President al-Assad Meeting Annan: Syria Ready to Make Successful any Sincere Effort to Find Solution to Events
DAMASCUS, (SANA)- President Bashar al-Assad on Saturday said Syria is ready to make successful any sincere effort to find a solution to the events taking place in the country, adding that the success of any effort requires first studying what is happening on the ground instead of relying on the virtual space that is promoted by some regional and international countries to distort the facts and give a picture contrary to what Syria is undergoing.
President al-Assad’s remarks came during his meeting with UN Secretary General’s envoy Kofi Annan and the accompanying delegation.
The President was briefed by Annan on his preliminary vision on the situation in Syria, with the UN Secretary General’s envoy stressing his commitment to work fairly, neutrally and independently, as well as his rejection to foreign interference in the Syrian affairs and his belief in a peaceful solution.
Annan expressed hope to work with the Syrian government to launch diplomatic dialogue in the framework of a political process to restore stability to Syria and realize the aspirations of the Syrian people.
President al-Assad said that any political dialogue or political process can not succeed as long as there are armed terrorist groups that are working to spread chaos and destabilize the country through targeting citizens, both civilian and military, and vandalizing private and public properties.
A bilateral meeting between President al-Assad and the UN Secretary General’s envoy followed the plenary meeting, which was attended by Foreign and Expatriates Minister, Walid al-Moallem, Presidential Political and Media Advisor, Dr. Bouthaina Shaaban, Deputy Foreign and Expatriates Minister, Fayssal Mikdad, and Director of International Organizations Department at the Foreign Ministry Tamam Sulaiman.
Twelve Army and Law Enforcement Martyrs Laid to Rest
DAMASCUS/ LATTAKIA, (SANA)- The bodies of 12 army and law enforcement members on Sunday were escorted from the Tishreen Military Hospital in Damascus and Zahi Azraq Military Hospital in 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 Daraa, Idleb and Damascus Countryside.
The martyrs are:
- Colonel Nidal Kamel Sakr, from Lattakia.
- Captain Ammar Hussein Mohammad, from Lattakia.
- Chief Warrant Officer Qais Ibrahim Khalil, from Tartous.
- Warrant Officer Ayham Mohammad Abdullah, from Homs.
- Sergeant Major Mohammad Ali Hassan, from Hama.
- Sergeant Major Yehia Zakariya al-Arrouq, from Aleppo.
- Sergeant Major Mohannad Mohammad Shahin, from Tartous.
- Sergeant Rabie Munir Mariam, from Lattakia.
- Sergeant Mohammad Khalid Shahin, from Damascus Countryside.
- Corporal Mohammad Ayoub al-Khani, from Idleb.
- Soldier Qusai Adnan Mohammad, from Homs.
- Conscript Merie Salman Talab , from Damascus Countryside.
The martyrs’ families and relatives stressed the Syrians’ determination to stand shoulder to shoulder to foil the conspiracy hatched against their homeland.
They said that the systematic terrorism practiced by the armed terrorist groups and funded by the West and some Arab regimes will not make the Syrians abandon their national and pan-Arab stances, calling for confronting the terrorists with an iron fist.
Terrorists Assassinate Boxing Champion in Aleppo, 2 Law-enforcement Members Martyred in Hama
PROVINCES, (SANA) – In the framework of targeting the experts and the national cadres, an armed terrorist group on Sunday assassinated boxing champion, Ghiath Tayfour in Aleppo city.
An informed source told SANA Correspondent that the armed group targeted Boxer Tayfour while he was passing near the courtyard of Aleppo University in his car as they opened fire on him and he was immediately martyred as five bullets entered his head.
Boxer Tayfour was born in Aleppo in 1969 and he came first in the Boxing Championship in Syria from 1984 to 1998 and he also won several gold medals in a number of the local, Arab and international championships.
Terrorist Group Kidnap Member of BASP Branch in Homs and His Driver
In Homs, an armed terrorist group kidnapped a member of the Baath Arab Socialist Party (BASP) branch in Homs Mesbah Ahmad al-Sha’ar and his driver at al-Ghouta area while they were heading for work.
Terrorist Group Target Bridge in al-Ghab Region in Hama
An armed terrorist group targeted with an explosive device the bottom of a bridge connecting al-Rasif and Shateha in al-Ghab region in Hama province, damaging a part of the bridge.
A source in the province told SANA correspondent that the terrorist group planted two explosive devices to the bottom of the bridge, noting however that only one explosive device was detonated.
The source said that parts of the bridge collapsed blocking the road, adding that the bridge is an important traffic point between the villages of al-Ghab region.
Two Law-enforcement Members Martyred in Hama, Terrorists Killed and Injured
Two authorities’ members were martyred during a clash with armed terrorist groups which have been committing criminal acts against citizens and vandalizing private and public properties in the neighborhoods of al-Jarajemeh and al-Sheikh Anbar in Hama.
A source in the province told SANA correspondent that the clash resulted in killing and wounding a number of terrorists, in addition to seizing amounts of machineguns and RPGs launchers.
Authorities Kill Terrorists and Arrests Others in Daraa Countryside
The authorities raided the hideouts of armed terrorist groups in the towns of al-Jiza and Tisia in Daraa countryside, resulting the arrest of a number of terrorist and the death of others.
The authorities confiscated the terrorists’ weapons which include assault rifles, machineguns, handguns, RPG rounds and large amounts of ammo, in addition to advanced communication devices, military uniforms, satchels and medical equipment.
Six stolen private and government-owned cars were also recovered from the terrorists. A PKC machinegun was found in one of the stolen cars.
Also in Daraa, a terrorist group attacked the Foreign Trade General Establishment branch, which supplies medicine to local hospitals and health centers, firing RPG rounds at it and causing considerable damage to the building the destroying a large number of the documents and files kept in it.
Annan Meets Syria’s Mufti and Representatives of Religious Sects in Syria
DAMASCUS, (SANA) – The UN Envoy to Syria Kofi Annan said his mission is aimed at discussing steps that might help in ending the violence, ensuring the access of humanitarian aid and starting political dialogue in Syria.
Meeting Grand Mufti of the Syrian Arab Republic Ahmad Badr EddinHassoun and representatives of the religious sects in Syria, Annan hoped he would help achieve what could contribute to making democratic reforms and enhancing respect of human rights in Syria.
Annan wished for Syria to be secure and to invest the plurality in it to enhance reconciliation and tolerance and circulate them at the mosques and churches and across all the sects.
He said that he spoke with the Security Council’s members, the EU ambassadors and a number of officials and opinion leaders in the world and called on them to cooperate to ensure peace in Syria.
The UN envoy said that he met President Bashar al-Assad and some opposition figures, traders, businessmen and people from all spectrums of the Syrian society yesterday and found that everybody want a solution and a compromise.
Annan stressed that the Syrians alone are able to solve their problems and that his mission is to help them do so.
For his part, Mufti Hassoun called upon those who carry weapons and claim “peacefulness” to resort to dialogue, adding that those who have taken up weapons to sabotage their homeland in service of foreign agendas are not Syrian, because Syria has always been the country of co-existence where there is no difference between a Christian and a Muslim.
In turn, His Beatitude Patriarch Ignatius IV (Hazim) of Antioch and all the East said that the lies and fabrications propagated by the instigative channels about the situation of Christians in Syria are untrue and mere illusions in the minds of some Europeans.
“In Syria, we, Muslims and Christians, live as brothers and share everything,” His Beatitude added, wishing Annan success in his mission and stressing to work with him to help him achieve this.
Hasaka Clans and Figures Organize Gathering in Support of National Unity and Independent National Decision
HASAKA, (SANA) – The clans of Waldet al-Ghamr in Hasaka organized on Sunday a gathering to show support for national unity and independent national decision, with the participation of clan dignitaries and religious, social and popular figures from the governorate.
Participants said that this gathering symbolizes unity of the governorate’s people and all Syria, affirming that Syria’s clans will stand as one to protect it against conspiracies.
They stressed that Syria will emerge from the crisis stronger than before thanks to the awareness of the Syrians and their rallying around their leadership.
German Government Consultant: Targeting Syria by West Contradicts International Laws and Norms
BERLIN, (SANA) – German Government Consultant for Middle East Affairs, Christoph Horstel, said that targeting Syria by the West contradicts all the international laws and norms and the UN Charter.
” If they talk about a possible military intervention in Syria, they do it under the table and secretly, backed by some corrupt Arab regimes as well as Turkey,” Horstel said in an interview with Russian Today TV Channel.
Horstel warned against any blatant aggression against Syria through supporting the armed terrorist groups and arming them in addition to preparing for a direct military intervention, saying that French, British, Turkish and Saudi spies and scores of soldiers have been arrested in Syria, which is quite bad.
Horstel criticized the conference held by Syria’s enemies in Tunisia, saying,” with ‘such friends’ Syria doesn’t need enemies.”
He also criticized the Western mass media which ignores the number of the victims which have been killed by the terrorist groups.
Regarding the Russian-Chinese stance at the Security Council towards Syria, Horstel expressed support to this stance, affirming that those who support the project of targeting Syria will take decisions that can be only consumed, but at the same time they will guarantee the continuation of violence.
The German consultant described Istanbul Council as a premeditated agenda that has been previously used with regard to Iran in addition to some Arab countries including Libya.
Source: The Embassy of Syrian Arab Republican in Kuala Lumpur.