Daily Newsletter – 02/01/2014

Syrian Coalition: We Are Committed To Go On With Geneva II

Ahmad Jarba, head of the Syrian Coalition, said that the Coalition is committed to going along with the second round of negotiations on February 10. “There are those who are trying to equate between the victim and the criminal. Although there are millions of refugees and displaced people as well as tens of thousands of detainees, there is still talk about a political solution,” Jarba said during a conference on security in Munich. He also said that “the Syrian Coalition has taken a brave decision to go to Geneva II. We support a political…Read more

ISIS Kills Military Commander In Liwaa’ Al Tawhid
ISIS targeted the positions of the revolutionaries at the Infantry School near Aleppo using two car bombs, killing the military commander of Liwaa’ al Tawhid Adnan Bkour along with 15 of his comrades. Activists in Aleppo said that one of the car bombs targeted Bkour, who was in a nearby location of the Infantry School. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said that Bakkour was killed along with more than 15 fighters of Liwaa’ al Tawhid and a number of civilians, while the LCCs reported that 50 FSA fighters were killed in the attack. The Syrian Coalition condemns the bombings carried out by ISIS and extends its condolences to the Syrian people and the families of the victims. (Source: News Agencies)

Muallem Tries To Wriggle Out Of Geneva After Losing In The First Round
Walid al Muallem, the regime’s Foreign Minister, said that their delegation at t the Geneva II Conference rejected a U.S. request to hold direct negotiations “unless U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry apologizes for his speech at the opening of the conference in the Swiss city of Montreux.” Muallem’s statements came after the end of the first round of negotiations with the opposition delegation. “The Americans requested holding direct negotiations in Montreux, but we declined unless U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry apologizes for his speech at the opening of the conference,” Muallem said.  Kerry said in Montreux that Bashar Assad will not be part of any transitional governing body. “It is impossible to imagine that Assad restores legitimacy to rule after he brutally oppressed the Syrian people,” Kerry said. However, the U.S. State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki denied that the United States offered to negotiate directly with the Assad regime.” (Source: Syrian Coalition)

Aerial Shelling Kills 13 In Aleppo As Clashes Broke Out In Sbehiyah
Assad’s warplanes launched barrel bomb attacks on Tariq al Bab, killing 13 people and injuring dozens. Activists documented 33 barrel bombs dropped on eastern Aleppo, which caused massive material damage and dozens of civilian casualties.  Meanwhile, the Free Syrian Army clashed with regime forces in the town of Sbehiyah in rural Aleppo, with reports of the death of four pro-Assad fighters.  (Source: Syrian Coalition + LCC)

Clashes in Atman as Regime Forces Shell Muzeireeb
The Free Syrian Army clashed with regime forces on the southern front of the town of Atman in rural Dara’a. The FSA targeted Brigades No. 112 and 175 with mortar rounds, achieving direct hits. Regime forces bombed the towns of Muzeireeb, al Harra, and Yadodeh with heavy artillery, causing civilian casualties and material damage. (Source: Syrian Coalition + LCC)

Ongoing Barrel Bomb Attacks on Daryya
Assad’s warplanes launched air raids on the town of Maliha in Rural Damascus, killing a number of civilians and injuring others, including women and children. A civilian was killed as a result of barrel bomb attacks on Daryya, Housh Arab and Jisrin, while artillery shelling was reported on the town of Rahiba, causing civilian casualties and material damage. (Source: Syrian Coalition + LCC)

• Lavrov: We cannot alone resolve what is happening in Syria.
• Iran renewed its claim of seeking a political solution in Syria.
• Kerry and Davutoglu emphasize the need to pressure the regime to meet its obligations.
• Syrian children drop out to help support their families.
• Brahimi: The Assad regime interprets Geneva I terms differently.
• US: Geneva II negotiations destined to be difficult, long, and stormy.