Tuesday, August 07, 2012

Syria - Increased Activity


UPDATE for August 8 / 9 inserted further down !


An opinion poll by Al-Jazeera's Arabic service provided the folllowing results:

هل تعتقد ان النظام السوري يسعى لتقسيم سوريا ؟

Do you think that Syria's regime is trying to divide Syria ?

Yes: 85.8%

No: 14.2%

Number of participants: 19.985


.....................................................................................

News of the Day (August 7, 2012):


مراسل الجزيرة في حلب: قوات الجيش السوري الحر تقتحم مبنيي الأمن الجنائي و الجيش الشعبي في حلب

Al-Jazeera's reporter in Aleppo: Free Syrian Army forces are attacking a building of the [National] Security's Crimes [Squad] and the People's Army in Aleppo.


مراسل الجزيرة: الجيش النظامي السوري يقصف بالطائرات و الدبابات عدة أحياء في مدينة حلب

Al-Jazeera's reporter: Troops of the Syrian regime are shelling several quarters in the town of Aleppo, using planes and tanks.


On the subject of 48 alleged Iranian Revolutionary Guards, being held prisoners by the Free Syrian Army, Tehran has increased its diplomatic activity:


الأسد يقول عقب لقائه مبعوث خامنئي إن دمشق مصممة على تطهير البلاد من الإرهابيين

Assad says at the end of his meeting with an envoy of Khamenei (*) that Damascus is decided to "clean" the country from "terrorists".


* = The Iranian diplomat Jalili is the special envoy of Ayatollah Khamenei mentioned by Assad.

It is only recently that Iran had asked Turkey to act as a mediator in favour of the release of its citizens captured in Syria. Now, it seems that Turkey was again confronted with Iranian accusations about its position in the Syrian crisis:

تركيا تشجب اتهامات إيرانية لها بالمسؤولية عن استمرار العنف و تاجيج الأزمة في سوريا

Turkey condemns Iranian accusations of being responsible for continued violence and reviving the crisis in Syria.


Political Background: Turkey - Iran

On Tuesday, August 7, Iran's foreign minister Ali Akbar Salehi paid a snap visit to Ankara for a meeting with his counterpart Ahmet Davutoglu. Referring to the case of 48 "abducted pilgrims" he said:
"Turkey has links with the opposition in Syria, so we think Turkey can play a major role in freeing our pilgrims."

Turkey has repeatedly denied Iranian allegations that it is arming the rebels. Turkey and Iran are at the opposite ends of the Syrian crisis. Ankara has been at the forefront of international criticism against the Damascus regime's deadly response to the popular uprising, while Tehran is one of Assad's few allies.


Defected Syrian PM Riad Hijab coming to a rest in his new environment (above).

.....................................................................................

UPDATE for August 8, 2012:

Al-Arabiya reported on August 8 the story of a Russian general, Vladimir Kuchev [فلاديمير كوجييف], who fell into the hands of the rebels:

جنرال روسي ينفي مقتله على يد الجيش الحر

Russian general in the hands of the Free Army is denying his [participation] in battle.

الثوار أكدوا أنه يعمل مستشاراً لوزير الدفاع السوري

The rebels confirmed that he was an adviser to the Syrian minister of defence.


.....................................................................................

UPDATE for August 9, 2012:

The following news are quoted from Al-Arabiya Online.

انشقاق رئيس المراسم في القصر الجمهوري السوري

Defection of the head of protocol in the Palace of the Syrian Republic.

الجيش الحر: محي الدين المسلمانية في مكان آمن وستحدث انشقاقات مهمة الأيام القادمة

According to the Free Army, [Machi al-Din al-Maslamaniya] is in a secure place and [further] essential defections are being expected for the next days.


Defected Head of Protocol
.....................................................................................

Related News from Lebanon by Al-Jazeera on August 9, 2012:


توقيف ميشال سماحة جاء بناء على إشارة من القضاء اللبناني

Apprehension of Michel Samaha [at his home] because of instruction by Lebanon's judiciary.

ميشيل سماحة يعتبر من أبرز و جود قوى 8 من آذار المتحالفة مع النظامين السوري و الإيراني و مقرب من الرئيس السوري

Michel Samaha is considered having promoted and [done his best to encourage] a collaboration of the March 8 [coalition] with both regimes in Syria and Iran. [Furthermore, he is considered] being familiar with the Syrian president.



Background Information:
Michel Samaha is a former Lebanese minister of the so-called March 8 coalition that includes the influential Hezbollah (God's Party) which allegedly maintains strong ties with Iran. According to General Prosecutor Samir Hammoud, Samaha should have been arrested for security reasons. Al-Jazeera's video is showing the broken door of his home and his shocked family that is now expected to call for mass demonstrations of pro-Hezbollah groups if Michel Samaha is not released until Friday.
[Source: Press TV and Al-Jazeera]




Visitor access points to "blueprint news" in Eastern Europe (last 14 days):



"Postcard" from Moscow - Visitor from Kremlin


No comments: