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Syrian Army Celebrates 66th Anniversary of Independence Day

DAMASCUS, (SANA) – The Syrian armed forces on Tuesday celebrated the 66th anniversary of the Independence Day, the evacuation of the French colonization from Syria.

Athlete activities, oratorical festivals held on the occasion. Speeches made by the leaders of the military formations stressed that Syria’s enemies thought that, by arming and funding the armed terrorist groups and practicing misleading media campaigns, they can move forward in implementing the Western colonial scheme.

In their speeches, the leaders also stressed that Syria will not allow what had occurred during the presence of the Arab monitors, when the armed terrorist groups exploited the mission and reorganized and rearmed its terrorists who committed crimes against civilians and public and private properties.

They vowed to be always the loyal soldiers to the values of the Independence through confronting the schemes and plots made by Syria’s enemies.

Eight Army, Law-Enforcement, Civilian Martyrs Laid to Rest

DAMASCUS/ LATTAKIA, (SANA) – The bodies of eight army, law enforcement and civilian martyrs were escorted on Tuesday from Tishreen and Zahi Azraq Military Hospitals in Damascus and Lattakia to their final resting place.

Solemn funeral processions were held for the martyrs who were targeted by armed terrorist groups while they were in the line of duty in Homs, Daraa, Aleppo  and Damascus Countryside.

The martyrs are:

•           Captain Ghandi Ali Omran, from Tartous.

•           Chief Warrant Officer Adnan Mohammad al-Nabulsi, from Damascus.

•           Conscript Nouri Ahmad Assaf, from al-Hasaka.

•           Conscript Rami Moussa Ahmad, from Aleppo.

•           Conscript Dia Mohammad Habbous, from Sweida.

•           Conscript Isam Mustafa al-Zoufi, from Damascus countryside.

•           Citizen Ahmad Abdul-Karim al-Nabhan, from Lattakia.

•           Citizen Samer Shaher Karoudi, from Damascus.

The martyrs’ families stressed confidence in the ability of the Syrian people to overcome the crisis through their unity, condemning the criminal acts committed by the armed terrorist groups against the army, law-enforcement forces and innocent citizens.

They expressed readiness to sacrifice their lives to defend the homeland and protect its people.

Russian Foreign Ministry.. a Meeting with Syrian National Coordination Committee for the Democratic Change held in Moscow

MOSCOW, (SANA)-The Russian Foreign Ministry announced that on April 17th, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov met a delegation of the Syrian National Coordination Committee for the Democratic Change who is on a visit to Moscow.

The two sides expressed support for the efforts of the UN Envoy to Syria Kofi Annan to reach a peaceful solution to the crisis in Syria and support the cease-fire which was achieved within this framework on April 12th.

Both sides were satisfied over the identical stances which reject any foreign intervention, particularly the military interference in the current events in Syria or instigating the religious problems in the country.

They underlined the necessity for conducting a national comprehensive dialogue and make democratic measures to meet the interests of all Syrians.

The Russian side stressed the importance for supporting the positive trend which was featured by the developments of events in Syria through launching an internal political dialogue process between the authorities and opposition.

Four Law Enforcement members, one civilian Martyred by an armed group’s Attack in Aleppo

Aleppo, (SANA)-Four Law enforcement members and one civilian were martyred Tuesday as an armed terrorist group threw a bomb at a bus transporting the members at al-Shaar circle in Aleppo.

The civilian was a private car driver who was in the place at the time of attack.

SANA reporter in Aleppo learned that 9 other law enforcement members and 7 civilians were injured by the aggression.

Citizen Killed in Daraa, a Judge and a Mayor Kidnapped in Idleb and Daraa

An armed terrorist group on Tuesday stormed into the house of Rami Sirani from the Army in Ghabaghib region in Daraa province and opened fire inside the house killing Sirani’s brother-in-law Ahmad Masoud al-Masoud.

Another terrorist group kidnapped the mayor of al-Mseifra town Hussein Shahada al-Zoubi and took him to an unknown place.

Meanwhile in Idleb province, a group of gunmen abducted judge Farouq Kamel Oubeid in the town of Qournini.

In another context, the authorities seized, with the help of the inhabitants of al-Ameriyeh village in Talkalakh in the countryside of Homs province, an amount of weapons hidden by an armed terrorist group in the village.

SANA reporter was informed that the weapons included 25 landmines and explosive devices, each weighs 10 kg, an RPG launcher and two Belgian sniper rifles.

National Activities in Syrian Provinces Marking Independence Day

PROVINCES, (SANA) – On occasion of the 66th anniversary of Independence Day and the evacuation of French Colonialism from Syria, a memorial monument dedicated to leader of the Greater Syrian Revolution, freedom fighter Sultan Basha al-Atrash, was unveiled in the town of al-Kuraya in Sweida.

Participants in the unveiling ceremony affirmed adherence to national unity and independent national decision, voicing rejection off all forms of foreign interference in Syria’s internal affairs and stressing support to reforms led by President Bashar al-Assad.

The participants held Syrian flags and banners bearing national slogans saluting independence and  supporting the Syrian Arab Army, affirming that Syrians stand united in the face of conspiracies targeting Syria and its dignity.

Sculptor Maaruf Shkeir, who worked on the monument, said that the monument is a basalt sculpture depicting Sultan Basha al-Atrash, weighing between 2 and 3 tons, and is 3 meters high and 75 centimeters wide.

A speech was delivered by Salim al-Hadi on behalf of the descendants of the freedom fighters of the Greater Syrian Revolution, stressing the need to preserve the legacy of the heroes of independence who, through their faith and adherence to national unity, prevailed in the face of aggression and colonialism.

Participants in the event lauded the heroic battles waged by freedom fighters against French colonialism, affirming that the creed of these freedom fighters managed to foil all the colonial plots aiming to divide Syria and pillage its resources.

They said that they came from across Syria to affirm the unity of the Syrian people and their adherence to security, safety and stability and stress that the plot against Syria which is funded by oil sheikhs was foiled by the resilience of the Syrians.

Popular Delegations Visit Tomb of Leader of Maysaloun Battle Yusuf al-Azmeh

Meanwhile, popular delegations visited the tomb of the hero Yusuf al-Azmeh in Maysaloun, who courageously faced the French at the battle of Maysaloun in July 1920, with the participants stressing that the sacrifices of the martyred hero in defense of Syria’s freedom and independence have taught the generations the concept of resistance against the colonialist.

Citizens Recall Sacrifices of Freedom Fighter Izz Eddin al-Qassam at His Tomb

Recalling the sacrifices of the freedom fighter Izz Eddin al-Qassam, the citizens in the city of Jableh in the coastal province of Lattakia, together with delegations from Syrian and Arab tribes, commemorated the anniversary of the 66th Independence Day by visiting the tomb of martyr al-Qassam, the city’s son who struggled against the French and British forces.

People of Occupied Golan Commemorate Independence Day

In the meantime, the citizens in the villages of Masada and Majdal Shams in the occupied Syrian Golan organized national activities marking the Independence Day.

The participants stressed adherence to the homeland Syria and rejection of all forms of occupation and its practices.

The activities included artistic shows at the national museum in Majdal Shams portraying the heroism of the Syrian freedom fighters against the French occupation and the continuous struggle to expel the Zionists from the Golan Heights.

People of Masada lit candles on the village’s main road in commemoration of Syria’s martyrs, civilian and military, who were targeted by the armed terrorist groups in the latest events in the country.

The citizens stressed adherence to the leadership of President Bashar al-Assad, hailing the sublime meanings of the Evacuation Day and expressing confidence in achieving the ‘Great Evacuation Day’ by which the Golan will have been fully liberated.

China Supports Annan’s Efforts to Resolve Crisis in Syria, Confirms Respecting its Sovereignty, Territorial Integrity

BEIJING, (SANA)_ Spokesman of Chinese Foreign Ministry Hong Lie said China supports the international observers’ mission in Syria and will provide the required assistance to them.

“At the present time, we have to support reconciliation in Syria and work to resolve the crisis peacefully,” the Russian news agency Itar-Tass quoted Lie as saying during a press conference held in Beijing on Monday.

He added that discussions regarding that issue should aim to ease tension in Syria, stop the violence and make all parties concerned to involve in dialogue.

The Spokesman went on to say” We are against any intervention may lead to regime change and China has always called for realizing peace and stability in the Middle East and this is what the Syrian people are looking forward.

The Spokesman said “Some positive changes happened regarding the situation in Syrian due to the efforts of all parties of the conflict and the international community, clarifying that the current reconciliation shows that efforts of the UN Envoy to Syria Kofi Annan led to the beginning of the progress.

“We support Annan’s efforts and hope all parties of the conflict to stop the violence and begin the dialogue and the political process as soon as possible,” Lie said.

He affirmed that China has always stressed the necessity of respecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Syria, underlining that the international community should play a constructive role in this regard.

Head of al-Jazeera Office In Tehran Quits Because of Biased Coverage

TEHRAN, (SANA) – Chairman of al-Jazeera channel office in Tehran, Melhem Rayya, announced resignation in protest against the participation of the channel in a U.S.-Israeli scheme against the resistance.

Rayya told Fars News Agency that his resignation came because of the biased coverage made by al-Jazeera over important Islamic and Arab issues.

Answering a question on the indications of the resignations made by several al-Jazeera staff, Rayya said that these resignations indicate that the channel is carrying out political schemes at the interest of the USA and Israel against the interests of the region’s people.

He stressed that al-Jazeera is suffering major decrease in its viewers in the Arab world, as the latest surveys showed that the channel has lost over 13 million viewer in the last year.

Delegation of Syrian Communities in France and Belgium Visits Martyrs Graveyard in Najha

DAMASCUS, (SANA) – The delegation representing the Syrian communities in France and Belgium currently visiting Syria on Tuesday took part in signing a document titled ‘I’ am Syrian and the Syrian Arab Army Protects Me’, an event organized by Damascus Voluntary Youth Team in support for the Aramy in defending the homeland’s security.

Writing on a 150 m long fabric document, the delegation members expressed support to The Syrian Army, with the delegation’s head, Omran al-Khateeb, noting that “this event comes in solidarity with our people who are undergoing tragic circumstances because of the conspiracy hatched against the Homeland.”

Basima Younan, one of the delegation’s members, said the aim of signing the document is “to declare rejection of the calls for withdrawing the Syrian Army from the cities and diminishing its key role in guarding the citizens and their properties, while nobody knows what will happen to those in the presence of armed terrorists that have not stopped their attacks against the innocents and the public and private facilities.”

Earlier, the delegation members paid a visit to the Martyrs Graveyard in Najha, where they laid flowers on the martyrs’ monument.

Participants recited the national anthem and chanted slogans lauding the sacrifices of martyrs, lauding the Syrian Arab Army’s heroics and sacrifices in the face of the conspiracies and armed terrorist groups.

Members of the delegation also participated in the funeral procession of Chief Warrant Officer Adnan Mohammad al-Nabelsi who has killed in the line of duty by terrorists in Daraa.

In statements to SANA, members of the delegation said that this visit is part of their national duty towards Syria’s martyrs, and that it also aims at showing solidarity with their brethren in Syria, their support for reform, and their rejection of interference in Syria’s affairs.

In turn, Mohammad al-Nabelsi, father of the martyr Adnan, voiced pride in his son’s martyrdom and thanked the delegation members for participating in the funeral, voicing hope that they will relay the reality of what is happening in Syria and refute the lies of mercenary channels that falsify facts and trade in the blood of Syrians.

The delegation consists of Syrian expatriates living in France and Belgium, in addition to French citizens of Arab origins.

Jordanian Salafi Jihadist Movement officials: We have Smuggled Gunmen to Syria to Fuel Violence

AMMAN, (SANA) – So-called ‘Jordanian Salafi Jihadist Movement’ official, Mohammad al-Shalabi, said on Tuesday that the movement has smuggled gunmen to Syria to ignite the situation and fail the efforts exerted to stop violence.

In an interview with al-Ghad newspaper, al-Shalabi revealed that Jordanian security forces have recently arrested seven  members of the movement near the borders between Jordan and Syria.

He added that the seven members were trying to infiltrate to Syria to launch military attacks in Syria.

Cabinet on Independence Day : Syria Stronger, Development and Reform process On

DAMASCUS, (SANA) – The Cabinet underlined that the Independence Day, achieved by the sacrifice of the Syrian people, will ever remain a bright day in the country’s history.

On the occasion of the 66th anniversary of Syria’s independence, the Cabinet pointed out in a statement issued on Tuesday that the national patriotic spirit sprang up in the face of the French occupation, which assumed that by arrogance, conspiratorial acts and stirring up sedition would guarantee the duration of occupying Syria, pointing out that the Syrians of all backgrounds rushed to defend their homeland.

It clarified that the occasion this year coincides with the risks and challenges encountering the stability, security and pan-Arab role of the country, underlining the importance of reminding all those who forgot, did not read or did not understand Syria’s history well, that the faith of the Syrians in their country and adherence to the national unity are the strongest weapon to foil the conspiracy.

The Cabinet congratulated the Syrians, underlining its commitment and determination to double up efforts to go on in the reform and development process.

Al-Mahabba Spring Festival Kicks off in Lattakia

LATTAKIA, (SANA) – Al-Mahabba Spring Festival kicked off on Tuesday in Lattakia, organized by Lattakia Governorate, City Council, and Ashtar Foundation in cooperation with several official, civil and popular activities.

The Festival includes several economic, cultural, social, artistic, sports and vocational activities.

The opening ceremony included performances by a chorus from the Handicapped and Their Friends Association, in addition to performances by singers Anas Arnaout and Fadia Hamdan, a ballet performance by the Damascus Ballet School and al-Safa Sports Institute, and a fashion show featuring designs by Nahed Muna.

Other activities include several food, consumers products, electronics and technology exhibitions, in addition to exhibitions of handicrafts and home-made products, a farmer’s market, and more.

The Festival also featured a freefall parachuting display by the Syrian Military Team, with the official parachuting competition set to be held on Wednesday along with other sports activities including football, basketball and swimming competitions.

Other upcoming activities include concerts, an open-air art exhibit, theatrical plays, seminars, and a poetry contest.

 

Military Source: Dozens of Violations by Terrorist Groups since Halting Military Operations

DAMASCUS, (SANA)- A military source on Sunday declared the authorities will prevent the armed terrorist groups from continuing their criminal aggressions against the army and law enforcement forces and citizens which hysterically escalated since announcing the halt of military operations last Thursday morning.

The source said since the announcement of halting the military operations, the attacks of the armed terrorist groups have escalated against the civilians, the military, the law enforcement forces checkpoints and the private and public properties.

It affirmed that there have been dozens of violations by the armed groups that have caused big losses in terms of lives and properties.

“In conjunction with the UN Security Council resolution to send international observers to monitor the implementation of the initiative of the UN envoy Kofi Annan, the armed terrorist groups have hysterically escalated their aggressions on the army, the law enforcement forces and the civilians,” said the military source.

Its stressed that “out of their duty to protect the security of the homeland and citizens, the authorities will prevent these armed terrorist groups from continuing their criminal aggressions and acts of killings and sabotage against the citizens and their properties.”

Law-enforcement Member Martyred in Idleb, 3 Citizens Killed in Hama and Daraa

PROVINCES, (SANA) – A law-enforcement member was martyred and three others were injured on Sunday in an armed terrorist group attack in Harem City in Idleb governorate.

SANA correspondent said that the terrorist group opened fire on the law-enforcement personnel, causing the martyrdom of Yousef Dawood Qawarid and the injury of three members.

In the same context, a car loaded with explosives blew up in Idleb city in an attempt to kill law-enforcement personnel, but no injuries were reported.

SANA correspondent said that the car exploded after three terrorists parked the car and fled away.

Oil Tanker Set to Fire on Ariha-Aleppo Road

Another armed terrorist group targeted an oil tanker loaded with around 30 thousand liters of fuel on Ariha – Aleppo road, near Mseibeen town and set it on fire.

Two Citizens Killed in Terrorists’ Gunfire on Their Car in Hama

Two citizens were killed when an armed terrorist group opened fire at their care near Qatrat al-Rihan Bridge in Hama province.

The two martyrs are Malek Mahmoud Sleiteen and Riyad Nawras Hassa.

Meanwhile, an explosive device planted by an armed terrorist group exploded in al-Ta’awouniyeh neighborhood in the city of Hama causing material damages, but no injuries were reported.

Terrorist group abducts citizen Osama Qaddour, kills him in al-Rastan

An armed terrorist group today abducted citizen Osama Nawaf Qaddour, 28, from Hama, and after 3 hours, the group contacted his family, informing them that he was killed at a deserted house in al-Rastan.

SANA reporter learned that when Qaddour Family went to al-Rastan to see the abducted, they found his body  mutilated at a deserted house.

Al-A’edein Camp in Hama, the authorities found the body of female citizen Abeer Hassan Ibrahim, who was kidnapped by an armed group yesterday from her house in al-Qusur,  killed by a bullet in the head.

Another terrorist group kidnapped Chief warrant officer Ali al-Turk from the Camp, taking his to unknown place.

Charity Association Guard Killed by Terrorists in Daraa, Dead Body of Kidnapped Warrant Officer Found

In the countryside of Daraa province, an armed terrorist group opened fire on the 60-year- old guard of the charity association in Saida town, Ismael Talal al-Homsi, causing his immediate death.

In the meantime, the authorities found the dead body of Chief Warrant Officer Adnan Nabulsi from the law enforcement forces near western al-Gharia crossroad in Daraa, who had been kidnapped by an armed terrorist group from his house in al-Naimeh town.

Car’s Driver Injured in Explosive Device Blast in al-Tadamun Neighborhood in Damascus

An explosive device planted by an armed terrorist group under a car exploded on Sunday in al-Tadamun neighborhood in Damascus, injuring the car’s driver.

SANA reporter quoted a Police source in the province as saying the explosive device went off when Mohammad Abdul-Aal , a member of the Palestinian al-Sa’iqa (thunderbolt) Organization was getting on the car along with his driver.

The source added that the explosion caused injury to the driver as the explosive device was planted on his side.

Authorities Uncover Workshops for Manufacturing Explosives in Hama and Daraa

With the help of locals, the authorities uncovered a workshop for manufacturing explosive devices in Abi al-Fidaa neighborhood in Hama, which contained chemicals and contains used for making explosives.

Locals reported an explosion in the area followed by suspicious movement by strangers.

In Daraa’s northern countryside, the locals also helped the authorities uncover a workshop which contained explosive devices, equipment and materials for manufacturing them, automatic rifles, ammo and motorbikes.

One of the confiscated explosive devices had a yield of 9 kilograms and contend white phosphorus, which is an internationally prohibited explosive substance.

Al-Moallem visits China to discuss Annan’s Mission, Bilateral Relations

DAMASCUS, (SANA)-Upon an invitation by Foreign Minister of China Yang Jiechi, Syrian Foreign and Expatriates Minister Walid al-Moallem will hold a 2-day official visit to the Popular Republic of China.

During the visit, al-Moallem will discuss means of enhancing bilateral relations and the mission of the UN Envoy to Syria Kofi Annan.

Five Army, Civilian Martyrs Laid to Rest

DAMASCUS, LATTAKIA, (SANA) – The bodies of five army and civilian martyrs were escorted on Sunday from Tishreen and Zahi Azraq Military Hospitals in Damascus and Lattakia to their final resting place.

Solemn funeral processions were held for the martyrs who were targeted by armed terrorist groups while they were in the line of duty in Damascus Countryside and Idleb.

The martyrs are:

­           Retired Brigadier General Akl Hussein Mahmoud from Tartous.

­           Sergeant Major Samer Dirgham from Hama.

­           Conscript Ghazi Ahmad Barazi from Hama.

­           Civilian Hussam Abu Hamdan from Sweida.

­           Civilian Mansour Hamad al-Ali from Sweida.

Families of the martyrs stressed confidence in the ability of the Syrian people to overcome the crisis through their unity, condemning the criminal acts committed by the armed terrorist groups against the army, law-enforcement forces and innocent citizens.

They expressed readiness to sacrifice their lives to defend the homeland and protect its people.

Easter Celebrations in Syria Limited to Prayers and Requiems

DAMASCUS, (SANA) – Easter celebrations of Christian denominations in Syria were limited to prayers at churches and places of worshiping marking the resurrection of Jesus Christ, the messenger of peace and amity.

A mass religious celebration was held at Mar Jirjis’s Cathedral for Syriac Orthodox, headed by Patriarch Mar Ignatius Zakka I Iwas of Antioch an All the East for the Syriac Orthodox, Supreme Head of the Universal Syriac Orthodox Church, assisted by bishops, priests and the patriarchal Mar Ephrem choir in Damascus.

In his sermon, Patriarch Iwas explained the sublime meaning of this occasion and the sacrifice of the Jesus Christ to save the humanity and achieve happiness through faith.

He added that Easter marks the resurrection of Jesus, which makes us full of hope and determination despite all circumstances.

Patriarch Iwas prayed to God to preserve Syria’s people and President Bashar al-Assad, to bless the martyrs and heal the injured.

Chairing a requiem at Mar Jirjis Church for Roman Orthodox in Damascus, Greek Orthodox Patriarchal Assistant, Bishop Luca al- Khouri said that Zionism and those who follow it are behind the events taking place in the Middle East with the aim of stoking seditions and shedding the Syrian blood to force Syria give up its stances in support of the Arab issues.

He stressed that the Syrian people are committed to their national unity for the sake of their freedom and independence, calling upon all Syrians to pray to God to protect Syria’s people, president and Army, whose members have sacrificed their lives to defend the homeland.

Prayers and requiems were performed at churches and worshiping places throughout the Syrian governorates.

The sermons hailed the national unity of the Syrian people which constitutes the main pillar for Syria’s strength and steadfastness against challenges.

Syrian and Arab Tribes Forum Stresses Popular National Reconciliation

TARTOUS, (SANA) – The activities of the 11th session of Syrian and Arab Tribes and Clans Forum kicked off on Sunday with the participation of 700 Syrian figures and delegations from Iraq, Lebanon and Jordan.

The participants stressed that the national unity of the Syrian people has foiled the enemies’ bet to undermine Syria and the resistance.

They underlined the Syrian people’s rejection of any foreign interference in their affairs, stressing that they will remain united to defend the homeland’s independence and sovereignty.

They called for dialogue to overcome the current circumstances, adding that the Syrian tribes and clans stand by Syria’s people, army and leadership to defend their dignity.

Founder of the Syrian and Arab Tribes and Clans Forum, Sheikh Saleh al-Deli al-Nu’eimi, said the forum is “a national and popular initiative per excellence” that came under the title “Popular National Reconciliation”, adding that the tribes came to Tartous and will also meet in Lattakia to express gratitude to the national awareness and unity of their people.

The 3-day forum included Arab delegations that support reforms in Syria under the leadership of President Bashar al-Assad, adding that Syria will remain the country of resistance and steadfastness.

He said that the forum is a call for people to reconcile and for those who took up arms to turn themselves in to authorities.

For his part, Mufti of Tartous, Sheikh Mohammad Ismael said the Forum stresses the Syrians’ national unity and gives a good example for Syria’s united fabric with all its spectrums in response to the instigative satellite channels which try to fragment this fabric.

Bishop of Tartous, Elias Suleiman said Syria is the homeland of all Syrians who have to build it on the basis of mutual respect and dialogue.

Representatives of tribes in the Syrian provinces who attended the meeting stressed that Syria will remain unified under the leadership of President al-Assad who has been approved by all Syrians to be the guarantor of their unity.

They reiterated commitment to national unity and the leadership’s national and pan-Arab stances against all the Zionist and imperialist conspiracies, stressing support to current reforms which will end up in supporting efforts to liberate the occupied territories, restore rights and achieve security and stability in Syria.

The tribes’ representatives in Syria called upon the armed terrorist groups to hand in their weapons and come to dialogue, calling also on those who were forced to leave their houses to return, stressing that the Syrian army will always safeguard the homeland.

“Syria is not for the Syrians only, but for all the honest people in the Arab and Islamic nation,” said Head of the National Center in South Lebanon Kamal al-Kheir, stressing that Lebanon will not be a basis to target and sabotage Syria.

For his part, head of the Iraqi delegation Fayez al-Saad greeted the Syrian people, stressing the firm stance of the Iraqi government towards Syria in terms of supporting Syria’s territorial integrity and rejection of foreign interference in its internal affairs.

Delegation of Syrian Communities in France and Belgium Light Candles in Honor of Army and Civilian Martyrs

DAMASCUS, (SANA) – The delegation of the Syrian communities in France and Belgium on Sunday visited the site of the terrorist attack which hit the zone linking Baghdad Street and al-Qasaa Quarter last month.

The participants chanted the Syrian national anthem, after which they observed a minute of silence and lit candles in honor of the army and civilian martyrs.

They condemned the conspiracy hatched against Syria, hailing the sacrifices of Syrian Army in defending the homeland’s stability and confronting the armed terrorist groups.

In a statement to SANA, expatriate Nasrallah Nassrallah, who has been in France for more than 24 years, said “this visit is a personal initiative to express love to Syria and stress rejection of the conspiracy,” describing the terrorist attack at al-Qasaa neighborhood as “immoral” as it aims to undermine the Syrian people’s strength and steadfastness.

Another delegation member Dayana Jadaan said that they are here today to express solidarity to the homeland and stand by its people in the face of all challenges.

She stressed support the reform process led by President Bashar al-Assad, expressing confidence that Syria will overcome the conspiracy.

For his part, Omran al-Khateeb who, has lived in France form 20 years, said the visit aimed at revealing the misleading and instigative role of some media.

He said that the Western countries seek to spread chaos and destruction in Syria in the name of freedom, democracy and human rights while such concepts are absent in such countries as veiled women are prevented from entering public hospitals or schools in France and nobody is allowed to criticize the Israeli daily violations against the Palestinian people.

The delegation includes 80 people of Syrian descent who live in France and Belgium, in addition to French citizens of Arab origins.

The delegation of the Syrian communities in France and Belgium also visited Tishreen Military Hospital in Damascus to show solidarity with the wounded soldiers of the Army who were targeted by the armed terrorist groups while they were performing their sacred duty in protecting the citizens.

Members of the delegation assured the health of the wounded, underlining support to the comprehensive reform program led by President Bashar al-Assad.

They presented symbolic gifts to the injured soldiers in honor of their sacrifices.

The participants in the delegation also visited the monument of the Unknown Soldier in Qasioun Mount in Damascus.

They stood a minute of silence, recited verses of the holy Quran for the souls of civilians and Army soldiers who were targeted by the armed terrorist groups,  chanted the Syrian national anthem and put a wreath on the monument.

UN Security Council Unanimously Passes Resolution to Send Unarmed Monitors to Syria

NEW YORK, (SANA)_The UN Security Council unanimously passed a resolution to send unarmed military observers to Syria.

The resolution authorizes the first 30 unarmed observers to establish contact and cooperation with the Syrian sides and delegates them to submit reports to ensure that all sides commit to ending armed violence until a UN mission is deployed.

The resolution calls upon the Syrian government and other sides to ensure appropriate conditions for the group of monitors to carry out their mission, without restricting their free movement and access to cities.

Al-Jaafari: Annan’s Mission Can Only Succeed with Syria’s Support… Sides Affiliated with Armed Groups Must Commit in Words and Actions

In a speech during the Security Council session, Syria’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Dr. Bashar al-Jaafari, said that Syria took serious steps towards fulfilling its obligations as per the plan of UN Envoy Kofi Annan, and that it actually upheld its commitment to ceasing the missions of the armed forces on March 12th.

He affirmed that since the beginning, Syria welcomed Anna’s mission and dealt with its positively, sparing no effort to ensure its success, noting that Syria is providing Annan with regular written updates on the steps taken to implement his plan.

Al-Jaafari said that Syria agreed on the principle of UN observation which respects Syrian sovereignty, and that talks are underway with Annan and his team to formulate a protocol on deploying the observers.

He pointed out that Syria’s openness and commitment to Annan’s mission was met by an escalation of terrorism, which included the forced displacement of citizen to premade camps in neighboring countries in order to manufacture a refugee crisis which would be exploited politically to create so-called buffer zones and summon military intervention.

Al-Jaafari  said that Syria is concerned over the ill intents of some Security Council member countries in terms of deliberately not holding armed groups accountable for their crimes, adding that Syria provided Annan with documented data on the violations committed by armed groups since the ceasefire came into effect, and that these violations number over 50.

He drew attention to the fact that those who claim to care for human rights continue to ignore the information provided by many international sides other than the Syrian government regarding the grave violations of human rights committed by armed groups in Syria, which include abduction, holding hostages, demanding ransom, torture, execution, recruiting children in combat, and using civilians as human shields.

Al-Jaafari pointed out to an article published in Germany’s Der Spiegel which contained an interview with two criminals hiding in Lebanon who confessed to the reporter that they slit the throats of 150 people in Syria on orders from their leaders in the armed groups.

He went on to say that Syria hopes that Annan will handle the crisis in an inclusive manner, stressing the need for Annan to make the necessary communication with the Arab, regional and international sides affiliated with the armed groups to guarantee their commitment to ending violence.

“Annan’s mission can’t be successful with only the Syrian governmental support… those countries must commit in words and actions to stopping the funding, arming and training of armed groups, refraining from encouraging them in continuing their terrorist acts, and providing safe havens to their members, as well as ceasing to prompt the Syrian opposition to reject any initiative for comprehensive national dialogue aiming to reach a political, peaceful solution to the crisis in Syria,” al-Jaafari said.

He noted that while Annan’s was holding dialogue in Syria, some were holding conferences in Istanbul in a clear attempt to circumvent his mission and the UN role and undermine his plan, adding that these conferences devised mechanism allowing Arab Gulf countries to finance armed groups by providing them with salaries, in addition to pledging USD 100 million to exasperate the crisis, in addition to the calls which were issued at the Security Council – particularly from Qatar’s Foreign Minister – for military intervention in Syria and establishing so-called safe zones, along with the Saudi Foreign Minister’s statement that arming the Syrian opposition is a “duty.”

Al-Jaafari asked how some countries can claim to support Annan’s plan while at the same time they take steps to fund armed terrorist groups, impose sanctions on the Syrian people, and call for direct military intervention, all of which contradicts the goal and logic of Annan’s plan.

He affirmed that continuing to support armed groups is a true threat to Annan’s plan, and that those responsible for this are responsible for the shedding of Syrian blood and the spread of terrorism in Syria, adding that countries who imposed the unjust economic sanctions on the Syrian people are accomplices in the crisis and thus are not allowed to bemoan the difficulties that Syrians are facing in their daily lives as they are largely responsible for them.

Al-Jaafari pointed out to the external manipulation of the Syrian Pound exchange rate and the steps taken to prevent Syrian expatriates from sending money to their families at home, in addition to damaging the Syrian energy sector, wondering if such actions ensure the Syrians’ welfare and demands for reforms.

He pointed out that the crisis in Syria is a geopolitics conflict over regional roles and a settlement of old and new scores, adding that some sides have a deep desire to bury the Palestinian cause in favor of other issues.

Al-Jaafari noted that in an earlier meeting, he relayed the news of the assassination of Saria Hassoun, the son of Syria’s Grand Mufti, at the hands of armed terrorist groups, and during this session he reported that the Syrian authorities apprehended the killers of Saria, adding that the two terrorists confessed that they committed the assassination in exchange for USD 800 each.

He said that some sides questioned his last speech before the Council over the existence of armed groups in Syria, adding “Today, fortunately, we heard many Council members urging those armed groups to discipline and adhere to Annan’s plan.”

Al-Jaafari pointed out that the resolution needs the loyalty of all countries which adopted it and continued supporting the armed groups in Syria, saying that Syria hopes for the countries which commit themselves to this resolution to comply to it practically by not sending lethal or non-lethal aid to the terrorists and armed groups in Syria because these funds and equipment are used to kill the Syrian people, including women, children, and the elderly.

He stressed that the Syrian people need help to live in peace and safety, not incitement, adding that the Syrians also need the unjust sanctions which cost them billions of dollars to be lifted.

Concluding his speech, al-Jaafari commented on France’s Representative Gerad Araud who told the Syrian people that “the time of violence is over” by saying “I agree with him, but I would like to remind him that the time of mandates had also gone and that his speech is inappropriate now as the Syrian people are to celebrate their Independence Day from the French occupation on April 17th.”

Churkin: Syrian Opposition Should Commit to Annan’s Plan

Russia’s Permanent Representative to the UN Vitaly Churkin said that the draft resolution approved at the UN Security Council undergone radical amendments influenced by Russia to make it more balanced and reflective of the situation on the ground.

Churkin said ” Russia has cautioned from the very beginning against the use of force by any side, and called for a political solution to the problems in Syria through comprehensive dialogue.”

”Out of respect for Syria’s sovereignty, we’ve cautioned against foreign interference attempts or imposing unsuitable solutions, ” said Churkin, adding ”We also backed the draft resolution today, taking into consideration the need for sending a UN monitoring mission to Syria.”

He clarified that the resolution is not only for the Syrian government, but also for the opposition groups to fully cooperate with the monitors and implement Annan’s 6-point plan.

Churkin stressed that the observers’ mission needs a great deal of professionalism and objectivity, adding that it is necessary that circumstances be favorable, including ensuring the safety of the mission.

He added ”We are at a critical moment…and it is important that all Syrian sides, including the armed opposition, stop violence immediately, respect Annan’s plan and start organizing an extensive dialogue process.”

China’s Representative Stresses Beijing’s Support to Syria’s Unity, Peaceful Solution for the Crisis

China’s Representative to the UN Security Council, Li Baodong, stressed that Beijing supports the stability, independence and unity of Syria, pointing out to the necessity of solving the crisis peacefully through political dialogue and respecting the choices of the Syrian people.

“We encourage all sides, including the government and the opposition, to meet their commitments in stopping violence and creating the appropriate circumstances for a political process led by Syria,” he said in his speech before the Council.

He stressed that supporting Annan’s efforts is the best way to get out of the crisis and settle it peacefully.

Baodong called upon the international community to support Annan’s efforts, adding that “Efforts that may hinder Annan’s plan are unacceptable and should be opposed decisively.”

In turn, the representative of India stressed the need for countries – both those neighboring Syria and those who are farther away – to facilitate reaching a political solution to the crisis in Syria, while Azerbaijan’s representative stressed the need for emphasizing the Security Council’s commitment to the sovereignty, independence and integrity of Syria.

Meanwhile, Pakistan’s representative said that this decision is an important step in achieving a peaceful resolution to the situation in Syria, while the Guatemalan representative said that this decision is a chance to reverse the cycle of violence and take the first step towards a better future for all Syrians.

Portugal’s representative limited his calls for cooperating with Annan to the Syrian government, excluding the opposition, while South Africa’s representative called all sides, including the violations, to maintain a ceasefire and welcomed the Syrian government’s commencement of carrying out its obligations.

Togo’s representative called upon those who have influence on the Syrian government and opposition to support this decision and pave the way for launching a comprehensive political process.

However, the US representative  Susan Rice continued to show bias by neglecting all the reports that prove the opposition’s violations, preferring to pile on accusations against the Syrian government, with the British representative Mark Grant also recounted the lies and fabrications of biased channels and ignored the crimes of armed groups in his attempt to undermine Annan’s plan which have been ongoing since Syria agreed to it.

Similarly, France’s representative Gerard Araud recited a stream of lies and allegations that the French diplomacy have been pushing for months to misdirect public opinion, bringing into mind his country’s colonialist past and tendency to use force and threats in crises.

Meanwhile, Columbia’s representative seemed closer to objectivity as he began by saying that the decision to send observers is a step to resolving the crisis in Syria, but he then regressed to promoting fabrications similar to the ones made by the US, France and Britain, matching these countries in ignoring the crimes of terrorist groups.

The speech delivered by Germany’s representative Peter Wittig showed clear bias, ignoring the crimes committed by the armed groups since announcing the ceasefire and even going as far as to commend them for “ceasing combat,” something which these groups only did in the TV  channels of their Gulf and Western accomplices. Wittig also turned a blind idea to the reports run by German media on the crimes of armed groups during his attempt to pass himself off as a defender of human rights.

Iran hopes Annan’s Mission will be successful

TEHRAN, (SANA)- The Iranian Foreign Ministry on Sunday hoped that the mission of the UN envoy to Syria Kofi Annan will be successful in prevailing security and stability and preventing the foreign intervention in Syria.

Ramin Mehmanparast, Spokesman of the Ministry, who is on a visit to Belgrade, described in an interview with the Serbian TV Tehran stance towards crisis in Syria as clear and frank.

“Syria is confronting Israel’s crimes and opposes the policies of the US in the region,” Mehmanparast said, adding “64% of the Syrian people have participated in the new constitution referendum, which means that the majority of the citizens back the reforms.”

Ki-moon, Annan Call for Urging Syrian Opposition to Take Step to Ensure Cessation of Violence

GENEVA, (SANA) – UN Security General Ban Ki-moon and UN Envoy to Syria Kofi Annan on Saturday called upon countries and sides with influence on the Syrian opposition to urge them to take “reciprocal steps” to ensure the cessation of violence in Syria.

Reuters reported that Ki-Moon and Annan issued a statement after their meeting which lauds the Security Council’s decision to send unarmed observers to Syria, saying that they will do their best to deploy the observers as soon as possible.

In this statement, Ki-Moon said that the primary responsibility falls upon the Syrian government in the cessation of violence and the withdrawal of its forces.

The statement said that Annan briefed Ki-moon on his communication with Syrian officials, the opposition, and influential countries, adding that Annan explained the efforts being made to ensure the full implementation of his plan and the initiation of a political process that meets the aspirations of the Syrian people.

Al-Maliki Reiterates Support to Political Solution to Syrian Crisis

BAGHDAD, (SANA)- Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Malki on Sunday reiterated his country’s support to finding a political solution to the crisis in Syria and its rejection to interference in the Syrian internal affairs and all that leads to aggravating the violence in terms of arming or instigation.

“The policy of Iraq is against interference in the internal affairs [of Syria] and against violence and all that leads to aggravating it in terms of arming or instigation and so forth,” the AFP quoted al-Maliki as saying in an interview with the Iraqi Awena newspaper.

He stressed Iraq’s support to reaching a political solution to the crisis in Syria so as for Syria and the region to evade more wars.

Al-Maliki said his country” has put in use all its political and diplomatic capabilities towards arriving at a political solution in Syria that meets the legitimate aspirations of the Syrian people and helps it and the region avoid more wars and bloodshed.”

“We said before that the language of using force to overthrow the regime [in Syria] won’t overthrow it,” said the Iraqi Prime. “It has been a year now and the regime has not fallen and it won’t fall,” he added wondering, “why would it fall?”

Al-Maliki warned at the Arab Summit held in Baghdad last March that arming the opposition will lead to alternate regional and international wars in Syria, affirming Iraq’s rejection of any act of arming as it will result in an cumulative crisis in the region.

Israeli Occupation Forces Prevent Golan Woman from Visiting Her Relatives in Homeland

QUNEITRA, (SANA) – The Israeli occupation forces on Sunday prevented citizen Wissam al-Sabbagh from visiting her relatives in the homeland.

Mrs. al-Sabbagh is from Damascus and is married to a man from the occupied Syrian town of Majdal Shams.

The Israeli forces have refused dozens of visit applications submitted by al-Sabbagh to the international Red Cross Bureau in the occupied territories.

Al-Sabbagh, who has been under chemotherapy in the Palestinian occupied lands since last September, called upon all human rights associations to exert pressure on the Israeli occupation forces to enable her to visit the homeland and see her relatives and family before she passes away.

Al-Sabbagh said that Israel has been depriving her from visiting her relatives in the homeland since 1998, adding that “I haven’t seen my daughter for 13 year.”

Source: The Embassy of Syrian Arab Republican in Kuala Lumpur.

Sixteen Army, Law-Enforcement Martyrs Laid to Rest

DAMASCUS, ALEPPO (SANA) – Bodies of 16 army and law enforcement martyrs on Wednesday were escorted from Tishreen and Aleppo Military Hospitals in Damascus and Aleppo to their final resting place.

Solemn processions were held for the martyrs who were targeted by armed terrorist groups while on duty in Aleppo, Idleb, Damascus Countryside, Daraa, Homs and Hama.

The martyrs are:

-Colonel Mohammad Ahmad Suleiman for Tartous.

-Lieutenant Colonel Hammoud Mohammad Kamal Eddin from Damascus Countryside.

-Chief Warrant Officer Sameer Ahmad Ismael from Tartous

-Sergeant Major Alaa Abdullah from Lattakia

-Sergeant Iyhab Aziz Haydar from Tartous

-Sergeant Radwan Ali al-Hussein from Hama

-Sergeant Anas Ahmad al-Deeb from Daraa

-Sergeant Zuhair Ali Sultan from Lattakia

-Sergeant Ali Mohammad Ali from Hama

-Sergeant Motaz Shukri al-Rihyji from Lattakia

-Conscript Qasim Hassan Kaka from Aleppo

-Conscript Hameed Mustafa Tama from Aleppo

-Conscript Khalid Ibrahim al-Salih from Deir Ezzor

-Conscript Mohammad Ahmad al- Hussein from Deir Ezzor

-Conscript Ahmad Dahir al-Hussein from Deir Ezzor

-Conscript Mohammad Kanjo al-Shami from Idleb

Families of the martyrs stressed adherence to national unity and determination to foil the conspiracy hatched against the homeland, expressing confidence in the Syrian people’s ability to overcome the crisis through their steadfastness and the sacrifices of the Syrian army.

BASP: Commitment to Reforms and Active Participation in Democratic Practices

DAMASCUS, (SANA)_ The Regional Leadership of the Baath Arab Socialist Party (BASP) reiterated commitment to the implementations of the ongoing reforms in Syria and to active participation in the coming democratic practices, on top of which the parliamentary elections next May the 7th.

In a statement on the 65th anniversary of the BASP Foundation Day, the Leadership asserted that it would take active part in deepening the concept of democracy, freedom, and voting in contribution to the building of Syria and strengthening the process of the Reforms and development led by President Bashar al-Assad.

The BASP leadership called on the Party members to redouble efforts to keep pace with the events and explain the priorities, exposing the conspiracy hatched against Syria and exposing its tools and those who support the conspiracy with weapons and money.

The BASP lauded in the statement the strong National Unity of Syria and the great sacrifices of the Syrian Arab Army Martyrs and members who have contributed to the immunity and defense of the sovereignty of Syria against the conspiracy.

Mikdad: ICRC has to ask countries that Support Terrorism to stop financing it

DAMASCUS, (SANA)-Deputy Foreign and Expatriates Minister Fayssal Mikdad discussed with President of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) Jakob Kellenberger bilateral relations between Syria and the international organization and the detailed sides of this cooperation.

During the meeting Wednesday, Dr. Mikdad underlined that confidence has been the core of cooperation between Syria and ICRC during the latest years which gave fruits for important achievements in the human field.

“Within its mission in Syria, ICRC has to ask the countries that support and fund terrorism to halt operations of arming and financing in order to stop the Syrian bloodshed,” Mikdad said.

He added that Syria completely cooperates with ICRC and it is committed to offer all possible facilitations to make its mission a success.

For his part, Kellenberger hailed the confidence given to him by the Syrian government which facilitated his mission, hoping that cooperation between the two sides will boost the committee’s work in offering more humanitarian and logistic services.

Explosive Devices Go off as Terrorists were Preparing them, Kill Seven in Damascus Countryside

DAMASCUS, SANA_ Explosive devices went off while terrorists were preparing them in the basement of a building in Beit Sehem in Damascus countryside, causing the building to collapse and damaging a nearby building.

Damascus Countryside Police Commander Abdul Razzak al-Mutlak told SANA correspondent that 7 bodies were pulled from underneath the rubble, among them the bodies of a mother and her two children, in addition to unidentified human remains.

Armed Terrorist Group Sets Fire to Red Cerscent Warehouse in Homs

An armed terrorist group on Wednesday set fire to a warehouse owned by the Syrian Arab Red Crescent, Homs branch, in al-Qarabiss neighborhood.

SANA correspondent was informed that Civil Defense members extinguished the fire in the warehouse which contained food and medicine, pointing out that only material damage was caused and no human losses or injuries were reported.

Authorities storm a farm at Barza orchards, seizing different weapons

Following pursuit and investigations, the authorities stormed a farm at Barza orchards in Damascus for terrorist Tammam Saab, seizing different weapons, ammunitions and communication sets.

An official source told SANA reporter that the weapons confiscated were explosives, rifles, snipers, made-hand bombs and night goggles.

Grand Mufti of Syria: Conspiracy against Syria Aims at Undermining its National Stances

DAMASCUS, (SANA) – Grand Mufti of the Republic Dr. Ahmad Badreddin Hassoun on Wednesday stressed that Syria is targeted for its national stances and keenness on supporting resistance.

Meeting members of the delegation of the Syrian community in Sweden visiting Syria, Dr. Hassoun stressed the role of expatriates in conveying the reality of what is taking place in Syria in light of the misleading Arab-Western media campaign which aims at undermining Syria.

For their part, the delegation members stressed support to the comprehensive reform program led by President Bashar al-Assad, expressing readiness to defend Syria through continuing organizing events and activities to expose the conspiracy targeting their country.

Head of the delegation Sabri Ayyoub expressed confidence that the conspiracy is doomed to failure thanks to the awareness of the Syrian people.

Father Gabriel Dawood from the Syriac Orthodox Patriarchate underlined the role of the expatriates in defending the homeland and conveying the reality of what is taking place.

Turkish Republican Popular Party rejects Erdogan’s hostile policy towards Syria

ANKARA, (SANA)-Turkish opposition Republican Popular Party reiterated rejection of Erdogan’s government hostile policy towards Syria and its intervention in the Syrian internal affairs as well as hosting armed terrorist groups in Turkey.

“The republican popular Party along with the majority of the Turkish people oppose the military intervention through Turkey into Syria… the Turkish people don’t want war with Syria, particularly with the Syrian friends,” Osman Faruk Logoglu, Deputy Chairman of the Party said.

He considered that hosting armed terrorist groups by Erdogan government on the Turkish lands undermines security and stability in Syria.

Ten Army, Law-enforcement and Civilian Martyrs Laid to Rest

PROVINCES, (SANA) – The bodies of 10 army, law enforcement and civilian martyrs on Tuesday were escorted from Tishreen , Zahi Azraq and Aleppo Military Hospitals in Damascus, Lattakia and Aleppo to their final resting place.

Solemn processions were held for the martyrs who were targeted by armed terrorist groups while on duty in Aleppo, Idleb, Damascus Countryside, Daraa, Homs and Hama.

The martyrs are:

•           First Lieutenant Moayad Ibrahim Yousef, from Lattakia.

•           Chief Warrant Officer Ali Mohammad Ratabeh, from Lattakia.

•           Sergeant Safwan Jamal Mutran, from Homs.

•           Corporal Mohammad Kheir Abdel Azeem Khallouf, from Damascus Countryside.

•           Corporal Ibrahim Khleif Freih, from Deir Ezzor.

•           Conscript Riyad Ahmad al-Omar, from Raqqa.

•           Conscript Shihadeh Hillo al-Khalaf, from Aleppo.

•           Conscript Mohammad Said al-Ahmad, from Aleppo.

•           Conscript Abdo Ahmad Khalil, from Aleppo.

•           Civil service worker Ihab Yousef Hamdoush, from Homs.

The Martyrs’ families stressed adherence to the national unity and their determination to foil the conspiracy hatched against the homeland, expressing confidence in the Syrian people’s ability to overcome the crisis through their steadfastness and the sacrifices of the Syrian army.

Armed groups perpetrate two new massacres at Dir Baalba,killing four women and a number of citizens

HOMS, (SANA)-Armed terrorist groups on Tuesday perpetrated two new heinous massacres at Dir Baalba town in Homs , killing four women and a number of citizens who were abducted earlier.

At a poultry farm in one of Dir Baalba orchards , the terrorists killed a number of citizens in cold blood, mutilating and burning their bodies after kidnapping them.

The terrorists also killed four women at one house in the same neighborhood after storming it.

The armed terrorist groups terrified the safe citizens in Dir Baalab and forced them to flee, sabotaged the private and public properties, including the buildings of Chemical and Petrochemical Engineering Faculty affiliated to al-Baath University.

The competent authorities arrested a number of terrorists who perpetrated crimes against citizens, seizing big quantities of weapons, stolen medical equipment hidden in one of the schools.

Meanwhile, a patrol for the law enforcement members came under heavy fire by an armed terrorist group one Khan Sheikhoun- Marrat al-Numan road.

A source told SANA correspondent that the authorities responded to the fires of the terrorists, killing one of them and confiscating their weapons.

Authorities clash with armed group in Taftanaz, killing a number of terrorists

The authorities clashed with an armed terrorist group in Taftanaz, Idleb, which was attacking citizens, and perpetrating acts of killing, kidnapping and planting explosives that target law enforcement members.

SANA correspondent learned that the clashes led to the killing of several terrorists, arresting a number of them and confiscating their weapons.

Three security members were also martyred during the operation.

Citizen from Daraa Slaughters his own family

Citizen Majed Taha Arshidat Aba Zaid, from Daraa, perpetrated a heinous crime against his family, killing his father Taha Suleiman, his brother Ibrahim, injuring his mother Ghazaleh, his sister Samar and his brother Hassan.

His brother Hassan who was rescued said in a statement that his brother Majed perpetrated this crime against his family at 4 a.m. today after storming the house.

He added that reason behind his brother’s slaughter was of inheritance disagreement.

31 persons from Madaya, Damascus Countryside give themselves up

31 persons from Madaya, Damascus Countryside gave themselves up to the authorities today.

The persons underlined that they were subjected to a lot of deception, but the reality became clear, underlining that the authorities released them immediately to return to normal life.

They pledged not to carry any weapon in future or participate in any acts of sabotage.

Earlier, 103 persons in Madaya gave themselves up along with their weapons to the authorities on Monday.

Foreign Minister to ICRC President: Syria Continues to Work to Ensure Success of Red Cross’s Humanitarian Mission

DAMASCUS, (SANA) – Foreign and Expatriates Minister Walid al-Moallem on Tuesday held a meeting with President of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) Jakob Kellenberger, during which he reviewed the details of the ICRC’s work and its needs in terms of humanitarian work in Syria.

Al-Moallem affirmed that Syria will continue to provide all that is needed to ensure the success of the ICRC’s work and humanitarian mission in coordination with the Syrian Arab Red Crescent (SARC).

The two sides agreed upon a mechanism for direct cooperation and coordination between the ICRC and the SARC  on one sides and the Foreign and Expatriates Ministry on the other in order to overcome any obstacle and achieve the desired cooperation.

For his part, Kellenberger voiced appreciation for the cooperation shown by the Syrian authorities, which allowed the ICRC to reach areas affected by the current events and provide aid to those who need it.

The meeting was attended by President of the SARC Dr. Abdelrahman al-Attar and Deputy Foreign and Expatriates Minister Dr. Fayssal Mikdad.

Interior Minister Meets ICRC President, Welcomes Any Assistance or Advice on Humanitarian Situation in Penal Establishments

The meeting of Interior Ministry Lt. Gen. Mohammad al-Shaar with Kellenberger on Tuesday focused on issues related to the ICRC’s work in Syria and the facilitations the Ministry can provide, particularly regarding the inspection of penal facilities and meeting inmates in them.

Al-Shaar said that the Ministry is working to improve the status of prisoners, provide health and humanitarian services to them, and rehabilitating them to allow them to reintegrate into society.

He said that all arrested individuals who are being tried are under judicial supervision and are all equal in receiving health and humanitarian services, affirming that the Ministry welcomes any assistance or advice regarding humanitarian factors that the ICRC can provide.

In turn, Kellenberger noted that the Syrian authorities allowed an ICRC delegation to visit Damascus Central Prison and inspect the status of its inmates in June 2011, adding “it would be unfair to say that you didn’t cooperate with us, despite that the visit of the delegation didn’t obligate you to allow us to visit the prison.”

He voiced hope for making such visits in the future in coordination with the Syrian Arab Red Crescent.

Al-Halqi: Public and private hospitals didn’t stop performing duty despite current difficult circumstances

Minister of Health Wael al-Halqi reviewed with Kellenberger the situation of health sector, challenges and the services provided for citizens across Syria.

Minister Halqi said that Syria’s public and  private hospitals, during those difficult circumstances, did not stop performing their duty in receiving and treating patients and injured people regardless of the political attitudes unlike what has been broadcast by the instigative media channels with the aim of  damaging the reputation of this sector and its humanitarian services.

He called upon the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to visit any hospital or place to inspect work mechanism there.

The minister indicated to losses of the health sector in Syria at the hands of the armed terrorist groups, adding that 22  members of medical cadres were martyred while 30 others were injured, in addition to the damage caused to 19 national hospitals, 107 health centers and 125 ambulance cars.

Minister al-Halqi underlined the negative impact of  the unjust economic sanctions imposed on the Syrian people in general and the health sector in particular

Kellenberger stressed that the ICRC will study the possibility of meeting the requirements proposed by the Syrian Ministry of Health.

For his part, Head of the Syrian Arab Red Crescent Abdulrahman al-Attar reviewed the health aid provided by the SARC through its centers in the Syrian provinces, in addition to the training courses.

He hailed the facilitations provided by the Ministry to reach some areas and provide help and humanitarian aid

Gatilov: So-Called ‘Friends of Syria’ Group not Friend of Majority of Syrians

MOSCOW, (SANA)- Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Gennady Gatilov said “Moscow sees that most of the Syrian people do not consider the ‘friends of Syria’ group as a genuine friend of them and don’t see it positively.”

In a comment posted on his Twitter page on Tuesday, Gatilov added that the protests held by many Syrians near the location where the ‘Friends of Syria’ meeting was held in Istanbul and which have been dispersed, show that many Syrians don’t consider this group as a friend of them.

Gatilov urged  all concerned parties to actively support the mission of the UN envoy to Syria, Kofi Annan.

Bogdanov Welcomes Syrian Decision to Withdraw Troops and Heavy Weapons from Syrian Cities before April 10th

” The Russian President’s Special Representative for Middle East Affairs, Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov welcomes Syria’s decision to take the first step and withdraw troops and heavy weapons from the Syrian cities and villages before April 10th,” the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

The statement added that Bogdanov reviewed with the Syrian Ambassador in Moscow Riyad Haddad the development of the situation in Syria and the efforts exerted by the Syrian leadership to solve the crisis in the country.

“Ambassador Haddad stressed that Damascus has started fulfilling its obligations under the plan suggested by the UN special envoy Kofi Annan,” the statement said.

The statement added that stress was laid on the need for positive steps by the Syrian opposition and its armed groups, including clear expression of support to the Kofi Annan plan and practical steps towards its implementation.

Syrian Family Forum stresses commitment to National Unity

SWEIDA, (SANA)-With wide participation from different Syrian cities, delegations from Lebanon, Iraq and Jordan, the religious, civil and youth activities in the southern city of Sweida held on Tuesday the Founding Syrian Family Forum under the title “Syria is Fine”.

The participants rejected all forms of intervention in Syria’s domestic affairs, showing commitment to the national unity and support to the reforms led by President Bashar al-Assad.

They hailed the national role played by the Syrian Army to restore security and stability to the Homeland, condemning all acts of killing, sabotage and terrifying the safe people as well as the criminal acts perpetrated by the terrorist groups which serve foreign agendas.

The Syrian and Arab participants thanked all honest people and counties which stood by the Syrian people in the face of conspiracy to which Syria is exposed, underlining that building the homeland lies in the way of reforms, dialogue and tolerance.

Ali Hashim: al-Jazeera Channel Smuggled Thuraya Communication Devices into Syria

BEIRUT, (SANA) – Former al-Jazeera channel correspondent, Ali Hashim, said on Tuesday that the channel has smuggled Thuraya communication devices and BGAN satellite internet devices into Syria through Lebanon, Jordan and Turkey.

In an interview with al-Safir Newspaper, Hashim underscored that al-Jazeera channel paid USD 50,000 for each device smuggled into Syria for the opposition to relate their fabricated stories to the channel.

He stressed that al-Jazeera administration forced him not to broadcast the footages of gunmen at the Syrian-Lebanese borders, pointing out that al-Jazeera has lost credibility because of its one-sided view and the absence of ‘the other opinion’.

Musin: Syrian Leadership Faces International Terrorism

MOSCOW, (SANA) – Deputy-Chairman of the Russian Committee of Solidarity with the peoples of Syria and Libya, Marat Musin, on Tuesday said that the Syrian leadership is facing an international terrorism on its soil.

In an interview with Russia Today TV, Musin added that there is a major betting war carried out through intelligence and media agencies, armed gangs and mercenaries in Syria.

He outlined that there are armed groups and mercenaries that are kidnapping, killing and spreading chaos in Syria, stressing that these terrorists are supported by Qatar, KSA and Turkey.

Musin pointed out that the initiative of the UN Special Envoy Kofi Annan will be effective only if the USA ordered the mercenaries of Qatar and KSA to cease fire and violence, adding that ” Everyone knows that the Gulf states have US military bases and that Qatar is arming terrorists and recruiting mercenaries at the orders of the USA.”

Musin said that the solidarity committee is working on conveying the reality of the events taking place in Syria and Libya, especially after the global media channels shifted to suit the interests of the USA and the NATO.

Larijani: Istanbul Conference Gathering for those Bought by Israel, not Syria’s Friends

TEHRAN, (SANA) – Iranian Chairman of the Shura Council, Ali Larijani, stressed on Tuesday that Istanbul Conference held recently with the theme of “Friends of Syria” is in fact a conference for those bought by Israel and not for Syria’s friends.

In a statement, Larijani said that the UN Envoy to Syria, Kofi Annan, has not finished his mission yet, while the conference started highlighting disagreements, reiterating his country’s support to the ongoing democratic reforms in Syria and condemnation of the conspiracy hatched against it.

Larijani added that the United Kingdom offered 500,000 pounds to fuel unrest in Syria and the US is talking about helping the saboteurs and terrorists inside Syria to undermine the Resistance against the Israeli entity.

He pointed out that if the states taking part in Istanbul conference are obsessed with democracy why do they keep silent about the dictatorship in Bahrain?

In turn, Iranian Defense Minster Brig. Gen. Ahmad Vahidi said that those who claim to be Syria’s friends should support the reforms that are taking place in it, affirming that the Syrian people have chosen their paths and began reforms that should be supported.

He said that what is happening to Syria at the hands of those who claim to be its friends is a sign of hostility, and that the west’s reluctance to denounce terrorist attacks in Syria constitutes support for terrorists which is unacceptable.

Bishop al-Khouri: Syria Will Come out of Crisis Stronger

MONTREAL, CANADA, (SANA) – Greek Orthodox Patriarchal Assistant, Bishop Luca al- Khouri stressed that Syria will come out stronger and more united from the current crisis.

In a event in his honor held by the Syrian Honorary Consul Nelly Kanou in Montreal, al-Khouri added that the conspiracy which was plotted by western parties and implemented by Saudi Arabia and Qatar aims at spreading chaos and destabilizing Syria.

He said that it is silly for a country like Saudi Arabia, which lacks the minimum requirements of civilized countries, to teach the Syrian people democracy, freedom and co-existence.

Bishop al-Khouri added the Syrian people and army ‘s rallying around their leadership is the guarantee for preserving Syria strong and united in the face of the sabotage and murder committed by armed terrorist groups.

He reiterated that Syria’s history and the unity of its people set an example of democracy, equality and co-existence for the whole world.

In Racial Measure Violating International Charter on Occupied Golan, Israeli Authorities Prevent Crossing of Golan Apples to Homeland

QUNEITRA, (SANA)- The Israeli occupation authority rejected the crossing of batches of Syrian Golan apples, the main source of the livelihood of the people of the occupied Syrian Golan, into the local markets in Syria in the framework of tightening its economic grip on the farmers of the occupied Golan.

In a statement to SANA reporter in Quneitra, Chairman of the Marketing Committee of the Golan Apples in the occupied village of Buq’atha, Said Farhat, said that the Israeli practices will not persuade the people of Golan from continuing their struggle, committing to their land and defending it in the face of the Israeli occupation arrogance and inhuman practices.

For his part, Quneitra Governor, Hussein Arnous, said that transferring the Golan apples to the Homeland constitutes the main source of the farmers’ livelihood in occupied Golan and one of the main factors of their steadfastness and commitment to the national identity.

Arnous called upon the international , legal and humanitarian organizations to put pressures on the Israeli occupation authorities to allow the crossing of the Golan apples, asserting that Quneitra Province has already completed all procedures to receive the apples’ shipments across Quneitra crossing, in coordination with the International Red Cross and United Nations Disengagement Observer Forces ( UNDOF).

Annan Informs Security Council of his mission in Syria… al-Jaafari: Countries that call for Arming opposition seek to make the Mission a failure

NEW YORK, (SANA)-Syria’s permanent Envoy to the UN Bashar al-Jaafari said that the countries which arm the terrorists in Syria, fund and supply them with communication sets seek to make the mission of UN Envoy to Syria Kofi Annan a failure.

“Those countries are violating the Syrian sovereignty and declaring the war on it… those countries are involved in complicating the crisis… they have to assume responsibilities and commit to Annan’s mission,” al-Jaafar said at a press conference held in the New York-based the UN.

“The Saudi Foreign Minister didn’t hide his personal intervention in the Syrian domestic affairs as he openly called for arming the opposition, moreover; he considered that a duty,” al-Jaafari added.

He said that those statements and others indicate to a duality in language that contradicts the harmonious way adopted by the Security Council, those statements represent a call for foiling Annan’s mission, so there are sides who want to confuse his voice through finding parallel tracks as the case in the meeting of Syria’s Enemies in Istanbul.

“The Turkish current government’s policy is hostile towards Syria… it hosted a meeting on its land which undermines sovereignty of a neighboring country as to be considered declaring war on it,” al-Jaafari added.

He made clear that commitment to Annan’s mission must be applied on all, including Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Turkey and all who seek to pass the Syrian sovereignty, create parallel tracks for the security Council which are not recognized internationally.

“All now acknowledge the existence of armed terrorist groups in Syria… the Syrian Government didn’t accept what it rejected in the past… Syria deals with a matter that is proven now and it was asking all, including al-Jazeera and al-Arabiya TV channels to acknowledge the existence of the armed groups,” al-Jaafari underlined.

He said that Syria is doing its best to make Annan’s mission a success, adding “we expect that Mr. Annan and members of the UNSC have as much as Syria commitment to make the plan a success… in diplomacy, there is no obligation to impose preconditions, what is important is preserving the Syrian sovereignty, and talking about observers is too early.

“We expect Mr. Annan will contact the other sides, particularly those who are involved in arming the terrorist groups to end acts of violence,” Dr. al-Jaafari added.

At a closed session, Mr. Annan informed members of the UNSC of his mission in Syria, saying that Syria has agreed his plan, but it awaits a commitment by the opposition to halt violence and withdraw the armed terrorist groups.

 

Two Laws on Establishing Real Estate Financing Companies, Regional Center for Early Childhood Development

DAMASCUS, (SANA)_ President Bashar al-Assad on Monday issued Law No. 15 for the year 2012 that allows establishing public and private financing and refinancing real estate companies as Joint-stock company.

The purpose of establishing such companies is to fund operations of real estate investment and deals.

Law on Establishing Regional Center for Early Childhood Development

President Bashar al-Assad also issued Law No. 17 for the year 2012 on establishing the Regional Center for Early Childhood Development based in Damascus, linked to the Minister of Education.

The Center is aimed at building national and regional capacities in early childhood care and education, as well as contributing to achieving the UN millennium goals in providing education for all.

Annan Informs Security Council of his mission in Syria… al-Jaafari: Countries that call for Arming opposition seek to make the Mission a failure

NEW YORK, (SANA)-Syria’s permanent Envoy to the UN Bashar al-Jaafari said that the countries which arm the terrorists in Syria, fund and supply them with communication sets seek to make the mission of UN Envoy to Syria Kofi Annan a failure.

“Those countries are violating the Syrian sovereignty and declaring the war on it… those countries are involved in complicating the crisis… they have to assume responsibilities and commit to Annan’s mission,” al-Jaafar said at a press conference held in the New York-based the UN.

“The Saudi Foreign Minister didn’t hide his personal intervention in the Syrian domestic affairs as he openly called for arming the opposition, moreover; he considered that a duty,” al-Jaafari added.

He said that those statements and others indicate to a duality in language that contradicts the harmonious way adopted by the Security Council, those statements represent a call for foiling Anna’s mission, so there are sides who want to confuse his voice through finding parallel tracks as the case in the meeting of Syria’s Enemies in Istanbul.

“The Turkish current government’s policy is hostile towards Syria… it hosted a meeting on its land which undermines sovereignty of a neighboring country as to be considered declaring war on it,” al-Jaafari added.

He made clear that commitment to Annan’s mission must be applied on all, including Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Turkey and all who seek to pass the Syrian sovereignty, create parallel tracks for the security Council which are not recognized internationally.

“All now acknowledge the existence of armed terrorist groups in Syria… the Syrian government didn’t accept what it rejected in the past… Syria deals with a matter that is proven now and it was asking all, including al-Jazeera and al-Arabiya TV channels to acknowledge the existence of the armed groups,” al-Jaafari underlined.

He said that Syria is doing its best to make Annan’s mission a success, adding “we expect that Mr. Annan and members of the UNSC have as much as Syria commitment to make the plan a success… in diplomacy, there is no obligation to impose preconditions, what is important is preserving the Syrian sovereignty, and talking about observers is too early.

“We expect Mr. Annan will contact the other sides, particularly those who are involved in arming the terrorist groups to end acts of violence,” Dr. al-Jaafari added.

At a close session, Mr. Annan informed members of the UNSC of his mission in Syria, saying that Syria has agreed his plan, but it awaits a commitment by the opposition to halt violence and withdraw the armed terrorist groups.

Lavrov: Annan’s Plan Evaluated by Security Council Only, Moscow Against Putting any Deadline or Ultimatum in It

MOSCOW, (SANA) – Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Monday said that the plan of UN Special Envoy Kofi Annan is evaluated by the Security Council, not the “Friends of Syria” meeting, adding that Moscow is against putting any deadline or ultimatum in this plan.

He also said that Russia is the friend of the entire Syrian people, not the friend of a part of it like the west.

In a statement made at the Armenian capital of Yerevan, Lavrov warned against the danger of the stances of the so-called “Friends of Syria” meeting in terms of recognizing some of the Syrian opposition groups as representatives of the Syrian people, saying that this is a grave matter that contradicts with Annan’s efforts.

He added that Russia intends to receive two delegations representing various spectrums of the opposition at a later time.

Minister Lavrov voiced the hope that western colleges would send a clear signal to the armed groups which commit violence acts in Syria to stop violence as to secure the work for the full implementation of Annan’s six-point plan.

At a lecture in Yerevan public University, Lavrov underlined that it is not possible to ignore the reforms carried out by the Syrian government, adding “all sides must engage in dialogue.”

“We see that Syria is facing a complicated crisis,” Lavrov said, adding that the compromise between the Syrian government and the opposition to settle the crisis is very possible.

Russian Foreign Ministry: “Friends of Syria” Meeting Contradicts Peaceful Solution Efforts

The Russian Foreign Ministry criticized the so-called “Friends of Syria” meeting, describing its decisions as unilateral and contradict the efforts of reaching a peaceful solution for the crisis in Syria.

The ministry added in a statement that the most important matter currently is implementing cessation of fire and violence regardless of the source and starting a comprehensive dialogue among all Syrians, not igniting sedition and provocation in Syria.

The ministry stressed that the intentions and promises made in Istanbul regarding military and logistic support for the armed opposition in Syria are totally inconsistent with the mission of the UN Special Envoy Kofi Annan to reach a peaceful solution for the crisis in Syria.

Authorities Foil Terrorist Group Infiltration Attempt from Turkey, 103 persons give themselves up to Authorities

IDLEB, DAMASCUS COUNTRYSIDE, (SANA)- Authorities on Monday foiled an infiltration attempt by an armed terrorist group from the Turkish territories into Syria near Khirbet al-Jouz border village in Idleb countryside.

One of the terrorists was killed in the clash while the others escaped.

SANA Reporter quoted a source at Idleb Province as saying that the authorities found different kinds of weapons left by the terrorists including 1500 electric detonators used to detonate explosive charges.

Terrorists Caught , Weapons Seized in Damascus Countryside

The competent authorities aided by the locals arrested 4 terrorists on a farm in al- Ma’addamieh in Damascus countryside.

An official source told SANA correspondent that amounts of weapons were seized. The competent authorities also raided a farm used by armed groups to manufacture explosives for targeting law-enforcement members and citizens in Ashrafiyet Sahnaya.

103 persons give themselves up to authorities in Madaya, Damascus Countryside

103 persons in Madaya, Damascus countryside gave themselves up along with their weapons to the authorities today.

The persons underlined that they were subjected to a lot of deception, but the reality became clear, underlining that the authorities released them immediately to return to normal life.

They pledged not to carry any weapon in future or participate in any acts of sabotage.

Prime Minister: Current Stage Necessitates all Efforts to Overcome Foreign Conspiracy

DAMASCUS, (SANA) – The current stage necessitates gathering all efforts as to overcome the situation which is fed by foreign sides conspiring against Syria and to restore normal life and achieve security and stability in the homeland, Prime Minister, Adel Safar, said on Monday.

Opening the Heads of Provincial Councils Meeting in Damascus, Safar added that the Government is ready to offer all forms of assistance to the provincial councils as to carry out their duties and development plans.

For his part, Minister of Local Administration Omar Ibrahim Ghalawenji stressed the importance of provincial councils in tackling all development and service issues which concern all citizens.

Ten Army and Law Enforcement Martyrs Laid to Rest

DAMASCUS / ALEPPO, (SANA) – Ten army and law enforcement martyrs on Monday were escorted from Tishreen and Aleppo Military Hospitals in Damascus and Aleppo to their final resting place.

Solemn funeral processions were held for the martyrs who were targeted by armed terrorist groups while they were in the line of duty in Damascus Countryside, Homs, Idleb, Deir Ezzor, Daraa, Hama and Aleppo.

The Martyrs are:

­           Colonel Malik Ahmad Saleh, from Lattakia.

­           Chief Warrant Officer Seif Mohammed, from Lattakia.

­           Sergeant Major Weaam Fayad, from Hama.

­           Sergeant Major Bashar Mohammed Deeb Qurabi, from Aleppo.

­           Sergeant Major Ekrima Salem Haji Suleiman, from Idleb.

­           Sergeant Ahmad Abdullah al-Ali, from Aleppo.

­           Conscript Walid Miskin Mahmoud, from Hasaka.

­           Conscript Hussein Hamzeh al-Hardan, from Aleppo.

­           Conscript Abdul-Karim al-Nasseri, from Aleppo.

­           Civilian Haitham Agha, from Aleppo.

The martyrs’ families stressed that the systematic terrorism perpetrated by the armed terrorist groups will not persuade the Syrian people from adhering to their national and pan-Arab stances.

They called for confronting the terrorists in order to restore Syria’s security and stability, expressing confidence in the ability of the Syrian people to overcome the crisis through adhering to national unity.

They expressed rejection of the foreign interference in Syria’s internal affairs , asserting the Syrian people ability to resolve their problems by themselves.

Turkish Media: Failure of Istanbul Meeting, Ankara Hostile Towards Syrian Protester against Meeting

ANKARA, (SANA) – The majority of the Turkish media highlighted the failure of the so-called “Friends of Syria” meeting in Istanbul despite the attempts of pro-government media to show the opposite.

Writers specialized in the international affairs underlined that Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu failed to persuade the participants in the meeting to issue concrete decisions against Syria.

Turkish TV channels and newspapers talked about the aggressive and provocative stance of the Turkish security forces against the Syrian pro-government protesters in Istanbul who condemned the meeting.

The renown Turkish journalist Asli Aydintash from Milliyet Newspaper asked ” what democratic message could Ankara send to President Bashar al-Assad through the democracy of burner pepper gas, which couldn’t stand the shouting of only thirty people.”

Cumhuriyet newspaper revealed that foreign ministers of western countries, including the USA, Britain and Germany refused a Turkish proposal on granting the UN special envoy to Syria, Kofi Annan, two weeks only for his mission, as they also rejected another Turkish proposal on arming the opposition and the militia of the so called “Free Army” and granting monetary aid. The participants of the Meeting also ruled out discussing the idea of establishing a buffer zone on the Turkish-Syrian border.

Syrian Human Rights Network Condemn  Istanbul Conference and Decisions

DAMASCUS, (SANA) – Syrian Human Rights Network condemned Istanbul Conference and its false decisions, considering that they only represent the opinion of the defeated and fragmented opposition and traitors of the Arabs.

The Network said in a statement Monday that the Conference and its decisions are rejected by the Syrian people of all backgrounds, considering that those who put their hands with Israel do not have the right to talk on behalf of the Syrian people who consider the Palestinian Cause as his their central issue and offer thousands of martyrs to destabilize the situation in the country.

The statement added that some Arab countries like Qatar and Saudi Arabia in addition to Turkey are supplying the terrorist armed groups with weapons and money to sow sedition among the Syrians and support terrorism which violates the Statue of Rome and Resolution no. 1373 on combating terrorism.

Syrian Consultative Center for Studies and Human Rights: Istanbul Conference Endorses Killing and Bloodshed in Syria

The Syrian Consultative Center for Studies and Human Rights stressed that Istanbul meeting endorses killing and bloodshed in Syria by armed terrorist groups which are funded by the conferees.

The Center said in a statement on Monday that the conferees should have called for dialogue instead of foreign interference, calling for prosecuting them for their support to criminals and mercenaries who are violating human rights.

Sculpture Honoring Syria’s Martyrs Unveiled in Sweida

SWEIDA, (SANA) – A sculpture honoring the sacrifices of Syria’s martyrs, dubbed “Rock of Martyrs,” was unveiled on Monday in Tishreen Square in Sweida city.

Chairman of Swedia branch of the National Union of Syrian Students Omar al-Jibaei said that this sculpture, which was made by sculptor Karam Haidar under the supervision of the Union, is a gesture of appreciation for the martyrs’ sacrifices.

He said that the basalt sculpture, which is three meters high, 1.8 meters wide and weighs 2.5 tons, resembles an open book symbolizing “the open book of martyrdom” and the continuing martyrdom in defense of Syria, adding that the names of 82 martyrs from Sweida have been carved on the sculpture.

Al-Jibaei noted that the sculpture was inspired by a speech delivered by President Bashar al-Assad in which he said that “Sweida is the strongest rock in the impregnable fortress of Syria.”

In April 2012, a sculpture dubbed “The Strongest Rock” was unveiled in the same square. It was carved by seven sculptors, standing 4 meters high and weighing 32 tons, depicting Syria’s history throughout the ages.

Al-Maliki Reiterates Rejection of Interference in the Syrian Internal Affairs

BAGHDAD, (SANA)_Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki reiterated Iraq’s rejection of foreign interference in the Syrian domestic affairs, arming the Syrian opposition or the use of force against Syria as this would add fuel to the fire.

During a press conference in Baghdad on Sunday, al-Maliki called for finding a political peaceful solution to the crisis in Syria, expressing willingness to back the political efforts and national dialogue for that purpose.

Al-Maliki said that Iraq rejects the forceful overthrow of the regime as it will create a growing crisis in the region that will spill over into other countries, expressing support to the will of the Syrians.

He indicated that the so-called Friends of Syria meeting in Istanbul will only echo calls for arming the opposition by two countries.

Al-Maliki clarified that Iraq’s initiative to help reach a solution to the crisis is based on understanding its dimensions and repercussions, adding that it proposes that all sides will come to the ballot box.

Al-Maliki considered that those who are calling for arming the Syrian opposition are not aware of Syria’s position and its interrelations with other countries, adding that the responsibility of the Arabs and Muslims is to contain the crisis.

Al-Maliki indicated that the situation in Syria is different from any other country, affirming that the regime won’t be toppled by force.

7 Protesters Injured by Turkish Security Forces during Protest against Istanbul Meeting

ISTANBUL, (SANA)_Turkish security forces attacked a protest in Istanbul against the anti-Syria Istanbul meeting in an attempt to disperse the protesters , injuring 7 of them.

The participants held the Syrian flags and chanted slogans rejecting foreign interference and condemning Istanbul meeting.

Fadi al-Mahmoud, organizer of National Unity Convoy and a participant in the protest, said that the Turkish security forces used tear gas to disperse the protesters and beat them up.

Ezawi:  Number of candidates for next people’s Assembly term reached 7195

DAMASCUS, (SANA)-Counselor Khalaf al-Ezawi, Head of the Higher Committee for elections said that the number of candidates to the first legislative term for 2012 reached at 7195 in all Syrian cities, among them 2632 have university degrees and 710 female candidates.

During a meeting held on Sunday, al-Ezawi called on members and chairmen of judicial committees of elections to provide suitable circumstances to make the electoral process, due on May 7th, a success in light of the new constitution which was approved in February.

He underlined that the voters are free in their options to select whom they see fit to represent them , adding that the constitution paved the way for making elections free, fair and democratic.

President al-Assad Issues Decree No. 25

DAMASCUS, SANA_ President Bashar al-Assad on Sunday issued decree No. 25 for 2012 stipulating for the Supreme Constitutional Court to reconsider the People’s Assembly’s elections-related contestations.

In a statement to SANA, Head of the Elections Higher Committee Counselor Khalaf al-Azzawi said that the Legislative Decree No. 25 came according to what has been stated by the new constitution on amending laws in three years.

Ezawi:  Number of candidates for next people’s Assembly term reached 7195

DAMASCUS, (SANA)-Counselor Khalaf al-Ezawi, Head of the Higher Committee for elections said that the number of candidates to the first legislative term for 2012 reached at 7195 in all Syrian cities, among them 2632 have university degrees and 710 female candidates.

During a meeting held on Sunday, al-Ezawi called on members and chairmen of judicial committees of elections to provide suitable circumstances to make the electoral process, due on May 7th, a success in light of the new constitution which was approved in February.

He underlined that the voters are free in their options to select whom they see fit to represent them , adding that the constitution paved the way for making elections free, fair and democratic.

Gunmen Caught in Damascus and Daraa Countryside, Terrorist Killed in Clash with Authorities in Deir Ezzor

PROVINCES, (SANA)_ Competent authorities arrested gunmen with their weapons in Douma in Damascus countryside.

SANA correspondent said that big amounts of weapons were seized during raids of the terrorists’ hideouts in the area.

In Harasta, the competent authorities raided a farm used by armed terrorist groups and seized weapons and ammunition.

In Yelda, Damascus countryside, the competent authorities aided by citizens seized big amounts of weapons during raids of terrorists’ hideouts in the area.

Terrorists Turn themselves in, Others Caught in Daraa Eastern Countryside

Competent authorities clashed with an armed terrorist group in the eastern Gharrieh and western Gharrieh towns in Daraa eastern countryside.

An official source told SANA correspondent that the clash left a number of terrorists killed while many others turned themselves in. Many wanted terrorists were also caught.

The source indicated that the competent authorities confiscated big amounts of weapons and communication devices.

Authorities Find Water Well in Homs Used by terrorists to Smuggle, Hide Weapons

Authorities on Sunday found a water well in al-Naziheen Quarter in Homs used by terrorist groups to smuggle and hide weapons.

The armed groups opened a hole in the adjacent house to facilitate their movement from and to the well and to hide their weapons after killing and terrorizing citizens.

Terrorist Killed in Clash with Authorities in Deir Ezzor, Weapons Confiscated

The authorities clashed with terrorist groups in the town of al-Quria in Deir Ezzor countryside, leading to the death of several terrorists and the injuring of others.

Weapons were confiscated from terrorists, including 4 RPG launchers with 20 rounds and 12 AK-47 assault rifles, in addition to a large amount of machinegun and assault rifle ammo, 15 hand grenades, and a large number of explosive devices.

Directorate-General for Antiquities and Museums: World Heritage Sites in Syria Suffered Attacks by Terrorists

DAMASCUS, (SANA) – The Directorate-General for Antiquities and Museums on Sunday said that the world heritage sites in Damascus, Aleppo, Old Bosra, Palmyra, Citadel of Saladin and Krak des Chevaliers were targeted by the terrorist groups.

In a statement which SANA received a copy of, the directorate added that some armed terrorist groups are positioning in some architectural sites and damaging them.

“Bosra city suffered many illegal constructions in its campus. Al-Lujat area between Sweida and Daraa provinces suffered secret excavation operation.” The directorate stated.

The directorate highlighted that the local heritage sites were also exposed to attacks carried out by the terrorists, adding that ” A golden statue that is dated back to the Aramaic era was stolen from Hama Museum. Shaizar Castle, Misyaf Architectural Department, Ma’arrat al-Numan Museum were also attacked by terrorists.

The directorate concluded by saying that Syria played an important role in preserving the Arab heritage, adding that Syria expressed condemnation of the US aggressions in Iraq against the architectural sites at a time when other countries remained silence and now they are taking parts in sabotaging Syria’s cultural heritage.

Five Army and Law Enforcement Martyrs Laid to Rest

PROVINCES, (SANA) – Five army and law enforcement martyrs on Sunday were escorted from Tishreen, Zahi Azraq and Aleppo Military Hospitals in Damascus, Lattakia and Aleppo and the Police Hospital in Harasta in Damascus to their final resting place.

Solemn funeral processions were held for the martyrs who were targeted by armed terrorist groups while they were in the line of duty in Damascus Countryside, Homs and Aleppo.

The Martyrs are:

­           Colonel Khalid al-Hies, from Hama.

­           Conscript Hammoud Khedr al-Khedr, from Damascus Countryside.

­           Conscript Ahmad Kamal al-haj Hassan, from Aleppo.

­           Policeman jihad Jourieh, from Hama.

­           Civilian Qassem ali Kahileh, from Lattakia.

The martyrs’ families stressed that the systematic terrorism perpetrated by the armed terrorist groups will not persuade the Syrian people from adhering to their national and pan-Arab stances.

They called for confronting the terrorists in order to restore Syria’s security and stability, expressing confidence in the ability of the Syrian people to overcome the crisis through adhering to national unity.

Ghusn, Charbel: Smuggling Weapons into Syria Continued, Army is Combating It

BEIRUT, (SANA)- Lebanese Defense Minister, Fayez Ghusn, stressed that smuggling weapons into Syria is continuous and the Lebanese army is exerting efforts to combat it as much as possible as it deals firmly with this issue.

“ Smuggling weapons persists and is in fact increasing; the army is fighting it as much as it can but the smuggling operations are on the rise because they bring lots of profit and money,” Ghusn told An-Nahar newspaper on Sunday.

He added the borders with Syria, which extend 330 kilometers, include several illegal crossings making it difficult to monitor and control them from both sides.

“The army is ready but sometimes there are gaps and problems,” he said, adding that there are two main groups of the Lebanese army which are deployed on all the crossings.

In turn, Lebanese Interior Minister Marwan Charbbel said that there has been smuggling of weapons from Lebanon to Syria from the beginning of the events in Syria and throughout their development, noting that the Lebanese Army is currently curbing this phenomena.

In an interview with al-Manar TV, Charbel said that his Ministry and other security bodies in Lebanon are holding extensive meetings with Lebanese President Michel Sleiman and Premier Najib Mikati to discuss this issue which has negative ramifications on security in Lebanon.

Weapons, Ammunitions Seized from House of Lebanese MP Supporter

On Saturday evening, the Lebanese army stormed into the home of one of supporters of Member of the Lebanese Future Bloc and MP Khaled al-Daher in Akkar.

Lebanese OTV said that the army seized amounts of weapons and ammunitions.

Mansour: Helping Syria Through Supporting Reform Measures, Istanbul Meeting Fruitless

Lebanese Foreign Minister Adnan Mansour stressed that helping Syria is through supporting the reform measures, asserting that Istanbul meeting will yield nothing as it happened in Tunisia’s conference.

Mansour, in a radio speech, called for dialogue as the only outlet for the crisis in Syria.

He underlined support to the mission of the UN envoy to Syria, Kofi Annan, and the necessity of making it success.

The Minister said: ” We deal with Syria as a state to state as we deal with all the Arab countries, we don’t want to inter axes and what we have said on the necessity of halting violence and adopting dialogue is the same speech that we hear today at the international level.”

He added that Lebanon’s self-distancing policy towards Syria protects the diplomatic relations between the two countries.

Participants in Asia Convoy of Global March to al-Quds: Palestinian Cause Will Remain Central to All Arabs, Muslims and Free People

DAMASCUS, (SANA) – A press conference was held on Sunday to honor the Asian delegations which participated in the Global March to al-Quds in Syria and Lebanon.

In a speech at the conference, head of the preparatory committee of Global March to al-Quds Khaled Abdelmajid said that this March will herald more activities in the future to support the Palestinian cause, lauding the stances of Syria and its people towards the Palestinian cause, people and resistance.

In turn, member of the Syrian committee for the March Hala al-Asaad affirmed that Syria, Arabs, Muslims and the free people of the world stand alongside the Palestinian people in their struggle to reclaim their rights.

For their parts, participants in the March, hailing from Iran, the Philippines, Pakistan and Bahrain said that the March is an act of defiance against Israel’s crimes and barbaric policies against Palestinians, noting that the March was a success despite all of Israel’s attempts to foil it.

They said that this global initiative is the result of a growing awareness around the world, and that it sends out a message that people reject occupation and want to liberate occupied lands and topple the regimes serving Israel and the US, particularly some of the regimes in the Arab Gulf.

They also stressed the need to expand this movement and rally international support for the Palestinian cause.

At the conclusion of the conference, the national committee for the March honored the participating Asian delegation in appreciation of their efforts and support.

Asia Convoy of Global March to al-Quds began its journey early in March from the tomb of Mahatma Gandhi in India, traveling through Pakistan, Iran and Turkey, and afterwards it split and headed to Lebanon and Syria.

The Convoy encompassed activists from 15 Asian countries including Iran, the Philippines, Pakistan, Bahrain, Malaysia, Indonesia, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Iraq and more, with the members including representatives of organizations supporting the Palestinian people’s rights.

On Land Day, Golan People Reiterate Adherence to Syrian Identity and Unity with the Land

QUNEITRA, (SANA)- People of the occupied Syrian Golan on Friday marked the Land Day reiterating adherence to the national and pan-Arab principles along with their Palestinian brethren and rejection of the Israeli occupation practices.

A rally was held to commemorate the 36th anniversary of Land Day, with the Golan marchers stressing that every day in their struggle against the Israeli occupation is a Day for Land and for defending it until liberations is achieved.

March 30, is an annual day of commemoration for Palestinians of the events of that date in 1976 when a general strike and marches were organized in Arab towns from the Galilee to the Negev protesting the Israeli occupation authorities’ plan to illegally confiscate thousands of dunams of privately-owned of Palestinian lands . In the ensuing confrontations with the Israeli occupation forces, six Arab citizens were killed, about one hundred were wounded, and hundreds of others arrested.

In statements to SANA reporter in Quneitra, the people of villages occupied by Israel affirmed unity and solidarity with their brothers in occupied Palestine to thwart the Israeli schemes and to protect their land from expropriation in favor of settlements whether in the West Bank and the villages of Mas’ada, Jbata al-Zeit and Ba’qatha in Golan among others.

“When we speak of the Land Day, we stress to our Palestinian brethren and the Homeland’s sons that what unites us is the land that is blended with the blood of martyrs and the sweat of farmer,” said sheikh Hisham Shaalan from the occupied village of Ein Qunba, one of the participants in the rally.

“We will remain deep-rooted in our land in as much as the oaks of al-Sheikh mountain are deep-rooted, and in the same way Shemon Perez expelled us from Majdal Shams in 1987, we will kick out all who think that the way to it is going to be easy,” Shaalan added.

Sheikh Fadlallah Hamad from the occupied village of Mas’ada said the over six month open strike staged by the Golan people in 1982 in defense of the land and the Syrian identity was “a tough lesson” to the occupation authorities.

He continued that the Golan people have translated the National Document items into a reality through declaring that “the land is sacred and not one inch of it could be waived.”

Governor of Quneitra, Eng. Hussein Arnous, said it is the governorate’s priority to reconstruct the villages demolished by the occupation forces and bring citizens back to them to unite with the land near the barbed wire.

He cited a number of villages which restored life after having been reconstructed, adding that other villages are in the process of reconstruction in support of the governorate’s inhabitants and their defense of their land.

Abdul-Lahian: Syria has Turned the Corner despite Conspiracies

BEIRUT, (SANA)_ Iranian Assistant Foreign Minister Hussein Amir Abdul-Lahian said that Syria has turned the corner in the crisis despite conspiracies, reiterating rejection of all foreign interference in the Syrian internal affairs.

In a statement following his meeting with the Lebanese Foreign Minister Adnan Mansour, Abdul-Lahian affirmed that the political process is the sole exit from the crisis in Syria, indicating that his country has exerted efforts for the mission of the UN envoy to Syria Kofi Annan to succeed.

Abdul-Lahian expressed trust that Iran will spare no effort to support Syria as to preserve its resistance to the Israeli enemy.

He also stressed that President Bashar al-Assad had met the aspirations of the Syrian people through the reforms enacted, which will help Syria restore security and stability and achieve prosperity soon.

Conference of the Arab Youth Front for Defending Syria: Correcting Arab Governments’ Stance towards Syria

DAMASCUS, (SANA) – The Founding Conference of the Arab Youth Front for Defending Syria on Saturday continued its works, discussing propositions for setting a blueprint and studying the works of media and culture, law and social and economic committees, in addition to youth issues and voluntary work.

The participants set the political program for the front, as it contains shedding light on the western and Arab conspiracies hatched against Syria, boosting the resistance approach, supporting it against Zionism and the principle of the Arab nation.

In a statement to SANA, Chairman of Yemen Student Union, Motaz al-Qurashi, said that the Conference reflects the Arab youth’s realization of the conspiracy and it is meant to correct the stance of some Arab governments through emphasizing that the Arab youth are the real representatives of the Arab nation.

The Front started its work on Thursday in Damascus with the participation of delegations from Jordan, Yemen, Tunisia, Iraq, Sudan, Somalia, Bahrain, Palestine, Lebanon, Mauritania, Algeria, Iran and Sirloin representing parties, humanitarian commotions, student unions and NGO’s.

Syria Third in Arab Chess Championship

DAMASCUS, (SANA)- Syria’s national youth chess team won a gold and two silver medals at the Arab Championship held recently in the Jordanian capital Amman.

Teams from eleven countries competed in the Championship including Algeria, Libya, Sudan, Egypt, the UAE, Yemen, Iraq, Lebanon, Palestine and Jordan in addition to Syria.

Player Ward Tarboush won the gold medal in the 16 age category while Bashir Eiti earned a silver medal in 20 age category. The other silver medal went to Rita Yaghi in 18 age category.

Participating with 6 players, the national chess team came third on the general classification, following the UAE in the first place with 13 players and Algeria in the second with 12 players.

Player Bashir Eiti was awarded the title of International Master.

 

Death and destruction in Syria, arranged by armed insurrection sustained covertly by foreign powers including the US, NATO nations, Israel, Arabia, Qatar, al Qaeda, and made into an ‘Arab Spring’ by imperialist media managed ‘reporting.’ Armed insurgents belonging to Islamist organizations cross the border from Turkey, Lebanon and Jordan. US State Dept. proudly admits involvement. Why? for whom? brought into historical context 

When the colonial powers war on Gaddafi was going well, American news commentators did, in rare moments, proudly admit that the CIA was heavily involved. Not so yet, when it comes to the CIA in Syria. It’s still too early. The public has not been yet been sufficiently taught to hate this quiet gentleman President Assad Junior.

We will eventually be told of horrific CIA crimes in Syria created under the media masking “Arab Spring.’ We always find out about CIA clever false flags, provocations, violence funding and assassinations once these become past history and Americans are focused elsewhere.

It’s amazing, truly amazing, how a powerful predatory investing elite, owning 98% of media, is able to mold the public mind to finding the despicable, the homicidal, and the immoral as perfectly acceptable, normal, necessary and even good, if it be performed by an official secret criminal agency of their very own American government.

The great cartel of Pentagon/CIA fed media conglomerates, having the great majority of the basically indifferent population of the West in tow, is effortlessly running its usual cascade of disinformation, half-truths, and blacked-out context propaganda fostering justification for military intervention – this time in Syria. But more and more people are noticing this war promotion of strictly one-sided coverage is yet another repeat of previous media promotions of US wars in Libya, Pakistan, Yemen, Iraq, Afghanistan, Somalia, Haiti, Lebanon, Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, the Dominica Republic, Cuba, Congo, Guatemala, Korea, Greece and innumerable other countries in between – in every single case, a bloody intervention in a civil war provoked and then used by the US. It is interesting that all this ruthless taking of millions of lives occurred under the guidance of David Rockefeller’s closest confidants, John Foster Dulles, Henry Kissinger and Zbigniew Brzezinski.

But none of this is of much interest to the American public, and when official secret files about how the CIA made an “Arab Spring’ in Syria and Libya are declassified and made public, it wont matter anymore than previous revelations did.

How could anything other than Wall Street owned criminal media saturation sound bites matter?  Nothing else has mattered for more that sixty-six years.

Did the truth ever matter during the thirty-year “heroic’  American and French crucifixion of the colonial rice farming population of Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia? For years Walter Kronkite affably reported from the trenches on what King called an atrocity. After a decent interval, the former Secretary of Defense (read War), Robert McNamara proclaimed the war a miscalculation, a mistake, exonerating Americans from having  done anything wrong intentionally. The fact that millions were bombed to death didn’t, and still doesn’t, matter.

Did the truth matter when CBS’ Mike Wallace incredulous, his voice almost breaking, reported from a tower overlooking the Santo Domingo airport that US snipers a few feet away from him were merciless cutting down Dominican army troops fighting to reinstate their popular elected President Bosch, who had been overthrown as unacceptable to Washington (read Wall Street investors) .

The truth didn’t matter when, in spite of  assurances given the Soviets during the Cuban Missile Crisis, the CIA, led by Robert Kennedy on his brother’s orders, continued unabated to covertly attack Cuba, sabotage its agriculture and try to assassinate a popular revolutionary leader well liked throughout Latin America.

It doesn’t matter that this is documented in released CIA secret files along with files of witness testimony that Ike put out a contract on the popular first elected president of an independent Congo – files that have Nixon’s memo to Kissinger to “make the Chilean economy scream” to facilitate what would be the death-dealing overthrow of Dr. Salvador Allende’s popular government by the Chicago University School of Neo-Liberal economists’ favorite dictator Gen. Augusto Pinochet.

No, the truth of US imperialist foreign policy never matters to the general American public, even if occasionally appearing in print or on TV. What matters is what is good for business, as described in Network entertainment news day-in-day-out in-between-commercials in a sold-on-materialism consumer society clinging to its exceptionally angelic corporatist media portrait

Because anything the CIA does is acceptable, Presidential adviser Zbigniew Brzezinski, without fear of public condemnation, let alone prosecution, could brag to French media ( Le Nouvel Observateur ),[1] that he had Carter authorize the CIA to fund, arm and train hill tribe fundamentalist terror against a popular[2] women-liberating Socialist Kabul administration, in order to frighten the Soviets into military intervention.

When hearing a truth that somehow does not fit with a fantasy world it has been brought to believe in wherein America not Germany is great ueber alles, Mr. and Ms America, so self-occupied with avoiding depression and overeating, just say to each other that politics is complicated and the government must know, or have known, what it had to do to “keep America safe. They console themselves that communists and anti-American terrorists commit worse crimes than capitalists or Americans do.

Those horrible truths of CIA protection and employment of Nazi war criminals; of CIA overthrowing the first democratic government of Iran; of CIA backing of murderous dictators like Saddam Hussein and Gen. Suharto; of CIA building a world market poppy growing industry again in Afghanistan after the Taliban all but eliminated it; of CIA involvement in murderous drug running in Colombia and in Panama with agent Noriega; of CIA funding the most famous acid thrower at unveiled ladies[3]and executioners of teachers for teaching girls[4]; of CIA secret attacks on democratic Guatemala, once reveled in progressive non-corporate funded publications, these heinous crimes simply slip into insignificance.

When Syria or any other overseas conflict is discussed in commercial media or sadly even in progressive media, there seems little reason to ask about CIA. The CIA, is considered part of American democracy, understood as merely one of many agencies of a freely elected government. Since it’s operations and activities are secret, what is the use of discussing them?

Associated Press carries almost daily reports of deadly CIA activity in Pakistan and Afghanistan, but even in progressive journalism it is the domestic policies put forth by the current U.S. president (who surely must be taking, not giving, orders to Robert Gates, Leon Panetta heads of the Central Intelligence Agency) that deserve attention. The CIA, by law connected up solely and secretly to the chief executive, is in itself a glaring contradiction to claims of democracy in the U.S., but this also goes largely unaddressed even on the progressive sites of the Internet.

Unfortunately, it seems that progressives and even socialists in the U.S. are overly cooperative with mainstream media and Congress in hardly ever asking after a secret CIA shadow government.

Almost since the CIA was founded, well before the Korean “police action’ devastation, CIA operatives, in every country in the world, have been acting as commandos penetrating local society, preparing  political, financial and where necessary military domination. Its four billion dollar base legal budget is known, but its vast private funding is not. Its mammoth financial empire fueled by corporate donations and funding and far flung net of banks, enterprises, publications, media outlets and infiltrated agencies within U.S. and foreign governments has been researched, documented and much of it can be found on line. CIA exploits of assassinations, overthrowing elected government and hiring goons to support U.S. business friendly dictatorships have become legendary.

A few scholarly sites on the Internet always manage to fill in a bit of what is intentionally blacked out in the Pentagon counseled and fed commercial mass media of the Western pseudo-democracies. Here, Michael Chossudovsky, consultant with a half-dozen UN agencies and publisher of Global Research out of Canada tells us:

“What is unfolding in Syria is an armed insurrection supported covertly by foreign powers including the US, Turkey and Israel. Armed insurgents belonging to Islamist organizations have crossed the border from Turkey, Lebanon and Jordan. The US State Department has confirmed that it is supporting the insurgency. This was stated by U.S. State Department official Victoria Nuland. “We started to expand contacts with the Syrians, those who are calling for change, both inside and outside the country.”

“Action against Syria is part of a “military roadmap’, a sequencing of military operations. According to former NATO Commander General Wesley Clark–by late 2001, the Pentagon had clearly identified Iraq, Libya, Syria and Lebanon as target countries of a US-NATO intervention: “[The] Five-year campaign plan [included]… a total of seven countries, beginning with Iraq, then Syria, Lebanon, Libya, Iran, Somalia and Sudan.’  General Wesley Clark states the following:

“The objective is to destabilize the Syrian State and implement “regime change” through the covert support of an armed insurgency, integrated by Islamist militia. “Reports on civilian deaths are used to provide a pretext and a justification for humanitarian intervention under the principle “Responsibility to Protect’.”

[Pentagon official quoted by General Wesley Clark in Winning Modern Wars (page 130)]

“Responsibility to Protect’ brought UN authorized bombing and Western  reconquering of a wealthy Libya  (recognized by the same UN as having an Human Development Index higher that than nine European countries with fine free heath care and higher education) only after a  successful armed insurrection (similar  to Syria’s) called for by a CIA funded Libyan exile organization in London.  CNN and al Jazeera produced a saturation of stories of peaceful protests being fired upon, but without corroboration and in contradiction to Reuters and even early BBC coverage of mass murder executions of government soldiers by heavily armed gangs and few civilian casualties.[5]

CNN reports incessantly that the Syrian armed forces and the police are shooting civilian protesters to death usually in double digit numbers. Independent press reports, however, confirm, from the outset of the protest movement, an exchange of gunfire between armed insurgents and the police, with casualties reported on both sides.

Global Research continues, “The insurrection started in mid March in the border city of Daraa, which is 10 km from the Jordanian border. The Daraa “protest movement” on March 18 had all the appearances of a staged event involving, in all likelihood, covert support to Islamic terrorists by Mossad and/or Western intelligence. Government sources point to the role of radical Salafist groups (supported by Israel)

Other reports have pointed to the role of Saudi Arabia in financing the protest movement.

What has unfolded in Daraa in the weeks following the initial violent clashes on 17-18 March, is the confrontation between the police and the armed forces on the one hand and armed units of terrorists and snipers on the other which have infiltrated the protest movement” [The Destabilization of Syria and the Broader Middle East War, By Michael Chossudovsky]

One would be naive to believe that after the half-century of brutal occupation of the Arab lands of Syria, Lebanon, Algeria, Tunisia and Morocco by France and those of Iraq, Jordan, Palestine, Egypt, Sudan, Somaliland, Aden, and Yemen by the British, with both occupying Libya after W.W.II, that British M16 and and the French Secret Service would not be indispensable for the johnny-come-lately America empire and its CIA.

But one would have to be even more naive to believe the excellent secret service of Israel, Mossad, at war with the Arab world since 1948 was not playing a key role in Syria and Libya, two adamant adversaries of the UN created State of Israel. Here below is some background of planning that predates the Pentagon briefing of Gen. Clark:

Experts Fear Israeli Design to Balkanize Arab States By Adam Morrow and Khaled Moussa al-Omrani, 6/19/11

” A Strategy for Israel in the 1980s , ” Written in 1981 by Oded Yinon, then a senior advisor for Israel’s foreign ministry, the essay explicitly calls for breaking up the Arab states of the region along ethnic and sectarian lines. The dissolution of Syria and Iraq later on into ethnically or religiously unique areas” is Israel’s primary target on the eastern front in the long run.”

A few years ago, New Yorker published investigative reporter Seymour Hersh tried to awaken interest in what the CIA was doing all these years in Iraq during the massive amount of sectarian violence that U.S. government spokespersons and subservient media constantly pointed to as the reason “we have to stay in Iraq.’ Almost no one took up this topic in alternative media.

For decades CIA has sponsored, provoked, initiated, and or prepared overt invasion and occupation by clandestine initiating and stoking civil wars in Greece, Korea, Iran, Guatemala, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Lebanon, Dominican Republic, Cuba, Indonesia, Chile, Guatemala, El Salvador, Nicaragua, and Columbia, and is notorious for its  success in arranging fratricide to look unprovoked by outside forces. The motive always being to prevent unified independent nations capable of negotiating for their own trade and prosperity.

In Putting Syria into Some Perspective

The Anti-Empire Report, April 8th, 2012,

peoples historian William Blum writes of “the numerous reports of forces providing military support to the Syrian rebels — the UK, France, the US, Turkey, Israel, Qatar, the Gulf states, and everyone’s favorite champion of freedom and democracy, Saudi Arabia; with Syria claiming to have captured some 14 French soldiers; plus individual jihadists and mercenaries from Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, Libya, et al, joining of the antigovernment forces, their number including al-Qaeda veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan who are likely behind the car bombs in an attempt to create chaos and destabilize the country. This may mark the third time the United States has been on the same side as al-Qaeda, adding to Afghanistan and Libya.”

Imperialist media would have us  believe that no Syrian government forces are fighting against an armed insurrection funded and controlled from forces outside Syria. And CNN  would have us discount the periodic massive pro-government demonstrations and believe the smaller anti-Assad demonstrations to be more important, have us disregard Syrian Christian fears: Fearing Change, Many Christians in Syria Back Assad, New York Times, 9/29/2011. “Syrian Christians in the Bab Touma district of Damascus held a rally in support of President Bashar al-Assad”

However, “The plan to destabilize Syria is not working all that well,” surmised Thierry Meyssan in “The Plan to Destabilize Syria”, Voltaire Network, Lebanon, 6/13/11.

“It succeeded in persuading public opinion that the country is in the grips of a brutal dictatorship, but it also welded the vast majority of the Syrian population firmly behind its government. Ultimately, the plan could backfire on those who masterminded it, notably Tel Aviv cl

In the wake of Tunisian, Egyptian and Yemeni uprisings of the poor against Wall Street benefiting colonial West installed dictatorships, the Networks have featured discussions from the farcical point of view that the business interests oriented American government is capable of being occasionally in favor of democracy in nations being plundered by Western investment banks. For anchors and commentators,     it is what the U.S. president will say that is supposed to be of paramount interest, not what the awkward-to-speak-of CIA might be accomplishing.

Prostituting mainstream media will continue to keep the focus away from CIA, away from the desperate capital accumulation of the rich immorally empowered by their undeserved billions, and focus instead on U.S. Presidents, members of Congress and the Supreme Court, all of whom are, as FDR wrote in 1933, “owned by a financial element.”[6]

Are we never to hear of the mass homicidal crimes of the CIA until files are forced open by law decades too late? No, the three centuries crimes against humanity by European stock empires run by investment banks will not avoid prosecution much longer in this space age of instant personal communication and computers capable of a trillion operations per nanosecond.

Agents of CIA, its NATO, EU, Israeli (Mossad) branches, their commanders-in-chiefs, sundry collaborating gangsters running third world governments and their employing elite group of powerful investors of global ruling ex-‘Colonial Powers’ now haughtily calling themselves “The International Community of Nations’ will not be able to keep themselves above prosecution and punishment much longer.

And since their center of operations is the government of the United States of America, initial prosecutions will be of US citizens, and not so very long from now. The absurdity of mindless mathematically mechanical merchandizing being the essence of Man in the universe will be halted before it wears itself out in an ultimate for profit calculation of moronic self-destruction.

Rational Man in all his and her inexpressible miraculously  exquisite art in loving imagination will endure, and not be obliterated Man’s lesser fearfully greedy side.

Martin Luther King Jr. followers are accelerating this overcoming of what is exemplified today in the cruel attack on Syrians, with a new Prosecute US Crimes Against Humanity Now Campaign .

Footnotes:

1 Read Brzezinski’s own self-condemning admission in the ‘Le Nouvel Observateur’ interview attached at the bottom of Carter Funding Fundamentalists to Sucker Soviets into Afghanistan …”using ethnic and religious divisions to foment civil war goes unprosecuted.”

Afghanistan…”using ethnic and religious divisions to foment civil war goes unprosecuted.”

2  Most experienced Middle East journalist Robert Fisk describes well the popularity of the Kabul government, which had replaced the King, at the time of CIA intervention in his Great War For Civilization- The Conquest of the Middle East.

3  Warlords of Afghanistan Gulbuddin Hekmatyar “throwing acid in the faces of unveiled women … Billions of dollars in US aid flowed through the ISI to Hekmatyar.” And A Deal With the Devil, Newsweek, 3/25/2010

4  This writer remembers a photo on the front page of the NY Times – captioned: three government teachers (face down in a pit, hands wired behind backs) executed for teaching girls.”

5  On the first day, Feb. 15, Reuters reported hundreds of “protesters’ attacking police stations, no deaths, 60 injured.

The next day, Feb. 16, Reuters reported, along with opposition media, 6 dead when more than a thousand “protesters’ attacked more police stations.

Feb. 17th, internationally planned Day of Rage, The Evening Standard and Al Jazeera English estimated that fourteen people were killed. Reuters, BBC and opposition media reported 14 or 15 dead. After overnight protests, the following day,

18 February 2011, Guardian.co.uk , Ian Black and Owen Bowcott, Article history:

“Amer Saad, a political activist from Derna, told al-Jazeera: “The “protesters’ in al-Bayda have been able to seize control of the military air base in the city and have executed 50 African [“]mercenaries[‘] . from Capitalism’s Warplanes: CIA & al Qaeda Destroy Socialist Libya’s 53rd Highest Living Standard, OpEdNews Promoted to Headline, 4/22/2011

6  “The real truth of the matter is, as you and I know, that a financial element in the larger centers has owned the Government ever since the days of Andrew Jackson.”

A letter written by FDR to Colonel House, November 21st, l933

By Jay Janson

18 April 2012

@ Countercurrents.org

Jay Janson, 80, archival research peoples historian activist, musician and writer; lived, worked on all continents; articles on media published in China, Italy, UK, India and the US; now resides in NYC;. Howard Zinn lent his name to various projects of his. GlobalResearch, InformationClearingHouse, CounterCurrents, Minority Perspective, UK DissidentVoice, OpEdNews, HistoryNewsNetwork and others have published his articles. Weekly column, South China Morning Post, 1986-87; reviews for Ta Kung Bao; articles China Daily, 1989.  Is coordinator of King Condemned US Wars and Predatory Investments International Awareness Campaign ( King Condemned US Wars ) and creator of Prosecute US Crimes Against Humanity Now Campaign with a country by country history of US crimes. Studied history at CCNY, Columbia U., U. Puerto Rico,  Dolmetscher Institut München; Germany;  Korean National University of Arts, Seoul; Radiotelevisione italiana, Rome; Zagreb Radiotelevision,Yugoslavia; Hong Kong Arts Academy.

Al-Moallem and his Chinese Counterpart: Supporting Annan’s Mission and continuing coordination between the two Countries

BEIJING, (SANA)- Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi stressed that the visit of Syrian Foreign and Expatriates  Minister Walid al-Moallem to China is of  “great importance”.

Xinhua, the Chinese News Agency quoted Yang as saying at the beginning of his meeting with al-Moallem on Wednesday that “Today we can exchange opinions on the latest developments of the situation in Syria in a board and intensive way,” expressing the hope to exchange views with al-Moallem  on a number of main regional and international issues.

“I believe that your visit will have positive results,” Yang said.

Ministers  al-Moallem and Yang held important talks in the framework of the high-level consultations Syria is intensively conducting with China about  the crisis in Syria and China’s role at the UN Security Council in supporting Syria’s sovereignty and stability.

Al-Moallem : China’s principled and firm stance in supporting Syria at the international circles restored hope and balance to international policy

Following the talks,Foreign Minister al-Moallem expressed Syria’s leadership and people’s appreciation to China’s principled and firm stance in supporting Syria at the international circles, pointing out that this stance has restored hope and balance to the international policy .

Al-Moallem and Yang discussed the developments of the current situation in the Syrian arena, as al-Moallem presented a review about the recent events in Syria and the efforts exerted by the Syrian Government to make the reform program launched by President Bashar al-Assad a success.

He pointed out to the escalation of the violence acts perpetrated by the armed terrorist groups including the breaching of  their commitments to the plan of the UN Envoy to Syria, Kofi Anna.

For his part, the Chinese Foreign Minister expressed China’s keenness on the necessity of respecting Syria’s sovereignty, security and territorial integrity.

Al-Moallem and Yang expressed support to Annan’s plan and care on its success, particularly halting the violence acts  and kicking off the process of the political dialogue.

The two sides also  discussed the standing distinguished bilateral relations and means of enhancing them in all fields.

They also stressed keenness on developing the economic cooperation and trade exchange.

In this regard, the Chinese side expressed rejection of the unilateral sanctions imposed by some countries on Syria.

The two sides agreed on the need of continuing coordination and contacts between the two friendly countries.

Earlier, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesman Liu Weimin said, in a regular press briefing, that invitation of al-Moallem to visit China is a part of China’s efforts to tackle the crisis in Syria.

He expressed China’s readiness to play a pivotal and structural role in finding solution to this crisis in a just, peaceful and appropriate way, pointing out that the leaders of the Syrian opposition would visit China in the near future.

Al-Moallem at Press conference: Syrian Government has committed to cease-fire

Xinhua News Agency quoted al-Moallem as saying at a press conference that he held fruitful and constructive talks with his Chinese counterpart on bilateral relations and the latest developments in Syria as well as Annan’s mission.

“Viewpoints between the two sides were very close.. Syria, as leadership and people, appreciate China’s stances at international circles which stem from the UN principles and rejecting foreign intervention in the Syrian affairs,” al-Moallem said.

He hailed China and Russia stances at the UNSC regarding the crisis in Syria which “restored balance for working at the international circles and preventing the foreign intervention in Syrian affairs.”

Al-Moallem said that he briefed his Chinese counterpart on the interference currently taking place by countries that openly announced determination to fund terrorist, explaining to him the scale of violations carried out by terrorist groups since Syria announced its commitment to ceasing military conflicts.

He noted that Syria is also facing unilateral economic sanctions and an attack through funding terrorists who attack civilians and government forces and vandalize the country’s infrastructure.

He also underlined that Syria has a genuine interest in the arrival of the observers because “our aim is to achieve security and stability for the Syrian people, saying that the observer mission must work within the framework of Syrian sovereignty and in coordination with the Syrian government, adding that Syria welcomed the participation of observers from neutral countries such as Russia, China, Brazil, India and South Africa.

“The Syrian government has committed to the cease-fire,  released a number of prisoners, handed over the aids to the affected regions.. and we will continue cooperation with the UN Envoy to make his mission a success,” al-Moallem added, indicating to the violations of the armed groups which reached to 70 violations in one day, saying that the government will continue commitment in spite of what is happening and hope so by all sides.

“This commitment never cancels the right of self-defense and respond in a suitable way to the aggressions of the armed terrorist groups on the infrastructure, the civilians, private and public properties,” al-Moallem said.

On the remarks of the UN envoy that 250 observers is not enough and there is a need to use planes and helicopters, Foreign Minister said “we believe that 250 observers is a reasonable number, but we don’t know why they want to use planes… nevertheless, if there is a need for this purpose, Syria will be ready to put its air force at the UN disposal because  helicopters are used to evacuate the wounded… we have equipment at the air force capable to assume this mission.”

Regarding the Syrian refugees, Minister al-Moallem considered it a fabricated problem intended to materializing the ”humanitarian corridors” and ”buffer zones” announced by the Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, that paves the way to a military intervention in the Syrian affairs.

”Some families were forced to leave their homes by terrorist groups after Turkey set up camps few months earlier, ” said al-Moallem, indicating that the Syrian government issued a statement last week calling upon the Syrian refugees to return to their homes, and voicing readiness to support them in getting back to their normal life.

He noted that the damage done to Syrian economy due to the acts of terrorist and the unilateral sanctions imposed by the US, the EU and some Arab countries is significant, and that the Syrian government is now giving priority to rebuilding the houses that were damaged and to returning people to their homes from which they were forced to flee, affirming that the government will start implementing the 5-year plan once the crisis ends.

“If those who gathered in Doha had been actually keen on the Syrian people and really support Annan’s plan, then some of them – who are well known  and announced their position openly – should stop supporting terrorist groups with funds and weapons,” al-Moallem said.

He noted that any movement made by the Syrian government towards the cessation of violence is met by increased funding and arming of terrorists, which shows that the aforementioned countries don’t want a solution and are lying when they claim to support Annan’s plan, and it also shows that they’re not keen on the Syrian people’s interests, otherwise they wouldn’t have imposed economic sanctions on them.

Al-Moallem also pointed out that Syria was the first to seek an Arab solution and received the Arab observers, but the aforementioned countries withdrew them and trashed their report, concluding “so I don’t observe nor care about what came out of their meeting in Doha.”

Answering a question on the possibility of continuing violations of Annan’s plan and a possible outbreak of war, Minister al-Moallem said: ”There is a US-led, phased scheme targeting Syria, but the acts of the armed groups necessitate response …If the US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is considering moving to the final stage of this scheme, I think that the international community has to oppose the military intervention she is considering.”

He added that the violations are aimed at thwarting Annan’s plan and holding the Syrian government responsible for the failure to pave the way for military action.

Al-Moallem wondered in the NATO presented reports on the victims claimed by its military intervention in Libya, saying that there are reports of over 100,000 casualties and hundreds of thousands of those who were wounded and disfigured by NATO raids, asking if this is what the Arabs want for Syria.

Minister al-Moallem criticized the media coverage of the events in Syria, adding “There is no objective coverage of the events…More than 70 international and Arab channels are distorting facts, and this biased media is part of the conspiracy against Syria.”

Syrian Ambassador in Beijing: Meeting of al-Moallem and Jiechi Stresses Support to Annan’s Plan

In a phone call with the Syrian TV, Syria’s Ambassador to China, Dr. Imad Mustafa, said the meeting between al-Moallem and Jiechi reflects the two countries’ desire for joint cooperation and serious consultation on the crisis in Syria.

Dr. Mustafa added that the important point stressed in the meeting was Syria’s and China’s common stance on supporting Annan’s plan and their keenness on the success of the international observers’ mission.

The Syrian Ambassador continued that Damascus and Beijing expressed in the meeting their awareness that the armed terrorist groups are sparing no efforts to foil Annan’s initiative and that there are several parties which do not want the political solution to proceed or Syria to restore stability and security.

Dr. Mustafa said Minister al-Moallem welcomed the participation of China in the UN observers team as Damascus considers that China, along with Russia, South Africa, India and Brazil, are neutral countries that can play an objective and logical role away from tendentious goals or agendas affiliated to the US and its policies.

President al-Assad Stresses Importance of Transparency in Fighting Corruption

DAMASCUS, (SANA)_ President Bashar al-Assad presided on Wednesday over the Higher Council of Local Administration which was established under the Local Administration Law issued in August 2011.

President al-Assad underlined the importance of the Council since the most important development steps take place through local administration, being the link between citizens and the state, noting that this relation was weak for various reasons but communication has become a reality through legislations and must be put into practice.

He said that the majority of issues and suggestions now go through local administration which must have an active role in them, pointing out that the Higher Council’s importance lies in finding coordination mechanisms which are currently weak, devising mechanisms for exchanging expertise among governorates or municipalities, and the participation of citizens who might feel that the government is distant from them.

“Ambitions must be linked to reality, and solutions must be based on specific priorities beginning from the moiré pressing issues which are specified by citizens,” the President said.

President al-Assad underscored the role of the Council and the local administration in qualifying cadres and moving to the administrative decentralization, which should reduce government burdens and transfer some of them to local administration.

He stressed that success in decentralization and thus ensuring the success of local administration requires resolving preexisting hindrances, adding that there is confusion between what is central and what is local, but the Council will establish committees to coordinate between ministries and governors.

President al-Assad underlined the role of local administration in urban and regional planning, environment preservation and addressing random houses in practical and studied ways, with emphasis on coordination and giving more authority to municipalities in terms of regional planning.

“Studies for any project must not begin before guaranteeing its funding, because studies are costly,” he said, noting that the issue of the halting of projects for bureaucratic reasons must also be dealt with.

President al-Assad said that the issue of random housing is strategic in all aspects and must be resolved through a vision, even if it’s a long-term one.

The President pointed out that providing income is the biggest problem for local administration, stressing the need to take a developmental direction and seek resources, saying that nothing prevents local administration from being flexible and free in taking economic decision like the private sector, which would create resources and job opportunities.

President al-Assad requested that transparency be adopted through propagating the plans of the local administration and municipalities to fight corruption and engage the citizens, allowing them to pose their opinions and suggestions.

President al-Assad underlined necessity of enhancing connections between the state and society through increasing the citizens’ participation and finding practical solutions to problems, calling upon the officials to get a closer look at the issues of interest to the citizens.

The president also called for according enough care to the countryside development and avoiding neglecting it to focus on cities, in addition to establishing balance between areas in single cities and justice in the distribution of services among richer and poorer areas.

“At this stage, we must focus more on areas that are poor and deprived of services such as infrastructure, water, electricity, roads, gardens and more,” he said.

President al-Assad reviewed the importance of the service centers as to save the citizens’ efforts, reduce expenses, and combat corruption and bribery, said that what6 was applied in these centers can be copied in other establishments affiliated to ministries.

President al-Assad stressed the significance of industrial cities and marketing them properly, market their products.

President al-Assad considered that one of the Council ‘s important missions is to find a mechanism for coordination among state institutions and benefitting from the successful experiences of some institutions and municipalities, as well as the experiences of other countries in local administration.

8 Law Enforcement Members Martyred in Idleb, Daraa and Damascus Countryside, Terrorists Murder Entire Family in Hama

PROVINCES, (SANA)- Six law enforcement members, including a first lieutenant, were martyred on Wednesday and 11 others were injured in an explosive device blast in the town of al-Mastoumeh in the countryside of Idleb province.

The martyrs include First Lieutenant Tammam Hassoun and Privates Anas Idris Juani, Hassan Ahmad Arnous, and Faraj Mustafa Ismael.

The explosive device was planted on al-Mastoumeh-Idleb road and detonated by an armed terrorist group targeting the law enforcement personnel.

Policeman Martyred in Daraa

Meanwhile in Daraa province, the policeman Youssef Qasqas was martyred by the gunfire of a sniper in front of the Customs’ old building in the city of Daraa.

Lieutenant Colonel Martyred in Damascus Countryside

In Damascus Countryside, an armed terrorist group opened fire on members of law enforcement forces in teh city of Douma killing a lieutenant colonel and injuring a chief warrant officer.

SANA reporter quoted a source in the province as saying that an armed terrorist group driving a white Mazda car opened fire on law enforcement personnel near al-Baz gas station.

The source added that the shooting resulted in the martyrdom of Lt. Col. Wael Hassan, while a chief warrant officer was seriously wounded.

Terrorists Murder Entire Family in Hama

An armed terrorist group broke into the home of citizen Zakariya Khalif in Janoub al-Mala’ab neighborhood in Hama, murdering him along with his wife and three daughters.

Armed groups attack 3 microbuses transporting law-enforcement forces, abducting a number of them

Armed terrorist groups today attacked three microbuses that transport law-enforcement forces on their way back home, abducting a number of them.

The armed groups at Khanaser, Kanater and Khan al-Asal areas in Aleppo attacked the microbuses , kidnapping several members and taking them to unknown place.

226 Wanted Men from Hama and Its Countryside Turn Themselves In

226 wanted men from Hama and its countryside on Tuesday turned themselves in and surrendered their weapons to the authorities.

A source in the governorate said that those who turned themselves in and surrendered their weapons were released after verifying that they didn’t commit any acts of violence or murder against citizens.

The wanted men said that they now intend to return to their daily lives and rejoin society, pledging not to bear arms again and resort to vandalism or anything that may undermine the country’s security and safety.

Fourteen Army, Law-Enforcement, Civilian Martyrs Laid to Rest

PROVINCES, (SANA) – Fourteen army, law-enforcement and civilian martyrs were escorted on Wednesday from Tishreen, Zahi Azraq and Aleppo Military Hospitals in Damascus, Lattakia and Aleppo and Daraa  National Hospital to their final resting place.

Solemn funeral processions were held for the martyrs who were targeted by armed terrorist groups while they were in the line of duty in Idleb, Homs, Damascus Countryside, Daraa and Aleppo.

The martyrs are:

-Captain Majd Said Mahfud, from Hama.

-Chief Warrant Officer Ghazi Mousa al-Saeed, from Daraa.

-Sergeant Major Adham Saleh Suleiman, from Hama.

-Conscript Mustafa Abdul-Salam Ahmad, from Aleppo.

-Conscript Basel Monawar Saud, from Daraa.

-Conscript Mohammad Najib Jamal al-Shawa, from Aleppo.

-Conscript Ismael Ibrahim al-Jarouf, from Damascus Countryside.

-Conscript Basel Ali Barazi, from Hama.

-Conscript Ayman Bashar Sweidan, from Damascus.

-Policeman Mazloum Hussein Khalil, from Hasaka.

-Policeman Bayer Ali al-Hammoud, from Damascus Countryside .

-Policeman Mohammad Samir Rayyani, from Hama.

-Policeman Raghib Yousef Qasas, from Daraa.

-Civilian Youssef Ali Kobawar, from Aleppo.

The martyrs’ families stressed that the systematic terrorism perpetrated by the armed terrorist groups won’t persuade  the Syrians from adhering to their national and pan-Arab stances.

They called for confronting the terrorist criminals who are carrying out  foreign agendas that aim at undermining Syria’s national unity and stability.

They also condemned the criminal acts committed by the armed terrorist groups against the Syrian people.

Indian Delegation Starts Visit to Syria

DAMASCUS, (SANA)_An Indian delegation comprised of researchers, academics and pressmen started a visit to Syria on Wednesday to inspect the situation on the ground.

”I came to Syria to get a close look at the situation on the ground, since there is an abundance of news at a time when a lot of media outlets are not free as they tend to broadcast news that serve their agendas,” said Rajendra Abhyankar, head of Kunzru Centre for Studies and Research.

The members of the delegation said that what is happening in Syria is in service to foreign agendas, and it is hard to judge according to what media airs.

The delegation, which is comprised of 18 personalities, is due to meet officials and religious figures, and will also visit a number of archeological and religious sites in Damascus and the governorates.

Press Delegation from Denmark , Austria and Turkey Visits Daraa

A press delegation from Denmark , Austria and Turkey visited on Wednesday the city of Daraa and inspected the situation there, especially in relation to implementing the plan of the UN envoy Kofi Annan.

Head of Daraa Police Command, Lieutenant Colonel Muhammad Adeeb al-Assa’ad, said that the armed terrorist groups have gone ahead with their aggressions against citizens and law-enforcement members and violation of Annan’ plan, indicating that the armed groups escalated their criminal acts since Thursday morning.

The delegation visited Daraa National Hospital where they saw the bodies of martyrs killed by the armed groups, in violation of Annan’s plan.

They also visited the Justice Palace which was burned down in March last year, and toured the streets of the city.

The members of the delegation said they have not seen tanks or heavy weapons in the city, affirming that the protests demanding legitimate demands were hijacked by gunmen.

Lavrov: Syrian armed opposition exercises provocative acts to foil Annan’s plan

MOSCOW, (SANA) – Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Wednesday said that the Syrian armed opposition exercises provocative acts to bring back violence and foil Annan’s plan.

In a press conference with the Moroccan Foreign Affairs Minister, Saad Eddin Ottoman in Moscow, Lavrov said “We condemn pre-assessments to Annan’s plan and call upon all powers which have influence on the Syrian opposition, particularly the armed one, to practice its role in order to stop violence.”

He pointed out to reports published by Turkish media that fighters of the so-called ‘Free Army’ are exploiting the camps of the refugees in Turkey to prepare attacks on the Syrian forces from the Turkish lands.

Lavrov added that Moscow calls to solve all issues in peaceful methods through dialogue without foreign interference in accordance to the international law and within respecting the countries’ sovereignty and independence.

Russia’s Foreign Minister expressed Moscow’s concerns over the attempts of some groups which call themselves ‘Friends of Syria’ at evaluating Annan’s plan, adding that “I personally noticed that some of our partners lost the ability to focus after they knew that the Syrian government had accepted Annan’s plan.”

Lavrov stressed that Annan’s plan was adopted by the UN Security Council, adding that the Council is the only side with the powers to assess the plan on the basis of the information submitted by the UN monitoring mission.

Russia: International Human rights Committee has to be objective and unbiased

Russia today underlined the importance of the International Independent Committee , formed by the UN Human Rights Council to investigate the human right issues in Syria, to be committed to objectivity and unbiased.

The Russian Foreign Ministry said that Deputy Foreign Minister Gennady Gatilov met today with President of the International Committee Paulo Pinheiro, discussing with him a number of issues related to the work of the committee on human rights in Syria to be debated at the 21st session of the Human Rights Council.

During the meeting, the Russian side said it relies on the objectivity and fairness of the Committee’s work whether in regards to the human situation in Syria or when formulating its recommendations which should be directed to contributing to “a national comprehensive dialogue and a peaceful settlement to the crisis In Syria.”

On his Twitter website, Gatilov said that Pinheiro admitted that the Syrian opposition is perpetrating serious violations of human rights.

Bogdanov: Other Group of Syrian Opposition to Visit Moscow Soon

Russian President’s Special Representative for Middle East Affairs, Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov, said that another group of the Syrian opposition is set to visit Russia soon.

In a statement released Wednesday, Bogdanov added that this group will visit Moscow within the next few days, adding that the group is headed by a figure of the ‘Front for Change and Liberation’, which also represents the Syrian internal opposition.

Bogdanov Stresses to Ambassador Haddad Need for Annan’s Plan to Be Implemented Strictly and Firmly by All Sides

Later, Bogdanov discussed with Syrian Ambassador in Moscow Riyad Haddad the developments of the situation in Syria.

The Russian side stressed the need to preserve the ceasefire and the importance of having the Syrian government and all other sides committed to implementing Annan’s plan strictly and firmly, in addition to the importance of expediting the implementation of UN monitoring.

In turn, Haddad affirmed the Syrian authorities’ strict determination to adhering to its obligations in this regard, relaying facts regarding the repeated attempts of armed terrorist groups to undermine Annan’s plans.

He also hoped that the UN observers will manage to put an end to provocations and violations by terrorist groups.

Gatilov Stresses Need to Coordinate Operation of Observer Mission with Syrian Government

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Gennady Gatilov stressed the need for coordination between the Syrian government and the UN observer mission, saying that the mission’s success depends on this.

In a statement, Gatilov said that UN regulations stipulate for establishing understanding with missions’ host countries in addition to strict adherence to sovereignty and independence of the country in question.

He said that the UN General Secretariat must provide preliminary information to the Security Council on the indicators of the observer mission’s work in Syria, and that the Council should issue a resolution on delegation the observer mission.

Gatilov said that Russia may expand its participation in this delegation, noting that a Russian officer was part of the first group of observers to arrive in Syria, adding that there’s a possibility of altering the initial estimation of observer numbers to 250 according to developments, and that any change should be done in coordination with the Syrian government.

International Observer Team Visit Zamalka and Irbeen in Damascus Countryside

DAMASCUS COUNTRYSIDE, (SANA)- A team of the international observers mandated by the UN to monitor the ceasefire in Syria on Wednesday visited the towns of Zamalka and Irbeen in Damascus Countryside.

The team members listened to a number of citizens in the towns.

Head of the team, Colonel Ahmad Hmeish called on all sides to cooperate with the observers in order to fulfill their mission.

“We try to accomplish our mission which was assigned to us by the UN in light of resolution 2048 completely in connection with the Syrian security forces and other sides,” Hmeish said in a statement.

He added “to make this mission a success, we need confidence, sufficient time and assistance by all sides.”

WFDY and WPC Stress Rejection of Foreign Interference in Syria under any Pretext

ATHENS, (SANA)- The World Federation of Democratic Youth (WFDY) and the World Peace Council (WPC) stressed their rejection of foreign interference in Syria under any pretext, considering that the Syrian people alone have the right to determine their homeland’s future.

The two bodies expressed in a joint statement published by the Greek Rizospastis newspaper on Wednesday deep concern over the strong imperialist attack on the Middle East region and the new threats and plots of the US, the NATO and the EU and their regional allies against Syria.

The newspaper noted that the WFDY and the WPC will organize sending an international solidarity mission to express support to the Syrian people between April 21 and 26.

The mission will include representatives from the WPC-affiliated peace movements in Cyprus, Turkey, India, Nepal, Lebanon, Palestine, Jordan, Belgium, South Africa, Italy and Venezuela, in addition to a number of members of the WFDY.

The statement clarified that the aim of this mission is to meet the representatives of the youth, student and unionist organizations and the peace movements in Syria and express condemnation of the interference in its internal affairs as well as the imperialist threats and the media fabrications directed against Syria.

The mission also aims at expressing support to the Syrian people in their struggle against the imperialist threats facing their country.

Authorities Seize a Number of Archeological Pieces While Being Smuggled into Lebanon

HOMS, (SANA)- The authorities seized a number of archeological pieces, pottery and statues while they are being smuggled in a vehicle coming from Idleb into Lebanon through al-Dabousiya border crossing in Homs province.

SANA reported quoted an informed source in the province as saying that the seized archeological pieces were hidden within house furniture.

The source noted that the vehicle’s driver was arrested while another person managed to flee.

A committee of the General Directorate of Archeology and Museums was formed to discuss the seized pieces to determine the places from which they were stolen.

Source: The Embassy of Syrian Arab Republican in Kuala Lumpur.

Mini-Documentary Exposes Imperial Expansion Through “Humanitarian Interventionism”

The Paris-based Centre for the Study of Interventionism (CSI) and Julien Teil, director of “Lies behind the “Humanitarian War” in Libya: There is no evidence!” has recently released a short documentary exposing how a cartel of Western nations and their Arab proxies are purposefully creating chaos inside targeted nations and then using it as a pretext to invade, topple governments, and replace them with preselected client regimes, and in effect threatening the very concept of national sovereignty.

The documentary particularly focuses on Syria and features video of Syrian opposition members sitting at the US State Department-funded National Endowment for Democracy (NED) “round-table” having praise heaped upon them, and in particular Washington-based Syrian “activist” Radwn Ziadeh, for their complicity in betraying their nation and people for the corporate-financier interests that constitute NED’s board of directors.

Mention is made of how this very same gambit, featuring very similar characters working with the very same Western organizations and “institutions” similarly ravaged Libya, toppled the government, and installed a proxy client regime using this fraudulent model of “Responsibility to Protect.” It is stated multiple times, that the West’s self-evident desire to see “regime change” in Syria and its decision to “pick sides” in regards to backing Syrian opposition terrorist clearly violates the not only Syria’s national sovereignty, but endangers the very concept of national sovereignty all together.

It is important to understand that this agenda of neo-imperialism is being driven by converging corporate-financier interests centered around Wall Street and London and seeks to create a global “open society” which they can dominate without the hindrance of borders or national institutions opposing them. The distinction is made in the documentary between Western-educated opposition members helping facilitate the West’s global blitzkrieg who hold the “global worldview of the West” verses the classical view of international law and diplomacy held by the rest of the world.

Humanitarian interventionism is simply the institutionalization of modern global imperial conquest.

Tony Cartalucci’s articles have appeared on many alternative media websites, including his own at

Land Destroyer Report.

By Tony Cartalucci

13 April 2012

@ Activist Post

At last, it seems springtime has come to the eurozone: the sap is rising in financial markets, sovereign bond yields are subsiding and the tensions in the banking markets are easing, thanks to the mass injection of liquidity by the European Central Bank.

But Richard Koo, Nomura’s mild-mannered chief economist, begs to differ. He argues that Europe’s leaders have misdiagnosed their economic crisis and is forecasting a return to wintry conditions.

At a time of collapsing private sector demand in several member states, the eurozone’s obsession with slashing public spending will only aggravate its problems, he suggests. Its fiscal compact is more likely to kill the patient than cure it.

For years, Mr Koo has eloquently defended the largely unfashionable view that Japan pursued the right policies to deal with the bursting of its bubble economy. True, Japan may not have grown much over the past two decades but a far worse outcome was avoided: the country skirted a 1930s-style depression that, Mr Koo believes, now threatens the peripheral members of the eurozone.

In an interview, on the sidelines of the Ambrosetti financial forum in Cernobbio, Italy, Mr Koo outlines his theory of “balance sheet recessions”, which runs so much in contrast to current eurozone orthodoxy.

When countries such as Japan experience a slump in asset prices, then traumatised private-sector companies, banks and households will do everything possible to deleverage their balance sheets and pay down debt – even when interest rates are near zero. In such circumstances, the government has no alternative but to increase public spending to prevent a collapse of demand.

“The key point is that if the private sector is deleveraging, the last thing you want is for the government to cut its budget deficit,” he says. “If central banks bring interest rates down to almost zero and nothing happens then it is not an ordinary world.”

Mr Koo says that when Japan listened to the advice of outside experts, such as the International Monetary Fund, and pursued fiscal consolidation in 1997 it tipped into a damaging recession. “The government cut spending and we had five quarters of negative growth and it took Japan 10 years to recover,” he says.

Some European officials at the Ambrosetti forum appeared to be scarcely able to conceal their scorn when listening to Mr Koo’s presentation. They argue it is delusional to believe one can choose between austerity and growth. Austerity, they say, is an indispensable precondition for the return of market confidence and economic growth.

Moreover, a further piling up of public debt to solve a problem of over-indebtedness would be counterproductive. Financial markets would not tolerate a further ballooning of budget deficits in countries such as Spain, Portugal, Ireland and Italy.

Mr Koo accepts that the 17-member eurozone is more complex than Japan: its economies are moving at different speeds and directions and some of them, notably Greece’s, have their own particular challenges.

But he argues that the eurozone’s fiscal compact, which enforces synchronised austerity even for its healthier members, risks repeating Japan’s mistakes of 15 years ago. And he rejects the idea that increased public borrowing would necessarily scare the markets: Japan, the US and the UK are running looser fiscal policies while still enjoying low rates of borrowing.

If eurozone members were to restrict sales of government bonds to their own citizens, he suggests, then they would reduce the risks of damaging capital flight within the euro area.

Mr Koo’s analysis has some supporters. Nouriel Roubini, professor of economics at New York University, says that while fiscal austerity may be appropriate for some eurozone countries it is not valid for all, especially those, such as Ireland and Spain, which have experienced a private sector implosion, like Japan did.

“The right design of policy response for the eurozone would have been massive liquidity injection by the ECB, a weakening of the euro to restore the competitiveness of the periphery and fiscal stimulus in the core and where private sector deleveraging was a problem.”

With such a policy mix absent, Mr Roubini suggests, “Europe could get worse than Japan.”

“Japan had a Great Recession, and a Great Stagnation, but it never had a Great Depression,” he says. “But recession in some eurozone countries could become a depression, just like the 1930s.”

By John Thornhill in Cernobbio

2 April 2012

@ Financial Times