Syria warns West against intervention

Syrian Leader Warns West Against Intervention

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Supporters of Mr Assad hold his picture during a rally in Damascus





4:55am UK, Sunday October 30, 2011





Syrian President Bashar al Assad has warned Western countries against intervening in his country amid ongoing civil unrest.


In an interview with the Sunday Telegraph, he said any interference
would cause an "earthquake" that would "burn the whole region".


Mr Assad
has drawn repeated condemnation from the United Nations, Arab League
and Western governments for the violent manner in which he has tried to
crush a seven-month uprising.


Mr Assad told the newspaper that Western countries "are going to
ratchet up the pressure, definitely", adding: "But Syria is different in
every respect from Egypt, Tunisia, Yemen. The history is different. The
politics is different."


"Syria is the hub now in this region. It is the fault line, and if
you play with the ground you will cause an earthquake," he said.


"Do you want to see another Afghanistan, or tens of Afghanistans? Any
problem in Syria will burn the whole region. If the plan is to divide
Syria, that is to divide the whole region," Mr Assad added.


The UN estimates that 3,000 people, including nearly 200 children, have been killed in the unrest.


Since the start of protests in March, Syrian authorities have blamed
the violence on gunmen they say have killed 1,100 soldiers and police.


Syria has barred most international media, making it hard to verify accounts from activists and authorities.


Mr Assad said that Syrian authorities had made "many mistakes" in the
early part of the uprising, but that the situation had now improved.


Mr Assad said he had responded differently to the Arab Spring than other, deposed Arab leaders.


"We didn't go down the road of stubborn government," he told the paper.


"Six days after (the protests began), I commenced reform. People were
sceptical that the reforms were an opiate for the people, but when we
started announcing the reforms, the problems started decreasing... This
is when the tide started to turn. This is when people started supporting
the government."

Privacy International are saying Italy is providing equipment specially built to monitor mobile phone calls of dissidents in Syria,. Suppliers are from France,
Germany and even the U.S.

Assad is responsible for dreadful atrocities to his Citizens yet where is the morality of these Countries ?????

sky news

Nov 9, 2011

Syrian Army Defectors Join Protesters


There is growing evidence of an organised armed
rebellion in Syria - with groups of defecting soldiers fighting back against the
regime.



This is encouraging News. What makes me sick is the News that Italy and a couple of other European Countries have contracts to build
equipment in Syria which will track down militants movements on their mobile phones, The Siemens Chairman interviewed on T.V. this
morning , when questioned, admitted it had contracts in Syria but blustered these go back to 2009. Do these people sleep at night ?


If true that Soldiers are defecting, that"s good News.























[img]http://ace.adoftheyear.com/p11938/tagger_v02.php?project=p11938&tag=1a&channel=[sid=UK_MPU_300_250_1a%7Ccid=1001%7C][/img]

Sounds like Assad is worried about all the other revolutions and he has every right to be.

margaret wrote:Sounds like Assad is worried about all the other revolutions and he has every right to be.

Morning margaret, he has been absolutely ruthless and rumour has it he is getting help from Iran. Don"t know if you have ever seen a photo of his wife, she is English and very attractive, I wonder what she thinks of his brutality. I think there is a photo of her in one of the earlier posts.

Syria Accused Of Crimes Against Humanity

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A protester confronts riot police in Khalidia, near
Homs


8:42am UK, Friday November 11, 2011

Emma Hurd, Middle East correspondent


The Syrian regime has committed crimes against humanity during its ongoing
crackdown in Homs, according to a report by Human Rights Watch.


The organisation says there is evidence of "systematic abuse" of civilians by
government forces, including unlawful killings and torture.

It has urged the Arab League to suspend Syria when it meets to discuss the
crisis at an emergency meeting this weekend.

The group has also called for the UN Security Council to impose sanctions and
an arms embargo on the Syrian regime.

Homs is a microcosm of the Syrian government's brutality. The Arab League
needs to tell President Assad that violating the agreement has consequences, and
that it now supports (United Nations) Security Council action to end the
carnage."

Sarah Leah Whitson, Human Rights Watch



Its
report focuses on violations by the Syrian security forces between April
and August, when 587 civilians were killed in the city of Homs and the
surrounding governate.

Researchers conducted interviews with more than 100 victims and
witnesses.

One woman described how her family joined a protest that came under fire.

"The guns were machine guns," she told researchers.

"My husband leaned over our son to protect him but the bullet entered our
son's stomach."

The child, who was badly injured but survived, was three years old.

Other interviewees described detentions and torture.


Protesters want Syria's President Bashar Assad to step
down



One man said: "They were beating me, and pouring water on me, and then using
electric stun guns."

Human Rights
Watch said it had independently verified 17 deaths in detention in
Homs.

The parents of one man killed told researchers that they were only allowed to
retrieve his body after they signed a statement saying he was killed by
"extremists".

The Homs governate has become the focal point for Syria's military
crackdown.

The regime is reported to have killed another 104 people in Homs since it
agreed to an Arab League plan to end the violence on November 2.

Sarah Leah Whitson, of Human Rights Watch, said: "Homs is a microcosm of the
Syrian government's brutality.

"The Arab League needs to tell President Assad that violating the agreement
has consequences, and that it now supports (United Nations) Security Council
action to end the carnage."

Arab League To Suspend Syria Over Bloodshed

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3:48pm UK, Saturday November 12, 2011



Emma Hurd, Middle East correspondent






The Arab League has voted to suspend Syria while calling on its army to stop the killing of civilians.


The 22-nation body warned Damascus it could impose economic and
political sanctions if it did not end its violent crackdown on
anti-government protesters.


Syria will be suspended in four days' time unless the Assad regime
implements an initiative to end the bloodshed after reneging on an
agreed peace plan.


The organisation has invited the opposition for talks and has
appealed to its member states to withdraw their ambassadors from Syria,
said Qatar's Prime Minister Sheikh Hamad Bin Jassim.


He said 18 countries agreed to the suspension, which will take effect on Wednesday November 16.


Syria, Lebanon and Yemen voted against it, while Iraq abstained.


Syria reacted with fury, saying the decision was illegal and that it
spelled the end of any Arab role in resolving the situation.












Demonstrators gather in Hula, near Homs, to protest against Syria's President Assad





Syria's ambassador to the League, Yussef Ahmad, described the
suspension as "contrary to the treaty" which set up the pan-Arab
organisation.


He said it "put an end to joint Arab action and shows the administration is subjected to US and Western agendas."


Speaking after an emergency meeting of the League in Cairo, Sheikh
Hamad said: "We were criticised for taking a long time but this was out
of our concern for Syria.


"We needed to have a majority to approve those decisions.


"We are calling all Syrian opposition parties to a meeting at the
Arab League headquarters to agree a unified vision for the transitional
period."


Syrian activists say at least 250 people have been killed since
November 2, when President Bashar al Assad pledged to implement a League
peace initiative.


Under the plan, he pledged to withdraw his troops from towns and cities and begin a dialogue with the opposition.












Syria's ambassador to the Arab League slammed the suspension





Instead, according to activists, the violence has intensified in many areas of the country.


In Homs, attacks by government forces have reportedly killed scores of people, including children, in the past few days alone.


Human Rights Watch says the situation indicates the regime is committing "crimes against humanity".


Even in the capital Damascus, the regime has resorted to brutality to crush dissent.


Videos posted online document days of violence in the suburb of Barzeh.


On Wednesday, the security forces opened fire on a funeral march in the neighbourhood, killing eight people.


The footage shows people running in panic from a hail of bullets. One
video appears to show an unarmed man being shot dead at close range.


As Arab League foreign ministers arrived for the meeting in Cairo,
more than 100 protesters shouted anti-Assad slogans and demanded the
suspension of Syria.









Recommended S

The Arab League has banned Syria from Membership because of Assads treatment of his Citizens. This is good news for the protesters .

Panda

Thank you for all the updates.

Assad doesn't realise the more violent he is against civilians the more they will protest. I must say that these protestors are very brave. Imagine when they take the decision to protest they know they may be killed.

I agree that Iran may be involved - also Assad is probably answerable to other forces besides Iran. Either way it's gong to end in his removal.

Angelique wrote:Panda

Thank you for all the updates.

Assad doesn't realise the more violent he is against civilians the more they will protest. I must say that these protestors are very brave. Imagine when they take the decision to protest they know they may be killed.

I agree that Iran may be involved - also Assad is probably answerable to other forces besides Iran. Either way it's gong to end in his removal.

Angelique, Assad is ignoring the censure, even as protesters last night were cheering the decision from the Arab League his Soldiers killed a few
of them. I think Italy ought to be censured for making and selling the equipment which monitors the Rebels mobile phones. If the Western
Goverments cut off Diplomatic ties and exports to Syria, Assad might do something. I remember about 2 months ago he made a televised
announcement that reforms would be made......hollow words.

Demonstrators gathered outside the Arab League Offices in Cairo , during the LAST TEN DAYS 210 PEOPLE HAVE BEEN KILLED .At a Funeral
in Damascus suburb 8 mourners were killed . Assad says the Arab League of being coerced by the U.S.A.

Assad was educated in England, married to an English Woman who is very attractive, yet behaves like Col Gaddafi. I wonder what hos Wife thinks.?

Assad Supporters Storm Foreign Embassies

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Protesters raised the Syrian flag above the Qatari embassy in Damascus





6:21am UK, Sunday November 13, 2011





Supporters of the Syrian President have broken into the
Saudi Arabian and Qatari embassies in Damascus after the Arab League
voted to suspend the country over its bloody crackdown on protesters.


Hundreds of angry demonstrators shouting slogans in support of Bashar
al-Assad showered the Saudi mission with rocks before some forced their
way in.


Windows were broken and the building ransacked, Saudi state news agency SPA reported.


Protesters also broke through the gates of the Qatari embassy and
replaced the Gulf nation's flag with a Syrian one, witnesses said.


The
Arab league warned Syria on Saturday that it would be suspended on
November 16 unless the government implements an initiative to end the
killing of demonstrators calling for Assad to go.










Qatar has led efforts within the Arab League to force Syria to end its crackdown





The 22-nation body told Damascus it could impose economic and
political sanctions if it did not stop the violence, which has seen an
estimated 250 people killed since November 2 despite Assad pledging to
implement an Arab League peace initiative.


Speaking after an emergency meeting of the body in Cairo, Qatar's
Prime Minister Sheikh Hamad Bin Jassim said: "We were criticised for
taking a long time but this was out of our concern for Syria.


"We needed to have a majority to approve those decisions.


"We are calling all Syrian opposition parties to a meeting at the
Arab League headquarters to agree a unified vision for the transitional
period."


Syrian officials reacted with fury, saying the decision was illegal
and that it spelled the end of any Arab role in resolving the situation.


Syria's ambassador to the League, Yussef Ahmad, described the
suspension as "contrary to the treaty" which set up the pan-Arab
organisation.


He said it "put an end to joint Arab action and shows the administration is subjected to US and Western agendas".


Western nations and the UN have signalled their support for the Arab league's move.


A spokesman for British Prime Minister David Cameron said: "This
sends a clear message to President Assad and his regime who continue to
refuse to allow political transition in Syria and are responsible for an
escalation of violence and repression."


US President Barack Obama applauded the League's efforts to "hold the Syrian government accountable".


"These significant steps expose the increasing diplomatic isolation
of a regime that has systematically violated human rights and repressed
peaceful protests," he said.


More than 3,500 people are believed to have been killed since largely
peaceful demonstrations against the government began seven months ago.









R

Syria accused over attacks on Saudi and Qatari
embassy Pro-government supporters
raised the Syrian flag after storming the Qatari embassy in Damascus

Continue
reading the main story
Syria
Crisis

• Undercover in Homs
  
• Why West was rebuffed at UN
  
• Inside Damascus, a city on edge
  
• Is unrest heading to civil war?
  

Saudi Arabia has condemned an attack
on its embassy in Damascus by supporters of Syrian President Bashar
al-Assad.

The Saudi and Qatari embassies were stormed by crowds after both countries
voted to suspend Syria from meetings of the Arab League.

Saudi Arabia accused Syria's government of failing to take sufficient
measures to stop the attack on its building.

The Arab League vote came after Syria failed to end a violent crackdown on
opposition protesters.

Syrian authorities said the vote violated the league's charter, and accused
it of serving a "Western and American agenda".

As the result became known on Saturday, groups of protesters gathered outside
both the Saudi and Qatari embassies in the Syrian capital.

The French and Turkish consulates in the city of Latakia were also attacked,
Reuters news agency reports.

The Saudi state news agency SPA said hundreds of Syrian government supporters
threw rocks at its embassy. Some managed to get in, smashing windows and
ransacking the building.
Continue reading the main story
Arab League proposals

• End to violence and killing
  
• Access to Arab and international media
  
• Releasing prisoners recently detained
  
• Withdrawing all military equipment from Syrian cities
  
• Government-opposition dialogue within two weeks
  

• Arab League
  profile
  

"Syrian authorities did not carry out the necessary
measures to stop" the demonstrators, the SPA quoted the Saudi foreign ministry
as saying.

"The Saudi government strongly condemns this incident and holds the Syrian
authorities responsible for the security and protection of all Saudi interests
in Syria," the ministry said.

Pro-Syrian government supporters also forced their way into the Qatari
embassy - climbing to the top of the building to remove the Qatari flag and
replace it with a Syrian one.

Both the Saudi and Qatari ambassadors left Damascus in the summer in protest
at President Bashar al-Assad's crack down on protests in the country since
March.
'Huge blow'
Eighteen member states of the Arab League - which is chaired by Qatar - voted
on Saturday to suspend Syria from its meetings and impose sanctions. It has also
asked member states to withdraw their ambassadors.


Syria, Lebanon and Yemen voted against the move, and Iraq abstained.

The vote was taken after Syria ignored an Arab League proposal - accepted by
President Assad's government - which would have involved releasing prisoners,
withdrawing security forces from the streets and beginning dialogue with the
opposition.

The league has also called on Damascus to halt the violence, and warned it
could refer Syria to the United Nations if the bloodshed did not stop.

The BBC's Jon Leyne in Cairo says the decision is the most that anyone could
have realistically expected from the Arab League.

It is a huge blow to Syria's pride, and could also be a real practical blow
to its leaders, our correspondent adds.

The UN says more than 3,500 people have died since the start of the protests
in March. Thirteen people died on Friday, most of them in the city of Homs,
which has borne the brunt of the violence, and 12 died on Saturday.

Mass street protests after Friday prayers, followed by brutal crackdowns by
security forces, have become a weekly feature of Syria's uprising.

President Assad's government insists it is battling armed gangs and militants
and says hundreds of soldiers and police have been killed.

The government has restricted foreign journalists from entering the country,
making it difficult to confirm events on the ground.





#ss-syria_beginners_guide{border:1px solid #bdbdbd;}
#ss-syria_beginners_guide {width: 464px;}

Time for al-Assad to step down, Jordan's king says

By the CNN Wire Staff
November 14, 2011 -- Updated 1807 GMT (0207
HKT)


Jordan's King Adbullah, urged Syrian President
Bashar al-Assad, pictured here in a December 2010 file photo, to step
down.

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• NEW: Abdullah's pronouncement "is big," says Middle East expert
  Joshua Muravchik
  
• Jordan's king calls for Syria's president to resign
  
• Britain's foreign secretary says "there is a very good case" for increasing
  sanctions on Syria
  
• More than 3,500 people have died since uprising began, the United Nations
  says
  

Amman, Jordan (CNN) -- Jordan's King Abdullah urged Syrian
President Bashar al-Assad on Monday to resign.

"If Bashar has the interests of his country, he would step down, but he would
also create an ability to reach out and start a new phase of Syrian political
life," Abdullah told the BBC.

"If it was me, I would step down and make sure whoever comes behind me has
the ability to change the status quo that we're seeing," he added. But, he said,
"I don't think the system allows for that ... I think it's simply Bashar goes,
somebody else comes in. But if it's the same regime and the same members, then
we're going to be back to the same thing on the street."

The Syrian president is under increasing pressure to step aside even as his
government continues an eight-month crackdown that the United Nations says has
claimed more than 3,500 lives since unrest broke out in mid-March, including 13
reportedly killed on Monday.

Abdullah's pronouncement "is big" because the monarchs in the Arab world have
been reluctant to call for other rulers to step down, said Joshua Muravchik, a
fellow at Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies and at the
George W. Bush Institute. "Gadhafi was the big exception, but Gadhafi was a nut
who had badly alienated everyone," he said. "Assad is not a nut. He's a cruel
dictator and cruel dictators have never offended other rulers in the Arab
world."

Muravchik contrasted the world's reaction to the violence meted out by troops
loyal to Bashar al-Assad with the lack of reaction to the the 1982 massacre in
Hama, which may have killed some 20,000 people, during the regime of Hafez
al-Assad, the current leader's father. "Everyone was cool with what his father
did," Muravchik said. "It's a new age, even in the Arab world, which has been
the last to enter this new age. Rulers just can't do that with impunity, and
Assad, by killing so many of his own peaceful protesting citizens, seems to have
crossed the line, which no one is willing to accept."






Arab League imposes suspension
on Syria






Syria suspended by Arab
league






Activist reports of killings
in Syria

Eighteen of the Arab League's members voted Saturday to suspend Syria over its
failure to rein in the violence. The suspension is set to take effect
Wednesday.

The league's decision could open the door for broader international sanctions
against al-Assad's regime.

"I think it is very good that the Arab League (is) taking a leading role on
this crisis," British Foreign Secretary William Hague said Monday. "It is very
important in the European Union that we consider additional measures to add to
the pressure on the Assad regime, to stop the unacceptable violence against the
people of Syria. And we have adopted a wide range of sanctions on Syria already,
but I think there is a very good case to add to those."

But Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov criticized the Arab League's
actions and accused the West of instigating Syrian opposition, according to the
Moscow-based Interfax news agency.






Syria angry over Arab League
suspension

"Radical opposition activists have also been incited to seek a change of the
regime and decline any invitation for dialogue," Lavrov said, according to
Interfax.

Why did Arab League move on Syria?

Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem, quoted by the state-run SANA news
agency, said, " Syria is a state of full sovereignty and will defend every span
of its land."

"The Arab League decision on suspending Syria's membership and the other
provisions it has included constitute a very dangerous step on the present and
future of the joint Arab action and on the goals and role of the AL," he said,
according to SANA.

"The Syrian people should not be worried because Syria is not Libya," he
said, according to SANA.

"The Arab economic sanctions against Syria are shameful and unprecedented
action by the Arab League."

The agency also reported Monday that the government was calling for an
"emergency Arab summit" to address the issue. Citing an official source, SANA
said the government would invite the Arab League's Ministerial Committee to
visit the country to observe conditions.

Fifteen of the organization's 22 member states would have to approve the
request to meet in emergency session.

The Arab League's stated purpose is to strengthen ties among its member
nations, coordinate their policies and promote common interests.

European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton said Monday the
situation in Syria was of "enormous concern." The EU will work closely with the
Arab League, she said. "I hope the president is finally going to listen to his
people," she added.

Angry supporters of the Syrian president rallied Saturday night at embassies
and consulates of countries that voted to suspend Syria's membership in the Arab
League, anti-government activists said.

Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesman Selcuk Unal said Sunday that a crowd
"threw stones at some honorary consulates, including ours" in Latakia. He said
attacks also took place on embassies in Damascus, including Turkey's, and that a
crowd tried to enter his country's consulate in Aleppo.

Unal said Turkey has evacuated families of its staff members in Syria.

On Sunday night, Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu met with members of
the Syrian opposition, Unal said.

According to a statement from the opposition Syrian National Council,
Davutoglu said Turkey recognizes the council as a political framework, which
represents the will of the Syrian people and the revolutionary youth.

Protesters in Syria are demanding al-Assad's ouster and democratic elections.
Al-Assad has been in power since 2000; his father, Hafez, ruled Syria for three
decades.

Security forces killed 13 people on Monday -- 10 in Homs, two in Idlib and
one in Daraa, according to the opposition Local Coordinating Committees, which
organizes and documents anti-government protests. The casualties reportedly
included a man who was shot to death in front of his 9-year-old son, who was
wounded.

CNN cannot independently confirm individual accounts of violence because
Syria's government restricts the activity of journalists.

In October, Russia and China teamed up to veto a U.N. Security Council
resolution that would have condemned the Syrian response to the demonstrators
and called for an immediate end to the government clampdown on the
opposition.

The league's foreign ministers are scheduled to meet Wednesday in Rabat,
Morocco, to discuss protecting Syrian civilians, according to the senior league
official, who asked not to be identified because he is directly involved in
negotiations over Syria.

The Arab League also plans to meet with representatives of the Syrian
opposition to "unify their agenda," the official said. A date for the meeting
has not been announced.



CNN's Ivan Watson contributed to this report.

Claims Dozens More Killed In Syria Battles














Protests in Deraa have reportedly sparked the worst violence





12:03pm UK, Tuesday November 15, 2011



Emma Hurd, Middle East correspondent






Syrian activists claim at least 50 people have been killed in intense clashes between army defectors and government forces.


The southern province of Deraa was the scene of some of the worst
violence, with reports that dozens of Syrian soldiers were killed by
renegade troops near the Jordanian border.


The attacks, reportedly carried out by an army unit that has defected
to the opposition, are the latest evidence of a growing armed rebellion
in Syria.


Syrian activists say President Bashar al Assad has intensified his military crackdown in towns and cities across the country in response.










Demonstrators in London called last month for an end to the fighting





The increasing violence comes amid growing international pressure on the Assad regime.


Jordan's King Abdullah has become the first Arab leader to explicitly
call for the Syrian president's resignation, while the White House has
re-iterated its calls for Mr Assad to go.


On Wednesday, the Arab League is due to meet in the Moroccan capital,
Rabat, to confirm its decision to suspend Syria - a move that has
infuriated the regime.


The regional body has also pledged to impose economic sanctions, adding to the measures already in force by the EU and the US.


The international community has ruled out Libyan style military
intervention in Syria and the country can still count on support from
Russia and China, which have refused to back any punitive action - even
economic measures - against the regime.


The United Nations says at least 3,500 people have been killed since March when the mass pro-democracy protests began.


The regime has been accused of waging war against its own population
to try to crush the uprising. The Syrian government claims the violence
has been caused by foreign-sponsored armed groups.

• 
  

Turkey threatens to cut electricity as Syria is more isolated

By Ivan Watson, CNN
November 15, 2011 -- Updated 1651 GMT (0051
HKT)


Turkish Energy Minister Taner Yildiz, pictured in
February, said Turkey may re-examine supplying Syria with electricity.


STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• Turkey threatens to cut electric supplies to Syria
  
• Arab foreign ministers to consider observer mission
  
• Gulf states reject Syrian call for emergency Arab League meeting
  

Istanbul (CNN) -- Turkey threatened to cut off supplies of
electricity to its neighbor Syria Tuesday, as the Damascus regime found itself
under growing pressure from Arab, Turkish, European and North American
governments for its ongoing lethal crackdown on pro-democracy demonstrators.

"We are supplying them (Syria) with electricity at the moment. If they stay
on this course, we may be forced to re-examine all of these decisions," Turkish
Energy Minister Taner Yildiz said Tuesday, according to Turkey's semi-official
Anatolian Agency.

Turkey, once a close political ally and strong trading partner of Syria,
welcomed a decision by the Arab League last weekend to suspend Syria's
membership in the alliance.

Days after the humiliating rebuke, a senior Arab League official told CNN the
group was floating a plan to try to send some 500 observers to protect civilians
in Syria. According to the United Nations, more than 3,500 Syrians have been
killed since anti-government protests first erupted in March.






"They are targeting innocent
people"






Syria angry over Arab League
suspension






Arab League imposes suspension
on Syria






Fresh abuses reported in Syria


"In a meeting headed by Dr. Nabil Al Araby, the secretary-general of the Arab
League, held Monday, the Arab League and Arab human rights organizations decided
on a mechanism to protect Syrian civilians which will involve sending a
delegation of 500 representatives of Arab organizations, media organizations,
and military observers to Syria with the objective of documenting the situation
on the ground," the official said to CNN, speaking on condition of
anonymity.

The official said the plan was to be presented at an emergency meeting of
Arab League foreign ministers in Morocco's capital Wednesday.

Jordanian Foreign Minister Nasser Juda confirmed to CNN that his government
had received an invitation to contribute representatives to the proposed
observer mission.

"We are studying it right now," Juda said in a phone call with CNN Tuesday.
"It might be verified tomorrow," he added, at the expected Arab League foreign
ministers' meeting in Rabat.

On Monday, Jordan's King Abdullah became the first Arab leader to publicly
call for Syrian president Bashar al-Assad to step down.

"If Bashar has the interests of his country, he would step down, but he would
also create an ability to reach out and start a new phase of Syrian political
life," Abdullah said in an interview with the BBC.

Monday evening, a crowd of hundreds of Syrian regime supporters gathered for
a protest outside the walls of the Jordanian embassy in Damascus.

Though several demonstrators tried to tear down the Jordanian flag, Juda said
the protest was non-violent.

The scene was much different on Saturday. Hours after the Arab League
suspended Syria's membership, pro-government mobs simultaneously attacked
diplomatic missions of several Arab countries as well as Turkey in the Syrian
cities in Damascus, Aleppo and Latakiya. Turkish media showed pictures of Syrian
demonstrators tearing down a Turkish flag.

"You, Bashar, who has hundreds (of people) in jail, need to find those who
attacked the Turkish flag and punish them," said Turkish Prime Minister Recep
Tayyip Erdogan, addressing al-Assad. Until a few months ago, Erdogan typically
referred to the Syrian president as his friend and brother. But in the wake of
Saturday's embassy attacks, Turkey said it had no choice but to evacuate family
members of its diplomats stationed in Syria.

"Bashar Assad should see the tragic end that meets leaders who declare war on
their people," Erdogan added, speaking at a meeting of his party in the Turkish
capital Tuesday. "Oppression does not create order and a future cannot be built
on the blood of the innocent. History will remember such leaders as those who
fed on blood. And you, Assad, are headed towards opening such a page."

Syria's foreign minister issued a rare public apology for the embassy attacks
Monday at a press conference in Damascus.

But Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem also called the Arab League's decision
to suspend Syria a "very dangerous step," according to the Syrian state news
agency SANA. He accused the league of ignoring Syria's release of 553 detainees,
as part of a peace deal that had been brokered earlier with the Arab League.

Hitting a familiar defiant note, al-Moallem swore that "Syria will remain --
despite what some of the brothers throw at it -- the heart of Arabism and its
impenetrable bastion."

Since being suspended from the Arab League, Damascus has called for a special
summit to discuss the matter. That initiative was rejected on Tuesday by Gulf
Arab countries.

"Holding an Arab summit at present is pointless," said Abdul Latif Al-Zayani,
the head of the Gulf Cooperation Council, according to the Kuwait News
Agency.

As it finds itself on the defensive both at home and abroad, Damascus has
increasingly leaned on its historical ally Russia, which recently joined China
in vetoing a proposed United Nations Security Council resolution to punish Syria
for alleged human rights violations against anti-government protesters.

Leaders of the opposition Syrian National Council met with Russian diplomats
in Moscow Tuesday, in a bid to drive a wedge between the two allies. That
initiative appeared to have failed, however.

Council Chairman Burhan Ghalioun later told journalists in Moscow the talks
were "very positive," but added that the Russian government had not changed its
position, according to the Interfax news agency.

Amid the rapidly escalating diplomatic war between Syria and its foreign
opponents, the cycle of protests and violence inside Syria continued
unabated.

At least four people were killed by security forces, including two children,
said the opposition Local Coordination Committees. Meanwhile, Syria's state news
agency reported that two law enforcement members were killed by "armed
terrorists" in southern Syria on Monday. SANA also reported that train tracks
were damaged by a series of bombs planted along a railroad in northern Syria on
Monday.

Observers warn the protest movement in Syria, which struggled peacefully for
months, is growing increasingly "weaponized" as more and more Syrian soldiers
desert from the armed forces and join the opposition.

The latest military officer to announce his defection was a uniformed man who
introduced himself in a YouTube video as a colonel and military attorney named
Arafar Rasheed al-Hamoud.

"I announce my defection from the Syrian Arabic Army, after it was turned
into a gang at the hand of the regime committing the most heinous crimes,
killing women, children and elders and torturing unarmed citizens," Hamoud said,
holding up his military identification card to the camera.

Several Syrian refugees told CNN they had met with Hamoud after he recently
fled to one of a series of refugee camps on the Turkish side of the border with
Syria.

Hamoud went on to announce he was joining the Free Syrian Army, a group of
military defectors who have declared war on the Syrian regime.

On Monday, the opposition-aligned Syrian Observatory for Human Rights
reported 81 people were killed in clashes around the country, with many of the
casualties occurring due to clashes between army defectors and Syrian security
forces around the restive border city of Deraa. CNN cannot independently confirm
these reports because the Syrian government has repeatedly rejected requests for
journalist visas.

Meanwhile, the European Union slapped sanctions against 18 more Syrians
accused of "organizing violence against demonstrators."

Most of the individuals named in a November 14 EU regulation were officers in
military intelligence, as well as the head of a "family militia" and three
members of the so-called "Syrian electronic army." All are now subject to an
asset freeze in Europe for alleged "violence against protesters in Syria."

The move was applauded by Marietje Schaake, a Dutch member of the European
Parliament.

"The EU sanctions targeting members of the Syrian Electronic Army show that
the use of ICT (information and communications technology) as weapons is taken
seriously," Schaake wrote in an e-mail to CNN. "The Syrian Electronic Army is
operating not only within Syria, but acts globally. The EU can and should do
much more to hold its own companies, who are providing ICT 'weapons' to the
Syrian Electronic Army and their collaborators, accountable."



CNN's Rima Makhtabi in Abu Dhabi, CNN's Tracy Doueiry
in Atlanta, Journalist Mohamed Fadel Fahmy in Cairo, and Journalist Gul Tuysuz
in Istanbul contributed to this report

WITH FIGHTING IN THE DERAA AREA,IT MAY ONLY BE A MATTER BEFORE ONE SEES REBEL HELD AREA.
ASSAD LACKS IMAGINATION.

16 November 2011 Last updated at 01:25
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Syria crisis: Arab ministers mull increasing
pressure

Arab League foreign ministers
are expected to formally suspend Syria on Wednesday
Continue
reading the main story
Syria
Crisis

• Jordan king's candid call
  
• Revolution at the Arab League
  
• Press divided over Syria suspension
  
• In pictures: Pressure on Syria
  
  

Arab foreign ministers are to meet to
consider how to increase the pressure on Syria, a day after one of the bloodiest
crackdowns on protesters.

Syria will be suspended from the Arab League on Wednesday and has said it
will not attend the meeting in Morocco.

At least 3,500 protesters seeking the end of President Bashar al-Assad's rule
have been killed since the government began its crackdown, the UN says.

Activists said that at least 70 people were killed on Tuesday alone.

The Arab League decided last week to suspend Syria, but the decision will
only be formally adopted at the meeting in the Moroccan capital Rabat.

Syria has condemned the suspension as "shameful and malicious", accusing
other Arab countries of conspiring with the West to undermine the regime.

The Syrian authorities request for an emergency summit to discuss its unrest,
which it blames on armed gangs, was rejected by six Gulf states.

The six-nation Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC) - whose members led the drive
to punish Syria for its crackdown - said Arab foreign ministers have been
holding preparatory talks ahead of Wednesday's meeting.
Continue reading the main story
Analysis


Jon Leyne BBC Middle
East correspondent, Rabat

---

Arab ministers are under huge pressure to push ahead with their tough line on
Syria, after they decided at the weekend to suspend Syria from the Arab League.


The UN Secretary General has called for the Arab League to exercise
leadership over Syria, the US called for a forceful message from the Arab
ministers, and Turkey has threatened to cut off cross-border electricity
supplies.

In an apparent attempt to stave off action, Syria released more than 1,000
political prisoners.

But there was another attack on a a diplomatic mission, Jordan's, after King
Abdullah called on President Assad to step down.


Arab countries are under increasing pressure to continue
their tough stance towards Syria, following its suspension from the group.

In an apparent show of goodwill ahead of the summit, the authorities freed
1,180 people who had been arrested during protests, Syrian state media
reported.

The release of prisoners is among the demands of the Arab League.

On Tuesday, Turkey's prime minister became the latest international figure to
speak out against the violence in Syria, following comments from King Abdullah
of Jordan.

'Blood of the oppressed'

Turkey is not a member of the league, but its foreign minister is to meet his
Arab League counterparts during the talks in Rabat.

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Syria's future could not be
built on "the blood of the oppressed" and said Ankara had abandoned hope that Mr
Assad would respond to international demands to stop using violence.

"Bashar al-Assad should see the tragic ends of the ones who declared war
against their own people," Mr Erdogan told MPs of his AK Party.
Mr Erdogan has become
increasingly critical of Syria in recent months

History, he added, would "will mark these leaders as the leaders who feed on
blood".

Turkish Energy Minister Taner Yildiz also announced that Ankara had shelved
plans for Turkey's TPAO petroleum company to explore oil with Syria's state oil
company and he also threatened to stop Turkey's electricity exports to
Syria.

The White House said it welcomed the "strong stance Turkey has taken".

"Turkey's comments today further point to the fact that President Assad is
isolated," President Obama's deputy national security adviser Ben Rhodes told
reporters.

The moves follow attacks on Turkish diplomatic missions in Damascus and the
Syrian cities of Aleppo and Latakia by supporters of Mr Assad at the
weekend.

The attackers expressed anger at Turkey's decision to support the Arab
League's decision to suspend Syria.

Also on Tuesday, in what is being seen as a sign that Saudi Arabia's rulers
now foresee an end to Mr Assad's rule, the former Saudi ambassador to the US,
Prince Turki al-Faisal, said it was "inevitable" that Mr Assad would step
down.

On Tuesday, activists said at least 70 people were killed in fighting that
reportedly included a gun battle between security forces and army defectors in
the restive southern province of Deraa.

November appears to be the bloodiest month of the eight-month revolt, with
well over 300 people killed so far.

Syria defectors 'attack military intelligence base in
Harasta'



Syrian army defectors have attacked a major military base
near Damascus, a Syrian opposition group says.

Parts of the Air Force Intelligence building in Harasta were destroyed in the
overnight attack, said the Syrian Revolution General Commission.

The Free Syrian Army used rockets and machine-guns, it said, in its
highest-profile attack since protests began.

It comes as the Arab League prepares to discuss its response to the crackdown
on anti-government unrest in Syria.

The Syrian government has severely restricted access for foreign journalists,
and reports of violence are extremely difficult to verify.

The UN says more than 3,500 people have died since protests started in March.
The Syrian authorities blame the violence on armed gangs and militants.

An attack on the Harasta base would be significant because Syria's Air Force
Intelligence is one of the most feared state agencies and has been involved in
the suppression of protests against President Bashar al-Assad.

The Arab League will formally suspend Syria's membership at its meeting in
Morocco on Wednesday, and will discuss other ways of increasing pressure on Mr
Assad's regime.

Syria, which will not attend the meeting, has condemned the suspension as
"shameful and malicious", accusing other Arab countries of conspiring with the
West to undermine the regime.

The Free Syrian Army is very active and there is fear of a Civil War. Innocent victims killed so far is 4,200 and the population of £22 million
is divided, with many still loyal to Assad. There is also fear that the trouble will spill over into the Lebonon and Itaq.

free syrian army has qatari weapons.

Opposition group: Explosions, gunfire rock Syrian capital

By the CNN Wire Staff
November 17, 2011 -- Updated 1128 GMT (1928
HKT)







Syria increasingly isolated






STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• Reported blasts come after defector group says it attacked an air
  intelligence base
  
• In a sign of growing international isolation, France withdraws its
  ambassador
  
• Group: More deaths are reported in Syria on Wednesday
  

(CNN) -- Explosions and gunfire rocked the Syrian capital
early Thursday, an opposition group said, a day after military defectors struck
a government intelligence complex in a bold assault reflecting surging
resolve.

No other details were immediately available on the explosions Thursday.

The reported blasts come as international leaders intensify their pressure on
President Bashar al-Assad to end violence against protesters in the uprising the
United Nations says has killed 3,500 people.

The defector group Free Syrian Army said it attacked an air intelligence base
in Harasta and planted "powerful explosions inside and around the compound that
shook its foundations."

Air intelligence has been deeply involved in the eight-month crackdown by the
Syrian government against protesters, said Andrew Tabler, an expert at the
Washington Institute for Near East Policy.






Syria security complex
attacked






Syria faces growing
isolation






Attack against the Syrian
regime






Bloody clashes escalate in
Syria

The strike reflects the growing sophistication of the Free Syrian Army,
according to Tabler.

"It opens up a new era of the conflict," he said, adding that the development
represents "a bad direction" for the country. "Until now, most of the protests
have been peaceful."

The defector group said it attacked several areas in Damascus to foil future
government attacks against civilians.

Activists said the deserter army used rocket-propelled grenades to damage the
intelligence complex in the eastern suburb of the capital, Damascus.

Opposition groups have urged the United Nations to impose a no-fly zone, as
it did in the Libyan conflict, to help protect protesters.

Army leaders have said the measure would allow them to establish a base of
operations to launch a campaign to bring down al-Assad's regime.

The Arab League, meeting in Rabat, Morocco, said al-Assad didn't stick by his
pledge to withdraw armed forces from populated areas and allow journalists and
monitors unfettered access.

A senior league official said the group gave Damascus three days to implement
a protocol to allow observes to enter the nation and verify whether Syria has
taken measures to protect civilians.

The league has also called on member states to withdraw their ambassadors
from Damascus, a decision that will be up to each nation.

In a sign of growing international isolation, France withdrew its ambassador
Wednesday after attacks on its missions in the nation.

As the standoff rages on, at least 22 civilians were killed Wednesday,
according to the Local Coordination Committee of Syria, a coalition of
activists.

CNN is not able to independently verify claims of fighting and casualties
because the Syrian government has restricted international media access to the
country.

17 November 2011 Last updated at 22:31
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Syria: New UN call over human rights abuses

Protests have continued across
Syria despite the eight-month crackdown
Continue
reading the main story
Syria
Crisis

• Jordan king's candid call
  
• Revolution at the Arab League
  
• Press divided over Syria suspension
  
• In pictures: Pressure on Syria
  
  

Germany, France and the UK have
tabled a UN resolution calling for an end to human rights violations in Syria.


The resolution, which also calls for the implementation of an Arab League
plan to end the violence, was also backed by four Arab countries.

With the UN Security Council divided on Syria, the resolution has been tabled
in a committee of the General Assembly.

Earlier, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said the Syrian violence was
becoming "similar to civil war".

He was speaking a day after renegade soldiers were reported to have attacked
a key government army base outside Damascus.

The BBC's Barbara Plett, at the UN in New York, says that with Russia and
China having vetoed a Security Council resolution condemning government violence
in Syria, European nations are looking for a new route to condemn the Syrian
government.

They have turned to a key committee of the General Assembly where there are
no vetoes.

The fact that Thursday's move was backed by Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Jordan and
Morocco is significant, our correspondent says.

Western diplomats hope that a leading Arab role will eventually help overcome
opposition in the Security Council, because requests from the region where the
conflict is taking place strongly influence the positions of members, our
correspondent says.

Germany, France and the UK circulated the draft resolution to the General
Assembly's human rights committee and Western diplomats said they hope it will
be put to a vote next Tuesday.

If approved, it is virtually certain to be adopted by the 193-member General
Assembly.

On Wednesday the Arab League - which has suspended Syria - gave Damascus
three days to end "bloody repression" and allow in teams of international
monitors.

It has threatened Syria with sanctions if it does not co-operate.
Rebel attack
Unconfirmed reports said six government soldiers died when renegade soldiers
known as the Free Syrian Army (FSA) attacked the Air Force Intelligence building
in Harasta early on Wednesday.

Mr Lavrov said such attacks were "completely similar to real civil war".
The Free Syrian Army said it
carried out the attack in Harasta

He said weapons were being smuggled in to Syria to be used by the opposition,
and that it was "necessary to stop violence no matter where it comes from" -
adding that opposition forces should also be held accountable.

China said on Thursday it was "highly concerned" by the rising violence.

The Arab League plan, drawn up earlier this month, calls on Syria to withdraw
tanks from restive cities, cease its attacks on protesters and engage in
dialogue with the opposition within two weeks.

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad agreed to the plan, but failed to honour it.


More than 370 people have been killed since then, say rights groups, in what
appears to be the bloodiest month in the eight-month uprising.

The UN says more than 3,500 people have died since protests started in March.
Syrian authorities blame the violence on armed gangs and militants.


More on This Story

18 November 2011 Last updated at 13:16




Syria 'to accept' Arab League monitoring mission

Protests have continued across
Syria despite the eight-month crackdown
Continue
reading the main story
Syria
Crisis

• Q&A: Syria sanctions
  
• Businesses loyal
  
• Q&A: Opposition alliance
  
• Guide: Syria Crisis
  

Syria has conditionally accepted an
Arab League plan to send a mission to observe the implementation of proposals
aimed at ending violence, a Syrian diplomatic source has told the BBC.

The source, who wished to remain unnamed, said Damascus had already informed
the League of the decision.

The source said a few adjustments were being worked out, but "they were not
designed to hinder the mission".

The League on Wednesday gave Syria three days to agree or face sanctions.

The Arab League plan, drawn up earlier this month, calls on Syria to withdraw
tanks from restive cities, cease its attacks on protesters and engage in
dialogue with the opposition within two weeks.

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad agreed to the plan, but failed to honour it.


More than 370 people have been killed since then, say rights groups, in what
appears to be the bloodiest month in the eight-month uprising.

The UN says more than 3,500 people have died since protests started in March.
Syrian authorities blame the violence on armed gangs and militants.
Continue reading the main story
“Start Quote

We are ready to strengthen the
sanctions”

End Quote Alain Juppe French
Foreign Minister

French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe warned opposition
groups on Friday "to avoid recourse to an armed insurrection".

"A civil war would of course be a true catastrophe," he said.

The warning comes days after a group of army defectors called the Free Syrian
Army attacked a building belonging to the country's air force intelligence,
killing a number of troops.

Russia warned afterwards that the situation was "similar to a civil
war".
Spirit 'untouched'
The Arab League formally suspended Syria on Wednesday.

The Syrian source told the BBC's Jeremy Bowen that the Syrian government had
sent the message to the Arab League on Thursday.

The political source said Syrian acceptance was subject to some changes
designed to protect what he called "the country's sovereignty and dignity".

Officials do not want it to be called an observer mission, but say calling it
an Arab League mission would be acceptable, says our Middle East editor.
Continue reading the main story
Arab League proposals

• End to violence and killing
  
• Allowing foreign journalists to work freely
  
• Releasing prisoners recently detained
  
• Withdrawing all military equipment from Syrian cities
  
• Government-opposition dialogue within two weeks
  

• Revolution at the Arab
  League
  
• Profile: Arab League
  
  

The changes, the source said, do not affect the spirit
of the mission.

He said "there are no tricks, we don't want to hinder them. The ball is now
in the court of the Arab League".

The question now is whether the changes will be acceptable to the Arab League
itself, our correspondent says.

If Syria is seen as playing for time or trying to dilute the mission it may
get a negative response.
Sanctions threat
Germany, France and the UK have tabled a UN resolution calling for an end to
human rights violations in Syria and urging Damascus to implement the Arab
League plan. The draft was also backed by four Arab countries.

Russia and China, which hold a veto at the UN, have refused to condemn
Syria.

But France, another veto holder, says sanctions against Syria must be
strengthened.

Speaking after talks in Turkey, the French foreign minister said: "We have
called on [President] Assad to change but the regime did not want to know, which
is not acceptable."

His Turkish counterpart, Ahmed Davutoglu, said it was time to escalate the
pressure to stop the "massacre

19 November 2011 Last updated at 06:38
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Syria nears Arab League deadline for end to
crackdown

Protests against President
Bashar al-Assad, like this one in Palmyra on Friday, have been continuing
despite the government's crackdown
Continue
reading the main story
Syria
Crisis

• Q&A: Syria sanctions
  
• Businesses loyal
  
• Q&A: Opposition alliance
  
• Guide: Syria Crisis
  

Violence is continuing in Syria, as
deadline set by the Arab League approaches for the government to end its
crackdown on protesters.

A Syrian diplomatic source said Damascus would accept observers to monitor
implementation of a peace deal, but with conditions.

The Arab League formally suspended Syria on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, the British Foreign Secretary announced that he would meet Syrian
opposition members.

William Hague will meet members of the Syrian National Council (SNC) and the
National Co-ordination Committee for Democratic Change in London on Monday, his
office said.
'Smaller delegation'
At least 11 people died in clashes on Friday, activists said, amid growing
fears of civil war.

The League says Syria will face sanctions unless it stops its bloody
suppression of anti-government protests.

A Syrian diplomatic source told the BBC on Friday that Damascus had informed
the League of its offer to allow monitors in, and that a few details were being
worked out.
Continue reading the main story
Arab League proposals

• End to violence and killing
  
• Allowing foreign journalists to work freely
  
• Releasing prisoners recently detained
  
• Withdrawing all military equipment from Syrian cities
  
• Government-opposition dialogue within two weeks
  

• Revolution at the Arab
  League
  
• Profile: Arab League
  
  

However, reports suggest Damascus has said it will
accept a delegation of 40 observers - a much smaller number than the 500
initially proposed by the League.

The BBC's Jim Muir, in neighbouring Lebanon, says the opposition are
extremely sceptical, believing that the government is just playing for time.

But the Syrian authorities also face a dilemma, our correspondent says: if
they allow the situation to be stabilised with observers, and pull their troops
out, they could see large parts of the country falling outside their control.


The Arab League plan, drawn up earlier this month, calls on Syria to withdraw
tanks from restive cities, cease its attacks on protesters and engage in
dialogue with the opposition within two weeks.

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad agreed to the plan at the time, but has so
far failed to implement it.

Correspondents say the invitation for League officials to visit Syria is a
significant concession by Damascus.

Syria is aware that Libya's suspension from the Arab League helped persuade
the UN Security Council to authorise the military action which helped topple Col
Muammar Gaddafi.
'Restraint and caution'
On Friday, Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin called for restraint over
Syria, after a meeting with French Prime Minister Francois Fillon.

"We are calling for restraint and caution. This is our position," Mr Putin
told a Moscow news conference, according to AFP news agency.

Mr Hague's decision to meet opposition members comes amid mounting pressure
on Damascus.

Both the US and Turkey have warned that the situation could escalate into a
civil war. King Abdullah of Jordan urged Mr Assad to stand down.

But the US Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, said she did not expect there
to be an international intervention as in Libya.

Some 400 people have been killed since the announcement of the Arab League
initiative on 2 November, activists in Syria said.

The UN says at least 3,500 people have died since the unrest began in March,
while many others have disappeared or been jailed.