian
authorities, who continue ... to arrest and kill their own population
daily."
It added: "The army and other security forces will have to account for their
actions."

Nations Condemn Brutal Syrian Crackdown

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7:26am UK, Monday August 01, 2011

The international community has condemned a brutal crackdown on Syrian
protesters that left more than 80 people dead.










:: Warning: This video contains footage of injured
bodies

The tank assault in the city of Hama, where President Bashar al Assad's
father crushed an Islamist uprising 19 years ago, was one of the bloodiest days
of the five-month long revolt.

Witnesses said snipers were shooting from rooftops and tanks
fired their machine guns at random on Sunday.

US President Barack Obama said in a statement he was "appalled by the use of
violence and brutality" against the Syrian people.

"The reports out of Hama are horrifying and demonstrate the true character of
the Syrian regime," he said.



Tanks ambushed the city of Hama, killing at least 45
protesters



"Once again, President Assad has shown that he is completely incapable and
unwilling to respond to the legitimate grievances of the Syrian people.

"His use of torture, corruption and terror puts him on the wrong side of
history and his people."

Foreign Secretary William Hague condemned the "shocking" attacks, saying
there was "no justification" for them.

He also called on President Assad to "stop this assault on his own
people".

Germany has requested the UN Security Council meet later today to discuss the
worsening violence in the country.



A truck on fire in the city of Hama where Syrian forces
launched an assault



The European Union plans to extend sanctions against Syria on Monday by
imposing asset freezes and travel bans on five more officials.

Measures targeting Assad, at least two dozen officials and Syrian firms
linked to the military, are already in place.

In southern Syria, rights campaigners said security forces had killed three
civilians when they stormed houses in the town of al-Hirak, 20 miles (35km)
northeast of Deraa.

There were also claims soldiers threw nail bombs at anti-government
protesters in a suburb of of the capital Damascus.







l

100 Demonstators killed in Syria yesterday. Other Middle East Countries showing concern/ Saudi Arabia has withdrawn its Ambassador, saying level
of violence is unacceptable.

Kuwait has also condemned Assam for the killing of so many civilians., Arab League also condemns the action.

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2:59pm UK, Monday August 08, 2011

Pressure is mounting on Syrian president Bashar al-Assad as key leaders in
the region have moved to strongly condemn ongoing violence in the country.










Kuwait's foreign minister announced on Monday that his country would be
recalling their ambassador due to the "unacceptable" situation in troubled
Syria.

Sheikh Khaled bin Ahmad Al-Khalifa added: "There will be a meeting in the
near future for Gulf foreign ministers to discuss the developments in
Syria."

Meanwhile, Bahrain's envoy to Syria has left the country for
"consultations".

The moves follow the actions of King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia summoned his
ambassador in the country to return.

King Abdullah issued a written statement condemning the situation in Syria,
saying it was "not acceptable".

He also demanded President Assad's regime starts to make concessions to the
opposition.



There have been protests all over Syria demanding regime
change



"Syria should think wisely before it's too late and issue and enact reforms
that are not merely promises but actual reforms," he said.

There have been reports of renewed violence in the city of Deir-el Zour, in
the east of the country, where more than 50 people have been killed in the past
few days.

An estimated 1,700 people have died in anti-government protests over the last
five months with more than 300 deaths reported in the last week alone.

However, the Syrian regime denies the claims and says it is fighting armed
extremists and criminals who are attacking its troops.

King Abdullah's warning increases the international pressure on President
Assad, whose family have ruled the country for four decades.

A US state department official said the Saudi intervention showed the
violence would not be ignored.

"This is another clear sign that the international community, including
Syria's neighbours, are repulsed by the brutal actions of the Syrian government
and will continue to stand with the people of Syria," he said

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7:05pm UK, Saturday August 13, 2011

At least 20 protesters have been killed in a fresh crackdown by security
forces in Syria during another day of anti-regime demonstrations, human rights
groups say.










:: No commentary on the above video.

Tens of thousands of people gathered in the capital Damascus, as well as
Homs, Hama and other cities calling for President Bashar al Assad to be
executed.

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is urging countries to stop buying Syria's oil and gas - but has stopped short of calling
for the leader to step down.

British Prime Minister David Cameron and US President Barack Obama repeated
their calls for an "immediate" halt to the bloodshed.

Some of the biggest protests on Friday were on the outskirts of Hama and in
the eastern city of Deir el Zour, where government forces seized control in
major military offensives during the past week.

However, within Hama, protesters struggled to turn out in large numbers after
soldiers clamped down heavily in the streets, witnesses said.

Snipers were stationed on rooftops, and troops surrounded mosques and set up
checkpoints to head off any marches, it was claimed.



Syrian soldiers pictured leaving Hama earlier in the
week



"There are security checkpoints every 200 metres, they have lists and they're
searching people ... the mosques are surrounded by soldiers," a Hama-based
activist said.

Security forces quickly broke up protests around Damascus, in the central
city of Homs and elsewhere, firing bullets and tear gas.

Five protesters were reportedly killed outside Damascus, one in Homs and two
in Hama, four in the major northern city of Aleppo, one in Deir el Zour, and one
in eastern Idlib province.

Meanwhile, the Israeli military is apparently planting new land mines along
the border with Syria to dissuade protesters from heading into the Golan
Heights.

The army reportedly decided to go ahead with the move after older mines
failed to detonate when Syrian demonstrators rushed into the border area in June
during a protest against Israel's occupation.

Israeli forces opened fire, killing 20 protesters in efforts to push the
crowd back.