PHOTO: Head of UN peacekeeping mission, General Robert Mood, in Homs in May 2012


LATEST

WEDNESDAY FEATURES

Syria Feature: Possible “War Crimes” as Russia Kills 100s in Airstrikes, Then Lies About Them
Developing: Another Regime Chemical Attack Near Damascus?
Iran Daily: Military — We Are Not Reducing Our Presence in Syria


Considering the implementation of its resolution for a political settlement in Syria, the UN is looking to Syrians to monitor ceasefires, according to “diplomatic sources” who have spoken to Reuters.

Last Friday, the Security Council unanimously passed a resolution for ceasefires and opposition-regime talks in January, hoping to begin an 18-month transition. However, it did not say whether President Assad and his inner circle could retain their positions.

The sources said a small group of non-uniformed UN officials in Syria could carry out investigations of ceasefire violations. They did not indicate which “Syrians” — regime officials, opposition figures, independent representatives, or a combination of these — would serve as monitors.

“There’s the idea of proxy-ism, where they were going to look at who would be credible on the ground to get information and to create a reporting mechanism from them to the UN,” one source said.

The diplomats said that the new procedure will try to avoid a repetition of the “disaster” of a UN mission in Syria in 2012. That operation failed because the parties in the conflict showed no interest in halting the fighting, they asserted.

They said that the UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations will likely present an option to put UN personnel on the ground, but explained that is likely to be rejected immediately.


Amnesty: Russian Airstrikes Kill 100s and Could Be “War Crimes”

Complementing the findings of other NGOs such as Human Rights Watch and Medicins Sans Frontieres, Amnesty International has concluded, “Russian air strikes in Syria have killed hundreds of civilians and caused massive destruction in residential areas, striking homes, a mosque and a busy market, as well as medical facilities, in a pattern of attacks that show evidence of violations of international humanitarian law.”

Now see Syria Feature: Possible “War Crimes” as Russia Kills 100s in Airstrikes, Then Lies About Them


Regime Bombing Kills 3, Injures 10 in Kurdish Area of Aleppo

In a possible sign of shifting relations within divided Aleppo city, regime forces bombed a mainly-Kurdish area on Tuesday, reportedly killing three people and injuring 10.

The Kurdish outlet Hawar News said the civilian casualties were in the Sheikh Maqsoud area, where shops and 10 houses were damaged by barrel-bombing.

Until Tuesday, the Syrian military had not been attacking Sheikh Maqsoud. Instead, clashes had been between rebels and the Kurdish YPG militia until a truce was agreed earlier this month.