Hilary Clinton goes to Turkey for talks about Syria

Via the AP

ISTANBUL (AP) - U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton is in Turkey for talks with Turkish officials as well as Syrian opposition figures on how to undermine the Syrian regime and lay the groundwork for a democratic transition.

Clinton also plans to meet Syrian refugees in Istanbul during her visit Saturday as the U.S. and allies boost humanitarian relief for civilians who have fled the civil war in Syria. At least 51,000 Syrians are sheltering in neighboring Turkey, and many more have sought refuge in Jordan and Lebanon.

Clinton's Istanbul agenda includes talks with Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, President Abdullah Gul and Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu. Turkey is a fierce critic of Syrian President Bashar Assad, and hosts Syrian activists working to him.

600 Palestinian families flee Syria for Lebanon

Via The Daily Star (Lebanon)

By Stephen Dockery


BEIRUT: Around 600 Palestinian families have crossed from Syria into Lebanon over the past week, a Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine official said Sunday.

The mass crossing of about 3,000 people is the latest sign of the expanding effect of the crisis that is now encompassing nearly every part of Syrian society. Most of the displaced came from the Yarmouk Palestinian camp in the suburbs of Damascus, PFLP official Marwan Abdel-Aaal said.

The camp was caught up in fighting that has gripped the city in recent days as opposition forces have launched a new offensive around the country. Last week, Syrian activists reported nearly two dozen people were killed in the camp from mortar fire, likely sparking the flight of refugees.

In Lebanon, the displaced Palestinian families have mostly been received by other Palestinian camps, including Nahr al-Bared, Badawi and Ain al-Hilweh, Abdel-Aaal said.

Abdel-Aaal said many of the families have connections with Palestinians in the Lebanese camps, making for an easier relocation in the country.

More Palestinian families have left their camps in Syria and are trying to cross into Lebanon but are stuck at the Masnaa border crossing because they don’t have proper exit documentation from Syrian officials, Abdel Aaal said.

As of now, Syrian Palestinians are only allowed to visit Lebanese camps for a week at a time, making an extended stay as a refugee problematic. But Abdel-Aaal said the process of exit and entry and relocation to the different camps is being discussed by government officials and the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees.

For months the Palestinian population in Syria has largely been excluded from the conflict between President Bashar Assad’s regime and the armed opposition. But many Palestinians have been forced to take sides in the conflict or flee the unrest as fighting has become bloodier and dragged in more areas of the country, particularly urban ones,

There are more than 486,000 Palestinian refugees and nine Palestinian camps in Syria according the UNRWA, slightly more than the 436,000 refugees in Lebanon. The country has 12 Palestinian camps. Palestinians in Syria have received a number of work benefits and rights from the Syrian government that other Palestinians in the region do not have.

The United Nations is now assisting around 35,000 Syrian refugees in Lebanon who were displaced by the 17-month Syrian crisis. Local organizations say there are around 90,000 refugees in the country with hundreds more people coming every week, particularly after recent fighting in major Syrian cities.



Read more: http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Local-News/2012/Aug-06/183550-600-palestinian-families-flee-syria-for-lebanon.ashx#ixzz22iZ45tiZ
(The Daily Star :: Lebanon News :: http://www.dailystar.com.lb)

Arab Spring, Muslim countries and Barack Obama

Based on PewResearch Center Arab Spring fails to improve U.S and Barack Obama image. Thiw research discovers that for Arabs the US "remain negative" and Obama "remains unpopular in the Muslim nations".

Certainly the Center infers:
As President Obama prepares to make a major address on the tumultuous changes spreading throughout the Middle East, a new survey finds that the rise of pro-democracy movements has not led to an improvement in America’s image in the region. Instead, in key Arab nations and in other predominantly Muslim countries, views of the U.S. remain negative, as they have been for nearly a decade. Indeed, in Jordan, Turkey and Pakistan, views are even more negative than they were one year ago.

With the exception of Indonesia, Obama remains unpopular in the Muslim nations polled, and most disapprove of the way he has handled calls for political change roiling the Middle East. Moreover, many of the concerns that have driven animosity toward the U.S. in recent years are still present – a perception that the U.S. acts unilaterally, opposition to the war on terror, and fears of America as a military threat. And in countries such as Jordan, Lebanon, and Pakistan, most say their own governments cooperate too much with the U.S.


While the Arab Spring has not led to a change in America’s image, it has generated considerable interest and excitement, especially in the Arab nations surveyed. More than 85% in Jordan, Egypt, the Palestinian territories, and Lebanon have followed news about political demonstrations in the region, and in Arab countries there is widespread optimism that the protests will lead to more democracy. Most Israelis have also followed the political upheaval in neighboring countries, but they are divided over whether it will

produce more democratic societies.