The Daily Monitoring Report – Monday – 30-07-2012

 July 30^th, 2012

- Yesterday, 138 people were martyred by the Assad troops’ gunfire, mostly inDamascus, Rif Dimashq,Aleppoand Daraa. Al-Assad forces seek to restore control over the rebel-held Aleppo Governorate vast areas of its countryside, in addition to other eight districts, are being controlled by the Free Syrian Army (FSA). (2)

Political Mobility: 

- Abdel-Basit Sida, head of the Syrian National Council (SNC), called on his foreign allies to provide the Free Syrian Army (FSA) with heavy weapons, saying “We want weapons so that we can stop Al-Assad’s tanks and aircrafts, as this is the qualitative support that the FSA needs”. (1) (2)

- The SNC called for imposing no-fly zone and ensuring safe corridors for some one million refugees. The SNC talks about continuous contacts for providing logistic support for battalions defendingAleppo,Damascusand other surrounded and targeted cities. (1) (2) (4)

- Abdel-Basit Sida, head of the SNC, said that the opposition would hold talks within few weeks’ time to form a transition government to run the country after ousting Bashar Al-Assad and till democratic elections are held, pointing out to the need to form such a government before toppling the regime so that it would be the alternative during the coming period. (1) (2) (3)

 - Abdel-Basit Sida said that most of the government members would be from the opposition. It might include some of Al-Assad’s current government members, particularly ‘those who were not involved in shedding the blood of the Syrians nor be involved in major corruption cases”. He also asserted the importance of consulting different factions, taking into consideration the efficiency criterion at the first level. He did not rule out that the defected Brigadier-General Manaf Tlas would take part in the new government, but he would not be its head. (2)

Internal Situation:

- During a tour in Al-Zatari refugee camp,Jordan’s Foreign Minister NasserJudahsays his country is now sheltering 142,000 Syrians. He says up to 2,000 more are arriving each day, adding thatJordandoes not intend, at present, to withdraw its ambassador inDamascus. (1) (2)

Activities of Civil Organizations:

- The UN Undersecretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Valerie Amos said 200,000 people had fled the fighting in and aroundAleppoin the last two days, and the violence acrossSyriamade it hard for humanitarian agencies to reach them. (1) (2) (3)

Political Stances:

Syria

- During a press conference with his Iranian counterpart Ali Akbar Salehi inTehran,Syria’s Foreign Minister Walid Al-Mouallem reiterated his allegations that his country was facing a global conspiracy, which serves the interests ofIsrael. Al-Mouallem added that the government was winning its war, saying it has sufficient capabilities to defend its territories. (1) (2) (3)

Arab

- Reuters news agency quotes Gulf sources as saying thatSaudi Arabia,TurkeyandQatarhad established a center in southeasternTurkeyto help the Free Syrian Army (FSA) with communications and weaponry. (2) (3)

- Nabil Al-Araby, Secretary-General of the Arab League, described what is happening inSyria, especially the city ofAleppo, as amounting to war crimes, and warned that perpetrators of these crimes will be held internationally accountable. Al-Arabi pointed out that efforts were being made to get a resolution by the UN General Assembly according to a legal, political and moral weight to resolve the crisis. (1) (2) (3)

- During a press conference with his Tunisian and Libyan counterparts Ashour bin Khayal and Raifq Abdel-Salam, Egypt’s Foreign Minister said the discussions had dealt with “the current tragic situation in Syria,” adding that the three countries almost share the same views in that regard, and that the bloodshed going on in Syria and the murder that no Arab conscience accept must be ended. (3)

International

- TheUSSecretary of Defense Leon Panetta said that the Assad regime is “digging his grave with its own hands” through attack onAleppoand “blind violence” against population. Panetta added that the attacks launched by the Assad forces on the city ofAleppowere putting the nail in the coffin of Assad’s government, showing he lacks the legitimacy to rule. (2) (3)

- TheUSSecretary of Defense Leon Panetta says he expects the crisis inSyriawill be high on the agenda of talks he has this week with the leaders of “Israel” andJordan, expressing concerns about the security of the Syrian chemical and biological weapons sites, as well as the flow of the Syrian refugees into neighboring countries. (2) (3)

-Vatican’s Pope Benedict XVI appealed for an end to violence inSyriaon Sunday and called on world powers to spare no effort in helping resolve the conflict, demanding that refuges receive the necessary humanitarian aid. (2) (3)

-Iran’s Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi described transition of power inSyriaas an “illusion,” alleging that Bashar Al-Assad has met his people’s demands. Salehi warned the region’s countries against any wrong move with regard to the Syrian issue, which might affect them. He added, “Thinking naively and wrongly that if there is a power vacuum perhaps in Syria and if there is a transition of power in Syria, simply another government will come to power, that I think is just a dream.” (1) (2) (3)

Sources

1	Asharq Al-Awsat
2	Aljazeera.net
3	Reuters
4	The AFP
5	The AP
6	The Guardian
7	The Telegraph