Several high-ranking Syrian military officers have reportedly defected to Turkey. China is urging calm after Syria’s downing downs Turkish jet, and China’s Foreign Ministry spokesman, says he hopes parties will “adhere to diplomacy” as Turkey takes the issue to NATO, insisting that the jet was in international airspace, while Syria claims that the aircraft entered its airspace. During the first days after the Friday downing, Turkey seemed to be soft peddling the downing, but has ratcheted up the pressure. The European Union, which has announced new sanctions against Syria, is unlikely to do more, although the US may have urged Turkey to make a greater issue of the Jet downing.
More journalists are trying to get the story about who is feeding arms to the Syrian opposition, who is paying for them, what conditions are being set for their dispersal, and which militia leaders are being chosen as the “winners” of the opposition beauty contest.
Both the New York Times and Wall Street Journal have run stories suggesting that the CIA is getting to decide who the winners are. But this is not supported by Rania Abouzeid in today’s Time story. She tries to get a clearer picture from some of the main arms suppliers. The Saudis seem to be contracting through a Lebanese middle man: does that mean they are trying to link their Syria interests to their Lebanon interests? Are weapons slow to get through to Syria because the US, Turkey and Saudi are arguing over which militias should be the winners? Or are they still busy trying to determine who is who? All questions that are yet un-answered.
Syria formed a new government on June 23 with the appointment of twenty new ministers and the establishment of five new ministries, including one for national reconciliation. No one is really paying attention sa the key posts are unchanged. Riad Farid Hijab, a former agriculture minister and a loyalist member of the ruling Baath Party, has been returned as Prime Minister. He is considered honest by many. But the inclusion of a few leftist opposition members to what is normally a rubber stamp institution will not bring change most insist...
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