<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<rss version="2.0"
	xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"
	xmlns:wfw="http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"
	xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"
	xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom"
	xmlns:sy="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/syndication/"
	xmlns:slash="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"
	>

<channel>
	<title>J-H Post &#187; china</title>
	<atom:link href="http://www.j-hady.com/tag/china/feed/" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" />
	<link>http://www.j-hady.com</link>
	<description>We deliver news in the easiest way of our choice</description>
	<lastBuildDate>Wed, 08 Feb 2012 12:09:20 +0000</lastBuildDate>
	<language>en</language>
	<sy:updatePeriod>hourly</sy:updatePeriod>
	<sy:updateFrequency>1</sy:updateFrequency>
	<generator>http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1</generator>
		<item>
		<title>Turkey Debates Role in Possible Syria Intervention</title>
		<link>http://www.j-hady.com/turkey-debates-role-in-possible-syria-intervention/</link>
		<comments>http://www.j-hady.com/turkey-debates-role-in-possible-syria-intervention/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 07 Feb 2012 22:22:09 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>NN</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Top News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ankara]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[china]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[council]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[countries]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[crisis]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[europe]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[foreign-policy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[london]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[parliamentary]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[prime-minister]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[syrian]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[time]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[turkey]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[turkish]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.j-hady.com/turkey-debates-role-in-possible-syria-intervention/</guid>
		<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>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.j-hady.com/turkey-debates-role-in-possible-syria-intervention/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<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>
		<comments>http://www.j-hady.com/us-closes-syria-embassy-says-un-veto-emboldens-assad/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 07 Feb 2012 08:32:06 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>NN</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Top News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[china]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[chinese]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[eastern-affairs]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[government]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[international]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[polish]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[president]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[syria]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[united]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.j-hady.com/us-closes-syria-embassy-says-un-veto-emboldens-assad/</guid>
		<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>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.j-hady.com/us-closes-syria-embassy-says-un-veto-emboldens-assad/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<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>
		<comments>http://www.j-hady.com/russia-china-defend-syria-resolution-veto-us-calls-move-travesty/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 06 Feb 2012 05:08:20 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>NN</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Top News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[china]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[chinese]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[clinton]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[council]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[crisis]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[middle east]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[president]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[security]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[united-nations]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[united-states]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.j-hady.com/russia-china-defend-syria-resolution-veto-us-calls-move-travesty/</guid>
		<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>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.j-hady.com/russia-china-defend-syria-resolution-veto-us-calls-move-travesty/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Clinton to Urge Security Council Action on Syria</title>
		<link>http://www.j-hady.com/clinton-to-urge-security-council-action-on-syria/</link>
		<comments>http://www.j-hady.com/clinton-to-urge-security-council-action-on-syria/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 31 Jan 2012 13:16:05 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>NN</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Top News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[britain]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[china]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[clinton]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[crisis]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[france]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[middle east]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[monday]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[news-agencies]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[president]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[russian]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[security]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[social]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[syria]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[syrian]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.j-hady.com/clinton-to-urge-security-council-action-on-syria/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[ U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is set to urge the U.N. Security Council to support an Arab League peace plan for Syria, after Washington strongly condemned escalating violence by President Bashar al-Assad's government. Clinton will join the foreign ministers of France and Britain at Tuesday's Security Council session.  Western powers have been working on a draft resolution endorsing the Arab League plan, which calls for Assad to step aside as a way to resolve the crisis. Syria has rejected the proposal as a violation of its sovereignty. Clinton said in a statement Monday the Security Council "must act" by showing the international community views Syria's crackdown on a 10-month opposition uprising as a threat to peace and security. She said the United States condemns what it calls "violent and brutal" Syrian government attacks that have killed hundreds of civilians in the past few days. British Prime Minister David Cameron urged Russia to back the draft resolution, saying it is time for Security Council members to stop "shielding those who have blood on their hands." Council members Russia and China vetoed a Western-backed resolution last October that would have condemned the Syrian government's crackdown on the uprising. But Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Gennady Gatilov said Moscow "cannot support" the proposed resolution because it is biased against Mr. Assad's government, a long-time Russian ally and buyer of Russian military supplies. In an interview with Russia's Interfax news agency, Gatilov also said the document "leaves open the possibility of intervention" in Syrian affairs, which Moscow has vowed to oppose. U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice said the Moroccan-sponsored resolution backed by the West does not threaten sanctions or the use of force against the Syrian government, as some critics have alleged. A French diplomatic source told Western news agencies that at least 10 Council members support the draft. Russia also said Monday the Syrian government agreed to send a delegation to Moscow for proposed peace talks with the Syrian opposition.  But members of the opposition Syrian National Council quickly rejected the idea.  In a statement emailed to VOA, SNC member Ausama Monajed said the group "does not negotiate with terrorists." In fighting Monday, opposition activists said government troops re-took control of several Damascus suburbs and also clashed with rebels in the central province of Homs.  They said Monday's violence across Syria killed at least 28 people, mostly civilians. 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 earlier this month, before it stopped updating the figure because of difficulties in obtaining information. 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>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.j-hady.com/clinton-to-urge-security-council-action-on-syria/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Activists: Syrian Troops Enter Damascus Suburbs, Fight Rebels</title>
		<link>http://www.j-hady.com/activists-syrian-troops-enter-damascus-suburbs-fight-rebels/</link>
		<comments>http://www.j-hady.com/activists-syrian-troops-enter-damascus-suburbs-fight-rebels/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 29 Jan 2012 20:33:32 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>NN</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Top News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[arab]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[china]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[council]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[killed-at-least]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[league]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[middle east]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[People]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[president]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[russia]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[security]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[social]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[syria]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[syrian]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.j-hady.com/activists-syrian-troops-enter-damascus-suburbs-fight-rebels/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[ Syrian opposition activists say government troops have launched an assault on several Damascus suburbs to drive out rebels who have been trying build a stronghold near President Bashar al-Assad's center of power. The activists say pro-Assad soldiers backed by dozens of tanks and armored vehicles battled rebels of the Free Syrian Army on the eastern outskirts of the capital and other areas just several kilometers from central Damascus.  They say the fighting killed at least 12 people, including civilians and rebel fighters. Syrian rights groups say violence linked to the 10-month opposition uprising killed at least 19 other people across Syria on Sunday. In one incident, Syrian state news agency SANA says a roadside bomb went off near a military bus south of Damascus, killing six soldiers and wounding six others.  SANA also reported the deaths of 23 other security personnel in fighting with rebels. Details of the fighting and casualties could not be independently confirmed because Syria bars foreign journalists from operating freely in the country. The Syrian government accuses armed terrorists of driving the revolt against Mr. Assad's 11-year autocratic rule and killing 2,000 security personnel.  The United Nations estimated the death toll from the unrest at 5,400 earlier this month before it stopped updating the figure due to difficulties in obtaining information. Arab League chief Nabil Elaraby said Sunday the regional bloc is in talks with Russia and China to try to persuade them to support an Arab plan for ending the Syrian crisis.  Elaraby was speaking in Cairo before departing on a flight to New York, where he will formally present the initiative to the U.N. Security Council on Tuesday. The Arab League plan calls for President Assad to transfer power to a deputy and form a unity government to prepare for national elections under international supervision.  The Assad government has rejected the proposals as a violation of Syria's sovereignty. Russia is a key military ally of the Syrian president and opposes efforts by other Arab states and Western powers to use the U.N. Security Council to pressure him into stopping the violent crackdown on the uprising.  Moscow is a veto-wielding member of the council. Syria's escalating violence prompted the Arab League to suspend the operations of its observer mission in Syria on Saturday.  Elaraby said the monitors will remain in Damascus until Arab League foreign ministers meet next Sunday to decide whether to pull them out of the country. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov criticized the Arab League's move.  In remarks Sunday, he described the observer mission as a useful tool for resolving the Syrian crisis. Some information for this report was provided by 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>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.j-hady.com/activists-syrian-troops-enter-damascus-suburbs-fight-rebels/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Syria Rejects Arab League Call for Power Transfer</title>
		<link>http://www.j-hady.com/syria-rejects-arab-league-call-for-power-transfer/</link>
		<comments>http://www.j-hady.com/syria-rejects-arab-league-call-for-power-transfer/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 23 Jan 2012 13:03:15 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>NN</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Top News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[china]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[european-union]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[league]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[president]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[prince]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[prince-saud]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[said-the-league]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[saudi-arabia]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[security]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[social]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[syria]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[syrian]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[united]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[united-nations]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.j-hady.com/syria-rejects-arab-league-call-for-power-transfer/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[ The Syrian government has rejected an Arab League plan for President Bashar al-Assad to transfer powers to his deputy, accusing the league of trying to interfere in Syria's internal affairs. Syrian state television quoted government officials Monday as rejecting the proposed initiative, calling it "a flagrant interference." A day earlier, Arab League foreign ministers called on the Syrian government to begin a national dialogue with the opposition within two weeks and to form a new government in two months.  This would be a prelude to early parliamentary and presidential elections. Qatar's Foreign Minister Hamad bin Jassim al-Thani (who also is the country's prime minister) said the league plans to take its initiative to the United Nations Security Council and ask for its endorsement. Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal announced his country is withdrawing its observers from Syria. He said the decision is in protest of what he called Syria's failure to respect an earlier Arab League plan to end the violent crackdown on a 10-month opposition uprising. Prince Saud urged the international community - including Syrian allies Russia and China - to use “all possible pressure” to persuade Assad’s government to implement the earlier plan. That proposal calls for the withdrawal of government forces from residential areas, the release of political prisoners, free access for the media, and dialogue with government opponents. Saudi Arabia has been one of the harshest Arab critics of Assad's crackdown on the rebellion against his 11-year autocratic rule. On Monday, European Union foreign ministers adopted more sanctions against Assad's government, targeting 22 people and eight companies.  In addition to sanctions, the EU has been enforcing an arms embargo on the Syrian government. The United Nations says violence linked to the uprising has killed more than 5,400 people. Syria says terrorists have killed about 2,000 security force members since the unrest began. Some information for this report 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>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.j-hady.com/syria-rejects-arab-league-call-for-power-transfer/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Saudi to Withdraw Observers From Arab League&#8217;s Syria Mission</title>
		<link>http://www.j-hady.com/saudi-to-withdraw-observers-from-arab-leagues-syria-mission/</link>
		<comments>http://www.j-hady.com/saudi-to-withdraw-observers-from-arab-leagues-syria-mission/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 22 Jan 2012 23:38:15 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>NN</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Top News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[china]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[council]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[damascus]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[muslim]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[People]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[prince]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[security]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[social]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[syria]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[syrian]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[united-states]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[violence]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.j-hady.com/saudi-to-withdraw-observers-from-arab-leagues-syria-mission/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[ Saudi Arabia says it is withdrawing its observers from Syria in protest at what it calls the Syrian government's failure to respect an Arab League plan to end a violent crackdown on a 10-month old opposition uprising. Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal announced the pullout of the Saudi observers Sunday, at a meeting of Arab League foreign ministers in Cairo. The ministers were discussing whether to extend the mission of the 165 observers they sent to Syria last month to check on that nation's compliance with the peace plan. The observers' one-month mandate expired on Thursday. Earlier Sunday, a committee of Arab League ministers dealing with the Syrian crisis recommended extending the observer mission for another month and increasing the number of monitors. But, the Arab League mission has drawn heavy criticism from Syrian opposition activists who accuse Damascus of deceiving the observers and using them as a cover to intensify attacks on anti-government protesters and rebels. The Saudi foreign minister called for more international pressure on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to stop the violence. He urged other Muslim nations, as well as China, Russia, Europe and the United States to play a role that effort. Saudi Arabia has been one of the harshest Arab critics of Assad's crackdown on the rebellion against his 11-year autocratic rule. Prominent Syrian opposition group the Syrian National Council has been lobbying the Arab League to abandon the observer mission and refer the Syrian crisis to the U.N. Security Council. British-based rights activist Rami Abdul-Rahman says forces loyal to Mr. Assad fought with rebels in the Damascus suburb of Douma late Saturday. He says the fighting started when security forces fired on a funeral procession, killing four people.  Douma has been a frequent center of anti-Assad unrest. Syria's government accuses "armed terrorists" of driving the revolt. In a report Sunday, Syrian state news agency SANA says terrorists shot and killed a brigadier general and another senior officer as the two men drove to work in the Damascus countryside. It says two other security personnel were buried Sunday after being attacked in the Damascus countryside and the central region of Homs. The United Nations says violence linked to the uprising has killed more than 5,400 people. Syria says terrorists have killed about 2,000 security force members since the unrest began. 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>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.j-hady.com/saudi-to-withdraw-observers-from-arab-leagues-syria-mission/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>US Considers Closing Embassy in Syria</title>
		<link>http://www.j-hady.com/us-considers-closing-embassy-in-syria/</link>
		<comments>http://www.j-hady.com/us-considers-closing-embassy-in-syria/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 21 Jan 2012 06:37:50 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>NN</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Top News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[arab]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[china]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[egypt]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[government]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[middle east]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[president]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[social]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[united]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[White]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.j-hady.com/us-considers-closing-embassy-in-syria/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[ The United States is warning that it may close its embassy in the Syrian capital due to the worsening security situation. The State Department issued a statement Friday saying that no decision has been made yet, but that a request has been made to Damascus to take concrete steps in the coming days to provide additional security measures.   The White House again called on President Bashar al-Assad to halt the 10-month old crackdown on protesters and step down, saying his end is inevitable. Spokesman Jay Carney told reporters in Washington that the Syrian president's hold on power is slipping. In Egypt, Arab League officials said the group is likely to extend the mandate of their monitors in Syria, which expired Thursday. Arab leaders are set to meet Sunday to review a report on the situation by the team's Sudanese chief and to decide whether to keep the team of about 165 observers in Syria for another month. Syrian opposition leaders called on the Arab League to seek foreign intervention because the observer mission has failed to tame violence in Syria. Syrian rights groups have criticized the observers' effectiveness, saying the Assad government has deceived the team and escalated deadly attacks on the opposition since the observers began work on December 26. Protesters came out in several Syrian cities Friday after prayers calling for President Bashar al-Assad to step down.   "We call on the Arab community and the international community to cancel the Arab League's observer mission and to issue a resolution from the United Nations condemning Bashar Assad's regime," said Syrian protester Mohammad Etri. Activists say security forces loyal to Assad were out in force. Syrian activist Rami Abdul-Rahman told VOA at least 4 people were killed - three civilians and one member of the security forces. Qatar's ruling emir has called for Arab troops to be deployed in Syria to stop the government crackdown. Syria has rejected the idea. The United Nations says violence linked to the uprising has killed more than 5,400 people. Syria says "terrorists" have killed about 2,000 members of the security forces since the unrest began. On Friday, French President Nicolas Sarkozy maintained France's non-interference stance on Syria, but said his government would not stand by as the bloodshed continues. "We don't want to interfere in Syrian affairs. And no one more than myself has tried with sincerity to reach out to Bashar Al-Assad [Syrian leader]. But at some stage, everyone has to face the reality. And France will not remain silent in front of the Syrian scandal," said Sarkozy. Russia and China repeatedly have refused to vote on a U.N. Security Council resolution on Syria, proposed by Western nations.  Moscow, a longtime Damascus ally, refuses to place sanctions on Syria and insists the opposition is partly to blame. Some information for this report was provided by AP, AFP and Reuters. 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>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.j-hady.com/us-considers-closing-embassy-in-syria/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Activists: Syrian Government Agrees to Truce With Rebel-Held Town</title>
		<link>http://www.j-hady.com/activists-syrian-government-agrees-to-truce-with-rebel-held-town/</link>
		<comments>http://www.j-hady.com/activists-syrian-government-agrees-to-truce-with-rebel-held-town/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 19 Jan 2012 00:17:16 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>NN</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Top News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[china]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[council]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[crisis]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[defectors]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[middle east]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[qatar]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[russia]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[united-states]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.j-hady.com/activists-syrian-government-agrees-to-truce-with-rebel-held-town/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[ Syrian opposition activists say government forces have agreed to a cease-fire with rebels holding a mountainous town near Damascus and the Lebanese border. Activists in Zabadani say rebels of the Free Syrian Army and representatives of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad agreed to the truce late Tuesday after five days of fighting. The deal calls for pro-Assad forces to withdraw from the town and for rebels to leave the streets. There was no confirmation of the cease-fire from the Syrian government. Zabadani has been a frequent site of opposition protests since the start of a 10-month-old uprising against Assad's 11-year autocratic rule. Army defectors who have joined the uprising in recent months have engaged in frequent battles with pro-government troops but have not managed to hold territory for a prolonged period. Qatar's ruling emir recently became the first Arab leader to call for Arab troops to be deployed in Syria to stop Assad's deadly crackdown on the revolt. Syria has rejected the idea. In a report Wednesday, Syrian state-run newspaper Tishrin accused Qatar of providing money and weapons to armed groups in Syria and demanded a stop to such behavior. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Wednesday any plans to send foreign troops to Syria will not be approved in the U.N. Security Council, where Moscow holds a veto. Russia is a key military ally of Syria. Lavrov also said his government continues to sell products to Syria without violating any international laws. He said unilateral sanctions imposed on Syria by the United States and European Union "undermine" collective efforts to resolve the Syrian crisis. EU foreign ministers are due to meet on Monday in Brussels to discuss a new round of asset freezes and travel bans on Syrian individuals and companies. British Prime Minister David Cameron said Wednesday that London will lead the way in tightening EU sanctions against the Syrian president, whom he called a "wretched tyrant." Cameron also said there is "growing evidence" that Iran and Lebanese militant group Hezbollah are providing material support to the Assad government. A ship carrying Russian-made munitions docked in Syria last week. U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Susan Rice said Tuesday that Washington has grave concerns about the flow of weapons into Syria and believes an international arms embargo on Damascus is "overdue." Russian has submitted a revised draft resolution to the Security Council assigning equal blame for the crisis to the Syrian government and the opposition. Western powers want the Council to condemn and sanction only the Syrian government, a position Russia and China have opposed. The United Nations says violence linked to the uprising has killed more than 5,400 people. Syria says "terrorists" have killed about 2,000 members of the security forces since the unrest began. 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>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.j-hady.com/activists-syrian-government-agrees-to-truce-with-rebel-held-town/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Russia Says Foreign Troops Will Not Deploy in Syria</title>
		<link>http://www.j-hady.com/russia-says-foreign-troops-will-not-deploy-in-syria/</link>
		<comments>http://www.j-hady.com/russia-says-foreign-troops-will-not-deploy-in-syria/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 18 Jan 2012 10:33:16 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>NN</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Top News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[britain]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[china]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[france]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[government]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[middle east]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[russian]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[syria]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[tuesday]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[unrest]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[violence]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.j-hady.com/russia-says-foreign-troops-will-not-deploy-in-syria/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[ Syrian ally Russia says it will not allow the deployment of foreign troops in Syria, as the U.N. Security Council debates how to stop the bloodshed of the 10-month uprising against President Bashar al-Assad. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Wednesday that if someone wants to use force, such a move will not be done with any authorization from the U.N. Security Council. His comments come a day after senior diplomats from the Security Council met to discuss a revised Russian draft resolution that assigns equal blame for the violence to the government and opposition.  France, Britain and the U.S. are pushing for strong condemnation of Syria, but Russia and China have blocked such measures. Syria on Tuesday rejected a Qatari proposal to send Arab troops to the country to stop the unrest, saying such a move would worsen the situation and open the door to foreign interference.  Qatari Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani proposed the troop deployment last week, saying it is needed to "stop the killing." U.S. President Barack Obama Tuesday condemned Syria's continued crackdown on protesters, calling the violence "unacceptable" and vowing to redouble international efforts to force Mr. Assad to step down. The Syrian-based activist group Local Coordination Committees said Assad's security forces on Tuesday killed at least 30 people, 19 of them in the troubled central province of Homs. The Arab League is due to discuss the crisis in Syria on Saturday and Sunday, and is expected to consider the future of its widely criticized observer mission in the country. Syria is Moscow's chief ally in the region and one of its biggest arms customers. A Russian-operated ship carrying ammunition allegedly docked in Syria last week. U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Susan Rice said Tuesday an arms embargo against Damascus is "overdue." "Obviously we’d have very grave concern about arms flows into Syria from any source and we would certainly make that point very directly with any country that may be providing such arms," said Rice. "Unfortunately, there is not an arms embargo against Syria, which we certainly think is overdue, in part because as you well know, some members of the Council, including Russia, have indicated opposition to any form of sanction, even those that mirror that [which] the Arab League has already implemented." Senior U.S. officials say Iran also is supplying weapons to aid Syria's crackdown in an initiative spearheaded by the head of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps' elite Quds force. The United Nations says violence linked to the uprising has killed more than 5,400 people, including 400 in the last three weeks. Syria says "terrorists" have killed about 2,000 members of the security forces since the unrest began. 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>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.j-hady.com/russia-says-foreign-troops-will-not-deploy-in-syria/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
	</channel>
</rss>

