بطريرك موسكو وسائر روسيا كيريل يزور سورية ولبنان في "مهمة سلام"
Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Kirill to visit Syria and Lebanon in a "peace mission"
http://arabic.rt.com/news_all_news/news/571399
http://www.sana.sy/ara/3/2011/11/11/380982.htm
http://www.sana.sy/eng/22/2011/11/11/380994.htm
11.11.2011 14:44
Visit the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Kirill, Syria and Lebanon in the period between 12 to November 15 this month. Patriarch Kirill will meet Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, Adel Safar, the Prime Minister in addition to the Patriarch of Antioch and All the East and the Grand Mufti of Syria Ahmad Bader Hassoun.
Said Nikolai Balashov, Assistant Department of Ecclesiastical Affairs of Foreign Affairs of the Patriarchate of Moscow that "with effect from 12 till November 15 the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Kirill to visit the territory of the Patriarchate of Antioch and All the East for Roman Catholics, and particularly Syria, which is located in Damascus, Holy Patriarch of Antioch and All the East Ignatius IV Hazim , in addition to his visit to Lebanon. "
Balashov said it the third visit by the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Kirill in what expresses "peace visits", which is based on the Orthodox Church to the "brothers" Based on the other Orthodox churches.
Beyond that, the program of visits by representatives of the Patriarchate of Moscow and All Russia to the Patriarchate of Antioch and All the East to establish a mass in Orthodox churches in Damascus and Beirut.
It is expected to meet based on the Russian Orthodox Church, Syrian Mufti Ahmad Bader Hassoun and Minister of Religious Endowments Muhammad Saeed Abdel-Sater. Patriarch Kirill will meet Lebanese President Michel Suleiman, the Maronite Patriarch of Antioch and All the East Cardinal Bishara Rai.
He Balashov and links to the bonds of friendship between Russia and many Middle East, dating back to centuries, and that the visit of Patriarch Kirill will be an important step in the continuity and strengthening these ties, especially in these difficult situations. "
Balashov said that "Patriarch Kirill arrives to the Middle East peace mission and a call for dialogue. We hope that you find the efforts of religious figures in the national reconciliation and stop the bloodshed and infighting in the Middle East, a new pulse."
Russian Duma Deputy: Undermining Stability in Syria Will Inflame Whole Region
http://www.sana.sy/eng/22/2011/11/11/381000.htm
Nov 11, 2011
MOSCOW, SANA_ Russian Duma Deputy Sergei Markov said undermining stability in Syria, which is the key of stability in the Middle East, will inflame the region as a whole, warning that there is a dangerous geopolitical game in Syria played by some parties.
Markov, in an interview with SANA correspondent in Moscow on Friday, added that the U.S. wants revenge against the Syrian leadership due to its positions towards the Middle East issues and supporting the national resistance movements against Israel.
" Russia does not intend to allow any UN resolution permits the attack on Syria to pass," the MP said.
He added: " The extremist terrorist groups in Syria are linked with foreign parties and funded by the US taxpayers' expense, depending at the same time on the support of al- Qaeda supporters,"
Markov stressed that no one can ignore what has been achieved in Syria in terms of maintaining its stability for many years and its success in attaining a real economic development.
He called every one to provide assistance to Syria to tackle the issues it faces, speed up the economic development, confront the growing influence of the extremist terrorist groups and to transform into pluralistic democracy without allowing any explosions or the arrival of the extremists to power or the outbreak of a civil war in.
The Russian MP said that the international community should not exercise pressure on Syria, describing President Bashar al-Assad as the most civilized and advanced president in the Middle East who fully understands the necessity of reform and how to implement.
Soto Rojas: Venezuela Supports Syria against Conspiracy
http://www.sana.sy/eng/22/2011/11/11/380936.htm
Nov 11, 2011
CARACAS, (SANA) – President of the Venezuelan National Assembly, Fernando Soto Rojas, stressed Thursday that Venezuela supports the leadership and people of Syria against the international conspiracy.
In a speech delivered during a reception held by the Syrian Embassy at the Syrian Club in Caracas, Soto Rojas called for working seriously to boost Syrian-Venezuelan relations, particularly in the light of the current events taking place across the globe.
He pointed out that there are 96 Bolivarian representatives at the National Assembly committed to supporting the Syrian people and government in face of the imperialist aggression.
He also called for confronting imperialism through coordinating efforts and meetings with "the Syrian friends" to build a multi-polar world, pointing out that the colonial countries have fragmented the Middle East and Latin America into small states to impose their hegemony over them and control their natural resources.
Report: Lebanese Banks Pressured Not to Deal with Syrian Financial Sector
http://www.naharnet.com/stories/en/20017-report-lebanese-banks-pressured-not-to-deal-with-syrian-financial-sector
by Naharnet Newsdesk
11 November 2011, 08:44
Conflicting reports emerged on Friday over the visit of U.S. Treasury Assistant Secretary for Terrorist Financing Daniel Glaser to Beirut.
An Nahar newspaper reported on Friday that the discussions that took place between Glaser and Lebanese bankers were positive.
Sources told the daily that the meeting focused on the technical sides of the banks' transactions with Syria, adding that "the banking sector will not be targeted" by any sanctions.
They said that the visit was to "inquire the followed mechanism by (Lebanese banks) to ensure that there are no potential Syrian attempts to evade financial sanctions."
However, al-Liwaa newspaper reported that the U.S. official stressed during his meeting with Prime Minister Najib Miqati, Lebanese Central Bank Governor Riyad Salameh and Lebanese Bankers that "the international community will not hesitate in imposing direct sanctions on the Central Bank if any Syrian money transactions were passed through it."
According to An Nahar newspaper Miqati told Glaser that the Lebanese economy's growth depends on the banking sector which is why no Lebanese would risk putting this sector in any danger.
Lebanese banking community representatives were keen to emphasize to Glaser that the banks are abiding to the international measures, noting that they are stressing the importance of complying with the international community regardless of the Lebanese government position.
For his part, Salameh stressed that the Lebanese banking sector is committed to the measures taken by the international community, ruling out any transactions or banking accounts between Lebanese Central Bank and Syria's Central Bank.
"We are fully cooperating with the international community and implementing (the decisions)," president of the Lebanese banks association Joseph Torbey said.
Glaser emphasized on Thursday the need for Lebanon to take the necessary steps to ensure a transparent and well-regulated financial sector for Lebanon's continued prosperity, according to a statement by the U.S. embassy.
He reiterated his country's view that it is important to ensure that the current instability in Syria does not undermine the Lebanese financial sector.
The embassy said that Glaser also called for Lebanon to meet all of its international obligations, including cooperating with and funding the Special Tribunal for Lebanon probing the assassination of ex-Premier Rafik Hariri.
He renewed the commitment of the U.S. to a stable, sovereign and independent Lebanon.
HRW finds 'crimes against humanity' in Syria
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Middle-East/2011/Nov-11/153742-hrw-finds-crimes-against-humanity-in-syria.ashx
November 11, 2011 09:21 AM
Associated Press
BEIRUT: Syrian forces have tortured and killed civilians in the rebellious province of Homs in an assault that indicates crimes against humanity, and the Arab League should suspend Syria's membership, an international human rights group said Friday.
The Arab League, which brokered a Syrian peace plan last week, scheduled an emergency meeting Saturday at its headquarters in Cairo to discuss the failure to stop the bloodshed.
The U.N. estimates 3,500 have been killed nationwide since mid-March. Homs, Syria's third-largest city in a province of the same name, has emerged as the epicenter of the uprising.
"Homs is a microcosm of the Syrian government's brutality," said Sarah Leah Whitson, Middle East director at Human Rights Watch. "The Arab League needs to tell President (Bashar) Assad that violating their agreement has consequences, and that it now supports Security Council action to end the carnage."
In a 63-page report released Friday, Human Rights Watch said security forces killed at least 587 civilians in Homs from mid-April to the end of August - the highest number for any single province.
In the report, which focuses on that period, the rights group said former detainees reported torture including security forces' use of heated metal rods, electric shocks and stress positions. Witnesses also reported large-scale military operations during which security forces used heavy machine guns, including anti-aircraft guns mounted on armored vehicles.
The group also acknowledged that some protesters and army defectors took up arms to protect themselves - a development that some fear plays directly into the regime's hands by giving it an excuse to use extreme violence against a mostly peaceful movement.
"Violence by protesters or defectors deserves further investigation," the report said. "However, these incidents by no means justify the disproportionate and systematic use of lethal force against demonstrators, which clearly exceeded any justifiable response to any threat presented by overwhelmingly unarmed crowds."
Although the crackdown has led to broad international isolation, Assad appears to have a firm grip on power. Sanctions are chipping away at the regime, but economy has not collapsed. There have been defections from the army, but most appear to be low-level conscripts.
The government has largely sealed off the country from foreign journalists and prevented independent reporting, making it difficult to confirm events on the ground. Part of the Arab League plan, accepted by Syria, was to allow reporters and observers into the country.
In the absence of firsthand reporting, key sources of information are amateur videos posted online and details gathered by witnesses and activist groups.
No comments:
Post a Comment