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		<title>Activists Say Syrian Troops Kill 50 in Homs</title>
		<link>http://www.j-hady.com/activists-say-syrian-troops-kill-50-in-homs/</link>
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		<pubDate>Thu, 09 Feb 2012 01:55:58 +0000</pubDate>
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		<description><![CDATA[ Syrian rights activists say government forces have killed at least 50 people in an ongoing assault on the central city of Homs, and U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has pledged to consider sending a joint U.N.-Arab League team to Syria to monitor the escalating violence. British-based activist say troops loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad attacked Homs with gunfire, rockets and shells on Wednesday, heavily damaging more than 20 buildings in rebel-held districts. The activists say the government bombardment of Homs has killed hundreds of people since it began early Saturday. They say at least 13 other people were killed in violence around Syria Wednesday. Syrian state media say "armed terrorists" detonated a car bomb in Homs, killing and wounding civilians and troops. State media also accused rebels of attacking the city's oil refinery. Undated citizen journalism image provided by Local Coordination Committees in Syria shows man weeping as he sits next to a man who was purportedly killed in shelling by Syrian government forces, Homs, February 8, 2012. (AP Photo) In an opposition video, a young man named Danny Abou Diyne, working in a field clinic in the Homs district of Baba Amr, points to the dead body of a two-year old boy. He says the child was killed when a shell slammed into his house, destroying it. “He's about two years old," he said. "He got hit in this war zone, in his house. Is this what the U.N. is waiting for, until there are no more children left? Until they kill all the children and all the women? VOA cannot independently confirm the video or opposition figures concerning deaths because Syria restricts independent reporting. Free Syrian Army (FSA) members in Saqba, a Damascus suburb, February 8, 2012. (Reuters photo) Homs low on medical supplies A doctor calling himself Mohammed Mohammed told Al Arabiya TV via webcam that he and his colleagues were working under extreme duress and that medical supplies were running low.  He begged the world to pressure Syria to allow ambulances to evacuate the wounded. Rami Abdel Rahman of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights in London told Alhurra TV that the government shelling was creating a human disaster. He added that it is difficult to get an exact casualty figure because many people were buried under the rubble. Abdel Rahman also said pro-government militias killed 30 members of three families overnight when they stormed their homes on the outskirts of Homs.  He called the killings “a massacre.” Khattar Abou Diab, who teaches political science at the University of Paris, says Syrian military actions are taking place in a number of parts of the country and that most of the operations are under the command of President Assad's family members. He says the military campaign is taking place in the northern district of Idlib, the southern Horan region bordering Jordan, in the outer suburbs of Damascus, as well as in Homs.  He says top members of Assad's family, including his brother-in-law Assef Shawqut and his brother Maher, are directing the campaign, resembling the Gadhafi family's involvement in the fighting in Libya. Recent Comments on Syria U.S. President Barack Obama said February 4 the citizens of Syria must know the United States is with them, and the Assad regime must come to an end. Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin condemned all violence "regardless of its source," but said February 8 outside forces should let Syrians settle their conflict "independently." Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Februray 7 the recent failure of the U.N. Security Council to pass a motion pressuring Syria was a fiasco. U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said February 6 no government can attack its population "without its legitimacy being eroded." U.N. human rights chief Navi Pillay has called for urgent international action to protect civilians in Syria, saying she is "appalled" by the government's "willful assault on the city of Homs." French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe said February 8 Mr. Assad's reform promises are merely manipulation and should not be believed. Britain's Prime Minister David Cameron said Wednesday Russia and China had set themselves apart from Arab and world opinion by voting against a U.N. resolution on Syria. Turkey proposes conference Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said Wednesday his government is ready to host an international conference to support the Syrian people. He said the conference should be held promptly in Istanbul or in another regional country. Davutoglu spoke before leaving for Washington to meet U.S. congressional leaders and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton for talks likely to focus on Syria. Washington has been exploring the possibility of providing humanitarian aid to Syrians in cooperation with U.S. allies. Western powers and Arab nations have said repeatedly they do not want to intervene militarily in the Syrian conflict. A senior EU official said the 27-nation bloc plans to announce a tightening of economic sanctions on the Assad government at a foreign ministers meeting February 27. The EU official said new measures against Syria are likely to include a block on financial transactions with the Syrian central bank and a ban on purchases of Syrian phosphates - one of the country's main natural resources. EU nations buy about 40 percent of Syria's phosphate exports. The EU stopped importing oil from Syria last year. Russia opposes unilateral moves The Kremlin said Russian President Dmitry Medvedev urged his French counterpart Nicolas Sarkozy to avoid "hasty unilateral moves" toward Syria. Mr. Medvedev spoke to the French president by telephone Wednesday. Moscow used its U.N. Security Council veto last week to block a Western and Arab-backed resolution that would have endorsed an Arab League plan calling on Mr. Assad to step aside. The Syrian president is a key Russian military ally. Mr. Sarkozy's office said he used the phone conversation to call on the Russian president to fully support the Arab League plan and increase pressure on Mr. Assad to stop brutally repressing the Syrian people. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov met Mr. Assad in Damascus on Tuesday and secured a pledge from the Syrian president to assign his deputy ((Vice President Farouk al-Sharaa)) to hold a dialogue with the Syrian opposition. But Syrian opposition groups have rejected dialogue with the Assad government. White House Press Secretary Jay Carney said Wednesday Mr. Assad had an opportunity to talk to the opposition early in the uprising, but Washington believes that opportunity no longer exists. Britain's Prime Minister David Cameron said Wednesday he has "very little confidence" in the Russian-Syrian efforts, while French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe said Mr. Assad's promises are merely manipulation and should not be believed. U.N. human rights chief Navi Pillay called for urgent international action to protect civilians in Syria, saying she is "appalled" by the government's "willful assault on the city of Homs." Pillay also said is it time for the international community to "cut through the politics and take action" to protect the civilian population. VOA Wire Services and reporter Dorian Jones in Istanbul contributed to the report. Join the conversation on our social journalism site - Middle East Voices . Follow our Middle East reports on Twitter and discuss them on our Facebook page. ]]></description>
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		<title>Syrian Activists Say Troops Continue Deadly Homs Assault</title>
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		<pubDate>Wed, 08 Feb 2012 12:09:20 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>NN</dc:creator>
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		<description><![CDATA[ Syrian activists say government troops have killed scores of civilians in Homs, continuing a months-long siege of the city that has been a hub of protests against President Bashar al-Assad's 11-year autocratic rule. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the shelling Wednesday also heavily damaged more than 20 buildings in the city's Baba Amr district.  The bombardment follows days of assaults on Homs that activists say killed hundreds of people. Casualty figures cannot be confirmed because Syria restricts independent reporting. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Wednesday that a solution to the crisis through a national dialogue should come from Syrians themselves and that it is not up to the international community to decide the outcome of such talks in advance. During a Tuesday meeting  in Damascus, Assad said he wants Vice President Farouk al-Sharaa to head up talks with the opposition. Efforts by the Arab League and Russia to organize talks have been rejected by Syrian opposition groups angered by the Assad government's deadly crackdown on the 11-month-old uprising. Lavrov said Tuesday that Assad will push ahead with promised reforms and soon set a date for a referendum on a new constitution aimed at broadening political participation. U.S. State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said Tuesday it is hard to believe Assad's latest reform pledges as his forces continue to bombard civilians.  The Obama administration shut its embassy in Damascus Monday as part of a Western and Arab campaign to isolate Assad diplomatically and pressure him into stopping the crackdown. White House Press Secretary Jay Carney said Tuesday Washington also is exploring the possibility of providing humanitarian aid to Syrians, in cooperation with U.S. allies. He did not elaborate. Western powers and Arab nations have repeatedly said they do not want to intervene militarily in the Syrian crisis. France, Italy and Spain recalled their ambassadors to Syria on Tuesday, citing the Assad government's continued repression. The six Gulf Cooperation Council states, led by Saudi Arabia, also announced they are withdrawing their ambassadors from Damascus and expelling Syrian envoys in response to the worsening violence. Syrian activists say the international community's words and actions are not enough. Syrian activist and engineer Abo Emad, who did not want his real name to be used, spoke with VOA via Skype Tuesday from the basement of a building in Homs where he was taking cover from the shelling with about 20 other people.  He said the Syrian people have lost confidence in the international community. "They're saying that they're all partners in killing us," he said. "Even the Security Council.  Even the United Nations." He said Syrian security forces were bombing everything, including homes, schools and mosques. "They surrounded the area by snipers, and they're shooting at everything that moves," added Abo Emad. "Even the cats." The Syrian government blames the violence on "armed terrorists" bent on dividing and sabotaging the country. Turkey said Tuesday it will launch a new initiative to address the situation in Syria.  Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu is due to arrive in Washington Wednesday for talks with U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who has said the United States would work with other nations to tighten sanctions against Assad's government and deny it arms in the absence of a U.N. resolution. On Saturday, Russia and China vetoed a Western and Arab-backed U.N. Security Council resolution that would have endorsed an Arab League plan for Assad to step aside, order his troops to stand down and enact democratic reforms.  Moscow and Beijing said they blocked the measure because they perceived it as taking sides in a domestic conflict and providing a possible pretext for foreign military intervention. Some information for this report was provided by AFP and Reuters. Join the conversation on our social journalism site - Middle East Voices . Follow our Middle East reports on Twitter and discuss them on our Facebook page. ]]></description>
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		<title>Turkey Debates Role in Possible Syria Intervention</title>
		<link>http://www.j-hady.com/turkey-debates-role-in-possible-syria-intervention/</link>
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		<pubDate>Tue, 07 Feb 2012 22:22:09 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>NN</dc:creator>
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		<description><![CDATA[ Turkey is hardening its stance against the Syrian leadership and its Western allies are increasingly looking to Ankara for efforts to help unseat Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. There is debate in Turkey over whether international sanctions and diplomatic pressure on Syria could lead to military intervention and what role Ankara should play. In his weekly address to his parliamentary deputies Tuesday, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the U.N. Security Council's failure last weekend to pass a motion pressuring Syria was a fiasco.  He said Turkey is prepared to offer an alternative plan, even if that might trigger another veto by Russia and China, whose "no" votes blocked the original resolution on Saturday   The prime minister said Turkey is helping to prepare a new initiative with Western allies that support opponents of the Syrian regime.  Turkey's foreign minister is set to visit Washington this week for high-level talks. Mr. Erdogan offered no details, but word of a new plan comes as Ankara has positioned itself at the forefront of those condemning Syria, its neighbor and once close ally, for the bloodshed the Damascus regime has inflicted on protesters. Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesman Selcuk Unal says despite the recent U.N. setback, Ankara is looking to diplomacy to end the Syrian crackdown, even if that means diplomacy outside the U.N. framework. "To get grounds for other countries - of course,YesyYOK.  including Arab countries - and other key partners on what can be done because of the non-response of Syria to those unilateral regional and international efforts, should not keep us from looking for other initiatives," said Unal. Turkey is harboring a number of Syrian opposition leaders, including some from the Free Syrian Army, a militia drawn mainly from defectors from the Syrian armed forces.  Some media reports say Ankara is arming the rebels or allowing arms to be supplied to them from Arab countries. Turkish Foreign Ministry officials deny those charges. Semih Idiz, diplomatic correspondent for the Turkish newspaper Milliyet , says Ankara does not want to act alone against Damascus. "Well Turkey, by nature in terms of its foreign policy, and you can underline this, has always been multilateralist," said Idiz. "So in situations like this, Turkey likes to act with the international community." Washington and London have cited the importance of Ankara, with its 800-kilometer-long border with Syria, in resolving the crisis.  Turkey's army is the second largest in NATO and could enforce a buffer zone within Syria. The opposition Syrian National Council has been calling for intervention with Turkey playing a key role.  But Foreign Ministry spokesman Unal said the international community must be in concert with Turkey. "At the moment there is no sort of [military] project on our agenda," he said. However, Turkish foreign policy expert Soli Ozel says military intervention is possible if the situation in Syria deteriorates further. "[If] you end up with civil war, with massive waves of refugees, that is going to generate a lot of problems for you as well, which is when a buffer-zone idea would, I suppose, come closer to materializing than at any other time," said Ozel. Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said recently that Turkey's doors are open to Syrian refugees.  If need be, he pledged, they will be taken into people's homes.  That offer has been interpreted by some Turks as a warning to Damascus: As Mr. Erdogan has said, Turkey will not stand by as Syria implodes. ]]></description>
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		<title>US Closes Syria Embassy, Says UN Veto Emboldens Assad</title>
		<link>http://www.j-hady.com/us-closes-syria-embassy-says-un-veto-emboldens-assad/</link>
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		<pubDate>Tue, 07 Feb 2012 08:32:06 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>NN</dc:creator>
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		<description><![CDATA[ The United States has closed its embassy in Syria, warning that President Bashar al-Assad is increasing his campaign of violence against opponents following the Russian and Chinese veto of U.N. action against his government. After more than one month of talks aimed at improving security around the U.S. embassy in Damascus, the Obama administration withdrew its last officials from Syria Monday, saying the Assad government “failed to respond adequately” to concerns about conditions around the facility. The State Department says the deteriorating security situation makes clear what it calls “the dangerous path” President Assad has chosen, as well as his inability to fully control Syria. With government forces continuing to bombarded Syria's third-largest city of Homs, U.S. officials say the international community must act without delay to support an Arab League plan for President Assad to step aside. Russia and China Saturday vetoed a U.N. Security Council resolution supporting that plan. U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Aaron Snipe says Moscow and Beijing are encouraging President Assad's campaign of violence. "They voted on the side of a leader who is now further emboldened to commit heinous crimes against his people," said Snipe. Snipe says the suspension of embassy operations and the withdrawal of Ambassador Robert Ford does not mean the United States is abandoning Syria. “The door for diplomatic ties remains open with the Syrian people and with the Syrian government," he said. "Ambassador Ford still remains the United States ambassador to Syria and its people. And though he will be now based in Washington, he will continue engaging with the Syrian people and supporting the Syrian people in whatever way that we can.” While in Damascus, Ford made use of social media to keep in touch with Syrians. U.S. officials say he will continue to maintain his Facebook page and Twitter account from Washington. The Polish embassy in Damascus will now provide consular services for the Americans who remain. ]]></description>
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		<title>US Closes Damascus Embassy as Assad Forces Kill More Syrians</title>
		<link>http://www.j-hady.com/us-closes-damascus-embassy-as-assad-forces-kill-more-syrians/</link>
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		<pubDate>Mon, 06 Feb 2012 19:02:02 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>NN</dc:creator>
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		<description><![CDATA[ The United States has closed its embassy in Syria as the government there escalates its violent crackdown on an opposition uprising. Syrian government forces on Monday were bombarding the country's third largest city of Homs, large parts of which are in rebel hands. Residents say shells slammed into apartment blocks, causing numerous casualties, as Syrian government forces pounded areas of Homs with heavy artillery.  Opposition sources indicated that tanks had blocked all entrances to the city. Videos on opposition websites showed bodies in the street amid pools of blood.  Other videos showed men trying to evacuate people from a field hospital which had been hit.  It was impossible to independently verify the videos. Al Arabiya TV showed live webcam images of shells slamming into the Bab Amr district of Homs as smoke rose from buildings which had caught fire.  The most intense shelling was reported in the districts of Bab Amr, Khalidiya, Bab Sibai and Insha'at. Opposition activist Omar Idliby told al Hurra TV that government forces began to prepare for the bombardment hours in advance: He says government forces withdrew from many positions inside Homs overnight in preparation for the bombing campaign, which is being conducted from a distance.  He says the rebel soldiers defending parts of Homs have only light arms.  He claims the government used attack helicopters, as well as artillery and Grad rockets, adding that civilians have been trying to flee, but that it's been difficult. Other witnesses say medical supplies are running short in Homs and that government forces are firing on anything that moves, preventing the work of ambulances and rescue workers.   Elsewhere, opposition sources report government attacks on suburbs of Damascus, including Daraya and the mountain resort of Zabadani.  In northern Idlib province, rebel soldiers attacked government troops, reportedly killing three officers and capturing 19 soldiers. Peter Harling, of the International Crisis Group, says the Syrian government has lost control of much of its territory and is conducting scattered attacks, but is unable to hold what it's retaken. "The regime has lost control of its territory, by and large. It's lost control of some of its units, that have been behaving like militias going on the rampage. Even where the army and the security services are showing a great degree of cohesiveness, what we see is something like occupation forces, completely cut from society. So, they can move in with massive firepower, doing a tremendous amount of damage, but they can't really stay. If they do try to stay, very quickly they're sniped, they're ambushed and they're forced to leave," Harling said. The United States announced Monday that it has suspended operations at its embassy in Damascus and removed its diplomats, citing a worsening security situation. Meanwhile, Arab League chief Nabil Elaraby has warned the Syrian government to end to its military escalation, saying it is pushing the country towards civil war. Join the conversation on our social journalism site - Middle East Voices . Follow our Middle East reports on Twitter and discuss them on our Facebook page. ]]></description>
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		<title>Russia, China Defend Syria Resolution Veto, US Calls Move &#8216;Travesty&#8217;</title>
		<link>http://www.j-hady.com/russia-china-defend-syria-resolution-veto-us-calls-move-travesty/</link>
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		<pubDate>Mon, 06 Feb 2012 05:08:20 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>NN</dc:creator>
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		<description><![CDATA[ Russia and China are defending their veto of a United Nations Security Council resolution that would have endorsed an Arab League plan for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to transfer power to a deputy to help end Syria's months-long unrest. The Russian government said Sunday it vetoed the Western and Arab-backed resolution the previous day because of what it viewed as "ultimatum-like" demands for the removal of Mr. Assad, Moscow's only military ally in the Middle East.  Moscow accused the resolution's supporters of lacking the "political will" to reach an international agreement on resolving the Syrian crisis. Thirteen of the Security Council's 15 members voted in favor of the draft. Moscow also said its Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and spy agency chief Mikhail Fradkov will travel to Syria on Tuesday to call on President Assad to "rapidly" implement democratic reforms to stabilize the situation. Syria's 11-month opposition uprising against Mr. Assad's autocratic rule has escalated into open conflict between rebels and pro-Assad forces in recent months after a deadly government crackdown on peaceful protesters. A commentary published by the Chinese state news agency, Xinhua, said Beijing vetoed the resolution to oppose what it perceived as an effort to promote "regime change" in Syria through "external force" in violation of international norms.   It said China believes the international community should promote dialogue in Syria and "respect the ability of the Syrian people to resolve the crisis by themselves." U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton denounced the double veto as a "travesty" while on a visit to the Bulgarian capital, Sofia. She said the United States will work with its allies outside the United Nations to tighten "regional and national" sanctions on Syria and "dry up sources of funding and arms shipments" that keep the Assad government's "war machine going," as she put it. Clinton also called for "friends of a democratic Syria" to coordinate assistance to the Syrian opposition and support what she said is the Syrian people's right to have a better future.  She gave no details about which nations might join the effort or what specific steps they might take. The head of the main opposition Syrian National Council, Burhan Ghalioun, called the double veto "a new license to kill ... for Bashar al-Assad and his criminal regime." Syrian rights activists said fighting between pro-Assad troops and loosely-organized rebels killed at least 56 people across Syria on Sunday, about half of them civilians. The activists reported more shelling in the central city of Homs, where they said at least 200 people were massacred in a government bombardment late Friday into Saturday in what appeared to be one of the deadliest incidents of the revolt. There was no independent confirmation of the casualties as Syria restricts independent reporting in the country. Arab League chief Nabil Elaraby said Sunday the Arab bloc will continue its efforts to resolve the Syrian crisis.  He said the Russian and Chinese veto "does not negate" what he called "clear international support" for the league's plan for a Syrian transition of power. The Syrian ambassador to the United Nations, Bashar Ja'afari, said the nations backing the vetoed resolution were supporting what he called "armed terrorists" that Damascus blames for the country's unrest. The double veto sparked protests around the world Sunday.  Anti-Assad activists stormed Russia's embassy in Libya's capital, Tripoli, climbing on the roof and tearing down the flag.  Elsewhere, Turkish police fired tear gas to disperse protesters seeking to storm the Syrian consulate in Istanbul.  In Beirut, hundreds of Syrian opposition activists and Lebanese supporters demonstrated outside the Russian embassy. In another show of Arab anger toward the Syrian government, Tunisia's prime minister said Sunday his country is cutting ties with Damascus. Some information for this report was provided by AP and AFP. Join the conversation on our social journalism site - Middle East Voices . Follow our Middle East reports on Twitter and discuss them on our Facebook page. ]]></description>
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		<title>UN Chief Condemns Syria Resolution Veto</title>
		<link>http://www.j-hady.com/un-chief-condemns-syria-resolution-veto/</link>
		<comments>http://www.j-hady.com/un-chief-condemns-syria-resolution-veto/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 05 Feb 2012 15:32:55 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>NN</dc:creator>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.j-hady.com/un-chief-condemns-syria-resolution-veto/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[ Vetoes by Russia and China of a U.N. Security Council resolution on Syria condemning President Bashar al-Assad's crackdown on his people and calling for him to step down have drawn outrage from around the world. U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon condemned the failure to pass the resolution, saying the Security Council "lost an opportunity to take unified action" to help end the crisis.  The 13 remaining Security Council members voted in favor, including the United States, France and Germany. Tunisia's prime minister said Sunday his country is cutting ties with Syria.  Hamadi Jebali said Tunisia is expelling Syria's ambassador, and he urged other Arab nations to do the same. After the Council vote Saturday, U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Susan Rice said Washington was "disgusted" with vetoes by Russia and China.  However, she said the U.S. will not give up on Syria.   British ambassador to the U.N. Mark Lyall Grant said Russia and China have turned their backs on the Arab world to support tyranny.   Syrian Ambassador Bashar Ja'afari accused members of the United Nations of supporting what he called "armed terrorists." Russia has defended its decision, saying members of the Council have been undermining the opportunity for political settlement by calling for a regime change, and pushing the opposition towards power. Chinese Ambassador Wang Min said Beijing supports Moscow's stance on the resolution, and called for more discussions on the divisive parts of the paper. On the ground in Syria Sunday, there are some reports of clashes between Syrian soldiers and rebels in Idlib province, near the border with Turkey. Some information for this report was provided by AP, AFP and Reuters.   Join the conversation on our social journalism site - Middle East Voices . Follow our Middle East reports on Twitter and discuss them on our Facebook page. ]]></description>
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		<title>More than 200 Dead After Shelling in Syrian City</title>
		<link>http://www.j-hady.com/more-than-200-dead-after-shelling-in-syrian-city/</link>
		<comments>http://www.j-hady.com/more-than-200-dead-after-shelling-in-syrian-city/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 04 Feb 2012 12:21:02 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>NN</dc:creator>
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		<description><![CDATA[ Human rights activists say Syrian armed forces have killed at least 217 people in the city of Homs in a surge of violence that began Friday, as the United Nations gets ready to vote on a resolution intended to stop the bloodshed. The Syrian Observatory For Human Rights said Friday hundreds more have been wounded and dozens of buildings have been destroyed.  Much of the shelling has fallen on the Khalidiya neighborhood of Homs where there is strong anti-government sentiment.  The city, located in western Syria near the Lebanese border, has been one of the main flashpoints of opposition to the regime during the uprising that began nearly 11 months ago. As the death toll rose, the U.N.  Security Council said it will vote Saturday on a draft resolution on Syria.  Russia has threatened to veto earlier versions of the resolution and the Obama administration has been pressing it to back a softened version condemning the violence in that country. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton spoke by telephone Friday with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov about the resolution. They are due to meet in person on Saturday in Munich, where both are attending a security conference. Clinton is expected to pressure Lavrov to get Moscow to approve the resolution. Meanwhile, opposition activists said tens of thousands of people took to the streets in cities and towns across the country to mark the 30th anniversary this week of a bloody crackdown on the city of Hama.   Amnesty International says the February 1982 siege - ordered by the father of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad  -- killed between 10,000 and 25,000 people. Video posted on the Internet claims to show Friday's marches in Homs and Damascus, as well as some in the Idlib region. Another video clip showed a mortar round exploding in a residential area of Homs Thursday. More than 300 Syrians were killed nationwide in the last week. Much of the violence has occurred near Damascus as government troops drove the rebel Free Syrian Army out of the city's eastern suburbs during several days of heavy fighting. The Syrian government accuses armed terrorists of driving the anti-Assad revolt and killing 2,000 security personnel. The United Nations estimated the death toll from the 11-month opposition uprising and the government crackdown hit 5,400 last month.  It has since stopped updating the figure because of difficulties in obtaining information. Some information for this report was provided by AP, AFP and Reuters. Join the conversation on our social journalism site - Middle East Voices . Follow our Middle East reports on Twitter and discuss them on our Facebook page. ]]></description>
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		<title>US Concerns Grow Over Possible Israeli Strike on Iran</title>
		<link>http://www.j-hady.com/us-concerns-grow-over-possible-israeli-strike-on-iran/</link>
		<comments>http://www.j-hady.com/us-concerns-grow-over-possible-israeli-strike-on-iran/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 03 Feb 2012 22:55:29 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>NN</dc:creator>
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		<description><![CDATA[ Talk of a possible attack on Iranian nuclear facilities is again rumbling in Tehran, Jerusalem, and Washington. Israel is reported to be increasingly anxious about Iran's suspected nuclear weapons program and at least one U.S. official is reported to be warning that an Israeli attack is not far off. Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak says the world is running out of time to stop Iran from becoming a nuclear weapons power.  U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta is reported to believe Israel could launch strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities within the next five months.  Iranian officials deny any intention to build nuclear weapons and Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei warned Friday Iran will retaliate in full force if its nuclear facilities are attacked. But there are differences between the U.S. and Israel over how to deal with the situation.  A 2007 U.S. National Intelligence Estimate on Iran - the highest collective judgment of all U.S. intelligence agencies - said that while Iran was making technical advances, it had not yet committed to actually assembling nuclear weapons. In a 2009 VOA interview, then-CIA Director Leon Panetta predicted Iran could have a nuclear bomb sometime between 2010 and 2015, but had not yet decided whether to take that final step. "Well, our view is and our intelligence is that while they are proceeding to develop a nuclear capability in terms of power and low-grade uranium that there's still very much a debate going on within Iran as to whether they should proceed further," Panetta said at the time. Iran Intelligence Revised A revised intelligence estimate last year came to the same conclusion about Iran's nuclear program, U.S. officials said. "They (the Iranians) are certainly moving on that path, but we don't believe they've actually made the decision to go ahead with a nuclear weapon," James Clapper, the Director of National Intelligence, told a congressional committee on Tuesday. But the view is very different in Jerusalem, where Iran's nuclear program is seen as a threat to Israel's very existence.    Israeli journalist Ronen Bergman, writing in the prestigious New York Times Magazine Jan. 25, quoted top officials in Jerusalem as saying that Israel could not wait much longer before striking Iran's nuclear facilities. Iran has so far enriched uranium to a level of 20 percent purity.  Experts say Iran would have to reach at least 90 percent to use it in a weapon. "If Iran is indeed enriching to bomb grade - and I haven't seen anything suggesting that we know that they are or that we strongly suspect that they are - then they're that much closer to the proverbial one screw turn away (from a bomb)," Thomas Fingar, former chairman of the U.S. intelligence Council, told VOA this week.   "Uranium is the critical dimension, and in the time line that was laid out in the public portion of the 2007 estimate, we're in the window, the first half of this decade," Fingar added. Washington Prefers Sanctions The Obama administration is opposed to any military action against Iran at this time, and is instead counting on stiffer international sanctions against Iran's critical oil industry to force Tehran away from any weapons development.   Fingar backs that strategy, adding that a preemptive attack on Iran could backfire. "If it's correct that Tehran has not yet made the decision to go for a bomb, attacking the facilities would seem to greatly increase the likelihood of rallying the (Iranian) public behind not just the nuclear program and the government, but the need to have an independent deterrent capability, a nuclear deterrent capability," Fingar said.   Intelligence analysts say it is difficult to determine when Iran crosses the so-called "red line" into nuclear weapons production because so much of the technical work is "dual use" - usable for both military and peaceful purposes. CIA Director David Petraeus told a congressional committee this week a key indicator would be if Iran begins enriching uranium to 90 percent purity. "There's no commercial use for that arguably- in fact, not arguably," Petraeus said. "I think factually the amount of 20 percent enriched uranium that they have exceeds any requirement, for example, for the Tehran Research Reactor for the foreseeable future." But while Washington has publicly spelled out its so-called "red line" on Iranian nuclear development, Israel has not. Some U.S. officials worry that the "red line" for Israel may be when Iran moves key sections of its nuclear facilities to hardened underground sites out of the reach of missiles and bombs. Whatever its threshold, Israeli Defense Minister Barak said this week Israel cannot wait until it is reached.  "Whoever says later," Barak told a gathering of security experts, "may find out that 'later' is too late." As if to emphasize his point for a Western audience, he switched from Hebrew to English for the phrase. ]]></description>
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		<title>UN Talks on Syria Stall Again</title>
		<link>http://www.j-hady.com/un-talks-on-syria-stall-again/</link>
		<comments>http://www.j-hady.com/un-talks-on-syria-stall-again/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 03 Feb 2012 09:13:33 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>NN</dc:creator>
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		<description><![CDATA[ Ambassadors to the United Nations Security Council have failed to reach agreement on a draft European-Arab resolution to end the bloodshed in Syria, after a third straight session of talks. U.N. envoys said Thursday the latest revisions are now being drafted for them to send to their capitals for consideration. Russian Ambassador Vitaly Churkin said the decision to send a draft back to governments "does not prejudge in any way" whether approval is likely. The U.S. envoy, Susan Rice, also played down expectations, saying there still are some complicated issues "that our capitals will have to deliberate on." A previous draft had said the Council "fully supports" an Arab League proposal for a political transition in Syria, but no longer included an explicit call for President Bashar al-Assad to delegate his powers and form a unity government ahead of elections. Churkin told a closed-door session of the world body Thursday that Moscow will veto the draft if it is submitted with the phrase "fully supports" still intact. Russia, a veto-wielding member of the Security Council, has promised to reject any text that hints at regime change or that does not explicitly rule out foreign military intervention. Also Thursday, Russia's deputy defense minister ((Anatoly Antonov)) said Moscow will keep selling arms to Syria despite mounting international condemnation of Mr. Assad's bloody crackdown on an 11-month opposition uprising. A clause in the U.N. draft resolution expressing "grave concern at the continued transfer of weapons into Syria" was stricken from the text. Earlier, despite a heavy security clampdown in the central Syrian city of Hama, protesters splashed red paint symbolizing blood in the streets to commemorate Hafez al-Assad's February 1982 assault on the rebellious city. Amnesty International has estimated that between 10,000 and 25,000 people were killed in the siege, although conflicting figures exist and the Syrian government has never published an official toll. The incident carried out by Mr. Assad's late father is considered one of the most infamous massacres in the modern Middle East. Residents said Hama was completely shut down Thursday, with schools and shops closed and employees staying home. Activists painted at least two streets red and threw red dye into the waters of Hama's famous and ancient water wheels. Internet footage showed graffiti that read, "Hafez died, and Hama didn't. Bashar will die, and Hama won't." Hafez al-Assad was fighting a violent Islamist uprising in which the banned Muslim Brotherhood and its armed wing made a last stand in Hama against his iron-fisted rule. For many of Syria's Sunni Muslim majority, Hama is synonymous with an assault on their religion by the elder Assad, whose family belongs to the minority Shi'ite Alawite sect they deem heretical. In contrast, the current unrest began with months of peaceful protests that have since given way to an armed uprising intent on ousting Mr. Assad from power. The Syrian government accuses armed terrorists of driving the anti-Assad revolt and killing 2,000 security personnel. The United Nations estimated the death toll from the unrest at 5,400 last month, before it stopped updating the figure because of difficulties in obtaining information. More than 300 people were killed nationwide during the past week alone. Much of the violence has occurred near Damascus as government troops drove the rebel Free Syrian Army out of the city's eastern suburbs during several days of heavy fighting. ]]></description>
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