while Russia’s Putin reiterates Moscows differences with the EU over the situation in Syria, President of the European Council, Herman Van Rompuy, calss for efforts to reach a political solution to the crisis in Syria
Reporters without Borders honors journalist and activist Mazen Darwish for his tireless engagement for freedom of expression in Syria. Since February, he has been held in a Syrian prison and reportedly tortured.
During the Syrian revolution, Mazen played an essential role in launching the revolution and in defending victims who fell for participating in the revolution
The Syrian National Coalition rejected a newly launched Iranian initiative to solve the crisis in Syria, branding it as ‘overdue’ warning Iran that Assad’s regime will fall and the Syrian people will remain.
At the same time as the National Coalition of Syrian Revolution and Opposition Forces condemns the policies and practices of the Russian government and its stand in support of the Assad regime politically and militarily, it unequivocally states that the Russian government alone bears full responsibility of their actions without any blame to Russian civilians.
In a response to remarks made recently by Haytham al-Maleh, a senior member of the National Coalition of Syrian Revolution and Opposition Forces regarding targeting civilian Russian and Iranian citizens, the NC issued a statement Wednesday condemning these remarks and confirming that they do not represent the Coalition.
The National Coalition and the Syrian Military Joint Command reiterated that they have a joint goal which is overthrowing the regime and dismantling its security forces.
Bashar will not be pleased with the statements of his “deputy” and he will only smell the stench of betrayal. Indeed, Al-Sharaa said that, ever since Bashar accessed power, the state institutions have become weak and inert. This statement means that Farouk al-Sharaa rejects any personal responsibility for the degradation of the situation in the past decade on the hands of the young president who accessed power amidst promises of an early “Damascus Spring.”
A Syrian Website quoted a UK official as commenting on Vice President Faruk al Sharaa and calling on President Bashar al Assad to step aside.
“The various opposition forces – whether armed or civilian, or linked to foreign powers – cannot claim they are the sole legitimate representatives of the Syrian people,” he added, calling for confidence-building measures between the regime and the rebels.
A profile of John Yazigi who was appointed head of Syria’s largest church in December 2012
Youhanna al-Yaziji, elected on Monday the new Greek Orthodox Patriarch of the Levant and Antioch, will succeed late Patriarch Ignatius IV Hazim, who passed away on December 5.
One of the main questions surrounding the Syrian uprising at the beginning of 2012 was if and when an economic collapse would occur. As the year draws to a close, the question has instead become whether one can still talk of “a” Syrian economy as such.
A leading NCC member says the largest opposition group inside Syria is to oust a controversial leading member and a Kurdish political Party in a meeting in Cairo.
A member of parliament was killed in the explosions that targeted the Ministry of Interior in Damascus Wednesday
The Interpol will not deal with the Syrian arrest warrants against former Prime Minister Saad Hariri, al-Mustaqbal MP Oqab Saqr and Syrian opposition member Louay al-Meqdad in line with its constitution and rules, al-Mustaqbal newspaper reported on Thursday.
The jihadist al-Nusra Front claimed on Thursday that two of its men were responsible for a deadly suicide attack on the Syrian interior ministry the day before, via its official Twitter account.
Syrian President Bashar Assad’s regime appears likely to fall within weeks, a senior minister in Iraq, whose country has avoided publicly taking sides in Syria’s conflict, told AFP on Thursday.
U.S. Ambassador to Syria Robert Ford writes in al Hayat that Jabhat al Nusra is a thug of thieves that want to steal the Syrian revolution. He calsl on all responsible actors to speak out against and distance themselves from al-Nusrah Front, Shabiha, Jaysh Al-Shaib, and other violent extremists who seek and intend to hijack this Syrian struggle. Assad must go – but the new government that replaces him should not be a new group of tyrants who reject the tolerance that made Syria the unique and remarkable country that it was and can be again.
