Marwa: The Regime Is Trying To Build Political Glory on the Death of Children
Hisham Marwa, a member of the Legal Committee of the Syrian Coalition, during this year’s Universal Children’s Day criticized “the Assad regime’s use of Syrian children as a means of manipulating public opinion towards Syrians who demand the fall of the regime.” Marwa added that “the regime is trying to build its political glory on the deaths of Syrian children, especially because their little hands that scrawled anti-regime graffiti on the walls were the spark that lit the Syrian Revolution.” Furthermore, Marwa said that the Convention on Children’s Rights called for special treatment for children. Ironically, this is what Assad did, instead of treating them with kindness, Assad, as the sole ruler, made graves the bed of children and…Read more
Interim Government Announces Its Commitment to Facilitating the Task of Relief Teams The Syrian interim government announced its full commitment to allowing all humanitarian teams access to the liberated areas in Syria, in order to…Read more
FSA capture military security branch and Jallab checkpoint in Al Nabek A civilian was killed and others injured when several mortar rounds fell on the Chiefs of Staff building, King Faisal Street, Bab Touma and Kassa’a in Damascus. In addition, three civilians were killed and dozens injured in Harsta near Damascus by air raids. Meanwhile, dozens of regime forces were killed when FSA captured the Military Security branch and Al Jallab checkpoint in Nabek in Rural Damascus, alongside bombing by warplanes on the city. This coincided with air strikes the city of Yabroud amid violent clashes between the Free Syrian Army and Regime Forces. Communications were shut down in town of Deir Attia with reports of artillery shelling on the town and of mass arrests affecting civilians. Meanwhile, regime forces bombed the towns of Madaya and Biqqin west of Damascus, with reports of a large fire in Madaya. (Source: Syrian Coalition + Local Coordination Committees)
Clashes in Rural Dara’a, Air Strikes on the Town of Al Hirak Free Syrian Army clashed with the regime forces in the town of Gharz in rural Dara’a amid heavy artillery shelling on the area, with no reports of casualties. In the meantime, Assad’s warplanes launched air raids on the town of Al Hirak in Rural Dara’a causing civilian casualties and material damage. This coincided with artillery shelling on the town of Um Walad and a campaign of mass arrests of civilians in the town of Al Hara. (Source: Syrian Coalition + Local Coordination Committees)
Shortage of Blood in Aleppo Aleppo Medical Council announced its urgent need for blood as they have none left. Meanwhile, regime forces pounded the city of Al Bab with rocket launchers, which killed five people, including a child, and wounding many others. In addition, Assad Forces shelled the towns of Andan and Hayan with helicopters’ gunships with reports of civilian casualties. On the other hand, the Free Syrian army attacked regime troops with mortar rounds stationed in the Izaha building alongside clashes with Regime Forces in the area. (Source: Syrian Coalition + Local Coordination Committees)
Saudi Arabia Calls for Strong UNSC Resolution to End Bloodshed in Syria Prince Saud al-Faisal, Saudi Foreign Minister, called on the UN Security Council, tasked with the maintenance of peace and security, to shoulder its responsibility and adopt a tough stance to stop the bloodshed of Syrians, and to spare what is left of their homeland. “The Syrian crisis has had no response from the international community to help these oppressed people reach their legitimate hopes and aspirations for a free and dignified life” Al Faisal said. His statements came during a speech at the third Arab-African Summit held in Kuwait today. (Source: Syrian Coalition)
UNGA Condemns Assad’s Violations of Human Rights The UNHCR adopted a resolution strongly condemning the massive and systematic violations of human rights and the use of chemical weapons against civilians by the Assad Regime. A vote took place and 123 countries voted in favor of the resolution submitted by Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates. The resolution demands accountability for those behind the use of chemical weapons against Syrian civilians. The vote was opposed by 13 countries, including Russia, Iran, furthermore, 46 countries abstained from voting. The resolution called on all parties to put an immediate end to any violation of international humanitarian law, focusing on violations by the Assad regime and the Shabiha militia and its subsidiaries. The resolution also strongly condemned the interference of foreign fighters, “especially the terrorist Hezbollah militia fighting alongside Assad Forces.” Following the release of the resolution, Assad’s ambassador to the United Nations, Bashar Jaafari, accused Saudi Arabia of supporting what he described as “terrorist groups behind the two bombings of Beirut yesterday,” and said that Saudi Arabia “is a key player in the escalation of what he described as” the Syrian crisis. Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to the United Nations, Abdullah Mualimi, responded to Assad’s ambassador by saying that “his country does not bomb cities or kill its youth and its children,” and called on him not to cover up the crimes of the Assad regime. (Source: Syrian Coalition)
UN Should Establish a Special Criminal Court to Prosecute the Assad Regime Participants in the “International Law and Its Applications in the Syrian Crisis” conference called for setting up a special criminal court for trial of the pillars of the Assad Regime. The calls came within the recommendations issued by the conference which was concluded yesterday in Istanbul. The conferees called for Arab and Islamic countries to petition the UN Security Council to establish a “special court along the lines of the courts of the war criminals in the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda to try the Assad Regime for crimes against humanity, war crimes and crimes of genocide committed against the Syrian people.” Participants stressed the importance of gathering “documented evidence and facts about the crimes committed in Syria through independent commissions of inquiry that have the know-how and skill required.” It also called for the formation of “an international legal team emanating from this conference to follow up on these recommendations to carry out the technical and legal tasks required to bring the criminals to accountable courts.” According to Dr. Khaled bin Saleh Ataiwaan Secretary-General of the World Islamic Association for Lawyers “as a result of the international community’s inability to enforce the rules of international law to punish perpetrators of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity are being committed in Syria.” (Source: Al Jazeera + Syrian Coalition)
Belgium Also Rejects Destroying Syria’s CW in its Territory The spokesman for the Belgian Foreign Ministry confirmed his country received a formal request by the United States to help in the dismantling of Assad’s arsenal of chemical weapons. The Belgian defense minister had earlier declared that it is impossible for his country to respond to this request, expressing his willingness to assist in the destruction of these weapons, but not over Belgian territory. A spokesman for the Belgian Foreign Ministry stated that “the transfer of these weapons is a difficult task in itself, and said:” I think they should be dismantled near the Syrian territory.” Sources close to the ongoing discussions at the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons said that the organization is considering the possibility of dealing with Assad’s chemical weapons and destroying them at sea on board a ship or offshore platform. (Source: Syrian Coalition)
