Yahoo: Assad predicts disaster if West meddles in Syria

[visionary]

http://www.cnn.com/2011/11/12/world/...html?hpt=hp_t3

Arab League suspends Syria

The Arab League announced Saturday that it is suspending Syria's membership after its failure to stop the violence against its people.

The move takes effect Wednesday.

Of the 21 nations voting, only two -- Lebanon and Yemen -- voted against the suspension. Iraq abstained.

In an emergency session at its headquarters in Cairo, the league also called for sanctions against President Bashar al-Assad's regime but did not specify what those may be.

It called on member states to withdraw their ambassadors from Damascus, but that decision will be left up to each nation.

Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim read the league's decisions at a news conference after the meeting of the foreign ministers.

He said the league is urging the Syrian army to stop attacks on civilians and will hold a meeting with opposition groups in the next three days to discuss a transitional phase in Syria's future.

Syrian TV is slamming the Arab League as a tool of American Imperialism and calls upon all Syrians to protest at the Qatari embassy.


The Qatari response:

http://twitter.com/#!/SultanAlQassemi

Qatar PM press conference: We are keen on solving the Syrian crisis within the Arab sphere. We hope the Syrian government takes brave steps. 20 minutes ago

Qatar PM: I was hurt by the accusations of protesters calling us traitors. There is no talk of a no-fly zone over Syria 18 minutes ago

Qatar PM: We will respect the decisions of the Syrian government & we await its next steps. 18 minutes ago

---------- Post added November-12th-2011 at 10:56 AM ----------

http://blogs.aljazeera.net/liveblog/...v-12-2011-1833

Wael Merza, Syrian National Council secretary general, told Al Jazeera that the outcome of Saturday's Arab League meeting marked "a historic day for Syria as a country, the Syrian revolution and the Arab League where the Arab people as a whole heard the voices of the Syrian people who have been calling for such measures in the past months".

"They have been calling for freedom and they wanted the Arab League to be the first to acknowledge their calls and that is what is happening today," he said.

Merza also said that the Arab League's decision is not likely to ease tensions on the ground.

"Unfortunately, knowing the nature of the regime, we know the violence will be even more harsh in the coming few days," he said.

http://twitter.com/#!/CFKlebergTT

Interesting to see if and how Russia will react to ArabLeague suspension of Syria. Russia said AL plan is what's on the table. On the other hand, Russia's Lavrov just today accused #Syria opposition of blocking negotiatons. http://www.dp-news.com/en/detail.aspx?articleid=102838 18 minutes ago

Syria also ironically accuses US of inciting gunmen to "keep their weapons and employ violence" given opposite is true http://www.sana.sy/eng/337/2011/11/12/381118.htm 10 minutes ago

I might add that the death toll in Syria yesterday alone was 37 with 21 in #Homs, according to LCC activists. One child among dead. 6 minutes ago

[visionary]

http://twitter.com/#!/LeShaque

Reports that elements within pro-regime protesters at Qatari Embassy in Damascus have taken down the Qatari flag. 1 hour ago

Reports that the Qatari Embassy in Damascus is being looted by elements with the pro-regime protest. 1 hour ago

http://twitter.com/#!/NadimKoteich

In this day I feel all the shame of being Lebanese #shameonlebanon 4 hours ago

Lebanon's government is soaking in Syria's blood 4 hours ago

http://twitter.com/#!/bencnn

While we were of focused on the Arab League, LCC Syria says 16 people killed today: Homs 6; Idlib 4; Dera'a 4; Ladhiqiya 1, Rif Dimashq 1. 53 minutes ago

[visionary]

http://twitter.com/#!/AlArabiya_Eng

BreakingNews: Twenty people are killed today by the security forces: Syrian revolution council 3 hours ago

http://twitter.com/#!/LeShaque

AlArabiya / Saudi News Agency: Protesters "messed around" with contents of embassy and smashed windows. 1 hour ago

AlArabiya / Saudi News Agency: Syrians stoned Saudi Embassy in Damascus. 1 hour ago

http://twitter.com/#!/SkyNewsBreak

AFP: Syrian demonstrators have sacked Saudi Arabian embassy in Syrian capital, Damascus 1 hour ago

Reuters: Crowds in Syria armed with sticks & knives have attacked Saudi embassy in Damascus, French & Turkish consulates in city of Latakia 37 minutes ago

[visionary]

http://twitter.com/#!/javierespinosa2

speaking with Syrian Free Army in border with Lebanon there were almost 200 ex soldiers who are going back to Syria to fight the regime 52 minutes ago

http://twitter.com/#!/bencnn

Syria uprising Sunday death toll per LCC: 26. 14 in Hama; 7 in Homs; 3 in Dera'a; 1 in Dair Az-Zour; 1 in Rif Dimashq. 30 minutes ago

http://twitter.com/#!/freedom4libya

Bashar thugs killed 26 peaceful protesters today. Total murdered this week over 250. 12 minutes ago

[visionary]

http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/a/-...gain-on-syria/

Cracks show as Arab League to meet again on Syria

DAMASCUS (AFP) - The Arab League is to hold a fresh meeting on Syria on Wednesday, an official said, amid signs of cracks in the resolve of the 22-member bloc to suspend Damascus over its lethal crackdown on protests.

Sunday's announcement of a new meeting came just a day after the League announced Syria's imminent suspension, drawing international praise but sparking mob attacks on foreign embassies in Damascus.

"We have decided on a meeting of foreign ministers of the Arab League on November 16 at Rabat, on Syria," on the sidelines of a Turkey-Arab world forum, Algerian foreign ministry spokesman Amar Belani told AFP in Algiers.

Belani said that at a meeting in Cairo on November 2, the Arab League's foreign ministers had decided to give Syria 15 days to implement a peace plan Damascus had agreed that day with the League.

Saturday's vote to suspend Syria from the Arab League was not consistent with that earlier decision, he added.

Earlier Sunday, Algerian Foreign Minister Mourad Medelci had suggested that the Arab League's suspension of Syria from its ranks was only temporary.

"The suspension of Syria is temporary and we will be able to lift it as quickly as possible," he said at a joint press conference with Egyptian Foreign Minister Mohammed Kamel Amer.

France also condemned protesters' attacks on diplomatic missions in Syria and summoned the Syrian ambassador.

"These attacks are an attempt to intimidate the international community after the Arab League's courageous decision because of ongoing repression in Syria," the French foreign ministry said.

Activists accused the regime's security forces of killing at least nine people on Sunday in the restive central cities of Homs and Hama, while also reporting that two members of the security forces were killed in an ambush.

In the eastern city of Deir Ezzor, a 15-year-old boy was killed when "security forces opened fire to disperse a group of students who tried to join a demonstration," the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

---------- Post added November-13th-2011 at 03:03 PM ----------

http://www.kuna.net.kw/NewsAgenciesP...53&Language=en

Egypt, Algeria seek to prevent foreign intervention in Syria

[visionary]

http://www.cnn.com/2011/11/14/world/...html?hpt=hp_t3

Time for al-Assad to step down, Jordan's king says

Jordan's King Adbullah, speaking to the BBC, urged Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to step down, but not before laying the foundations of a new political discussion.

"If it was me, I would step down and make sure whoever comes behind me has the ability to change the status quo that we're seeing," he told the BBC Monday.

[Larry]

Egypt, Algeria seek to prevent foreign intervention in Syria

Kind of curious about that. I would have thought that Egypt would remember that if it weren't for foreign intervention, they wouldn't be in charge, now.

[visionary]

I would have thought that Egypt would remember that if it weren't for foreign intervention, they wouldn't be in charge, now.

Could you be more specific?

I'm not quite sure what intervention you're refering to.

---------- Post added November-14th-2011 at 11:34 AM ----------

http://twitter.com/#!/CFKlebergTT

Today's death toll in Syria crackdown is 13 so far, including one child, according to LCC activists. Homs:10 Idlib:2 Daraa:1 7 minutes ago

http://twitter.com/#!/British_Syrian

China backs the Arab League decision on Syria, but Russia criticises it even though they had backed the initial... http://fb.me/15uouey20 2 hours ago

[visionary]

http://twitter.com/#!/BreakingNews

Arab League offers to send 500 human rights and military observers to Syria, says Egypt TV - @BBCWorld 3 minutes ago

[wantarace17]

Kind of curious about that. I would have thought that Egypt would remember that if it weren't for foreign intervention, they wouldn't be in charge, now.

Umm to the best of my knowledge there was not any foreign intervention in Egypt

[Larry]

Umm to the best of my knowledge there was not any foreign intervention in Egypt

I thought that the US supported the Egyptian rebels. Just like in Libya.

[visionary]

I thought that the US supported the Egyptian rebels. Just like in Libya.

The US supported Mubarak...until it got too obvious that the people didn't want him and then we told him he should resign.
We also may have pushed the military to push him to resign, not certain though.

In Egypt there weren't really any rebels, just protesters, because the military for the most part did not crack down other than to arrest people while Mubarak was in power.
They've done a little more since taking over, but nothing like in Libya, Syria, or even Yemen.
They are seemingly becoming more and more unpopular as time goes by though, and they continue a lot of the Mubarak practices and perhaps even make things worse in some ways.
(for instance they have prodded sectarian issues by inciting against Christians on state tv and such).

---------- Post added November-14th-2011 at 01:35 PM ----------

Check out the latest news about Egypt in the Tunisian/Middle East Thread.


Anyway, back to Syria:

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/...7MD0GZ20111114

Syria faces growing world pressure to halt bloodshed

Jordan's King Abdullah told Syria's President Bashar al-Assad on Monday he should step down and the European Union added pressure with more sanctions after the Arab League's surprise decision to suspend Damascus for its violent crackdown on protests.

Syria looks ever more isolated, but still has the support of Russia, which said the Arab League had made the wrong move and accused the West of inciting Assad's opponents.

Despite the diplomatic pressure, there was no let-up in violence and at least two people were killed, activists said.

The anti-Assad unrest, inspired by Arab revolts elsewhere, has devastated Syria's economy, scaring off tourists and investors, while Western sanctions have crippled oil exports.

Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Moualem said the League's decision, due to take effect on Wednesday, was "an extremely dangerous step" at a time when Damascus was implementing an Arab deal to end violence and start talks with the opposition.

Syria has called for an emergency Arab League summit in an apparent effort to forestall its suspension.

Nabil Elaraby, the organization's secretary general, said he had delivered the request to rulers of Arab League states and 15 members would have to approve in order to hold a summit, according to Egypt's state news agency MENA.

The League's suspension is a particularly bitter blow for Assad who has always seen himself as a champion of Arab unity. But adding to the injury, the Cairo-based League plans to meet Syrian dissident groups on Tuesday.

Even so, Elaraby said on Sunday it was too soon to consider recognizing the Syrian opposition as the country's legitimate authority.

http://twitter.com/#!/denisfitz

UN concerned by Syrian military incursions into Lebanon and lack of control Lebanese authorities have over the border with Syria 1 hour ago

http://twitter.com/#!/CFKlebergTT

Today's death toll in Syria rises to 28, LCC activists say. Daraa:13 Homs:10 Idlib:5 26 minutes ago

---------- Post added November-14th-2011 at 02:01 PM ----------








http://twitter.com/#!/Repent11

Major Riad Al As3ad just announced the formation of the Syrian Military Council from Turkey. 1 hour ago

" Official announcment of Syrian Military Council coming soon. It will fall under umbrella of the Syrian National Council" 37 minutes ago

Free Syria Army " We are around 15,000 soldiers who defected. We are only using our personal weapons from Syria."

Free Syria Army "Our main goal of forming the Syrian Military Council is to make sure weapons dont fall in the hands of religous extremists" 36 minutes ago

Turkey & Syrian opposition talk about a buffer zone Turks wants a 5kilometer deep buffer while Syrians propose 30km deep zone 12 minutes ago

[visionary]

http://twitter.com/#!/British_Syrian

This is crazy, we can't keep up. Damn you assad. The number of martyrs has increased to 37 as more of the dead... http://fb.me/J7y2We6a 33 minutes ago

http://twitter.com/#!/BBCKimGhattas

Official Jordan news agency says King's remarks not call on Assad to step down, but a call for him to start transition... 6 minutes ago

[visionary]

http://twitter.com/#!/bencnn

Syria uprising death toll Monday per LCC: 41. Dera'a 21; Homs 11; Idlib: 6; Hama 1: Qamishli 1. Serious. 12 minutes ago

[visionary]

Wow!


http://twitter.com/#!/bencnn

Syria death toll update Monday per LCC: 51: Dera'a 28; Homs 13; Idlib 6; Hama 2; Qamishli 1; Damascus 1. Can't independently confirm stats 32 minutes ago