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January 2012

Daily News Brief

26 January 2012

Russia would block UN action against Syria, UNESCO to remove Syria from its committee
While the United States called on the UN Security Council to issue a strong resolution on Syria, Russia confirmed yesterday that it will not pass any resolution approving the imposition of unilateral sanctions on Syria or allow military intervention.

Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said "We can't approve proposals on the UN Security Council imposing unilateral sanctions against Syria without holding deliberations with Russia, China and the BRICS countries”, stressing that such a move would be "unfair and counterproductive," Syrian state-run agency SANA reported.

Lavrov said Russia's own draft of a UN resolution regarding Syria, which circulated earlier this month, remains on the table, and that Moscow is open for any "constructive proposals."

This came after more than 50 observers from Gulf states led by Saudi Arabia left Syria yesterday after their governments said they were certain "the bloodshed and killing of innocents would continue," and asked the UN Security Council to intervene.

Arab League Secretary-General Nabil al-Araby and Qatari Prime Minister Hamad bin Jassim al-Thani, who heads the League's committee on Syria, wrote jointly to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon setting out their plan for a political solution in Syria, according to The New York Times.

Fyodor Lukyanov, the editor of Russia in Global Affairs magazine and an analyst told AP that Russia’s standing firm on blocking UN decision against Syria has economic justification:"Anticipating different possible scenarios, Russia is in a hurry to use the current status quo to pursue its commercial interests… It would be a good contract if [President] Assad stays on."

Meanwhile, UN Watch, a Geneva-based NGO and diplomats said yesterday that a growing group of countries - from the United States and Britain to Qatar and Kuwait - want to remove Syria from the UNESCO Committee on Conventions and Recommendations, AP reported.

One of the main fields of the committee’s activities is human rights. Therefore, the U.S. ambassador to UNESCO, David Killion argued: “We should not allow the Syrian regime to stand as a judge of other countries’ human rights record while it systematically violates the human rights of its citizens.”

Syrian Arab Red Crescent official shot dead
Head of Red Crescent Branch in Idleb, Abdel Razaq Jbeiro, was shot dead yesterday by an“armed terrorist group” on in Khan Shekhoun in Idleb governorate, SANA reported. According to the agency Jbeiro was on his way back to work after the meetings held in Damascus, and he was in a car clearly carrying the distinct logo and symbol of the Syrian Arab Red Crescent, the SARC said in its statement.

Activists, however, blame his death on security forces, according to BBC.

Violence in the country
According to the opposition Local Coordination Committees yesterday 27 people were killed across the country, among them 6 alleged defectors from the Free Syrian Army.

LCC reported clashes between Syrian army and defectors in Harasta.

According to Saudi daily Al-Hayat, Hama is currently surrounded by 4000 soldiers in preparation for the final disposition. The city of Hama yesterday witnessed violent clashes between the Syrian Army and the opposition Syrian Free Army which has control over a number of parts of the city. According to the local coordination committees, security forces began an extensive battle in Hama since Tuesday night. 

Syrian official media said that “the competent authorities caught big numbers of terrorists after raiding their hideouts in Bab Qibli and Al-Jarajmeh neighbourhoods in Hama on yesterday,” SANA reported.

The agency’s correspondent said that quantities of weapons were also seized.

The General Committee of the Syrian revolution stated that at least 21 people were killed yesterday. Meanwhile, Syrian private daily Al-Watan wrote today that 5 agents of the security forces were killed and 7 others wounded after gunmen in Hama targeted a vehicle with a BMB and shooting with an RPG.

One of the victims of the recent violence in Hama was the Greek Orthodox priest who was shot dead yesterday. According to LCC, father Basilius Nassar when he attempted to rescue one of the wounded in the area of Jarajmeh.