WarSclerotic

UN report: Syria committed crimes against … JPost – Middle East.

    GENEVA – A United Nations commission of inquiry on Syria said on Monday Syrian military and security forces had committed crimes against humanity including murder, torture and rape and the government of President Bashar al-Assad bore responsibility.

The panel, which interviewed 223 victims and witnesses including defectors, called on Syria to halt the “gross human rights violations”, release prisoners rounded up in mass arrests and allow media, aid workers and rights monitors access to the country.

Syria is “responsible for wrongful acts, including crimes against humanity, committed by members of its military and security forces as documented in the present report,” the three-member panel said in a 39-page report to the UN Human Rights Council.

It catalogs executions, torture, rapes including of children, arbitrary detentions and abductions carried out since March by Syrian forces quashing pro-democracy demonstrations while enjoying “systemic impunity” for their crimes, it said.

“The commission therefore believes that orders to shoot and otherwise mistreat civilians originated from policies and directives issued at the highest levels of the armed forces and the government,” said the team, led by Brazilian expert Paulo Pinheiro.

More than 3,500 people have been killed in the violence, according to the United Nations, while activists say that up to 30,000 have been arrested, many kept in open-air stadiums.

The UN Security Council stopped short of taking action against Syria when China and Russia vetoed a resolution in October. After continuing international criticism of Assad’s handling of the crisis, the Arab League approved sanctions against Syria on Sunday.

On Monday, tens of thousands of Syrians protested in state-backed rallies against the sanctions, the toughest imposed by the Arab League against one of its own members

Russia sending warships to its base in Syria – JPost – Headlines.

By REUTERS
11/28/2011 16:28

    MOSCOW – Russia is sending a flotilla of warships to its naval base in Syria in a show of force which suggests Moscow is willing to defend its interests in the strife-torn country as international pressure mounts on President Bashar al-Assad’s government.

Arab League sanctions and French calls for the establishment of humanitarian zones in Syria have increased international pressure on Assad to end bloodshed that the United Nations says has killed 3,500 people during nine months of protests against his rule.

Russia, which has a naval maintenance base in Syria and whose weapons trade with Damascus is worth millions of dollars annually, joined China last month to veto a Western-backed U.N. Security Council resolution condemning Assad’s government.

Izvestia newspaper reported on Monday, citing retired Russian Admiral Viktor Kravchenko, that Russia plans to send its flagship aircraft carrier the “Admiral Kuznetsov” along with a patrol ship, an anti-submarine craft and other vessels.

Arab League approves Syria sanctions – CBS News.

(AP)  BEIRUT — The Arab League overwhelmingly approved sanctions Sunday against Syria to pressure Damascus to end its deadly eight-month crackdown on dissent, an unprecedented move by the League against an Arab state.

Before the vote, Damascus slammed the vote as a betrayal of Arab solidarity. Besides punishing an already ailing economy, the sanctions are a huge blow for a Syrian regime that considers itself a powerhouse of Arab nationalism.

At a news conference in Cairo, Qatari Foreign Minister Hamad bin Jassim said 19 of the League’s 22 member nations approved the sanctions, which include cutting off transactions with the Syrian central bank and halting Arab government funding for projects in Syria. Iraq and Lebanon abstained.

“We aim to avoid any suffering for the Syrian people,” bin Jassim said.

The sanctions are the latest in a growing wave of international pressure pushing Syria to end its violent suppression of protests against President Bashar Assad, which the U.N. says has killed more than 3,500 people since March.

Arab League Secretary General Nabil Elaraby said the bloc will reconsider the sanctions if Syria carries out an Arab-brokered peace plan that includes sending observers to the country and pulling tanks from the streets.

“We call on Syria to quickly approve the Arab initiative,” he said.

The state-owned Al-Thawra newspaper ran a front-page headline Sunday saying the Arab League is calling for “economic and commercial sanctions targeting the Syrian people.” It said the measure is “unprecedented and contradicts the rules of Arab cooperation.”

Since the revolt began, the regime has blamed armed gangs acting out a foreign conspiracy for the bloodshed.

It is not clear whether Arab sanctions will succeed in pressuring the Syrian regime into ending the violence that has killed dozens of Syrians, week after week. Many fear the violence is pushing the country toward civil war.

Until recently, most of the bloodshed was caused by security forces firing on mainly peaceful protests. Lately, there have been growing reports of army defectors and armed civilians fighting Assad’s forces — a development that some say plays into the regime’s hands by giving government troops a pretext to crack down with overwhelming force.

On Sunday, activists reported fierce clashes in the flashpoint city of Homs, in central Syria, pitting soldiers against army defectors.

The death toll from violence in Homs and elsewhere across the country was mounting Sunday. The Local Coordinating Committees, a coalition of Syrian activist groups, put the toll at 26, but the figure was impossible to confirm.

Syria has banned most foreign journalists and prevented independent reporting inside the country.

Many of the attacks against Syrian security forces are believed to be carried out by a group of army defectors known as the Free Syrian Army.

The Arab League’s recommendations for sanctions specified that the Arab bloc will assist Syria with emergency aid through the help of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent, working with local civilian groups to deliver goods.

There have been widespread concerns that the unrest in Syria could spill outside its borders, sending unsettling ripples across the region.

Syria is a geographical and political keystone in the heart of the Middle East, bordering five countries with whom it shares religious and ethnic minorities and, in Israel’s case, a fragile truce. Its web of allegiances extends to Lebanon’s powerful Hezbollah movement and Iran’s Shiite theocracy.

Also Sunday, Jordanian Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh acknowledged that 100 Syrian military and police deserters have taken refuge in the kingdom during the uprising. It was the first official public confirmation that Jordan hosts Syrian defectors.

In September, officials said privately that Jordan had received 60 Syrian army and police deserters, who ranged in rank from corporal to colonel.

Judeh told The Associated Press that the Syrian soldiers and policemen, whom he claimed were conscripts rather than officers, had arrived in batches over the last eight months.

Many Syrians fleeing Assad’s crackdown have also sought refuge in neighboring Turkey.

The Gulf nations of Qatar and Bahrain on Sunday warned their citizens to avoid travel to Syria and called on those already there to leave immediately. The foreign affairs ministries of both countries cited concerns about the security situation in issuing the travel alerts. They did not mention the planned Arab League vote.

The calls come two days after the United Arab Emirates issued a similar warning to its citizens.

The embassies of the UAE, Qatar and Saudi Arabia were targeted by pro-Assad regime demonstrators in Damascus earlier this month.

___

Associated Press writers Maamoun Youssef in Cairo and Adam Schreck in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, contributed to this report.

Syria rebels: Assad regime recruiting Iranian, Hezbollah mercenaries – Haaretz Daily Newspaper | Israel News.

Free Syrian Army spokesman says Syrian President Bashar Assad losing control of his forces; dozens of Syrian army deserters find refuge in Jordan.

By Jack Khoury and The Associated Press

The Syrian regime is beginning to lose control over its security forces and is thus forced to hire mercenaries from Iran, Iraq and Lebanon, the Free Syrian Army spokesman told the Saudi newspaper Asharq Alawsat Newspaper on Sunday.

The spokesman, Ammar al-Wawi, said that in recent months many army and police officers defected, a fact that “requires the regime to make internal changes in the military ranks.”

	Syrian police armored vehicles in the flashpoint city of Homs, November 25, 2011.
	Photo by: AFP

Al-Wawi added that the mercenaries include members of Iraqi Shiite militias, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard and Hezbollah, and are being deployed in military operations against rebel forces.

Meanwhile, Jordan’s foreign minister said 100 Syrian military and police deserters have taken refuge in the kingdom throughout the eight-month uprising in their country.

Nasser Judeh’s Sunday remarks were the first official public confirmation that Jordan hosts Syrian defectors.

In September, officials said privately that Jordan had received 60 Syrian army and police deserters, who ranged in rank from corporal to colonel.

Judeh told The Associated Press that the Syrian soldiers and policemen, whom he claimed were conscripts rather than officers, had arrived in batches over the last eight months.

Many Syrians fleeing Assad’s crackdown have also sought refuge in neighboring Turkey.

Arab League foreign ministers were to meet in Cairo later on Sunday to decide whether to rubber-stamp a set of sanctions on Syria drafted by their economy ministers after Syria ignored a deadline designed to end its violent crackdown on protesters.

Syrian army deserters take refuge in Jordan – Haaretz Daily Newspaper | Israel News.

Jordanian FM says dozens of Syrian military and police defectors have sought refuge in the kingdom over the last eight months; Arab League to decide on Syria sanctions on Sunday.

By The Associated Press

Jordan’s foreign minister said 100 Syrian military and police deserters have taken refuge in the kingdom throughout the eight-month uprising in their country.

Nasser Judeh’s Sunday remarks were the first official public confirmation that Jordan hosts Syrian defectors.

	Syrian army officers stand next to the coffins of 17 army members the military said were killed in an ambush on Thursday, in Homs province, Syria, on Saturday Nov. 26, 2011.
	Photo by: AP

In September, officials said privately that Jordan had received 60 Syrian army and police deserters, who ranged in rank from corporal to colonel.

Judeh told The Associated Press that the Syrian soldiers and policemen, whom he claimed were conscripts rather than officers, had arrived in batches over the last eight months.

Many Syrians fleeing President Bashar Assad’s crackdown have also sought refuge in neighboring Turkey.

Meanwhile, Arab League foreign ministers were to meet in Cairo later on Sunday to decide whether to rubber-stamp a set of sanctions on Syria drafted by their economy ministers after Syria ignored a deadline designed to end its violent crackdown on protesters.

Qatari Foreign Minister Hamad bin Jassim, who heads the league’s ministerial committee on Syria, arrived in Cairo early Sunday. Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu was also expected to take part in the talks.

On Saturday, its economy ministers drafted a set of sanctions, which include a ban on travel by senior Syrian officials and the suspension of trade links.

As part of the proposed package, Arab governments are to also stop dealing with Syria’s central bank and to suspend flights by Syria’s state-owned airline, except for those carrying goods, the economy ministers said in a statement.

IDF upgrades Patriot missile defense battery – JPost – Defense.

    Israel recently received a new Patriot missile defense battery as part of a bid to improve its defenses in face of potential new conflicts in the region.

The battery arrived in Israel over a month ago. Its arrival was first revealed in Yediot Aharonot on Friday. The new battery will be dismantled and parts will be used to upgrade existing batteries already deployed throughout the country.

The Patriot currently serves as the mid-tier component of Israel’s multi-layered missile defense system. Short-range rockets are intercepted by the Iron Dome and the Arrow 2 is the top tier, designed to intercept long-range ballistic missiles.

In July, the IAF announced that it was upgrading the Patriot with new software updates and hardware changes. The purpose of the upgrade is to enable the Patriot launchers and accompanying components to operate the system’s new generation of interceptors which are used by the new generation Patriot called PAC 3.

Israel’s existing launchers can fire four missiles, and once upgraded to accommodate PAC 3 interceptors, they will be able to fire 16 missiles each: four missiles in each of the launcher’s four canisters.

The IAF eventually plans on phasing out the Patriot missile systems and replacing them with the David’s Sling, a missile defense system currently under development by Rafael and the US-based Raytheon.

David’s Sling is expected to have a longer range than the Patriot and will also one day replace the Hawk surface-to-air missile systems in air defense missions.

Syria: 47 soldiers killed over weekend – Israel News, Ynetnews.

Syrian army suffers major blow as deserters mount deadly attacks against Assad’s combatants. Arab League discusses further sanctions on Damascus

AFP

The Syrian armyhas suffered a major blow this weekend with 47 soldiers killed in clashes with deserters since Thursday. Twenty-six soldiers were killed on Thursday, 13 on Friday and eight in the latest attack on Saturday.

A Syrian rights group said that at least 40 were injured when defectors mounted an attack in the Idlib region. According to the report, none of the deserters were hurt themselves. As many as 70 people were killed on Saturday alone, human rights activists said. The Free Syrian Army, comprised of army defectors, claims to include 20,000 fighters led by General Riyadh al-Asaad.

Arab finance ministers are currently meeting in Cairo to discuss economic sanctions on Damascus after it rejected a proposal to send hundreds of inspectors into Syria.

Jordanian Foreign Minister Nasser Judah asked Arab League members to discuss sanctions while taking into consideration each country’s interests. He said that Jordan has prosperous trade ties with Syria and noted that many Jordanian students study in the country.

Earlier on Saturday, Syrian President Bashar Assad lashed out at his Turkish critics remarking that “some in Turkey are still clinging to the dream of reinstating the Ottoman Empire.”

The Turkish leaders, he added, “Know that this dream is impossible, so they are trying to exploit parties with a religious agenda to expand their influence on the Arab world.”

Arab League plans to freeze Syria economic… JPost – Middle East.

    Arab states plan to cut commercial ties with Syria’s government and freeze its assets as they step up pressure to end months of political violence in the country, a draft document to be discussed by Arab ministers on Sunday showed.

The sanctions would also include a travel ban on senior Syrian officials and a halt to commercial flights to the country, according to the Arab League document seen by Reuters on Saturday.

Dealings with Syria’s central bank would be halted, it said, but basic commodities needed by the Syrian people would be exempted from the list of sanctions.

Syria’s economy is already reeling from months of unrest, aggravated by US and European sanctions on oil exports and several state businesses.

The document, drawn up by the Arab League’s Social and Economic Committee at a preparatory meeting in Cairo in Saturday, would need to be ratified by ministers before coming into force.

The document was drafted after Damascus missed a Friday deadline to sign an agreement under which the Arab League planned to send observers to Syria, where the United Nations says 3,500 people have been killed since the start of the uprising in March.

Despite Syria’s pledge this month to withdraw its army from urban areas and let in the monitors, the violence has continued, prompting reprisals from the Arab League, stinging rebukes from Turkey and French proposals for humanitarian intervention.

Damascus says regional powers have helped incite the violence, which it blames on armed groups targeting civilians and its security forces.

Russian navy nears Cyprus drilling zone | Defence news from Greece and Cyprus.

(This piece leaves me speechless…. Are the Russians actually IN on the plan to weaken Iran and just playing the good cop? – JW)

THE “Admiral Kuznetsov” class aircraft carrier is currently off the coast of Malta and heading for eastern Mediterranean from their base in the Barents Sea.

Informed sources have said that the Russian navy and Israeli military will hold joint exercises next week close to Cyprus Exclusive Economic Zone.

The exercises are slated to begin on the 28th November and last a week.

Commentators say that Russia is determined to send the message that they have invested interests in the region and will secure them.

It is understood that the aircraft carrier is carrying 24-fixed wing planes and a number of helicopters. It has also been reported in the press that the Russian navy may request to use port facilities at Limassol.

The radio report also claimed that three Russian destroyers are currently anchored off the Syrian coast. Russia’s naval supply and maintenance site near Syria’s Mediterranean port of Tartus will be modernized to accommodate heavy warships after 2012, the Russian Navy chief said earlier this week.

“Tartus will be developed as a naval base. The first stage of development and modernization will be completed in 2012,” Adm. Vladimir Vysotsky said, adding it could then serve as a base for guided-missile cruisers and even aircraft carriers.

The Soviet-era facility is operated under a 1971 agreement by Russian personnel.

Russian relations with Cyprus are at their best in many years. Last month, the Russian Ambassador to Cyprus Vyacheslav Shumskiy said that Moscow fully supports the sovereign right of Cyprus to exploit its natural resources.

“Our position is absolutely clear , and we were among the first countries to comment on that, and we totally support the sovereign right of the Cypriot people for exploitation of natural resources , this is totally in accordance with the international law and with the EU regulations, so there is no doubt about that”, he noted.

Invited to comment on Turkish threats against Cyprus, he said that Turkey’s position is not “very wise”.

The Associated Press: Iran threatens to hit Turkey if US, Israel attack.

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — A senior commander of Iran’s powerful Revolutionary Guard says the country will target NATO’s missile defense shield in Turkey if the U.S. or Israel attacks the Islamic Republic.

Gen. Amir Ali Hajizadeh, the head of the Guards’ aerospace division, is quoted by the semiofficial Mehr news agency as saying the warning is part of a new defense strategy to counter what it sees as an increase in threats from the U.S. and Israel.

He says Iran will now respond to threats with threats rather than a defensive position.

Tehran says NATO’s early warning radar station in Turkey is meant to protect Israel against Iranian missile attacks if a war breaks out with Israel.

Turkey agreed to host the radar in September as part of NATO’s missile defense system.