LATEST: Saudis Lay Down Line to Regime…and to US

Jump to Latest Update

In a statement as surprising as “the sun rises in the west”, Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem said on Monday that President Assad will not give up power as part of any transitional agreement:

The other side is delusional, as some say that they won’t go to Geneva unless President Bashar al-Assad steps down….Well he won’t….

Some others say they want the government to hand over power…To those we say: we are for partnership and not the handover of power…If we want to hand over power. Why go to Geneva? We would stay in Damascus and hand it over here.

Al-Moallem dressed up the rejection of the precondition with the declaration of the regime’s “determination to take part in the international conference in Geneva”, proposed by the US and Russia in early May but no closer to be arranged, “to reach an end to violence and terrorism”.

At the same time, the Foreign Minister denounced nations — including the US — for their recent announcement that they will give weapons to the insurgency. He called them “terrorism-backing countries” who had “started to put obstacles in the way of convening the conference through their decision to arm the opposition”.


Latest Updates, From Top to Bottom

Saudis Lay Down Line to Regime…and to US

More on the firm message from Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal to the Assad regime — and to Washington — during the visit of US Secretary of State John Kerry to Jeddah….

Saud re-affirmed the condition that not only President Assad but his inner circle must leave power:

The regime’s illegitimacy eliminates any possibility of it being part of any arrangements or playing any role whatsoever in shaping the present and future of Syria, taking into consideration that the Syrian National Coalition now has the recognition of the international community as the sole representative of the Syrian people in its political and ethnic entirety.

On this basis, and invoking other foes such as Tehran and Moscow, Saud said the insurgency must be fully backed — implying this included arming it:

Perhaps the most ominous of…developments is the involvement of foreign forces, foremost of which is the motions of Hezbollah and others with support from Iran’s national guard in the mass murder of Syrians with unlimited military support from Russia. This critical turn of events cannot possibly be overlooked. Over and above the regime’s genocide against its own people, this adds an even deadlier element in the form of an all-out foreign invasion that breaks every international law, protocol, and principle….

Syria now can only be considered an occupied land. This requires a firm stand and speedy action from the international community.

Saud reiterated, in the question-and-answer session, “An invaded country, where genocide is being perpetrated, is not a normal situation. And I can say with all clarity that we will help the Syrian people defend themselves.”

As for Kerry, he used a lot of words to say that there should be an international peace conference in Geneva. And his thoughts on the Saudi position?

We’re trying to understand as well as possible what each nation is doing today, what they’re prepared to do, and obviously, how we can work in a way that isn’t at cross-purposes. We need to be coordinated. So that coordination effort was a subject of discussion today.

Footage: Insurgents In Idlib Use Chinese HJ-8 To Take Out Tank

This video, uploaded on Tuesday, purportedly shows insurgents in Idlib (exact location unknown) using a Chinese HJ-8 tube-launched, optically tracked, wire-guided anti-tank missile system to take out a Syrian Army tank. Thanks to Twitter user Johnny Six for identifying the weapon.

Assad Issues New Law Against Illegal Entry Into Syria

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad issued a new law on Tuesday, targeting those who “enter Syrian territories illegally”, State media report.

The law stipulates a prison term of up to ten years and a fine of up to 10 million Syrian pounds for those found guilty of entering Syrian territory illegally. The law is in response to reports that foreign fighters are entering Syria to fight alongside the insurgency against regime forces.

Brahimi: Syria Conference Won’t Take Place In July

A conference to discuss ending the 27 month conflict in Syria was not likely to happen in July, international mediator Lakhdar Brahimi said Tuesday, ahead of talks with senior Russian and US officials in Geneva.

“I very, very much hope that the governments in the region and the big powers – in particular the United States and Russia – that they will act to contain this situation that is getting out of hand, not only in Syria but also in the region,” Reuters quoted Brahimi as saying.

Saudi FM: We Cannot Be Silent Over Iran’s Involvement In Syria

Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister, Prince Saud Al Faisal, said Tuesday that the kingdom “cannot be silent” about the involvement of Iran and Hezbollah in Syria, a situation Riyadh considers “dangerous”. Speaking at a Jeddah press conference with US Secretary of State John Kerry, Al Faisal said that the insurgents must be given military aid.

Rights Group: Syria Using Counterterrorism Laws To Silence Human Rights Defenders

New York-based rights group Human Rights Watch accused the Syrian regime on Tuesday of using counterterrorism legislation and a counterterrorism court, both established last July, to stifle human rights defenders.

The criticism comes as the trial of five human rights activists accused of “publicizing terrorist acts” is set to resume on Wednesday in the Counterterrorism Court.

The defendants include Mazen Darwish from the Syrian Center for Media and Freedom of Expression. Darwish and four of his colleagues stand accused of activities including monitoring online news and publishing the names of people killed and disappeared, according to HRW.

Footage: Fighting In Damascus, Aleppo

Fierce fighting continues in Damascus on Tuesday, with insurgents clashing with regime forces in several neighborhoods.

Syrian State media report clashes in Al Qaboun, Jobar, and Barzeh in northern Damascus.

Activists and insurgents have uploaded many videos of the damage caused by fighting in Barzeh on Monday and Tuesday. This footage shows houses burning in Barzeh following regime shelling on Tuesday:

This video, shot on Monday, shows destroyed buildings in the neighborhood:

Control of Al Qaboun is significant, because it is the only route from the northeast and east into Damascus.

This video, posted on Monday, purportedly shows regime forces entering the Al Qaboun neighborhood of Damascus via the Damascus-Homs Road.

This video, posted Tuesday, shows regime tanks traveling on the same road into Al Qaboun:

Map showing location of Al Qaboun:

Meanwhile, footage from Aleppo, purportedly from Tuesday, shows insurgents using SPG-9 recoilless rifles to attack regime troops:

The group named in the video, the Jabhat al-Jawiya, has been shown in previous footage with similar weapons. The Syrian Army possesses these Russian-made weapons and it is likely — though of course not certain — that the ones held by insurgents are looted.

This video, from Deir Jamal in Aleppo province, shows one human cost of the ongoing fighting — a child is pulled from rubble after a strike on a home:

Footage: Insurgents Use Konkurs In Otaiba, Eastern Damascus Countryside

Footage posted on Monday of a Konkurs anti-tank weapon purportedly being used by insurgents against a regime tank in Al-Otaiba, Eastern Damascus countryside. **Update — this video has been around since earlier this month (new version posted that shows a June 13 date) but it is worth noting that insurgents are using these weapons in the Damascus area**

Syrian Coalition Slams Assad Regime After Foreign Minister’s Press Conference

The Syrian National Coalition on Monday evening accused the Assad regime of “stalling for time” by requesting that it attend the Geneva II conference.

“For Assad, this creates an opportunity for more destruction and for the Assad forces to gain more ground in Syria,” the SNC said in a statement.

The SNC urged Western and Arab states to send weapons to insurgents, saying that “arming the Free Syrian Army will help defend the Syrian people against state terrorism, as Hezbollah and other sectarian paramilitary troops join the fight against Syrian civilians.”

The Local Coordination Committees claim 67 people were killed on Monday, including 34 martyrs in Damascus and its suburbs.

The Violations Documentations Center records 64,593 deaths since the start of the conflict in March 2011, an increase of 111 from Monday. Of the dead, 49,572 are civilians, a rise of 61 from yesterday.