Daily Newsletter – 15/11/2013

Barzani Says PYD is Linked to Assad

Tomah: Interim Government Will Not Hamper Geneva II
Ahmad Tomah, the head of the interim government, announced that his government started its work to serve the Syrian people to improve living conditions. Tomah considered that “the difficult circumstances will not deter or frustrate…Read more

Death Toll: 22 killed today, 76 yesterday
Local Coordination Committees in Syria documented 76 martyrs killed yesterday, while 22 people were documented as of 6:00pm, including 7 women, 3 children and 1 martyr killed under torture. Martyrs were cited as: 11 in Hama, 5 in Damascus, 3 in Dara’a, and 1 in each of Aleppo, Idlib and Deir Ezzor. (Source: Local Coordination Committees)

Regime’s forces renew shelling on Damascus suburbs
Assad’s forces renewed the shelling by mortar rounds on the neighborhoods of Tadamon and Assali in Dsamscus, which caused civilian casualties. The shelling took place after Free Syrian Army forces repelled Assad troops who were trying to break into the area. This coincided with violent clashes around Beit Sahem between the Free Syrian Army and the regime forces, alongside shelling with heavy machine guns on the residential buildings. In addition, regime forces shelled several districts in Eastern Ghouta with heavy artillery, amid rising fears of massacres against them in case regime forces took control of those districts. Meanwhile, four people from one family were killed and others injured after regime forces stationed in Al Sharqi Mountain pounded the town of Zabadane in Rural Damascus . In the meantime, violent clashes took place in the town of Qara in Qalamoun alongside artillery bombardment that targeted civilian homes in the town and most cities and towns of al Qalamun in Rural Damascus, with reports of civilian deaths and injuries. (Source: Syrian Coalition + Local Coordination Committees)

Air raids and clashes in Rural Dara’a
Free Syrian Army clashed with regime forces on the outskirts of the city of Inkhil in Daraa near “15” Brigade, with reports of regime losses. Meanwhile, a number of civilians were injured because of regime’s bombardment of the town of Um Walad in rural Dara’a. In the meantime, a woman was killed and other civilians were injured when Assad’s warplanes launched air strikes on the town of Nantah. Also, Regime Forces renewed its shelling on the town of Dae’el, which destroyed a number of civilian homes.  (Source: Syrian Coalition + Local Coordination Committees)

Massacre in a village near Hama
Regime forces summarily executed eight civilians including two women today in the village of Jalama in rural Hama. The massacre comes in a series of massacres committed by the regime in the region against civilians. Meanwhile, regime warplanes dropped barrel bombs on Kafr Zeta which caused civilian casualties and massive destruction in residential buildings. In addition, a woman was seriously injured after the regime’s artillery stationed in Deir Muharda pounded the town of al llatamina, in addition to causing massive amounts of damage to the infrastructure of the town. (Source: Syrian Coalition + Local Coordination Committees)

More Massacres in rural Aleppo
Regime Forces committed a new massacre yesterday in the town of Abtin in southern rural Aleppo when they killed 12 people, mostly children. They also wounded dozens of civilians by air raids on this town as the regime considers it to be a rebellious town. Five people were also killed in the city of Al Bab in Rural Aleppo after warplane’s gunships shelled the city.  In addition. Sukhoi jet fighters dropped barrel bombs on the town of Deir Hafer which resulted in civilian casualties and damage to infrastructure. In the meantime, the Free Syrian army destroyed a Gvozdica gun using the “Red Arrow” rocket inside Al Zahraa’ regime stronghold in in Aleppo. Also, violent clashes took place in Mount Shwaihina between the Free Syrian Army and regime forces alongside shelling with rocket launchers on civilian neighborhoods. (Source: Syrian Coalition + Local Coordination Committees)

Friday’s protests: “Go forth, whether light or heavy”
Syrians protested today in various cities across the country that activists called “Go forth, whether light or heavy,” and chanted slogans demanding the fall of Bashar al Assad.  Demonstrations were recorded in the towns of Eastern and Western Ghouta, especially in Maliha, Douma, Yabrood and Zabadani. Also, Syrians protested in Salahuddin, al Bab and Bustan al Qaser in Aleppo. The demonstrations came in response to the weakness of the international community’s inaction towards the massacres committed by Bashar al Assad against the Syrian people, and to the lack of support to the unarmed civilians. (Source: Syrian Coalition + Local Coordination Committees)

UN: No Date Set for Syria Peace Conference
The United Nations announced today that its Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon has yet to set the date of Geneva II. The Russian Foreign Ministry denied reports claiming that the Russian Foreign Minister and U.S. Secretary of State agreed to convene Geneva II on December 12th. The Russian statement came in response to reports leaked by the Assad regime and quoted by pro-Assad Al Wattan newspaper which quoted a diplomatic source in Paris saying that Geneva II would be held on December 12th. (Source: Syrian Coalition)

Saa’d Al Hariri Slams Hezbollah’s Support of Assad
In response to the latest statement by Nasrallah, Saad al-Hariri, the leader of the Lebanese Future Movement, criticized Hezbollah for making the day of Ashuraa’ an occasion for the party’s announcement of giving support to the Assad regime in their fight against the oppressed Syrian people. Hassan Nasrallah, Secretary General of terrorist Hezbollah militia claims that his party will stay in Syria to defend her against what he called “the international, regional and Takfiri attack.” Hariri replied in a statement released by his press office that “the Secretary General of Hezbollah reasserted his involvement in the war in Syria and refused distancing Lebanon from the Syrian fire.” Hariri also said that “Hezbollah is bullying Lebanon, the Lebanese and the Syrian people using Iranian weapons, money and power and won’t be able to impose itself on the Lebanon for participation in political life.” (Source: Syrian Coalition)

Albania Joins Norway, Sweden and Denmark in Refusing to Destroy Assad’s CW in its Territory
Albanian citizens demonstrated in front of their parliament today, rejecting the idea that their country could possibly be a location for the destruction of the Assad Regime’s arsenal of chemical weapons. They stressed that Albania does not have sufficient capacity for this and that they will not allow anyone to contaminate their country with dangerous substances. Norway announced days ago that it could not meet the request of the United States to destroy a section of Assad’s arsenal of chemical weapons on its territory, arguing that the proposed schedule is very tight. This comes at a time when NATO announced its cooperation with Russia on the destruction of those weapons if asked to do so. Sweden announced that it will put a military plane at the disposal of the United Nations to contribute to the task of dismantling these weapons but it excluded allowing the process to take place on its territory. Moreover, Denmark’s Foreign Minister denied claims about accepting the destruction of chemical weapons in Denmark. The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons began consultations today on the destruction of Syria’s chemical weapons after a UNSC-resolution that Syria dispose of its arsenal of chemical weapons by mid-2014.  The members of the Executive Committee of the Organization in The Hague will make a decision on plans submitted by the Assad Regime to destroy about a thousand tons of chemical weapons it currently has in its possession wherein the bulk of the chemical arsenal is scheduled to be destroyed outside Syria. (Source: Syrian Coalition)

Turkish Officials to Make Diplomatic Tours to Discuss Syria-Related Issues
Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan will begin an official visit to Russia on November 21st as the head of a high-level delegation to discuss several issues, the most important being the Syrian file. In addition, Erdogan will meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin, and discuss developments regarding Syria as they relate to Geneva 2. Erdogan is expected to visit the United States on the 17th and 18th of this month to discuss current developments in the Syrian crisis, and then will travel to Iran on the 26th and 27th to hold talks on several issues, including the Syrian file. (Source: Syrian Coalition)

British Expert: Iranian Intelligence Behind Sexual Jihad Lie
Noman bin Othman, a British expert on “jihadi groups,” said that Iranian intelligence promoted the lie about “sexual jihad in Syria.” He added that this fabricated story aims to defend the Assad regime through attaching charges to jihadists who embrace the Salafi ideology in general. Meanwhile, press reports said that the information about the arrival of Tunisian girls to Syria in order to perform “sexual jihad”, published by a Lebanese TV channel close to the Assad regime, has no basis in the Tunisian reality. Bin Othman added that “his information about various jihadist organizations contradicts completely the rumors about sexual jihad in Syria.”(Source: Syrian Coalition)