Two Orthodox bishops reportedly kidnapped by rebels in northern Syria have been released, an association of Middle Eastern Christians on Tuesday said in a statement citing Syrian sources.
Although it was never likely to lead to a victory so decisive as to turn the tide against the rebels and silence its critics, it has forced both the rebels to re-examine their tactics and some of their assumptions about the ongoing struggle.
Syria’s Minister of Information Omran al-Zoubi says the “hostile acts” against Syria coming from western, Arab and regional countries including the smuggling of weapons and terrorists through their territories to perpetrate their crimes against the Syrian people and loot the Syrian oil.
“The US successive administrations recognize that Syria is not a playground for their policies,” Syria’s Information Minister Minister says in Moscow
An opposition website says the two bishops were kidnapped by the Chechen Brigade, which has close relations with the regime’s security agencies
The Syrian National Coalition named veteran dissident George Sabra as caretaker leader of the main opposition grouping on Monday, following the resignation of Ahmed Moaz al-Khatib.
It is clear that political negotiations would address these guarantees, which are connected to the form of the future regime, as well as its constitutional and legal nature, in addition to the citizenship rights– and before this the Syrian parties that could take part in such negotiations.
President Bashar al-Assad on Sunday received a delegation representing Lebanese national parties, forces and figures, discussing with them developments on the Arab and regional arenas in general, and developments in Syria and Lebanon in particular.
Our major desire is for Bashar Al-Assad to act realistically, and not to remain detached from reality. His persistence in his current approach means bringing greater and greater ruin to Syria.
The UN’s high commissioner for refugees, António Guterres, told London’s Guardian newspaper that the fighting in Syria was the worst humanitarian disaster since the fall of the Berlin Wall, and was already more destructive than the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.
U.N.-Arab League envoy Lakhdar Brahimi on Friday urged the Security Council to come together on Syria, venting frustration with all sides while denying rumors he plans to resign.
The SNC is fragile, and more likely to implode than become institutionalised. This is highlighted by three issues: the political initiative of its then president, Ahmed Moaz al-Khatib, in proposing talks with the regime; the decision in Istanbul to form a Syrian government in exile; and the fact that Syria’s seat in the Arab League was handed over to the SNC at the recent meeting in Doha.
In the history of Syria during the times of the Ottoman empire, there were courts that were established in order to settle disputes amongst people but in the first three years not even one person entered them due to the fact that people were able to resolve their issues amongst themselves in the four known references that were present in society at the time which were developed by themselves.
Observers speculate that the Arab League’s decision to grant the opposition National Coalition Syria’s seat at the Doha summit led to Brahimi’s position being undermined. The envoy himself has said that he would prefer to resign from his position with the Arab League and maintain his role with the UN.
Syria was in the third place internationally in terms of security but an internationally- and Gulf-backed element of destruction represented in the terrorist groups with takfiri thinking worked to sabotage the atmosphere of security in Syria, says al-Jaafari
The Syrian people find no justification or excuse of Russia’s continued arms support of an authoritarian regime adamant to hold on to power, against the will of the people, and at the expense of thousands of lives.
The National Coordination Committee has called on the Syrian people to take “brave positions in order to rescue the country” with the least losses.
Syria’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Dr. Bashar al-Jaafari, stressed that Syria supports all efforts exerted to put an end to all forms of sexual violence in case of armed conflicts and punishing the perpetrators, adding that Syria wishes to cooperate with the UN to uncover the reality of the situation in Syria far from politicization.
Syrian President Bashar Assad warned on Wednesday the West that it will pay a heavy price for its alleged support of al-Qaida in Syria and said his regime’s defeat is not an option.
A soil sample smuggled out of Syria in a secret British operation shows hard evidence of chemical weapons’ use in Syria, claims the Times of London.
