Miyerkules, Enero 18, 2012

Syria: Zabadani ceasefire broken - live updates

? Free Syrian Army resistance forces brief truce in Zabadani
? Obama looks to further 'international pressure' against Syria
? Syria excepts extension to Arab League mission

1.29pm: David Cameron accused Iran of shipping arms to Syria and branded Syrian ruler President Bashad al-Assad a "wretched tyrant", PA reports.

The prime minister said evidence had been uncovered pointing to Tehran as the provider of weapons for Syrian security forces cracking down on protesters demanding democracy.

Mr Cameron said Britain would "lead the way" in tightening sanctions and asset bans against Syria.

But, speaking at Prime Minister's Questions in the Commons, he added: "There is now growing evidence that Iran is providing a huge amount of support.

"There have been interceptions of some shipments by Turkey which are particularly interesting.

"People should also know that Hezbollah is an organisation standing up and supporting this wretched tyrant who is killing so many of his own people."
The United Nations estimates at least 5,000 people have been killed since pro-democracy protesters took to Syrian streets last year as part of the Arab Spring uprisings sweeping the Middle East and North Africa.

Tory MP Richard Graham (Gloucester) said: "If things there are to get better not worse, the world must stop selling arms to Syria."

Chris Dolyle, director of the Council for Arab-British Understanding, said Graham visited Syrians in Lebanon last week.

1.22pm: A reporter for the US broadcaster NBC says he and his crew were arrested and forced to delete video after filming queues for petrol in Damascus.

12.55pm: Here's a summary of the main developments so far today:

Syria

? Russia says it will block any attempt to get UN support for the use of force against Syria. Foreign minister Sergey Lavrov said: "If some intend to use force at all cost ... we can hardly prevent that from happening. But they won't get any authorisation from the UN Security council."

? A temporary ceasefire in Zabadani, a town 20 miles north west of Damascus, appears to have broken down. There were reports of renewed army shelling of the town this morning, and a claim that the Free Syrian Army broke the truce.

? A Syrian tribal leader from the eastern city of Deir Ezzor says he was forced at gunpoint to back Bashar al-Assad. Protests in the city decreased in size after his apparent endorsement of the Assad regime last year.

? European Union foreign ministers are preparing to impose new sanctions against 22 members of the Assad regime and eight companies. "As long as the repression continues we will step up our restrictive measures," an EU diplomat said.

? Syria is reported to be ready to let Arab monitors extend their mission, amid claims that the league is preparing to condemn the Assad regime in a report about the initiative. "Nobody thinks it will be good for Syria," a league source told the Independent.

Yemen

?A parliamentary debate in Yemen on a controversial deal to grant president Saleh immunity from prosecution in return for standing down has been delayed again, according to reports. Yemen's spokesman in Washington said the latest delay came after a request from the prime minister.

Egypt

? Egypt's military ruler Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi has stepped up the rhetoric ahead of planned protests against the Supreme Council of Armed Forces to mark the anniversary of the revolution that brought down Hosni Mubarak. He warned of "grave dangers" to Egypt and also referred to schemes and conspiracies against the country.

12.42pm: Egypt's military ruler Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi has stepped up the rhetoric ahead of planned protests against the Supreme Council of Armed Forces to mark the anniversary of the revolution that brought down Hosni Mubarak, AP reports.

He said:


Egypt is facing grave dangers it has not seen before ...The armed forces is the backbone that protects Egypt. These schemes are aimed at targeting that backbone. We will not allow it and will carry out our task perfectly to hand over the nation to an elected civilian administration.

He also referred to "conspiracies" against the country and saidsaid that the armed forces were "pushed into the political fray only to protect Egypt from the enemies of the nation and people".

Egypt watchers will be familiar by now with the military's warnings of "schemes and conspiracies" threatening the country's very existance.

12.36pm: Al-Arabiya has details of an extraordinary story published today, which claims that Iran wants to do a deal with the Syrian Muslim Brotherhood that would allow the group to enter power in Syria. It says:

Iran has offered the Syrian Muslim Brotherhood a deal that includes giving the Islamist opposition group all of the government, but under the condition that President Bashar al-Assad remains as the country's premier, an official said in a newspaper interview published on Wednesday.

Mohammed Taifour, the Syrian Muslim Brotherhood's deputy superintendent and one of its representatives in the country's main opposition group, the Syrian National Council, told the London-based al-Hayat Newspaper that via a Turkish businessman he knows, three Iranian merchants requested to see him.

12.17pm: A Syrian tribal leader from the eastern city of Deir Ezzor says he was forced at gunpoint to back Bashar al-Assad, Reuters reports.

Sheikh Nawaf al-Bashir, who has since fled to Turkey, said he in fact wanted the overthrow of the Syrian government which has cracked down violently on anti-Assad protesters.

Bashir, who heads the main Baqqara tribe in rebellious Deir Ezzor province, disowned his comments supporting the Syrian government made under duress in October after a spell in jail.

"I apologize to the Syrian people for the words I have said. I now declare that we want nothing but to topple the regime," he told a news conference in Istanbul.

An article in the National, written before Bashir's press conference, said protests in Deir Ezzor decreased in size after his apparent endorsement of the Assad regime

Nawaf al-Bashir, a well known pro-democracy campaigner and leading member of the Baqara tribe, supported protests.

He was arrested at the end of July, just as a military assault was looming, and held for 69 days without charge. In an interview on state-run television the day after his release he announced a dramatic U-turn, saying foreign agendas had brought violent chaos to Syria, and that protesters should "give a chance for the political reforms under the leadership of President Bashar Al Assad".

Earlier that day, a group of 13 sheikhs from the Baqara clan, excluding Mr al- Bashir, met senior regime officials in Damascus and, according to tribal figures with knowledge of the talks, pledged to keep their cousin from going "astray" after being told they would be held personally responsible.

"We used to regularly have 20,000 a day protesting but after Nawaf changed his mind, we get 5,000. It's only the very active who ignored the tribal leaders who still came out," said an opposition figure.

12.12pm: The full results of the election for Egypt's lowerhouse, the People's Assembly, will be announced on Saturday, al-Masry al-Youm reports.

Some results have already been released but there remains some doubt about how the party list seats will be calculated.

However, there is no doubt about who the biggest winners have been so far with the Muslim Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice party (FJP) out in front, followed by the Salafist al-Nour party.

The Arab Institute's Jadaliyya website estimates that the FJP has won 45% of the seats and al-Nour 25%, although this was before the run-offs for round three had taken place.

Al-Masry al-Youm also reports that the FJP is planning to support Mansour Hassan, the head of the Supreme Council of Armed Forces' advisory council, for president but says he "has not shown any desire to run in the presidential election"

The Brotherhood is deliberately not fielding its own candidate for president as in a bid to assuage concerns about Islamists having too much power.

Hassan is quoted today as saying that expediting power transfer and holding the presidential election early - as demanded by some revolutionaries but not the Brotherhood - is "nonsense".

11.32am: A parliamentary debate in Yemen on a controversial deal to grant president Saleh immunity from prosecution in return for standing down has been delayed again, according to reports.

Yemen's spokesman in Washington said the latest delay came after a request from the prime minister.

11.26am: The Guardian's Jack Shenker is launching a new book about Cairo's changing urban landscape in the city tonight.

Cairo Divided is a free publication in a newspaper format "exploring the capital's rapidly-mutating urban landscape" against the backdrop of revolution, which Jack has put together with documentary photographer Jason Larkin over a two-year period.

Cairo Divided's official website says:

For fourteen centuries, Egypt's capital has risen within a pair of stubbornly-persistent natural boundaries ? the Moqattam clifftops to the west, and the Saharan desert to the east. Now for the first time Cairo is bursting its banks, sending boutique villas and water-hungry golf courses tumbling into the sand dunes, and reshaping the political and psychological contours of the largest megacity in Africa and the Middle East.

Amid an uncertain tide of political change, the controversial 'satellite cities' project is dramatically transforming peripheries into new urban centres and consigning old focal points to a life on the margins.

The satellite cities programme was conceived by Anwar Sadat's government to draw people away from the overcrowded capital.

If you are in Cairo, tonight's launch event is being held at 7pm at the Contemporary Image Collective. People in the UK can order copies from the official website.

11.10am: AP confirms that shelling has resumed in Zabadani.

Activists say Syrian troops have shelled a town near the border with Lebanon, and living conditions are deteriorating there after six days of siege.

A resident and activist of the mountain resort of Zabadani describes the town as a "war zone." He says dozens of anti-government army defectors are deployed at the entrances to prevent any attempt by forces loyal to President Bashar Assad to storm the area.

The man who identified himself only as Fares for fear of government reprisals told The Associated Press by phone that the town was shelled with mortars shortly before noon Wednesday.

The sound shelling can be heard in this clip of the town.

10.25am: The ceasefire in Zabadani appears to have been broken by the Syrian army.

Speaking via Skype a local activist said: "Intermittent bombing resumed by Assad forces two hours ago."

The man, who gave only his initials, MA, said: "There was a ceasefire agreed between the regime's forces and some of the dignitaries and the Free Syrian Army.

"You can't trust such an regime [to keep an agreement]. It was calm last night, but it was broken this morning.The Free Syrian Army are trying to defend the town."

MA said he was speaking from near Zabadani and was in regular contact with residents of the town. He said "hundreds" of military defectors, armed with light weapons, including RPGs, were defending civilians.

He added:

The number of injured people has risen to 60, three are in a critical condition. One of FSA officer was killed. He is former Syrian army officer Moutaa Dakdo.

There is a shortage of bread in the town. Telecommunications are not fully working. There is no medicine. Official hospitals cannot admit any of the injured.

9.32am: Brian Whitaker takes issue with our former colleague Jonathan Steele over his claim that the majority of Syrians support Assad (as Enduring America notes).

Writing on his own blog, Brian points out that the figure cited by Jonathan is based on a small sample.

No one can sensibly put a figure on it or claim that Assad's supporters form a majority.

The 55% figure comes from an internet survey by YouGov Siraj for al-Jazeera's Doha Debates. Just over 1,000 people across the Arab countries were asked their opinion of Assad and an overwhelming majority ? 81% ? thought he should step down.

However, al-Jazeera says the picture inside Syria is different: "Syrians are more supportive of their president with 55% not wanting him to resign."

What is the basis for this statement? A look at the methodology of the survey shows that 211 of the respondents were in Levantine countries and that 46% of those were in Syria. In other words, the finding is based on a sample of just 97 internet users in Syria among a population of more than 20 million. It's not a meaningful result and certainly not adequate grounds for such sweeping conclusions about national opinion in Syria.

9.17am: Four tanks and seven armoured vehicles have been destroyed by military defectors in Zabadani, according to US-based Syrian dissident Ammar Abdulhamid.

He points several videos claiming to show an army bombardment of the town and its aftermath.

He also highlights this clip purporting to show one of the tanks destroyed by the Free Syrian Army.

8.46am: Radwan Ziadeh, a leading member of the opposition Syrian National Council has confirmed reports of the ceasefire in Zabadani.

The BBC quotes him saying:

The Syrian government is under pressure from the Arab League since the next meeting of the Arab League is approaching, and they don't need to put more pressure from the international community on them.

But at the same time, they are surprised at the strength of the Free Syrian Army, and the support they have among the population, and the Syrian dissidents there.

8.12am: (all times GMT) Welcome to Middle East Live.

Internal and external pressure against the regime of President Bashar al-Assad appears to be growing. For the first time military defectors are reported to have secured a ceasefire in a key town close to Damascus. Meanwhile, the Arab League is said to be preparing a critical report on its monitoring mission which is due to end tomorrow, and Barack Obama said he is looking to increase international pressure on the Assad regime.

Here's a round up of the latest developments:

Syria

? Syrian troops fighting rebels in the town of Zabadani, 20 miles north west of Damascus, have agreed a ceasefire, according to reports. Al-Arabiya quotes a resident of the town saying: "Tank bombardments have stopped. Preachers are broadcasting the agreement from the minarets of Zabadani. I think stiff resistance and defections among the attacking forces have forced the regime to negotiate. We will see if it will stick to the deal."

? Zabadani is just 20 miles north-west of Damascus, but it could be on another planet, Ian Black reported from the town before the apparent truce.

For nearly a month the mainly Sunni town of 40,000 has effectively been liberated territory, though it is a fragile liberty that is under constant siege. Last Friday government troops launched a large-scale assault backed up by artillery and up to 50 tanks. It is unlikely to be the last. Shelling was reported again on Tuesday. Nearby Madaya was also under attack, a thick pall of smoke hanging over it. Water and electricity have been cut off. Many residents have fled.

? Syria is ready to let Arab monitors extend their mission, Reuters reports as Barack Obama said he was looking to increase international pressure on Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad to step aside. Damascus opposes broadening the scope of the Arab League observer mission, a source at the League said, but would accept a one-month extension of its mandate which expires on Thursday. Meanwhile speaking after with Jordan's King Abdulla, Obama said:

We will continue to consult very closely with Jordan to create the kind of international pressure and environment that encourages the current Syrian regime to step aside.

? The Arab League is preparing to launch unprecedented condemnation of the Assad regime in a report on the its monitoring mission, according to the Independent. A source told the paper: "Everyone is saying it will be bad. There was a meeting today with delegates from across the region. Nobody thinks it will be good for Syria."

? The western media has failed to acknowledge that most Syrians want president Assad to remain in power, argues Jonathan Steele. He points to a poll conducted last month which found that 55% of Syrians want Assad to stay to prevent a civil war. The media ignored the finding because it goes against the current narrative on Syria, Steele claimed. He added that similar bias effects coverage of the Arab League mission, which Steele says should be given more time:

In spite of the provocations from all sides the league should stand its ground. Its mission in Syria has seen peaceful demonstrations both for and against the regime. It has witnessed, and in some cases suffered from, violence by opposing forces. But it has not yet had enough time or a large enough team to talk to a comprehensive range of Syrian actors and then come up with a clear set of recommendations. Above all, it has not even started to fulfil that part of its mandate requiring it to help produce a dialogue between the regime and its critics. The mission needs to stay in Syria and not be bullied out.

Egypt

? The legal fightback of ousted dictator Hosni Mubarak has begun, Jack Shenker reports from Cairo.

To cheers from his team of volunteer lawyers, the 83-year-old's attorney said the image of a corrupt, bloodthirsty tyrant painted by the prosecution bore no relation to the honest, noble and above all patriotic president stretched out before them, now clad in prison overalls and following proceedings wordlessly from within a secure metal cage ...

Few observers will give any credence to the idea that Mubarak ? who used his vast security apparatus to brutally repress political dissent for a generation ? was secretly aligned with those who sought to overthrow him.

But questions over the prosecution case are mounting, and they strike at the heart of what the "trial of the century" means to Egypt and the wider Arab world.

Israel and the Palestinian territories

? The European Union should consider legislation to prevent or discourage companies and organisations in member states doing business which supports Israeli settlements, according to a confidential report drawn up by EU diplomats in Jerusalem. The recommendation is contained in the EU Heads of Mission Report on East Jerusalem, which assesses the impact of settlement growth and other factors on the prospects for Jerusalem as the future capital of two states, Israel and Palestine.

Yemen

? Presidential elections to replace Ali Abdullah Saleh look set to be delayed after the foreign minister said it would be difficult to hold them next month as scheduled. In an interview with Al-Arabiya Abu Bakr al-Qirbi said: "In light of the security deterioration in the country, it would be difficult that the presidential elections could be held on its scheduled time on February." His remarks will add to fears that Saleh is backing out of Gulf-brokered deal to transfer power.

Matthew Weaver
Haroon Siddique

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Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/middle-east-live/2012/jan/18/syria-ceasefire-in-zabadani-live-udates

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