Suriye’nin kuzeyindeki el-Kaide bağlantılı örgütlerle PYD’nin askeri kanadı olan Halk Savunma Güçleri (YPG) arasında yaşanan çatışmaların sürdüğü bildirildi.
http://www.ydh.com.tr/HD12122_tel-ebyaddaki-catismalar-kurtlerin-lehine-gelisiyor.html
Lübnan Marunîleri / Yasin Atlıoğlu
Wednesday, July 31, 2013
Homs Rafinerisi Füzelerle Hedef Alındı- SANA Türkçe
HOMS - Teröristlerin Homs Rafinerisi, işçilerin konut kompleksleri ve arıtma genel kurumuna fırlattıkları bir kaç füze mermisinin düşmesi sonucunda bazı işçiler yaralandı.
SANA muhabiri petrol ve madeni kaynaklar bakanlığında bir kaynaktan naklen, terör saldırısının işçi konutlarında bir kaç işçinin yaralanmasına, rafineri hareminde işlem görmeyen bir tanker ile arıtma genel kurumu binasında maddi zararlara yol açtığını ifade etti.
http://sana.sy/tur/339/2013/07/31/495048.htm
Tuesday, July 30, 2013
Lebanon: Courts Kill Smoking Ban- Al-Akhbar
When the law banning smoking in enclosed public spaces passed, some Lebanese wondered if it was a priority. Smokers and business-owners bet that the law would not even be implemented. But it did not occur to anyone that the courts would spearhead the effort to render it ineffective.
http://english.al-akhbar.com/content/lebanon-courts-kill-smoking-ban
Monday, July 29, 2013
Syria a magnet for young Islamists, including Americans- The Times of Israel
Amiir Farouk Ibrahim, who was born in the US and has a US passport, goes missing while fighting with an al-Qaeda offshoot in Syria.
http://www.timesofisrael.com/syria-a-magnet-for-young-islamists-including-americans/
Syria's Kurds fight jihadists amid growing doubts of their real intentions- Xinhua
DAMASCUS, July 28 (Xinhua) -- Syria's Kurds are battling extremist groups in northern Syria in a drive to keep their areas safe and secure. Yet, speculations are high that the Kurds, who have for long suffered discrimination, harbor other intentions, mainly an autonomous enclave.
Since the outbreak of the conflict in Syria nearly three years ago, the Kurds have strived to keep the rebels out of the areas they control in order to avoid sparking a confrontation with the Syrian army and to ensure that their territory remained free of violence.
However, fighting broke out recently in northern Syria between the Kurds and al-Qaida-affiliated al-Nusra Front and it covered all the Kurdish areas in the north. The Kurds emerged victorious and gained ground in a number of areas in the north, mainly in Ras al-Eyn area, which is adjacent to Turkey as well as in Kobani and Tal Abyadh near the crossing border between Syria and Turkey, where they had expelled jihadists from a string of villages.
Some Syrian opposition parties, after failing to convince Kurdish parties to join their ranks, accused the Kurds, especially the Kurdish Union Party, of collaborating with the Syrian government, a charge most Kurds have repeatedly denied.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/world/2013-07/29/c_125078493.htm
Syria troops 'tighten grip on Homs'- Belfast Telegraph
Syrian government forces backed by Lebanese Hezbollah militants are tightening their grip on a key rebel district in central Syria, activists say.
The military moves came a day after they expelled rebels from a 13th century landmark mosque they controlled for more than a year.
State-run Syrian TV broadcast live coverage from Khaldiyeh, an embattled northern neighbourhood in Homs, where the army has been advancing. Video showed extensive destruction. Activists said most of the buildings in the mainly residential district were no longer fit to live in.
http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/world-news/syria-troops-tighten-grip-on-homs-29454667.html
Worries Mount as Syria Lures West’s Muslims- The New York Times
WASHINGTON — A rising number of radicalized young Muslims with Western passports are traveling to Syria to fight with the rebels against the government of Bashar al-Assad, raising fears among American and European intelligence officials of a new terrorist threat when the fighters return home.
More Westerners are now fighting in Syria than fought in conflicts in Iraq, Afghanistan, Somalia or Yemen, according to the officials. They go to Syria motivated by the desire to help the people suffering there by overthrowing Mr. Assad. But there is growing concern that they will come back with a burst of jihadist zeal, some semblance of military discipline, enhanced weapons and explosives skills, and, in the worst case, orders from affiliates of Al Qaeda to carry out terrorist strikes.
“Syria has become really the predominant jihadist battlefield in the world,” Matthew G. Olsen, the director of the National Counterterrorism Center, told a security conference in Aspen, Colo., this month. He added, “The concern going forward from a threat perspective is there are individuals traveling to Syria, becoming further radicalized, becoming trained and then returning as part of really a global jihadist movement to Western Europe and, potentially, to the United States.”
Suriye: Ordu Halidiye'yi isyancılardan geri aldı- BBC Türkçe
Suriye ordusunun, Humus kentinde isyancıların kontrolündeki az sayıdaki bölgeden biri olan Halidiye semtinin büyük bölümünü ele geçirdiği haber veriliyor.
Suriye ordusu Cumartesi günü bölgede harekat başlamıştı.
İsyancılar, Beşar Esad'a karşı 2011'de başlatılan ayaklanmanın simgesi haline gelen Humus'ta, Halidiye'nin denetimini bir yıldan uzun bir süredir ellerinde tutuyordu.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/turkce/haberler/2013/07/130728_humus_halidiye.shtml
İsyancılar, Beşar Esad'a karşı 2011'de başlatılan ayaklanmanın simgesi haline gelen Humus'ta, Halidiye'nin denetimini bir yıldan uzun bir süredir ellerinde tutuyordu.
Suriye sınırında yine çatışma- Sol Haber
Şanlıurfa’da Suriye sınırından Türkiye’ye kaçak girmeye çalışan bir grubun fark edilmeleri sonucu grupla güvenlik güçleri arasında çalışma çıktı.
DHA’nın haberine göre Suriye'den Türkiye'ye kaçak geçmeye çalışan 6-7 kişilik grup, fark edilince güvenlik güçlerine ateş açtı.
http://haber.sol.org.tr/devlet-ve-siyaset/suriye-sinirinda-yine-catisma-haberi-77124
Sunday, July 28, 2013
UN, Syria hold ‘productive’ chemical arms talks as US urges political solution- RT
The Syrian government and the UN delegation investigating the alleged use of chemical weapons in the country’s civil war said on Saturday that they took part in "productive" negotiations. Meanwhile, the US is urging a political solution to the crisis.
After meeting with Syria’s deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister in Damascus, the UN delegation said in a Saturday statement that the “discussions were thorough and productive and led to an agreement on the way forward.” The statement did not specify whether UN inspectors would be allowed into Syria.
In turn, the Syrian Foreign Ministry said the discussions were "comprehensive and fruitful and led to an agreement on the means of moving forward," as quoted by Syrian state news agency SANA.
Although some authorities within the US continue to calculate the expenses of solving the Syrian conflict militarily, the general tone of the voices coming from Washington is changing.
The US military recently concluded that 100 per cent seizure of Syria’s chemical weapons cannot be guaranteed even with the thousands of special operations forces on the ground that would be needed “to assault and secure critical sites,” Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Martin Dempsey wrote in a July 19 letter to the chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee. “The impact would be the control of some, but not all chemical weapons,” he added.
“At a minimum, this option would call for a no-fly zone as well as air and missile strikes involving hundreds of aircraft, ships, submarines, and other enablers,” Dempsey acknowledged.
“Thousands of special operations forces and other ground forces would be needed to assault and secure critical sites...costs could also average well over one billion dollars per month,” he wrote.
http://rt.com/news/syrian-conflict-resolution-close-679/
In turn, the Syrian Foreign Ministry said the discussions were "comprehensive and fruitful and led to an agreement on the means of moving forward," as quoted by Syrian state news agency SANA.
Although some authorities within the US continue to calculate the expenses of solving the Syrian conflict militarily, the general tone of the voices coming from Washington is changing.
The US military recently concluded that 100 per cent seizure of Syria’s chemical weapons cannot be guaranteed even with the thousands of special operations forces on the ground that would be needed “to assault and secure critical sites,” Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Martin Dempsey wrote in a July 19 letter to the chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee. “The impact would be the control of some, but not all chemical weapons,” he added.
“At a minimum, this option would call for a no-fly zone as well as air and missile strikes involving hundreds of aircraft, ships, submarines, and other enablers,” Dempsey acknowledged.
“Thousands of special operations forces and other ground forces would be needed to assault and secure critical sites...costs could also average well over one billion dollars per month,” he wrote.
123 people killed by foreign-backed militants in Aleppo- PRESS TV
At least 123 people have been killed by foreign-backed militants in Syria’s northern governorate of Aleppo, official SANA news agency reported.
The news agency noted on Saturday that most victims of the massacre committed by the armed terrorists in Khan al-Assal town were civilians.
The armed terrorist group, Ansar al-Khalifa Brigade, admitted committing the massacre in Khan al-Assal. The group’s militants mutilated the dead bodies and threw them in a big hole outside the town. They also incinerated a number of the dead bodies.
Most of the town is currently under the control of the militants.
A Russian-led inquiry has already revealed that militants carried out a chemical attack in Khan al-Assal on the edge of the northern city of Aleppo in March, which killed 26 people.
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/2013/07/27/315899/militants-kill-123-people-in-aleppo/
Syria Urges UN to Condemn Jaramana Attack- Al-Manar
Syria has called on the United Nations to condemn a recent bomb attack carried out by Takfiri militants near Damascus, where at least seven people died.
In letters to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and the UN Security Council, the Syrian Foreign Ministry urged the world body to adopt a clear stance in “rejecting terrorism regardless of the place and time of the crime,” Syria’s official news agency SANA reported on Thursday.
The bomb attack was carried out on Thursday in the Jaramana suburb, southeast Damascus. More than 60 people were also wounded in the bombing.
http://www.almanar.com.lb/english/adetails.php?fromval=1&cid=23&frid=23&eid=103519
War in Syria inspires Kurdish unity- Al-Jazeera
Northern Syria sees battles between Kurds and al-Qaeda-inspired groups, as Kurds prepare for election and autonomy.
A new front is opening in Syria’s devastating civil war as Kurds and al-Qaeda-inspired fighters take advantage of a power vacuum to fight for control of key northern towns.
Self-ruling in most of the north-east, the Kurdish autonomy project has been dealt a blow, as Islamists have emerged as a powerful group, attempting to establish a religious state in the north.
Clashes have engulfed two strategic towns on the Turkish border after Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad withdrew his forces to let both sides battle it out while he confronts the Free Syrian Army in other regions.
Battles for the two towns between Kurds and Islamist fighters are bringing rare unity to the fractious Kurds as they prepare for elections that will establish the basis of self-rule.
“This unity is crucial to the success of the implementation of an autonomous administration and proposed elections,” said Christian Sinclair, a Syria expert and president of the Kurdish Studies Association at the university of Arizona.
Clashes have engulfed two strategic towns on the Turkish border after Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad withdrew his forces to let both sides battle it out while he confronts the Free Syrian Army in other regions.
Battles for the two towns between Kurds and Islamist fighters are bringing rare unity to the fractious Kurds as they prepare for elections that will establish the basis of self-rule.
“This unity is crucial to the success of the implementation of an autonomous administration and proposed elections,” said Christian Sinclair, a Syria expert and president of the Kurdish Studies Association at the university of Arizona.
http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/2013/07/2013727161533579785.html
"Türkiye'nin PYD'ye bakış açısı değişti"- Milliyet
İstanbul temaslarını değerlendiren PYD Eşbaşkanı Salih Müslüm, Türkiye'nin PYD'ye yönelik bakış açısının değiştiğini, "Önce dolaylı, sonra yüz yüze görüştük. İstanbul ilk görüşmeydi, son olmayacak" sözleri ile açıkladı.
http://gundem.milliyet.com.tr/-turkiye-nin-pyd-ye-bakis-acisi/gundem/detay/1742445/default.htm
PYD lideri Müslim: Türkiye Rojava'da anlaşmalı özerkliğe yeşil ışık yaktı- T-24
PYD Eş Başkanı Müslim,‘Ankara’nın Kürt Yüksek Konseyi’nin muhalif Suriye Ulusal Koalisyonu ile anlaşması halinde, Türkiye’nin Rojava'da demokratik özerkliği tanıyacağını’ söyledi.
İki gündür Türkiye’de bulunan, Kürt Demokratik Birlik Partisi (PYD) Eş Başkanı Salih Müslim, Türk yetkililerle Rojava gündemiyle yaptığı görüşmelerin ardından demokratik özerklik tartışmalarıyla ilgili çarpıcı açıklamalarda bulundu.
T24’e konuşan Salih Müslim, görüşmelerde Suriyeli Kürtlerin özerklik talebinin gündeme geldiğini ve ‘Ankara’nın Kürt Yüksek Konseyi’nin muhalif Suriye Ulusal Koalisyonu ile anlaşması halinde, Türkiye’nin Rojava'da Kürtlerin ilan edeceği demokratik özerkliği tanıyacağını’ söyledi.
http://t24.com.tr/haber/pyd-lideri-muslim-turkiye-rojavada-anlasmali-ozerklige-yesil-isik-yakti/235406
Car bomb blast kills 3 in Syria's Homs- Xinhua
DAMASCUS, July 28 (Xinhua) -- A car bomb went off Sunday in a district of Syria's central city of Homs, killing three people and injuring some others, including women and children, the pro- government al-Ekhbaria TV reported.
The car tore through al-Mazraa roundabout in al-Waer district in Homs, the report said, giving no further details.
Some pro-government news websites said the blast occurred near a military post in the area.
The blast comes as the Syrian army is making advancement in Homs, most notably in the district of al-Khalidieh.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/world/2013-07/28/c_132581226.htm
Syria rebel leaders hold talks at UN- BBC News
Syrian rebel leaders have met for the first time with the United Nations
Security Council to discuss the country's two-year civil war.
They said they were prepared to take part in peace talks if the regime of
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad agreed to a political transition, and they
appealed to the Russians to end their supply of arms.
The BBC's Nick Bryant reports from UN headquarters in New York.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-23474271
Saturday, July 27, 2013
Tahran’dan Ankara’ya sert eleştiri- Yeni Çağ
İran Meclisi Milli Güvenlik ve Dış Politika Komisyonu Başkanvekili Mansur Hakikatpur, Türk hükümetinin ülkedeki protestoları bastırdığı ve Suriye’deki teröristleri desteklediğinden dolayı bölgedeki saygınlığını kaybettiğini ileri sürdü. İran meclisinin resmi nitelikli internet sitesi İCANA’nin haberine göre, Türkiye’nin Suriye politikasını eleştiren Hakikatpur, Ankara’yı Suriyeli teröristlere silah ve askeri eğitim sağlamakla suçladı. Türkiye’deki protesto olaylarına da değinen Hakikatpur, “Erdoğan hükümetinin yürüttüğü dış politika, son zamanlarda artık Türk halkının öfkelendirmeye başladı. Ankara, bugün Suriye’ye karşı düşmanca tavrının bedelini ödemektedir” dedi. İranlı politikacı Türkiye’nin bölgede prestijinin kalmadığını öne sürdü.
http://www.yg.yenicaggazetesi.com.tr/habergoster.php?haber=87056
Soldiers’ Mass Execution Reported by Syria Group- The New York Times
BEIRUT, Lebanon — Islamist extremists in Syria’s insurgency killed 150 soldiers in a battle for control of an Aleppo suburb this week, including 51 who were executed after they had surrendered, according to a Syrian monitoring group that has been chronicling casualties and evidence of atrocities.
The group, the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which sympathizes with the opposition and reports daily tallies of combat and violence from a network of contacts on the ground in Syria, corroborated its assertion on Friday with a video posted on the Internet.
The video, dated Wednesday, showed what appeared to be an execution ground, with dozens of lifeless bodies clumped against a wall pockmarked with bullet holes. The video’s authenticity could not be independently confirmed, but Rami Abdulrahman, the Syrian Observatory founder, quoted witnesses as saying 51 soldiers taken prisoner were later shot. Among the total who had surrendered, he said, “very few were taken hostage.”
Friday, July 26, 2013
Aoun: Europe is being controlled by Israel- Ya Libnan
Free patriotic Movement leader MP Michel said Europe is being controlled by Israel and that the European Union’s decision to blacklist Hezbollah’s military wing was due to its “feeling of guilt” over what happened to the Jews and the Holocaust .
Aoun, a key ally of the Hezbollah militant group said that Europe is committing another mistake
Lebanon: European Schizophrenia After Hezbollah Blacklisting- Al-Akhbar
Before the EU’s decision to blacklist Hezbollah’s “military wing” was even publicly released, the EU Ambassador to Lebanon Angelina Eichhorst paid two of the party’s officials a visit to reassure them that the decision will not affect relations with the group’s “civilian wing.”
Eichhorst visited Ammar al-Musawi, liaison for international relations, and Minister of State Mohammad Fneish, declaring that “this decision is a political message to Hezbollah for the attack in Burgas, Bulgaria, which is a terrorist attack on European soil.”
She added, however, that this does not reflect on the Lebanese government in any way, explaining that the EU “has no problem with Hezbollah participating in any future government.” After her meeting with Hezbollah’s minister in the current caretaker government, she stated, “Financial assistance will continue, of which Minister Fneish’s ministry gets a sizeable share, and we want for this cooperation to continue.”
http://english.al-akhbar.com/content/lebanon-european-schizophrenia-after-hezbollah-blacklisting
Racism scars many Syrian refugees in Egypt and Lebanon- Al-Arabiya
A wave of xenophobia is blighting the lives of thousands of Syrian refugees in
countries such as Egypt and Lebanon, where they are often blamed for anything
that goes wrong.
In Egypt, Syrians are accused of taking sides and interfering in the country’s political crisis, while in Lebanon they are accused of taking the jobs of Lebanese.
Egyptian media have played an instrumental role in spreading anti-Syrian sentiment, accusing them of joining protests in support of deposed Islamist president Mohammad Mursi.
Mursi, removed by the army on July 3 after huge protests, rose through the ranks of the Muslim Brotherhood -- a key component of the opposition in Syria.
In Egypt, Syrians are accused of taking sides and interfering in the country’s political crisis, while in Lebanon they are accused of taking the jobs of Lebanese.
Egyptian media have played an instrumental role in spreading anti-Syrian sentiment, accusing them of joining protests in support of deposed Islamist president Mohammad Mursi.
Mursi, removed by the army on July 3 after huge protests, rose through the ranks of the Muslim Brotherhood -- a key component of the opposition in Syria.
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2013/07/25/Syrian-refugees-face-wave-of-racism-in-Egypt-Lebanon.html
Hezbollah holding Lebanon hostage: Geagea- The Daily Star
BEIRUT: Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea lashed out at Hezbollah Friday, accusing the party of taking the country hostage, and criticized MP Michel Aoun for his ministers’ performance in Cabinet.
The opposition leader also vowed to continue the search for Lebanese detainees in Syrian prisons.
“Most Lebanese are captives in Hezbollah's prison,” Geagea said during a news conference organized by the Martyrs, Casualties and Detainees Department of the Lebanese Forces.
“Our rights and decisions are hostage, in one way or another, to Hezbollah because if we don’t go along with the logic of the resistance, we are targeted,” he added.
Read more: http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Lebanon-News/2013/Jul-26/225185-hezbollah-holding-lebanon-hostage-geagea.ashx#ixzz2aBScGX4b
Syrian rebels press US to send weapons fast, Kerry sees no military solution to crisis- RT
Syrian opposition leaders on their three-day visit to the US have urged Washington to get a move on with sending promised arms to the rebels. John Kerry has declared there’s no military solution to the crisis.
A delegation representing the Syrian National Coalition, headed by its newly-elected leader Ahmed Jarba, met with John Kerry on Thursday at the US mission to the United Nations in New York. The statement Jarba issued following the closed-door talks described the situation in Syria as “desperate” and urged the US to start delivering on its military aid promise as soon as possible.
"The US commitment of military support to the Supreme Military Council is vital, but it needs to happen fast, and in a way that allows us to defend ourselves and protect civilians," Jarba said.
http://rt.com/news/syria-rebels-us-weapons-617/
"The US commitment of military support to the Supreme Military Council is vital, but it needs to happen fast, and in a way that allows us to defend ourselves and protect civilians," Jarba said.
Soon, no more obstacles to the new Sykes-Picot (Thierry Meyssan- Voltaire.net)
You’ve probably noticed the change in tone of the atlanticist press on the Syrian issue. The "rebels", these "champions of Freedom", have suddenly turned into fanatical terrorists who tear each other apart. For Thierry Meyssan, there is nothing new under the sun: Washington has simply abandoned the idea of overthrowing Assad and is heading to the Geneva II conference. Next step: the loss of French influence in the region.
On June 13, the spokesman of the National Security Council of the United States announced that the red line had been crossed: as shown by the evidence gathered by the French and the British, Syria Bashar al-Assad had used chemical weapons against his own people. We would see what we would see ... Without delay, the new NATO Allied Land Command was activated in Izmir (Turkey). War was imminent.
A month later, Western resolve has petered out. The atlanticist press has discovered with horror that the armed opposition in Syria is composed of fanatics hated by the vast majority of Syrians, which is what we have been saying for two years. Meanwhile, on site, the Free Syrian Army and the Al-Nusra Front, instead of fighting against Damascus troops, are waging a merciless war against each other.
http://www.voltairenet.org/article179521.html
UN chief says death toll in Syria war surpasses 100,000; car bomb claims 10 more lives- The Washington Post
DAMASCUS, Syria — The number of dead in Syria’s civil war has passed 100,000, the U.N. chief said Thursday, calling for urgent talks on ending 2½ years of violence even as President Bashar Assad’s government blasted the United States as an unsuitable peace broker.
In the latest example of the relentless carnage, a car bomb killed at least 10 people and wounded 66 in a pro-regime, residential area near the capital.
All international attempts to broker a political solution to the Syrian civil war have failed. Despite a stalemate that has settled in for months, both sides still believe they can win the war and have placed impossible conditions for negotiations.
The international community has been unable — and some say, unwilling — to intervene sufficiently to tip the balance in favor of either the Assad regime or the rebels.
“There is no military solution to Syria,” U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry told reporters at the United Nations. “There is only a political solution, and that will require leadership in order to bring people to the table,” he said.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/syrias-main-opposition-coalition-welcomes-obama-administrations-move-to-arm-rebels/2013/07/25/9205c9f2-f513-11e2-81fa-8e83b3864c36_story.html
Syria's War: The new normal- The Economist
ZIAD, Ammar and Zakaria are all Syrian, but 29 months into a civil war their once-similar home towns now look as if they belong to three different countries. Ziad is from Tartus, a north-western port city covered in posters showing President Bashar Assad. Ammar’s home town in the eastern province of Deir ez-Zor is run by rebels. In Zakaria’s birthplace in the north-east, schoolchildren learn Kurdish, banned until recently, rather than Arabic, the national language.
Syria is gradually breaking into three. The forces of Mr Assad recently seized the initiative but they cannot defeat the opposition and instead are consolidating their grip on the western spine of the country. From Damascus and Homs to Hama and Latakia, the regime is carving out a coastal state. Meanwhile, the rebels are doing the same in the Euphrates valley stretching from Turkey to Iraq through open desert. On July 22nd they took over Khan al-Asal, a town close to Aleppo, a divided northern city. As extreme Islamists among the rebels gain in strength, rumours abound that al-Qaeda-related groups will declare a religious state. Already, they fly black flags above mini-emirates.
http://www.economist.com/news/middle-east-and-africa/21582319-territorial-divisions-are-deepening-regardless-regime-and-rebel-advances
Radicals tarnishing Syria revolt, says FM Davutoğlu- Hurriyet Daily News
Radical groups in Syria are “betraying” the country’s revolt and have seriously harmed the “revolutionary” change in Syria, Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu has said, according to daily Radikal.
“Some radical groups are still tarnishing the reasonable revolutionary revolts in Syria by killing a religious man or by abduction. In my opinion, these attitudes are a betrayal to Syrian reform and cast a shadow over just demands. Therefore, it is quite wrong to say that Turkey is a supporter of the radical groups in Syria. However, our support for legitimate Syrian opponents still continues.” Davutoğlu said.
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/radicals-tarnishing-syria-revolt-says-fm-davutoglu.aspx?pageID=238&nID=51432&NewsCatID=352
“Some radical groups are still tarnishing the reasonable revolutionary revolts in Syria by killing a religious man or by abduction. In my opinion, these attitudes are a betrayal to Syrian reform and cast a shadow over just demands. Therefore, it is quite wrong to say that Turkey is a supporter of the radical groups in Syria. However, our support for legitimate Syrian opponents still continues.” Davutoğlu said.
Turkey to warn Syria Kurds against attempts for autonomy- PRESS TV
Turkey says its intelligence agency will warn the head of Kurdish fighters of Syria’s Democratic Union Party (PYD) against any unilateral move to establish an autonomous Kurdish political structure in northern Syria.
"Necessary warnings will be made to them that these steps they are taking are wrong and dangerous," Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan told reporters on Friday.
Erdogan made the remarks as PYD leader Saleh Muslim Muhammad met with Turkey's National Intelligence Organization officials in Istanbul.
Muhammad arrived in Turkey on an "unexpected" visit late on Thursday for two days of talks, Turkish media said.
Syria army gains ground in clashes in Homs neighborhoods- PRESS TV
On Friday, the government troops advanced in the city’s northern neighborhoods of Khaldiyeh and Jouret el-Shayah following clashes with the foreign-sponsored militants fighting against the Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, state TV reported.
The gains follow a major offensive by the army launched in late June to recapture areas held by the Takfiri militants in Homs.
On the same day, the government forces continued their operations in Aleppo, making advances in its neighborhoods including al-Rashidin, al-Lairamoun, al-Khalidiyeh, Salah-Eddin and al-Amiriyeh.
http://www.presstv.com/detail/2013/07/26/315684/syria-army-advances-in-homs-districts/
The gains follow a major offensive by the army launched in late June to recapture areas held by the Takfiri militants in Homs.
On the same day, the government forces continued their operations in Aleppo, making advances in its neighborhoods including al-Rashidin, al-Lairamoun, al-Khalidiyeh, Salah-Eddin and al-Amiriyeh.
Lebanon's Arts District Brings Back Silver Screen- VOA
The cosmopolitan district of Hamra was the intellectual center of Beirut until the Lebanese civil war drove many writers and artists to flee the neighborhood. The war also led to the closing of more than a dozen cinemas but now the silver screen has returned.
In the 1950s and 1960s, Hamra's café culture attracted Arab writers and artists from across the Middle East. It was also where you could watch the latest American movies in more than two-dozen neighborhood cinemas.
In the 1950s and 1960s, Hamra's café culture attracted Arab writers and artists from across the Middle East. It was also where you could watch the latest American movies in more than two-dozen neighborhood cinemas.
http://www.voanews.com/content/lebanons-art-district-brings-back-silver-screen/1710434.html
Suriye bülteni: Halep’ten çelişkili haberler geliyor- YDH
YDH-Rasu’layn ve el-Abyad’da el-Kaide bağlantılı gruplarla Kürt milisler arasında çatışmalar devam ediyor. Bölgeden gelen son haberlere göre Irak-Şam İslam Devleti adlı el-Kaide bağlantılı grubun, halen 200 kadar Kürt’ü rehin olarak tuttuğu belirtiliyor.
Suriye ordusuyla silahlı gruplar arasındaki çatışmalar ülkenin çeşitli yerlerinde devam ediyor.
Başkent Şam’ın Jobar, Harasta, Berze, Kabun, Huceyra, Haceru’l Esved gibi bölgelerinde yoğunlaşan çatışmalarda SANA’ya göre aralarında çok sayıda yabancı uyruklunun da bulunduğu militanlar öldürüldü.
Şam’ın Yarmuk Filistin mülteci kampında ise liderliğini Ahmed Cibril’in yaptığı Filistin’in Kurtuluşu için Halk Cephesi’ne (FKHC) bağlı milislerle Nusra Cephesi arasındaki çatışmalar sürüyor. Suriye ordu birlikleri Ahmed Cibril yanlısı milislere destek veriyor. FKHC militanlarının bazı noktalarda Nusra Cephesine üstünlük sağladığı belirtiliyor.
http://www.ydh.com.tr/HD12095_suriye-bulteni--halepten-celiskili-haberler-geliyor.html
Türkiye’den Mısır ve Suriye politikalarına ince ayar- BBC Türkçe
Muhammed Mursi’nin devrilmesinin ardından Ortadoğu siyaset sahnesinde “yalnız
bir tablo” sergileyen Türkiye, ulusal çıkarları çerçevesinde yaptığı
değerlendirmeler ışığında Mısır ve Suriye politikalarına “ince ayar” yapmaya
başladı.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/turkce/haberler/2013/07/130726_misir_suriye_turkiye_demirtas.shtml
War against Iran, Iraq AND Syria? (Pepe Escobar- Asia Times)
Amidst the incessant rumble in the (Washington) jungle about a possible Obama administration military adventure in Syria, new information has come to light. And what a piece of Pipelineistan information that is.
Picture Iraqi Oil Minister Abdelkarim al-Luaybi, Syrian Oil Minister Sufian Allaw, and the current Iranian caretaker Oil Minister Mohammad Aliabadi getting together in the port of Assalouyeh, southern Iran, to sign a memorandum of understanding for the construction of the Iran-Iraq-Syria gas pipeline, no less.
Picture Iraqi Oil Minister Abdelkarim al-Luaybi, Syrian Oil Minister Sufian Allaw, and the current Iranian caretaker Oil Minister Mohammad Aliabadi getting together in the port of Assalouyeh, southern Iran, to sign a memorandum of understanding for the construction of the Iran-Iraq-Syria gas pipeline, no less.
At Asia Times Online and also elsewhere I have been arguing that this prospective Pipelinestan node is one of the fundamental reasons for the proxy war in Syria. Against the interests of Washington, for whom integrating Iran is anathema, the pipeline bypasses two crucial foreign actors in Syria - prime "rebel" weaponizer Qatar (as a gas producer) and logistical "rebel" supporter Turkey (as the self-described privileged energy crossroads between East and West).
The US$10 billion, 6,000 kilometer pipeline is set to start in Iran's South Pars gas field (the largest in the world, shared with Qatar), and run via Iraq, Syria and ultimately to Lebanon. Then it could go under the Mediterranean to Greece and beyond; be linked to the Arab gas pipeline; or both.
http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/MID-04-230713.html
The US$10 billion, 6,000 kilometer pipeline is set to start in Iran's South Pars gas field (the largest in the world, shared with Qatar), and run via Iraq, Syria and ultimately to Lebanon. Then it could go under the Mediterranean to Greece and beyond; be linked to the Arab gas pipeline; or both.
http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/MID-04-230713.html
UN chief: Over 100,000 people killed in Syria- Xinhua
BEIJING, July 26 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon has said that the conflict in Syria has claimed more than 100,000 lives since 2011, an increase from an earlier estimate of 93,000.
Ban also announced that the head of the UN chemical weapons investigation team and the UN’s high representative for disarmament, have met with Syrian leaders about the allegations of chemical weapons use in the country.
He said, "The conflict is now continuing for almost two and a half years. More than 100,000 people have been killed. Millions of people have either been displaced or become refugees in neighbouring countries. We have to bring this to an end."
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/video/2013-07/26/c_132576672.htm
7 killed by armed men in northern Syria- Xinhua
DAMASCUS, July 26 (Xinhua) -- Armed groups killed seven people in Syria's northern province of al-Hasaka on Friday, the pro- government Sham FM radio reported.
The militants committed a massacre in the town of Makbara, the report said, giving no further details.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/world/2013-07/26/c_132577486.htm
The militants committed a massacre in the town of Makbara, the report said, giving no further details.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/world/2013-07/26/c_132577486.htm
Thursday, July 25, 2013
More than 2,000 killed in Syria since start of Ramadan, NGO says- Al-Arabiya
At least 2,014 people have been killed in Syria’s civil war since the Muslim
holy month of Ramadan began on July 10, a watchdog said on Thursday.
More than 1,323 of the dead were pro- and anti-regime fighters, the Syrian
Observatory for Human Rights told the Agence France-Presse (AFP).
Observatory director Rami Abdel Rahman said that the overall “toll has been
particularly high in the past four days,” adding that both camps “concealed the
real number of dead so the real toll is actually higher.”
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/special-reports/ramadan-2013/2013/07/25/More-than-2-000-killed-in-Syria-since-start-of-Ramadan-NGO-says.html
Lebanon Domestic Violence Law: A “Cosmetic” Gain for Women?- Al-Akhbar
On 4 July 2013, Rim Zakaria and Zainab Awada, two Lebanese women who fled their abusive husbands, spoke at a press conference organized by the NGO KAFA–Enough Violence and Exploitation. They spoke boldly in defense of their rights and encouraged other women to speak up and report their abusers.
Zainab and Rim did not know that a delegate from parliament attended the conference. She was there to report on the conference to Speaker Nabih Berri, according to Faten Abou Chakra from KAFA.
Two days later, Berri added the draft law for protection of women from domestic violence as the first item on the agenda of the joint parliamentary committees, which approved it on July 22.
http://english.al-akhbar.com/content/lebanon-domestic-violence-law-%E2%80%9Ccosmetic%E2%80%9D-gain-women
Syria turning into ‘center of global jihad’ – IDF Intel Chief- RT
Israeli Military Intelligence chief said that Syria is becoming a ‘center of global jihad’ right on Israel’s border, with extremists trying not only to topple President Bashar Assad, but also to create a state governed by the Islamic religious law.
Director of Military Intelligence Maj. Gen. Aviv Kochavi warned that Syria is posing a regional threat as it attracts thousands of global jihadists and Muslim extremists from around the world.
"A center of global jihad of vast proportions is developing on our very doorstep," Israeli media quoted Kochavi as saying. "It is liable to affect not only Syria or Israeli borders, but also the borders of Lebanon, Jordan and the Sinai Peninsula, and have implications for the region as a whole," he said at a graduation ceremony for Military Intelligence commanding officers.
http://rt.com/news/syria-rebels-jihad-idf-519/
Wednesday, July 24, 2013
Syria: disillusioned rebels drift back to take Assad amnesty- The Telegragh
Hundreds of men who took up arms against President Bashar al-Assad are defecting
back to the government side, The Telegraph has learnt.
Disillusioned by the Islamist twist that the "revolution" in Syria has taken, exhausted after
more than two years of conflict and feeling that they are losing, growing
numbers of rebels are signing up to a negotiated amnesty offered by the Assad
regime.
At the same time, the families of retreating fighters have begun quietly
moving back to government-controlled territory, seen as a safer place to live as
the regime continues its intense military push against rebel-held areas.
The move is a sign of the growing confidence of the regime, which has
established a so-called "ministry of reconciliation" with the task of easing the
way for former opponents to return to the government side.
Ali Haider, the minister in charge, said: "Our message is, 'if you really
want to defend the Syrian people, put down your weapons and come and defend
Syria in the right way, through dialogue'."
Michel Aoun: 'This is Not a Government' in Lebanon- Al-Monitor
Gen. Michel Aoun always gives his opinions and judgments on domestic and foreign issues. What is important for him is the principle, not the result, even if he loses. But he is pragmatic and sometimes adjusts positions. Those close to him liken him to the horseman who rides his horse only to see someone else reach the destination. His relationship with Hezbollah is solid. He doesn’t care about the rest. He makes his plans and conducts his maneuvers on that basis.
Read more: http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/politics/2013/07/aoun-army-commander-must-change.html#ixzz2ZvU9AePf
Read more: http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/politics/2013/07/aoun-army-commander-must-change.html#ixzz2ZvU9AePf
Lebanon imposes new regulations on Syrian refugees- Al-Akhbar
The Lebanese government imposed new entry controls on Syrians on Tuesday and said it would begin shutting down unlicensed businesses as refugees continue to pour into the country.
As of July 22, the UN says over 633,000 Syrians escaping their war-torn country have crossed into Lebanon.
Ministers said they had no intention of closing the border to refugees fleeing the devastating 28-month conflict in their homeland.
But they said that in future they would recognize as refugees only those fleeing parts of Syria that have been wracked by violence.
"There is an influx that is not motivated by humanitarian needs," Economy Minister Nicolas Nahas told AFP.
"The security forces are therefore going to start checking whether those arriving at the border come from a war-ravaged area before regarding them as refugees. Those who do not will be granted entry as ordinary visitors."
http://english.al-akhbar.com/content/lebanon-impose-new-regulations-syrian-refugees
March 8 on EU “Terror” Decision: Not Worth Its Ink- Al-Akhbar
The European Union has done it, or more accurately, the United States and Israel have done it. Though the EU decision to designate what it termed the “military wing” of Hezbollah as a terrorist organization may not have been surprising, it was certainly cause for hilarity, at least in pro-Resistance circles. The EU decision became fodder for jokes on social media sites shortly after it was announced, while members of the Resistance, in both its political and military “wings,” found in it rich material for mockery.
Jesting aside, why would it bother Hezbollah or its military or political leaders to have their group on Europe’s terror blacklist? Does Nasrallah or Mustafa Badreddine have accounts in European banks or homes in London, Berlin, and Brussels? Did the late Imad Mughniyeh take a holiday in Amsterdam after the capture of two Israeli soldiers in July 2006?
Furthermore, who came up with the term “military wing”? How can the EU distinguish between the political and military wings of Hezbollah? Resistance sources say this is nonsense, period.
Meanwhile, compared to the US decision, the European decision is meaningless. The United States, arguably the most powerful country in the world, has designated Hezbollah as a terror group for decades, and yet, nothing has changed.
http://english.al-akhbar.com/content/march-8-eu-%E2%80%9Cterror%E2%80%9D-decision-not-worth-its-ink
Tuesday, July 23, 2013
Turkey’s Syria Policy in Shambles (Semih İdiz- Al-Monitor)
Developments in Syria continue to take unexpected and unsavory turns for Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, whose overreaching and one-dimensional Syria policy — predicated solely on the fall of President Bashar al-Assad and his Baathist regime while smacking heavily of Sunni leanings — has resulted in new headaches for Ankara.
Misguided assumptions about Assad’s staying power, the scant attention paid to the country’s ethnic, religious and sectarian realities, and overt and covert support for al-Qaeda-affiliated groups along Turkey’s border with Syria are coming home to roost for the Erdogan government.
The victory by Syrian Kurds in the strategic town of Ras al-Ain on July 19 against Islamist fighters headed by Jabhat al-Nusra — designated a terrorist organization by the United Nations and the United States as well as a number of other Western countries — is only the latest development that has thrown Ankara off balance.
The Erdogan government was clearly banking on the success of al-Qaeda-linked Jabhat al-Nusra, not only against Assad forces, but also against Syrian Kurds, whose struggle for autonomy is spearheaded by the Democratic Union Party (PYD). Turkey has been wary of the political intentions of Syrian Kurds since the outbreak of violence in Syria. Ankara's concern is that moves by the Syrian Kurds toward autonomy could serve as examples for its own restive Kurdish population, which is seeking expanded rights.
Read more: http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2013/07/turkey-syria-policy-support-jihadists.html#ixzz2ZvRroCMd
Read more: http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2013/07/turkey-syria-policy-support-jihadists.html#ixzz2ZvRroCMd
Gangs of Latakia: The Militiafication of the Assad Regime (Aron Lund- Syria Comment)
The murder of the Syrian regime loyalist Mohammed Darrar Jammo in Lebanon, now said to have been an internal family affair, led to much firing in the air. At Jammo’s funeral in Latakia, there was a heavy presence of militiamen, and militiawomen, who were there to pay their respects to the dead. These fighters belong to a group now known as the Popular Front for the Liberation of Iskanderoun/Syrian Resistance, which considered Jammo one of their own. It is led by a certain Mihrac Ural, who works under the nom de guerre of Ali Kayali.
Kayali is a Turkish-born Alawite, and now a naturalized citizen, having lived in Syria since the early 1980s. His background is murky and controversial. He cut his teeth in 1970s Turkey as an ultraleftist, then took up arms against the government and added the cause of Syro-Arab nationalism to his repertoire. From there, he entered the Beqaa Valley-centered underworld of Syrian-backed radical factions, developed a connection to the Kurdish PKK, and also seems to have struck up a lasting relationship with the Assad regime itself. Exiled in Syria since escaping a Turkish prison in 1980, Kayali ran a small splinter faction of his communist sect, the THKP/C-Acilciler, and worked to reattach the Hatay (or Iskanderoun or Alexandretta) province to Syria. This is a longstanding Syrian government demand, and Hafez al-Assad briefly toyed with the Hatay separatists in his cold war with Turkey. But it was a passing fancy, and Kayali himself had been long forgotten by the time Bashar took over and patched up relations with Turkey.
After the start of Syria’s unrest in 2011, Kayali suddenly reappeared as a force to reckon with. He began recruiting young Alawites on the coast to PFLI/Syrian Resistance, and set them to work as a pro-regime militia. The group has been fighting to keep rebels contained to the Sunni areas of northern Latakia, and even made some forays into the Homs region. While it uses Syrian-nationalist and leftist imagery, Kayali’s group has only made half-hearted attempts at hiding its Alawite character. Kayali himself is often accompanied on official occasions by a rising Alawi religious figure called Mowaffaq al-Ghazal. This spring, Kayali’s militia was rumored to be involved in the Baniyas/Beida massacres, a sectarian slaughter of Sunni civilian families and one of the worst war crimes to date in the Syrian conflict. He has also been accused by his enemies of involvement in narcotics trafficking into Hatay and of organizing bomb attacks in Turkey. But details are scarce, and it’s very difficult to tell fact from fiction.
http://www.joshualandis.com/blog/the-militiafication-of-the-assad-regime/
Kurds, militants clash in northern Syria near Turkey border- PRESS TV
Clashes have broken out between Kurdish militants linked to the Democratic Union Party and al-Qaeda-linked groups in northern Syria near the border with Turkey.
Kurdish fighters, who are opposed to foreign interference in Syria, have been battling foreign-backed militants in the northern province of Raqa on Syria's border with Turkey.
Scores of al-Qaeda-linked militants have died over the past days in clashes with the Kurds.
On July 21, the Kurdish militants took control of a key checkpoint controlled by al-Qaeda-linked militants and seized light weapons, ammunition, a vehicle mounted with a heavy machine gun, and a mortar launcher.
On July 17, the Kurdish fighters also took control of the town of Ras al-Ain in the border province of Hasakah.
Tensions have been running high between Syria and Turkey, with Damascus accusing Ankara -- along with Saudi Arabia and Qatar -- of backing a deadly insurgency that has claimed the lives of many Syrians, including security and army personnel.
Syria crisis: Only full-scale war can unseat Assad, says Iraqi minister- The Independent
Hoshyar Zebari tells Patrick Cockburn that Syria’s President will ‘survive’ rebel uprising.
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is not going to lose power unless there is foreign intervention amounting to a full-scale war, according to a leading Middle-East politician.
Iraqi Foreign Minister, Hoshyar Zebari, said with a united army in control of Damascus and the major Syrian cities, Assad “will survive for the foreseeable future”. Mr Zebari, pictured below, is one of the few leaders to be in touch with all parties in the Syrian civil war, including the government and various factions of the opposition, along with their foreign backers.
Al-Qaeda branch in Iraq claims jailbreak- The Washington Post
BAGHDAD — Iraq’s al-Qaeda affiliate claimed responsibility Tuesday for a jailbreak from the infamous Abu Ghraib prison that unleashed hundreds of militants into an already unstable region and boosted the group’s resurgent fortunes in Iraq and Syria.
The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant said in a statement that hundreds of prisoners were freed late Sunday in two coordinated assaults in which fighters used suicide bombs and mortars to storm the two top security prisons on Baghdad’s outskirts at Abu Ghraib and Taji. Both were once run by the U.S. military and housed the country’s most senior al-Qaeda detainees.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/al-qaeda-branch-in-iraq-claims-jailbreak/2013/07/23/8b09a3f4-f3a5-11e2-aa2e-4088616498b4_story.html
Silah Kaçırma ve Bomba Düzenekleri Yerleştirip Patlatma Eylemlerine Katıldık- SANA Türkçe
ŞAM – Ordunun operasyonları sırasında yakalanan teröristler, Nusra Cephesine bağlı olduklarını, Şam kırsalında ordu güçleri ve vatandaşlara karşı çok sayıda suç işlediklerini, terör patlamaları gerçekleştirerek Lübnan topraklarından Suriye’ye silah ve mühimmat kaçırdıklarını itiraf etti.
Terörist Nevvaf Hassan el-Numani Suriye televizyonunun dün gece yayınladığı itiraflarında, Nusra Cephesine üyelik suçuyla Seydnaya Cezaevinde tutuklu bulunan selefi ve vahhabi fikirli amcası Muhammed Ahmet el-Numani’nin cezaevinden çıktıktan sonra Nusra Cephesine bağlı Huzeyfe Bin el-Yeman Tugayları adlı bir terör grubu kurduğunu bildirdi.
Amcası ile sıkı ilişkileri sonucu, kendisini Suriye’deki rejime karşı cihadın İsrail’e karşı cihattan daha önemli olduğu konusunda ikna ettiğini, amcasının İslami hilafet kurmak için silah dahil her türlü yöntem kullanmanın mubah olduğunu, buna karşı gelenleri dini ve mezhebi ne olursa olsun öldürülmesi gerektiğini söylediğini ifade etti.
Amcasının cezaevinde birlikte olduğu şahıslarla bir araya gelip İslam hilafeti kurma, rejime son vermek amacıyla silahlı eylemler yapma, hücre ve silahlı tugaylar oluşturma konusunda anlaştığını bildirdi. Terörist, bunların bir kısmının Nusra Cephesine katılırken bir kısmının da içinde Huzeyfe Bin el-Yeman Tugaylarının bulunduğu Ahrar el-Şam Tugayı adı altında örgütlendiklerini aktardı.
http://sana.sy/tur/339/2013/07/23/493744.htm
Foreign Ministry: EU decision against Hezbollah serves Israel's plots in the region- SANA
Damascus, (SANA)- An official source at the Foreign and Expatriates Ministry on Tuesday expressed denunciation of the European Union foreign ministers' decision to put what they called "the armed wing of Lebanese Hezbollah" on its list of terrorist organizations.
The source stressed that the decision came in response to the U.S. and Israeli demands against the movement of resistance in Lebanon and the rest of the Arab states.
"Hezbollah is a fundamental part of the Lebanese national fabric and enjoys a wide popularity in Lebanon," said the source, highlighting the effective role Hezbollah plays in everything that is related to the Lebanese political life.
Syria conflict: Top US general outlines military options- BBC News
The top US military officer has
outlined the costs, risks and benefits of possible American military involvement
in the Syrian conflict.
Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman Gen Martin Dempsey offered five military
options, including limited strikes and establishing a no-fly zone.
But he said using force in Syria would be "no less than an act of war" and
could cost the US billions of dollars.
Washington has so far ruled out military intervention in Syria.
Its role in the conflict is currently limited to delivering humanitarian aid
to Syrian refugees in neighbouring countries and providing non-lethal help to
the Syrian opposition.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-23414906
Hezbollah 'deeply rooted in Lebanese society'- BBC News
EU foreign ministers have agreed to list the military wing of Lebanese
militant group Hezbollah as a terrorist organisation.
It will now become illegal for Hezbollah sympathisers in Europe to send the
group money or for European diplomats to meet its militant staff.
The BBC's Jim Muir spoke to people in Beirut who told him that Hezbollah was
"everything to us... It is not a terrorist organisation".
He also suggested that Hezbollah would dismiss the EU move as politically
motivated, given the group's controversial involvement in the war in Syria.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-23409307
Sunday, July 21, 2013
Competition among Islamists- The Economist
UNTIL last month the leader of Ahrar al-Sham (the Free Men of Syria), a large Salafist rebel group, went by a nom de guerre. Then on June 8th Hassan Aboud revealed his real name in an interview with Al Jazeera, the Qatari satellite television channel. Days later he attended a Salafist shindig in Cairo. Slowly but surely his group, which may number 10,000-20,000 fighters and leads the Syrian Islamic Front, a coalition of like-minded rebel groups, has become the most powerful outfit battling against President Bashar Assad.
Ahrar al-Sham’s success is partly due to its fighters’ discipline and ability, qualities that have enabled Syria’s Islamist rebels to outgrow the fractious secular ones. Since late 2011, when the group first emerged in Idleb, a north-western province, it has made a big impact on the battlefield. It was one of the first groups to use improvised explosive devices and to target the regime’s military bases in order to capture weapons. Soon other groups were clamouring to join it. By January this year Ahrar al-Sham had 83 units spanning the whole country, including Damascus and Aleppo, its second city. In March it led the attack on the north-eastern town of Raqqa, the largest one now under rebel control.
http://www.economist.com/news/middle-east-and-africa/21582037-one-islamist-rebel-group-seems-have-overtaken-all-others-competition-among
New Syria opposition chief sets arms priority- FOX
RIYADH (AFP) – The new leader of Syria's main opposition National Coalition has set his priority on securing arms for rebels fighting regime troops since 2011, in remarks published on Saturday.
Ahmad Assi Jarba spoke in Saudi Arabia after a meeting with Crown Prince Salman bin Abdul Aziz on Thursday ahead of a tour of Western capitals next week during which he will meet French President Francois Hollande.
"My first and foremost priority is securing arms for the Free Syrian Army fighters as soon as possible," Saudi daily Asharq Al-Awsat quoted him as saying.
"We are facing gangs that are launching an war of extinction against the Syrian people and arms are the only means of facing them and ending their massacres," Jarba said.
"I also plan to work on securing aid to our people," added the new opposition leader who was elected on July 6.
Jarba is a veteran secular dissident and seen as close to Saudi Arabia which has repeatedly urged the European Union to arm Syrian rebels.
Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/world/2013/07/20/new-syria-opposition-chief-sets-arms-priority/?intcmp=obinsite#ixzz2Zf62btNF
Islamist-Kurdish fighting spreads in rebel-held Syria- The Daily Star
BEIRUT: Clashes between Islamist rebel forces and Kurdish militias spread to a second Syrian province on Saturday, activists said, as factional tensions rose in the north of the country.
The fighting is further evidence that the 2011 uprising against President Bashar al-Assad's rule has splintered into turf wars that have little to do with ousting him and highlight the risk of regionalised conflicts that could have an impact on neighbouring countries.
The new round of fighting broke out in Tel Abyad, a border town near Turkey in the rebel-held Raqqa province. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said clashes began after Kurdish militias in the area discovered fighters from an al Qaeda-linked rebel group trying to rig one of their bases with explosives.
The Kurds retaliated by kidnapping several fighters, including the leader of the Islamic State of Iraq and Sham, one of the most powerful Qaeda-affiliated forces fighting in Syria.
Read more: http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Middle-East/2013/Jul-21/224449-islamist-kurdish-fighting-spreads-in-rebel-held-syria.ashx?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter#ixzz2Zexqwbe7
Syria civil war could last 'multiple years' if Islamist rebels not checked says top Pentagon intelligence official- The Telegraph
Radical Islamist rebels will gain sway over the many disparate factions opposing
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad unless they are checked, and the country's
civil war could last years, a top Pentagon intelligence official said on
Saturday.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/syria/10193128/Syria-civil-war-could-last-multiple-years-if-Islamist-rebels-not-checked-says-top-Pentagon-intelligence-official.html
Egypt to re-evaluate relations with Syria- Al-Jazeera
In first comments as foreign minister, Nabil Fahmy says Egypt supports Syrian uprising, but won't wage jihad in Syria.
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2013/07/201372013042628686.html
Kurds capture jihadist commander in north Syria: NGO- France 24
AFP - Syrian Kurdish fighters in the north fought fierce battles against jihadists and captured a commander of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIS) late Saturday, a monitoring group said.
"Battles pitting fighters from the Kurdish Fighters brigade against ISIS and other groups are raging on in several areas of Tal Abyad in Raqa province, after (Kurdish) fighters captured ISIS' emir in the town," said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
Observatory director Rami Abdel Rahman told AFP the emir's nom-de-guerre is Abu Musab, though it was unclear whether he is Syrian or foreign.
The development comes just days after fighters loyal to the Committees for the Protection of the Kurdish People (YPG) expelled Al-Nusra Front and ISIS from the strategic Kurdish town of Ras al-Ain in Hasake province.
http://www.france24.com/en/20130721-kurds-capture-jihadist-commander-north-syria-ngo
Syria Kurds plan temporary autonomous government- PRESS TV
The Democratic Union Party (PYD), the offshoot of the terrorist Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) in Syria, plans to create a temporary autonomous government in the northern part of the Arab country, PYD head Saleh Muslim says.
Muslim said that the party has discussed the proposal with other Kurdish groups, adding that once an agreement is reached an election will be held within three months to set up an independent government to run Kurdish regions until the Syria crisis is settled.
The party replaced the flag of the Free Syrian Army (FSA) with PYD’s in the predominantly Kurdish town of Ras al-Ain following severe clashes with al-Qaeda-linked militants.
The PKK has been fighting for an autonomous Kurdish region inside Turkey since the 1980s. The conflict has left tens of thousands of people dead.
The Turkish government has strongly reacted to the claim with Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu warning against efforts to form an autonomous administration in the northern part of Syria near the borders with Turkey, calling it unacceptable.
Syria Kurds Plan Temporary Autonomous Gov’t- Al-Manar
Syria's Kurds are planning to create a temporary autonomous government to administer Kurdish regions in the north of the war-torn country, Kurdish officials told Agence France Presse on Friday.
"We think that the crisis in Syria will not end anytime soon, so we need to create democratic self-rule in western Kurdistan," said Salih Muslim, head of Syria's Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD).
Western Kurdistan refers to Kurdish majority areas in northern Syria, including Hassakeh province in the northeast of the country and parts of Aleppo province.
http://www.almanar.com.lb/english/adetails.php?eid=102672&cid=23&fromval=1&frid=23&seccatid=20&s1=1
Patriarch Yazigi: Syria will remain homeland for peace- SANA
Tartous, (SANA) – Patriarch John X Yazigi of Antioch and All the East for Greek Orthodox Church stressed the importance of dialogue among all Syrians, calling on the Syrian people to support the political solution for Syria to remain one and united.
During a thanksgiving prayer at the Lady Church in Tartous city, Patriarch Yazigi pointed out that whatever the difficulties are gruesome, they will not be able to "take us away from our land, our beloved Syria."
http://sana.sy/eng/21/2013/07/20/493358.htm
Mısır Suriye'ye İlişkilerini Yeniden Gözden Geçiriyor- VOA
Mısır, devrik Cumhurbaşkanı Muhammet Mursi döneminde Suriye’yle gerginleşen diplomatik ilişkilerini yeniden gözden geçireceğini açıkladı.
Mursi yönetimini yıkan darbenin ardından kurulan geçici hükümetin Dışişleri Bakanı Nebil Fehmi, Suriye’ye karşı cihat başlatma niyetlerinde olmadığını ama o ülkede değişime destek verdiklerini söyledi. Fehmi ayrıca ilişkilerin yeniden gözden geçirilmesinin yeniden yakınlaşmak anlamına gelmediğini de belirtti.
Mısır Suriye’de iki buçuk yıldan bu yana devam eden şiddet olaylarını gerekçe göstererek, geçen ay Şam büyükelçiliğini ve Kahire’deki Suriye büyükelçiliğini kapatmıştı. Eski Cumhurbaşkanı Mursi, Suriye Devlet Başkanı Beşar Esat’a istifa etmesi, uluslararası topluma da Suriye hava sahasında uçuşa yasak bölge oluşturması çağrısında bulunmuştu. Mursi’nin bağlı olduğu Müslüman Kardeşler hareketi de, Şam hükümetine ve Şii müttefiklerine cihat ilan eden bazı din adamlarına destek vermişti.
Mursi yönetimini yıkan darbenin ardından kurulan geçici hükümetin Dışişleri Bakanı Nebil Fehmi, Suriye’ye karşı cihat başlatma niyetlerinde olmadığını ama o ülkede değişime destek verdiklerini söyledi. Fehmi ayrıca ilişkilerin yeniden gözden geçirilmesinin yeniden yakınlaşmak anlamına gelmediğini de belirtti.
Mısır Suriye’de iki buçuk yıldan bu yana devam eden şiddet olaylarını gerekçe göstererek, geçen ay Şam büyükelçiliğini ve Kahire’deki Suriye büyükelçiliğini kapatmıştı. Eski Cumhurbaşkanı Mursi, Suriye Devlet Başkanı Beşar Esat’a istifa etmesi, uluslararası topluma da Suriye hava sahasında uçuşa yasak bölge oluşturması çağrısında bulunmuştu. Mursi’nin bağlı olduğu Müslüman Kardeşler hareketi de, Şam hükümetine ve Şii müttefiklerine cihat ilan eden bazı din adamlarına destek vermişti.
http://www.amerikaninsesi.com/content/misir-suriye-yle-iliskilerini-yeniden-gozden-geciriyor/1705986.html
Reformlar Şiddetle Olmaz- SANA
BEYRUT – Antakya ve Tüm Doğu Maruni Patriği Kardinal Bşara Butros el-Rai; Suriye'nin reformlara ihtiyacı olsa bile bu reformların savaş ve şiddetle gerçekleşmesinin mümkün olmadığını belirtti.
Rusya'nın Sesi radyosuna demecinde Kardinal Rai; kimi devletlerin Suriye'de her türlü insanlık dışı eylemlerde bulunan terör gruplarına silah ve para göndermelerinin yanında terör ve şiddeti desteklemelerinin esef verici olduğunu söyledi.
Suriye'de şiddetin derhal sonlandırılması ve hükümet ile ‘muhalefet’ arasında diyalogun başlatılması talebinde bulunan Kardinal Rai; bu şekilde Suriye'de masun insanların kurban gitmelerine ve daha fazla yıkımın engelleneceğine dikkat çekti.
Kardinal Rai; Batılı ve bölgesel kimi devletlerin Suriye'de radikal terör gruplarına silah ve para desteğinde bulunmalarıyla bölgeyi yıkım ve kan gölüne çevirmek istediklerine işaret etti.
Halep kırsalında insani bir görevden dönüşleri sırasında şoförleri öldürülerek kaçırılan Süryani Ortodokslar Metropoliti Yuhanna İbrahim ve Rum Ortodokslar Metropoliti Paul Yazıcı konusunda ise Kardinal Rai; Suriye'deki teröristlere silah ve para göndermeyi tek uğraşları haline getiren devletlerden bu iki metropolitin durumları hakkında bilgi vermelerini beklediklerini söyledi.
http://sana.sy/tur/237/2013/07/20/493297.htm
Kerry Bir Kez Daha Ortadoğu’da- VOA
Amerika Dışişleri Bakanı John Kerry İsrail Filistin barış görüşmelerini yeniden canlandırma çabaları kapsamında, Arap Birliği’nin üst düzey yetkilileriyle biraraya geldi.
http://www.amerikaninsesi.com/content/kerry-bir-kez-daha-ortadoguda-/1703445.html
Saturday, July 20, 2013
The Syrian Artist Versus the Regime- Al-Akhbar
There have been unconfirmed but troubling reports circulating in the media about Abdul-Aziz al-Khayir, the leftist leader and activist who continues to be detained by the Syrian authorities. Usually, to ascertain whether this is true or not, and in the process, expel one’s sense of doom, one contacts Youssef Abdelke.
To be sure, the Syrian dissident artist almost always has accurate information on Khayir’s fate. For months now, Abdelke has been stubbornly fighting for the release of Khayir, his comrade at the Communist Labor Party (CLP), and head of the external affairs division at the National Coordination Body for the Forces of Democratic Change in Syria (NCB).
This time, however, Youssef did not answer his phone. There are no signs of life at his famous atelier in Souk Sarouja, in the heart of Damascus’ old city, where he had settled after his permanent return from Paris. So where is Youssef now?
The same old scenario has once again repeated itself: At a checkpoint manned by members of one security agency – exactly as had happened with Khayir upon his return from China last September – Abdelke was arrested on Thursday evening, July 18, near Tartous, along with NCB member Adnan al-Dibs and CLP member Toufiq Imran.
http://english.al-akhbar.com/content/syrian-artist-versus-regime
YPG: Resulayn’da iki MİT mensubu yakaladık- Milliyet
ANF tarafından dün servis edilen bir haberde PYD’nin silahlı kanadı YPG’nin ele geçirdiği Rasulayn’da 17 Temmuz’da El Kaide’ye bağlı Cephet El-Nusra ve Irak İslam Devleti ile Biladi Şam gruplarının kullandığı merkezin basıldığı, merkezde birçok belge, kimlik ve pasaport bulunduğu ileri sürüldü.
http://dunya.milliyet.com.tr/ypg-resulayn-da-iki-mit-mensubu/dunya/detay/1739148/default.htm
Syrian Army Targets Oil Smugglers, Clashes Expanded in Daraa, Aleppo- Al-Manar
The Syrian army targeted on Friday a convoy belonging to the opposition militants while accompanying tankers smuggling oil to Turkey in the Syrian town of Alassaoh in western countryside of Deir Ezzor. 28 insurgents were killed and 4 tanks were burnt.
The army also clashed with a group affiliated with al-Qaeda-linked al-Nusra Front terrorist group which tried to seize control over al-Mohr gas field east of Homs.
Citing familiar military sources, media outlets reported that clashes were erupted between the army and the militant groups who tried to attack a military hospital in the Waer neighborhood of Homs.
Number of militants have been left killed and wounded, while fighting continued in the neighborhoods of Khalidiya, Qosoor, Qarabis and Bab Hood.
In Aleppo, the army foiled an attempt of a group affiliated with al-Nusra Front to infiltrate the Sheikh Saeed area in the city.
http://www.almanar.com.lb/english/adetails.php?eid=102694&cid=23&fromval=1&frid=23&seccatid=20&s1=1
Many terrorists killed in clashes and operations- SANA
Provinces, (SANA)-Army units killed leaders of terrorist groups in eastern Ghouta and Damascus southern countryside, destroying heavy machineguns and various weapons and ammunition.
An official source told SANA that numbers of terrorists were killed and others injured in a series of operations against their hideouts in al-Qaboun and Jobar neighborhoods, among them a leader of a terrorist group, in addition to destroying ordnance, weapons and ammunition in Jobar and Haramlah.
The source added that an army unit clashed with a terrorist group south of Shammout automobile company and near the schools in al-Baidar neighborhood in Harasta, killing most of its members, as another unit destroyed a den for an armed terrorist group in al-Eb farms in Douma and killed all the terrorists inside, among them the group's leader.
Most of two terrorist groups' members were eliminated in Deir Salman town in eastern Ghouta, including their leaders, as another army unit destroyed a den for terrorists with the heavy machineguns inside and killed all inside it in al-Sayyida Zeinab area.
In Damascus southern countryside, army units carried out a series of qualitative operations in al-Hajar al-Aswad, Babbila and Hijjera that led to the destruction of terrorists' concentrations and dens with the weapons and ammunition inside, also eliminating a terrorist group called 'Ababil Horan Battalion.'
Locals in al-Misherfeh town in al-Nabek repelled Jabhat al-Nusra terrorists who tried to enter the town, killing and injuring a number of them.
Friday, July 19, 2013
New Syria opposition chief to meet France’s Hollande- Al-Arabiya
Syria’s new opposition leader will meet French President Francois Hollande
next week as he embarks on a tour of Western capitals, a source in Hollande’s
office said on Friday.
Ahmad Assi Jarba, elected the head of the main opposition Syrian National
Council on July 6, will meet Hollande next Wednesday, the source told AFP.
Jarba will be in Paris on Tuesday and Wednesday. The source said he was also
travelling to London, Washington and Berlin, but provided no further
details.
Jarba, who is part of a faction of veteran secular dissidents and is seen as
close to Saudi Arabia, has criticized some rebels’ links with Islamist
groups.
“It is really this centrist, moderate opposition... that we are trying to
strengthen,” a French diplomatic source said.
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2013/07/19/New-Syria-opposition-chief-to-meet-France-s-Hollande-.html
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