LATEST: Western Intelligence Gives Names of 5,000 Suspected Foreign Fighters to Turkey
SATURDAY FEATURE
“More Than 200,000 Detained” Since March 2011
Syria’s regime is trying to maintain the celebrations of Tuesday’s nominal re-election of President Assad, featuring the congratulations of leaders of other countries.
State news agency SANA heralds “cables from Russian President Vladimir Putin and President of Democratic People’s Republic of Korea Kim Jong-un”, as well as the proclamation of Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah of the “most important event that happened recently”.
Assad’s ally Iran continues its praise, with leading MP Alaeddin Boroujerdi — who delivered personal congratulations to Assad in Damascus — saying on Friday that the vote was a “milestone” in Syrian history.
However, State media overlooks the greetings of Walid Jumblatt, the leader of the Druze community in Lebanon:
The regime could have achieved better results in the glittering, diverse, transparent, and democratic elections, had the dead, which exceeded 200,000, and displaced, who exceed eight million, been able to cast their votes.
The residents of Homs and Aleppo could have been able to renew their eternal loyalty to Mr. President Bashar Assad were it not for the rubble and destruction in those cities….
The residents of the eastern Ghouta and northern Syria would have been able to take part in the elections were it not for the regime’s barrel bombs and occasional use of chemical weapons.
Western Intelligence Gives Names of 5,000 Suspected Foreign Fighters to Turkey
Western intelligence agencies have given the names of nearly 5,000 prospective foreign fighters to Turkish authorities, hoping to prevent them from reaching Syria.
Counter-terrorism officials from European Union countries and Turkey confirmed the list.
Earlier this week Turkey named the Islamist faction Jabhat al-Nusra, a leading group in the Syrian insurgency, a terrorist organisation.
On Thursday, officials from nine European countries held private talks in Brussels on the Syrian situation and the perceived threat of “extremist” foreign fighters.
Video: Aftermath of Regime Airstrike on Damascus Suburb of Douma
Destruction from a regime airstrike on Douma, near Damascus, on Friday:
The Syrian military stepped up attacks on Damascus suburbs this week. One strike near Douma killed 20 people in a minibus on Friday.
