The Coalition Rejects Iran’s Participation in Geneva and Considers It an Occupier With Whom It Is Impossible to Negotiate |
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The Secretary- General of the Syrian National Coalition Badr al-Din Jamous, said in a statement to the Syrian National Coalition Media Office that he was surprised about the U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry’s praising of what he described as Bashar al Assad’s facilitation of the work of the Committee for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons in Syria, saying that ” summing up the Syrian Revolution with the chemical weapons issue is a disgrace to the international community” He added that “the Syrian people are not killed only with chemical weapons, but Bashar al Assad uses all kinds of weapons for killing.” Jamous commented on the possibility of Iran’s participation in the Geneva Conference, “the matter is under discussion among members of the Political Committee of the Syrian National Coalition, which will be up for approval at their next meeting”. In the same context, the Secretary – General of the Syrian National Coalition refused at a previous time “any kind of participation by Iran in Geneva or for Iran to be a mediator in any negotiation,” adding, “If it wanted to participate , it should withdraw its Revolutionary Guard and other troops supporting Bashar al Assad’s regime in the killing of Syrians.” Iran rejected any Syrian or international conditions for their participation in the Geneva Conference. This comes in response to the U.S. proposal, which stipulates that Iran must comply with all the terms of the Geneva 1statement in order for Iran to participate in the Geneva 2 conference. Hisham Marwa, a member of the Legal Committee of the Syrian National Coalition, confirmed that the Coalition would not attend the Geneva 2 conference in the absence of serious political interest in dealing with the Syrian file. He added that “the Coalition cannot be a way to legitimize the remainder of Bashar al-Assad and those who support him.” The member of the Legal Committee of the Coalition said “the international community was not thinking logically when dealing with the legal terms and concepts with respect to Geneva 1.” He pointed out Article VI of Geneva 1 which “denotes a mandatory transfer of power from one authority to another authority”, which points to the forcing of Bashar al Assad’s handing over power to another authority. He noted that “the transfer of power requires two different authorities, which in the ABC’s of legal terminology, means that Bashar al Assad has removed himself from the principles of Geneva, which would be reasonable to be blind to or to ignore.” Marwa considered it unacceptable for Iran to participate in Geneva “because it is a part of the problem and participated in killing Syrian people; it is considered as an occupying force on Syrian land and impossible to negotiate with the occupier” in regards to the Syrian issue. Representative of the Syrian National Coalition in Turkey, Khaled Khoja believes Kerry’s cascading remarks “establish the existence of a Russian-American deal with Israeli support”, and he questioned whether or not “relations with Iran were involved in this deal.” But Khoja confirmed that the Coalition will lay out the roadmap for Geneva 2 on the 25th of this month, pointing out that “all the international transactions with respect to the Syrian file will not affect the Syrian National Coalition’s position with regard to the basic principle that the Geneva 2 conference must be based upon.” (Source: Coalition) |
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The National Coalition Publishes a Report on the Conditions of Prisoners in the Aleppo Central Prison Called “Death’s Waiting Room” The Syrian National Coalition published a report looking into the situation of detainees in the Aleppo Central Prison called “Death’s Waiting Room”. The report details the events and the suffering of prisoners and the atrocities that occur in the prison. The report points to “the death of many martyrs on a daily basis either by execution, disease or hunger.” The report adopts the “testimonies of prisoners still in the jail and some of whom may have died during the writing of the report, in addition to follow – up with victims, activists and reports of human rights organizations.” The report notes “that the Aleppo Central Prison is a civilian prison, which is officially overseen by the Ministry of the Interior, and holds nearly 4,500 prisoners, became a stronghold for army and regime thugs (shabeeha), and turned into a horrific prison since the fight to free Aleppo began.” The report pointed out that Bashar al Assad’s regime killed and executed nearly 150 prisoners with bullets or by torture in the prisons.” The report recalls military operations by the Free Syrian Army which attempted to free the prisoners, where it was stated that “the Free Syrian Army expelled Bashar al Assad’s forces from an incomplete building expansion of the prison, creating a hole in the main wall surrounding the prison. More than 750 fighters from the revolutionaries and Free Syrian Army factions, including Ahrar al Sham and Liwaa al Tawheed, launched a massive attack on the prison and took over the new building which was still under construction after the destruction of the main gate.” The report highlighted the reasons that prompted the FSA to halt its military operations, which were intended to liberate the prisoners, pointing out that “the Syrian rebels were forced to stop the attack after Bashar al Assad’s forces opened fire on prisoners and threw them from the windows.” (Source: Coalition) |
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Leaked Videos Expose Field Executions by Hizbullah Militias in Syrian Cities Leaked video clips expose the terrorist Hizbullah militia executing Syrian civilians after raiding some of the villages surrounding the besieged city of Homs. The military operation launched by Bashar al Assad’s forces, backed by the terrorist Hezbollah militia, on Homs is one of the fiercest raids that have been conducted during which horrific collective massacres were committed, as reported by activists. The battle of Homs was fought by the Hezbollah militia who announced their participation in the battle publicly, battling alongside Bashar al Assad forces, who through his military forces is trying to crackdown on the popular uprising and the peaceful demonstrations of the Syrian people for more than two and a half years now. It is worth mentioning that the Hezbollah militia stood by Bashar al Assad’s forces since the beginning of the events receiving financial and military support from Iran to quell demonstrations that pose a strategic threat to the existence of Iran in the region, which considers Bashar al Assad its military and political arm in the region, which Iran cannot do without, as reported by analysts. (Source: Coalition) |
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50 Martyrs in Syrian until this Evening and 70 Martyrs Yesterday Local Coordination Committees in Syria documented 70 martyrs yesterday, 50 martyrs died up until 6 PM this evening, among them two women, four children, and nine people who were killed under torture. Also, there are 27 martyrs in Damascus and its suburbs, 12 in Aleppo, four in Daraa, three in Hama, two in Idleb, and one martyr in each of Homs and al Quneitra. (Source: Local Coordination Committees) The Free Syrian Army Kills 40 Regime Soldiers and the Notorious al Abbas Battalion in al Thiyabiya in the Damascus Countryside The Free Syrian Army ambushed regime forces and the militia Abu al Fadl al Abbas militia on al Abbas Street in al Thiyabiya in the Damascus countryside killing 40 regime soldiers. This happened as the FSA repelled an attempted raid on the cities and towns of al Thiyabiya, al Husseiniya Camp, Hajirat al Balad, and al Buwayda amidst regime shelling of the area with all types of weapons along with air cover by regime fighter jets. Also, regime forces targeted Moadamiat al Shaam, Deir Mwaran, and al Zabadani with heavy artillery wounding a number of civilians and destroying homes.(Source: Coalition + Local Coordination Committees) The Free Syrian Army takes control of al Hajana Brigade on the Syrian Border near Daraa, Fierce Clashes with Regime Forces in the Area This morning in Daraa, the FSA took control of the al Hajana Brigade on the Syrian-Jordanian border in Daraa al Balad near the Old Customs Border Crossing. This happened after the FSA raided the Brigade and clashed with regime forces resulting in the death of tens of regime soldiers. This happened as regime forces shelled the Old Customs Border Crossing and the al Hajana Brigade with heavy artillery and mortars, and once the FSA announced their control of the Brigade regime forces fighter jets conducted air strikes on the Brigade causing large explosions in the Brigade. Regime forces conducted air strikes on the city of Inkhil and Mzayreb resulting in the injury of a number of people and the destruction of a number of homes. (Source: Coalition + Local Coordination Committees) An Explosive Device Took the Lives of Three Students in Hama A bomb from an unknown source exploded in the Western Park District of Hama resulting in the martyrdom of three students and the injury of four others. This happened at the same time as regime fighter jet strikes on the villages of Moadamia and Wadi al Izam in the Hama countryside resulting in the injury of many people and the destruction of many homes. In Idleb, regime fighter jets dropped explosive barrels on the town of al Najiya resulting in the injury of many civilians in the area and causing distress among the residents. (Source: Coalition + Local Coordination Committees) The Free Syrian Army Repels Attempted Raid in Sal al Din District Resulting In Huge Losses to the Regime |
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Arab an International Talks About Stopping the Killing of Syrians during Eid Secretary General of the Arab League Nabil al-Arabi said that the Arab League and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation plan to issue a joint appeal to stop the fighting in Syria during the days of Eid al Adha . Today, al Arabi said at the opening session of the Arab League Council meeting: “Consultations with the Secretary- General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, are being conducted to issue an appeal to stop the fighting in all Syrian territory to ease the entry of humanitarian aid to millions of our Syrian brothers who continue to suffer for more than two years now.” He added that “Secretary-General of the United Nations, Ban Ki-moon, and UN envoy Lakhdar Brahimi, will also be consulted on this matter,” who will arrive in Cairo on 28th of this month.(Source: al Hayat + MENA) Turkey Denies the Building of a Barrier Wall on the Syrian Border and a Meeting to Discuss Refugee Circumstances Media sources today reported that Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Bashir Otalaa denied his country’s determination to build a metal wall along the border with Syria. Otalaa explained to reporters before a meeting for government coordinating bodies that the Turkish authorities will build a wall at certain crossing points in order to prevent smuggling, stressing that there are no plans to establish an extended metal wall on the border which is about 900 kilometers in length. This statement from Otalaa comes in the wake of news reports that pointed to the building of a metal wall in area of Nisibin, a Turkish city across from al Qamishli on the Syrian side of the border. The Turkish official confirmed that the meeting will discuss the coordination of plans and precautions established by the Turkish authorities in the event of a chemical attack from Syria on Turkish territory. They will also discuss the situation of Syrian refugees distributed throughout humanitarian camps inside Turkey as winter comes near. He described the humanitarian situation in the camps as good, pointing out that the number of Syrian refugees in Turkey has reached 600,000, including about 200,000 residing in 21 humanitarian camps humanly in the south of the country. He stated that the Turkish Agency for Disaster and Crisis Management prepared more tents to accommodate the growing numbers of displaced people in the camps as well as increased health and education services in the camps. He emphasized the ability of the camps to accommodate about 30,000 more people, and the Turkish authorities are also housing many of the displaced Syrians living outside the camps in several Turkish cities. (Source: Al Rai) The Red Cross: Syrian Refugees in Jordan are in Need of Relief The Internation Red Cross Committee in Jordan said that Syrian who have escaped from their country are crossing into Jordan on a daily basis in search of safety, noting that most of them are exhausted and in dire need of assistance, noting that it is doing its best in coordination with the National Assembly of the Jordanian Red Crescent to alleviate their suffering. The Committee made clear that most of the Syrian refugees are in the northern areas, near the Syrian border, including Irbid, al Mafraq, al Ramtha, and al Zarqa, putting great strain on the extremely limited resources in the area. The report given by Maen Ibrahim, Chair of the Water Engineers for the Ineterntional Red Cross Committee in Jordan, in which he said “when refugees reach the border, most of them are tired from a long and arduous journey, and they soon need food, water, and shelter, and in some cases medical care.”(Source: al Youm al Sabe) Iran Rejects America’s Conditions for Iranian Participation in Geneva 2 Tehran rejected America’s proposal on accepting Iran’s participation in Geneva 2 with the condition that it supports Geneva 1, which guarantees the creation of a transitional government in Syria. The spokesperson for the Iranian Foreign Ministry, Murdiya Afkham, made clear yesterday that Iran rejected placing any conditions on its participation in any peace conference on Syria, which according to her was “a conference that has been delayed very much.” The United States Department of State announced on the Monday that past that it will be more willing to accept Iranian participation in the conference (Geneva 2) that seeks to end the war, if Iran publicly supports a statement released in 2012 calling for the formation of a transitional government in Syria. (Source: al Quds al Arabi) More French Journalists Kidnapped in Syria Two French journalists have been abducted in Syria according to confirmed reports from the French Foreign Ministry. They stated: “Two more French journalists have been taken hostage in Syria, raising the number of abducted Frenchmen in Syria to four. The journalists are: Nicolas Henin who works for La Point Magazine and Pierre Torres who works for the German French Television channel Arte. They were kidnapped on June 22 and it is unknown until now who has kidnapped them.” Correspondent Didier Francois and photographer Edouard Elias were also abducted in early June on their way to Aleppo. French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said the two men were alive. (Source: Reuters + al Quds al Arabi) Two Israeli Occupation Forces Were Injured Due to Mortar Shells Falling on the Occupied Golan Heights Two soldiers of the Israeli occupation forces were slightly wounded by mortar shells that landed in the northern part of the occupied Golan Heights. Y Net News Website reported that two mortar shells landed in the northern part of the Golan Heights, which resulted in the injury of a soldier slightly wounded by shrapnel, while another was in a condition of shock. The soldiers were treated at the scene. Mortar shells have fallen in the past in the Golan Heights area, following clashes between regime forces and the Free Syrian Army. (Source: al Hayat + UBI) 4 Million Syrians Expected to Flee Next Year A document issued by the United Nations expected that the situation in Syria would lead to the fleeing of more than four million Syrians from their homes over the next year, pointing out that one million could leave the country, and the possibility of another two and a half million Syrians displaced inside the country. Estimates by the UN are that the number of Syrian refugees is currently 2.1 million people, in addition to 4.25 million displaced people inside Syria. The UN document expects that about 8.3 million people (more than one – third of Syria’s population of 23 million) will be in in need by the end of 2014, an increase of 37% compared with this year. A spokesman for the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Adrian Edwards, said “these are not the final numbers for the year 2014, because there are still two months until the end of 2013 in order to issue the final numbers.” (Source: al Jazeera) Britain Will Give 20,000,000 BP to Non Extremists British Foreign Secretary William Hague said that his country will provide more than 20,000,000 Pounds of “non-lethal” weapons to non-extremist groups in Syria. They pledged more support in the coming months. Hague said in a statement on the Middle East to the House of Commons yesterday, “The situation in Syria is still disastrous and more than 100,000 people have been killed, and the number of Syrian refugees in the last twelve months has risen to more than two million refugees.” Hague added: “We have to be clear that we will not succeed in our work in Syria without stopping the violence occurring there, however we were able to make some progress on our diplomat goals in New York, specifically to prevent the further use of chemical weapons to lessen the human suffering, and to encourage a settlement in Syria.”(Source: al Quds + UBI) America: The Security Situation in Syria is a Result of Assad’s Repression of Syrian People The United States considers that the current security situation in Syria is the result of the brutal suppression by the Assad regime of its people, but the regime has many incentives to stop the repression and move towards the Geneva 2 Conference. The Deputy spokeswoman for the U.S. Department of State Mary Harf said: “The current security situation in Syria is a direct result of Assad’s brutality and the suppression of his people, and the civil war waged by the regime against the legitimate and balanced opposition, creating a security climate where “Al Qaeda” and groups associated with them can survive.” Harf added that the United States has reiterated that the security vacuum in Syria does not allow extremists to flourish – as she put it – only in Syria but also in the region. (Source: al Quds al Arabi + UBI) |