Syria Damascus - latest news

Two Syrian activist groups say about 5,000 people were killed in Syria in August, making it the deadliest month since the uprising began more than 17 months ago.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Sunday that 5,440 people, including 4,114 civilians were killed.

The Local Coordination Committees, another activist group, said 4,933 civilians were killed in August.

The civil war witnessed a major turning point in August when President Bashar Assad's forces began widely using air power for the first time to crush the revolt.

The fighting also reached Syria's largest city, Aleppo, which had been relatively quiet for most of the revolt.

Via AP

Barack Obama warns Syria over use of chemical or biological weapons

 Gaurdian

US president Barack Obama bluntly warned Syrian president Bashar al-Assad on Monday not to cross a "red line" by using chemical or biological weapons in his country's bloody conflict and suggested that such action would prompt the United States to consider a military response.
Pointing out that he had refrained "at this point" from ordering US military engagement in Syria, Obama said that there would be "enormous consequences" if Assad failed to safeguard his weapons of mass destruction.
It was Obama's strongest language to date on the issue, and he warned Syria not only against using its unconventional weapons, but against moving them in a threatening fashion.
"We have been very clear to the Assad regime, but also to other players on the ground, that a red line for us is we start seeing a whole bunch of chemical weapons moving around or being utilised," Obama said. "That would change my calculus."
"We cannot have a situation where chemical or biological weapons are falling into the hands of the wrong people," Obama told an impromptu White House news conference. He acknowledged he was not "absolutely confident" the stockpile was secure.
Obama said the issue was of concern not only to Washington but also to its close allies in the region, including Israel.
Seeking re-election in November, Obama has been reluctant to get the United States involved in another war in the Middle East, even refusing to arm rebels fighting a 17-month-old uprising against Assad.
Syria last month acknowledged for the first time that it had chemical and biological weapons and said it could use them if foreign countries intervene - a threat that drew strong warnings from Washington and its allies.
Western countries and Israel have expressed fears chemical weapons could fall into the hands of militant groups as Assad's authority erodes.
Israel has said that if Syrian-backed Hezbollah guerrillas used the situation to take control of the weapons, it would "act immediately and with utmost force."
"We're monitoring that situation very carefully. We have put together a range of contingency plans," Obama said when asked whether he envisioned the possibility of using US forces at least to safeguard Syria's chemical arsenal.
The Global Security website, which collects published intelligence reports and other data, says there are four suspected chemical weapons sites in Syria: north of Damascus, near Homs, in Hama and near the Mediterranean port of Latakia. Weaponsproduced include the nerve agents VX, sarin and tabun, it said, without citing its sources.
Obama also used the opportunity to renew his call for Assad to step down.
"The international community has sent a clear message that rather than drag his country into civil war, he should move in the direction of a political transition," Obama said. "But at this point, the likelihood of a soft landing seems pretty distant."
Obama said the United States had already provided $82m in humanitarian assistance for Syrian refugees and will "probably end up doing a little bit more" to keep the situation from destabilising Syria's neighbors.

Appearance of Assad in Mohajirin, Syria (Photos)

According to Syrian Arab News Agency the President Bashar al-Assad apeared Sunday morning at Al-Hamad Mosque in Mohajirin Quarter, Damascus.

The Arab News Agency sent:

President Bashar al-Assad performed Eid al-Fitr Prayers Sunday morning at Al-Hamad Mosque in Mohajirin Quarter, Damascus.

Top party and State officials, a number of MP's, the Mufti, and a number of Islamic Religion Scholars and citizens performed the Prayers along with H.E. President al-Assad.

President al-Assad was received upon his arrival to the Mosque by Minister of Endowment( Religious Affairs), the Mufti, Assistant Regional Secretary of the Ba'ath Arab Socialist Party, Chairman of the People's Assembly (Parliament), and by the prime Minister.

Sheikh Mohamad Khir Ghantous delivered the ceremony of Eid al-Fitr asserting the sublime meanings of the blessed Eid al-Fitr, pointing out to the importance of amity, tolerance, closeness and cooperation  among Syrians in building their Homeland, Syria.

''The Prayer of Eid is but a characteristic of Islamic unity where the nation in its elderly, junior, chairmen, and subordinates discuss the affairs of the nation,'' Sheikh Ghantous said.

Sheikh Ghantous asserted that the conspiracy and terrorism against  Syria by an American,Zionist, western, Arab, Wahabi, and expiatory alliance  will never defeat the  faith, Islam, and determination in Syria and Bilad al-Sham, which God blessed.

Sheikh Ghantous pointed out that the happiest for the ongoing in Syria are the enemies including  Zionists, Americans, and their supporters, who were not able to face us as united together-Syrians-, so they wanted to dismember us setting the flame of war and sedition among us.

Sheikh Ghantous called for return to the path of right, reason, and tolerant Sharia for peace and conciliation as to restore safety and security to Syria, praying to God for benefit, unity , amity and  for welfare at the hands of H.E. President al-Assad.

Attacks interminably in Syria

Syrian forces have launched new air strikes and shelled rebel strongholds in several key cities, particularly in and around the key northern commercial hub of Aleppo.

Warplanes on Saturday bombed the town of Azaz near Aleppo and shelling continued in the city's neighbourhoods of al-Fardos, al-Sukkari, Bustan al-Zahra and Kallasa.

Fighting between government forces and rebels was also reported near Saad al-Allah al-Jabri's Square in Aleppo's centre and in the southern rebel stronghold of Salaheddin. Aleppo has become a main focus of the conflict since late July.

State television said soldiers "cleared terrorists and mercenaries" from the western district of Saif al-Sawla on Saturday.



In Damascus, fighting broke out in the heavily populated southern district of Tadamon, showing that the rebels still have pockets of resistance in the capital despite government forces last month claiming they had retaken it.

Meanwhile, in the eastern province of Deir al-Zor, activists said shelling by government forces continued on the city of Abu Kamal and the towns of Abou Hamman and al-Kashkiyya, and that armoured vehicles were seen moving into the eastern town of Mayadeen.

Government forces also pounded rebel-held areas of the central city of Homs and the southern city of Herak, activists said.

'Determination' required

Government forces appear to be resorting to more attacks from the air against the more poorly armed rebel groups, while accounts of people being shot dead by snipers are increasing.

The violence come as the UN said veteran Algerian diplomat Lakhdar Brahimi would take over as international envoy from Kofi Annan, who quit this month after the failure of his peace plan.

Brahimi said the task of finding a solution to end the 17-month-old conflict, which activists say has killed 23,000 people, required "a lot of determination".

His appointment was announced the day after the UN called time on its observer mission in Syria amid the escalating violence.

UN observers will depart from Syria on Sunday, but will leave behind a "liaison office" in Damascus, though its size and role have not been finalised, a UN spokesperson said.

The conflict in Syria has created an increasingly precarious humanitarian situation, triggering a major exodus of refugees that the UN said on Friday had risen to least 170,000, many of them fleeing to Turkey.

Defection rumours

Laurent Fabius, the French foreign minister, on Friday called for President Bashar al-Assad's regime to be "smashed fast" as he visited the largest of the refugee camps in Turkey.

"After hearing the refugees and their account of the massacres of the regime, Mr Bashar al-Assad doesn't deserve to be on this earth," Fabius said.


Assad's regime has faced a string of high-level defections, including Prime Minister Riad Hijab and senior general Manaf Tlass. A bomb attack also killed four top security chiefs.

On Friday, reports emerged of the defection of Farouq al-Sharaa, Syria's vice president, a claim Syrian state media denied.

Citing a statement from his office, Syrian TV said on Saturday: "Mr Sharaa has never thought about leaving the country or going anywhere." Sharaa himself was not seen.

The rebel Free Syrian Army said in a statement that Sharaa, 73, who has been vice president since 2006, had tried to defect to the opposition.

"Initial reports show that there was an attempted defection, but that it failed," the FSA's military council said.

Sharaa is the most powerful Sunni Muslim figure in the minority Alawite-led regime and has served in top posts for
almost 30 years.

Lebanon kidnappings

Meanwhile, in neighbouring Lebanon, three Syrians who had been kidnapped by armed gunmen in the capital Beirut on Saturday were released, the state NNA news agency reported.

The abductions come days after the Meqdad clan kidnapped 20 Syrians in Lebanon in retaliation against what they say was the abduction of one of their family members by a Syrian rebel group last week.

Two Turks have also been abducted, at least one of them by the Meqdad clan.

The wave of kidnapping has ratcheted up tensions in Lebanon and caused several Gulf countries to tell their nationals to leave. The United States and Turkey have also warned their nationals against all but essential travel to the country.

Al Jazeera

Did Syrian Vice President defect? The opposition says "yes"

A Syria opposition official insisted Satruday that reports Vice President Farouq al-Sharie has defected are genuine, and said he was being held under house arrest by the Syrian regime.

A Syrian National Council (SNC) official told Al Arabiya that a Syrian TV statement that “Sharie never thought of leaving the country” was incorrect.

SNC legal office head Marwan Hji al-Rifai told Al Arabiya that Sharie was under house arrest and like other “noble” people he had attempted defect to save his family.

On Friday, spokesman for the Higher Revolutionary Council of the Free Syrian Army, Luay al-Miqdad, claimed Sharie had defected to Jordan.

Miqdad told Al Arabiya that two other high-ranking officers had also defected, but did not give any names.

If Shari has left the Syrian government, it would be a large blow to President Bashar al-Assad's fight to control the country. He is the most powerful Sunni figure in the minority Alawite-led regime, and has served in top posts for almost 30 years.

Sources from the Syrian opposition said that Sharie has been missing for the past two days and that he did not announce his “explicit” defection untill after he arrived in Jordan.

According to Miqdad, the regime of President Bashar al-Assad has been working on a scenario to make the FSA seem as the culprit behind Sharie’s “killing.”

Sharie, 74, has been Syria’s vice president since 2006.

Born in the southern city of Deraa, Sharie first worked in the aviation sector in the early 1960s before entering politics.

He has Bachelors in English, and in 1972 he left to study international law in London and was appointed in 1976 as Syria’s ambassador to Rome. In 1984, he served as the country’s foreign minister.

The vice president's cousin, Ya’rub al-Sharie, appeared in a video on Thursday announcing his official defection and joining the ranks of the Syrian revolution.

AL ARABIYA

Bombing in Syria again (Video)

Attacks on military aircraft continued in Syria in recent days. 

Exclusively rebels stated in IPR military plane dropped two bombs yesterday in the city Idlib. There five people killed, among them a child seven years old.

The attack occurred yesterday, August 16 at twelve o'clock in the afternoon.

In recent days, the Assad regime avoided the land warfare.

As shown in the video, the attack took place in a city with a civilian resident population. The residents ask the cameraman to show pictures on TV.

In the video the people recognize the corpses after the attack.

Syria: Α convoy was destroyd by the Free Army (Video) - Humanitarian crisis

The Free Syrian Army destroyed a convoy of military vehicles which headed for the border. According to rebels, who participated in the operation, the military vehicles were destroyed by a Free Syrian Army’s brigade. 

The attack was recorded on camera.

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The conflict over the terrory between the two sides is increasing day by day. So the country has broken a serious humanitarian crisis. According to Al Jazeera after the air strikes on rebel-held Azaz town some 45km north of Aleppo, the pavement outside the hospital, body parts had been heaped in a pile under a blanket.

"Nobody knows how high the toll will climb now. It could take days to finish searching through the rubble," said Abu al-Baraa, a doctor who had just arrived in Syria from Saudi Arabia to help.

"I'm a radiologist, not a surgeon, but I'll do anything I can to help," said Abu al-Baraa. There is only one other doctor at Azaz hospital, an anesthetist.

Air strike in Syria - At least 31 people killed

According to Al Arabiya a Syrian air strike on a rebel bastion in the north Wednesday flattened a string of houses and killed 31 people including children, activists said, leaving residents wailing in grief and anger.

“Bashar did this. God help us, these animals will kill us all,” said one man, hoisting a bloodied arm from a pile of body parts on the pavement outside the hospital in the town of Aazaz after the bombardment.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said 31 people were killed in the attack by a MiG fighter jet, the latest atrocity blamed on the regime of President Bashar al-Assad, but the toll was expected to rise.

The dead included women and children, while another 200 people were wounded, it said.

“There are many people still trapped under the rubble,” said Observatory director Rami Abdel Rahman. “The situation is horrific.”


Al Jazeera’s Stefanie Dekker reports from Reyhanli in neighbouring Turkey.

The defected Prime Minister speaks about Syria and Assad (Videos)

Update

Syria's defected Prime Minister, Riad Hijab, held a press conference and he expressed his opinion about the President Bashar al-Assad's regime. Also he urged that there are politicians and military leaders, who discuss to join the rebel side 

Riad Hijab supported that: "the regime is on the verge of collapse morally and economically”

He talked about army, too. "I urge the army to follow the example of Egypt's and Tunisia's armies [and] take the side of people", he said

He added about his decision to defect: "i was powerless to stop the injustice", he said.

Finally he emphasized that "Syria is full of honourable officials and military leaders who are waiting for the chance to join the revolution."

“Oh devoted revolutionaries, your revolution has become a model of effort and sacrifice for the sake of freedom and dignity. I assure you, from my experience and former position, that the regime is collapsing, spiritually and financially, as it escalates militarily,” he said.

“It no longer controls more than 30 percent of Syrian territory... So let the shining revolution be completed by preserving the unity of the country”.

On August 6, Hijab had defected from the government and had left for Jordan with his family.


“I decided to leave on August 5 after losing hope that this corrupt and brutal regime would change. The trip to Jordan took three days”, he said.

“I have no interest in holding any position, now or in the future following the liberation of Syria”.


Riad Farid Hijab was a longtime member of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s ruling Baath Party.

He was appointed as prime minister in June, one month after parliamentary elections that were boycotted by supporters of the opposition.


“The United States encourages other officials within the Syrian government, in both the political and military ranks, to take similarly courageous steps to reject the Assad regime and stand with the Syrian people,” Treasury official David Cohen said.

Watch a video footage from Al Jazeera (translation):

Watch the interiview in Arabic:

Violence in Syria (New videos)

Battles continue in Syria. Rebels appeal for aid as Syrian forces advance. The military regime's attacks doesn’t stop. 

The IPR (International Political Review) receives daily messages from rebels who describe the situation in the country. 

We, IPR, believe that the Arab Spring can bring changes for the Arab world. For this, we'll show everyday all major developments about Syria.

According to Syrian rebels this video shows Assad’s soldiers nearly Tafas in Daraa. They casually smoke cigarettes, joke, laugh and seem quite relaxed as they shell the tiny town of Tafas. 

This is a CNN report from Aleppo. 

Life and death In Aleppo - YouTube

Reuters showed a video which "claims to show a captured Syrian pilot after rebels say they brought down a government fighter jet. Deborah Lutterbeck reports". Watch this video:

A captured pilot in Syria | Video | Reuters.com

Battles in Syria - Video

The fighting stepps up in Serbia. The civil war has not stopped and the increasing use of heavy weapons by authorities continues. Diplomacy does not resolve after the resignation of Kofi Annan.

Watch a video of the battlefield. From 3:08 Syrian rebels move in on battlefield.

At the same time "the Lieutenant Ibrahim al-Tzampaoui crossed the borders of Jordan. Later today, he will announce that deserted, by the television network al-Arampigia" an officer in Amman Supreme Council of the Syrian Revelution, said.

Meanwhile, the bombing of Syrian armed forces in neighborhoods in Aleppo and Damascus continue unabated .

According to the Syrian Human Rights Watch, the reporter of the Syrian news agency Sana, Ali Abbas, was killed yesterday at his home in Damascus.

Israeli soldiers opened fire at Syrian citizen

Israeli soldiers opened fire and wounded a Syrian, who tried to pass the security fence in the southern part of the Golan Heights which the Jewish state captured in 1967.

According to Colonel Limpovits Avital, the Israeli forces "found a Syrian citizen approached the security fence with a wire cutter that kept trying to open up part of the wall."

"One of the soldiers opened fire, after he had shouted to the man and was shot in the air. The man was wounded in the knee and the compatriots evacuated from this point, "said the colonel.

Israel stepped past security measures along the armistice line with Syria to prevent the arrival of refugees or Syrian rebels, while battles between rebels and loyal to President Bashar al-Assad forces escalate.