Daily Newsletter – 06/11/2013

Jamous to Brahimi: FSA and Syrian Coalition Represent the People of Syria

Coalition: Assad Fails to Deal with Syria’s crisis
in a statement issued today, the Syrian Coalition stressed that “the latest statements issued by some of the officials of the Assad regime regarding the Geneva II Conference…Read more

Hito Hands over Interim Government Files to Tomah
Dr. Ahmad Tomah, the dinterim Prime Minister, held a meeting with Mr. Ghassan Hito, former interim Prime Minister, during which Hito handed over files for all the…Read more

Syrian Bank Accounts and Investments moved to Lebanon
Wealthy Syrians have moved their accounts from banks in Syria to their Lebanon counterparts. Banking sources have estimated the size of these deposits in Lebanese banks to be at least $10 billion. This figure rises to 15 billion by adding a volume of investments by Syrians in some sectors of the Lebanese economy, especially in commerce, industry and tourism, and particularly in the restaurant industry, food and real estate. According to the followers of these investments, Syrian deposits in Lebanese banks varied according to military developments and the movement of displaced well-off Syrians to Lebanon. Another variable was the application of European-U.S. economic sanctions against a large number of politicians and military officials and businessmen in Syria. (Source: Al Hayat + Syrian National Coalition)

FSA targets Abu al Fadl al Abbas Brigade headquarters in Sayeda Zeinab
The Free Syrian Army blew up the Abu al Fadl al Abbas Brigade’s headquarters in Al Beruqdar district in Sayeda Zeinab in Damascus countryside today amid violent clashes in the region. A bomb also exploded in the Al Hijaz neighborhood of the capital of Damascus killing eight people and injuring  a number of others, some of them in serious condition . Mortar rounds that targeted each of the districts of Bab Touma, Baghdad Street, al-Maliki and Midan resulted in a number of injuries and caused material damage. Meanwhile regime forces bombed both Sakba and Al Subeina with artillery causing injuries among civilians, some of them in serious condition. Regime forces also fired surface-to-surface missiles on a Al Qaboun neighborhood resulting in the destruction of a number of houses. (Source: Syrian National Coalition + Local Coordination Committees)

Huge explosion shakes Air Force Intelligence branch in Swaydaa’
A huge explosion was reported today in front of the Air Force Intelligence branch in the city of Swaydaa’, killing seven members of the regime forces and causing many casualties in their ranks, as well as killing a number of civilians and wounding others.  After the explosion, Air Force Intelligence evacuated the National Hospital and prevented the entry of any person to the hospital. Meanwhile, the Free Syrian Army targeted a northern checkpoint of the regime’s forces in Khirbet Ghazaleh in Dara’a countryside with mortar rounds killing a number of them and wounding others. The Free Syrian Army also clashed with regime forces around the national hospital in Dara’a al Mahatta. This coincided with regime forces targeting Tareeq al Sad neighborhood with heavy machine guns, which resulted in burning a number of houses. Other clashes also took place between the two sides east of Ankhel City, near to the “15” Brigade in rural Dara’a. Regime forces also killed three civilians after targeting their car on Badr road in rural Dara’a. Regime forces also shelled the town of Al Museifra in rural Dara’a, which left a number of casualties, including women and children, and causing material damage. In the meantime, warplanes launched a strike on the town of Atman, destroying a large number of civilian homes and property. (Source: Syrian Coalition + Local Coordination Committees)

FSA attacks a regime patrol in eastern Homs
The Free Syrian Army attacked a regime patrol near Shaer gas station in Homs’ eastern countryside, destroying a car equipped with a Dushka gun and killing six soldiers. Violent clashes also took place near al Waer neighborhood in Homs between the Free Syrian Army and regime forces amid mortar shelling by the latter on the area. In the meantime, Mahin and Al Rastan came under shelling by regime forces with various types of weapons, which left a number of civilian casualties and destroyed a number of civilian homes. (Source: Syrian Coalition + Local Coordination Committees)

FSA attack regime positions in Hanano in Aleppo
The Free Syrian Army targeted several locations of regime forces stationed in the military barracks of Hanano in Aleppo with mortars and homemade rockets, killing a number of regime soldiers. Meanwhile, regime’s warplanes shelled the neighborhoods of Al Rashidin and Al Ashrafiya in Aleppo, as well as the town of Al Mansoura with heavy machine guns causing civilian casualties and destroying a number of buildings. Regime forces also shelled the Umayyad Mosque in Aleppo with mortar rounds and heavy artillery amid violent clashes with the Free Syrian Army. Meanwhile, regime forces shelled the town of Mayer in the countryside of Aleppo with heavy artillery and rocket launchers, which resulted in some injuries amid power outages in the region. (Source: Syrian Coalition + Local Coordination Committees)

United States: A Man Who Gases His People Is Not Fit to Rule
The United States ambassador to the United Nations, Samantha Power, said that “a man who gasses his people, and who uses scuds and all other forms of terror against his people, is not fit to govern his people,” adding that “The chemical weapons agreement and implementation have not changed the U.S. position on Assad.”  Power explained that even though the agreement “eliminates chemical weapons from being used by Assad Forces to make military tactical gains the US remains committed to ensuring that a red light for one type of weapon does not become a green light for others.” (Source: Syrian Coalition)

Zebari: The “opposition” must participate in Geneva II which is founded on Geneva I
Iraqi Foreign Minister, Hoshiyar Zebari, stressed that Geneva I is the foundation for Geneva II and that there is no new reference to it, therefore “the opposition” must be involved, as he put it, because participation is in their best interest after the failure of all other solutions and scenarios. Zebari stated that “nobody but the Syrians themselves will be able to find a solution to the Syrian situation and the Geneva conference is dedicated to them.” He expected a cease-fire to be announced with the start of the talks and that the atmosphere will be better. However, he said that “there are popular revolutionary forces who had previously negotiated with major powers while they continued to be subjected to bombing by warplanes.  However, we say all sides in Syria must stop fighting, and there must be goodwill gestures from both sides. I was always a supporter of the idea of dialogue between “the opposition” and the regime under UN, international and Arab supervision, after giving guarantees to the opposition, which is a gain for the opposition” as he put it. (Source: Al Sharq al Awasat + Syrian Coalition)

France’s first lady will relay Syrian refugee suffering to her country
France’s first lady, Valerie Trierweiler, was “appalled” at the bad conditions experienced by the Syrian refugees in Lebanon whose biggest ambition is to return to their homes saying that she will report what she saw during her visit to Lebanon to the French government. Trierweiler warned of the emergence of a “lost generation” of Syrian refugee children pointing out that “this generation will become lost if we do not act now, the time has come to move.” Trierweiler had visited Al Dalhamiya camp in eastern Lebanon yesterday where some 1,300 Syrian refugees live in small tents amid difficult circumstances. She stated that “no one wants to stay in a refugee camp as they lack everything, especially because they are far away from their homes. They were uprooted, children’s lives were destroyed. They cannot go to school. It is depressing to see to what degree they are lost and do not have the slightest idea about the date of their return. Trierweiler pointed out that “France was a pioneer country in coming to the aid of Syrian refugees.” (Source: Al Sharq al Awasat + Syrian Coalition)