عدد من أعضاء المعارضة الوطنية السورية يؤكدون رفضهم التدخل الخارجي وتمسكهم بخطة العمل العربية
Number of members of the Syrian national opposition affirm their rejection of the Syrian foreign interference and their adherence to the Arab Action Plan
http://www.sana.sy/ara/3/2011/11/10/380896.htm
http://www.sana.sy/eng/337/2011/11/11/380905.htm
November 10, 2011
Cairo, (SANA) -
A number of opposition members of the Syrian national coordinating body of national and state-building and stream some independents after their meetings with the Secretary General of the League of Arab States in Cairo, Arab, Nabil today announced their rejection of external interference and internal affairs of Syria's adherence to the Arab Plan of Action.
Said Haytham mannaa, a member of the coordination of the forces of democratic change in Syria that the Arab initiative worth trying even if the total area of success only 5 percent because the other scenarios worse and worse and people are talking as if Cyprna the Arab initiative, even if that happens because we came and we met the Secretary General of the League of Arab States and endured what we took of some of the extremists, referring to beatings and humiliation in the Arab League headquarters by those who want to eliminate the Arab plan.
mannaa said to hold on to reject outside interference and the adoption of dialogue with all parties.
In turn, said Dr. Abdul-Aziz al-Khair official spokesman for the Authority that the way the democratic will sooner or later, to a pluralistic democracy in Syria, expressing his rejection of the approach is called the Syrian National Council exclusionary who works on the marginalization of others, pointing out that the Syrian people still had opportunities for the emergence of figures reflect the him.
al-Khair .. The meeting with the Secretary-General of the Arab League, addressed the possible operational procedures that we hope the Arab League to take the initiative without delay, stressing that Syria entered the change in the way of the National Democratic irreversible.
In turn, Louay Hussein from current state-building, said .. We applied to the League of Arab States to offer our report on the situation in Syria and we thought about the possibility of assistance and cooperation we can offer to the university.
On the request of some opposition parties to impose an air embargo on Syria, Hussein .. We do not accept this command because it will cause military intervention, and this would demolish the state and the rhythm of the Syrian society and more deaths.
For his part, called Samir Aita member of the national coordinating body to activate the Arab peace initiative.
Some opponents of the Council of Istanbul, who works on call outside interference in the internal affairs of Syria attacked the opposition delegation coordinating body to prevent him from entering the Arab League and a sign on a policy of exclusion Alaghae and they expressed Batdaúhm to the Delegation of the Coordination Body.
المعلم في رسالة إلى العربي: تصريح المصدر في الخارجية الأمريكية الذي يشجع الدول العربية إلى الانضمام إلى المقاطعة السياسية والاقتصادية ضد سورية قد يشكل مؤشرا لتبرير تدخل خارجي
al-Muallim: Statement of US Official Source Constitutes Justification for Foreign Interference against Syria
http://www.sana.sy/ara/2/2011/11/10/380799.htm
http://www.sana.sy/eng/337/2011/11/10/380816.htm
Nov 10, 2011
DAMASCUS, (SANA) - Foreign and Expatriates Minister Walid al-Muallim expressed the Syrian Arab Republic's wonder over the statement of a US State Department source that encourages the Arab countries to join the political and economic boycott against Syria which exceeds the limits of the AL Charter and the bases of the joint Arab action.
al-Muallim clarified in a message to Arab League (AL) Secretary General, Nabil al-Arabi, on Wednesday that the US provocation constitutes a justification for a foreign interference and for economic and political sanctions against Syria with the agreement of some Arab countries, expressing hope that the US call will not be heeded at.
al-Muallim pointed out to the danger of such statements on the future of the joint Arab action under the patronage of the Arab League.
Foreign and Expatriates Minister added in the message that Syria, which has declared its commitment to the work plan agreed upon with AL, underlines its fulfillment of most of the plan's items unlike what is being propagated by some misleading TV channels, pointing out that Syria's permanent representative at the Arab League will brief the AL Ministerial Council on the steps taken in this regard.
al-Muallim, at the conclusion of the message, expressed hope that the AL Secretary General will respond to the US statements in accordance with the AL Charter and the Arab agreements that maintain the sovereignty as well as relations among Arab countries.
إيران ستكشف عن وثائق سرية قريباً تتضمن مستندات خطيرة عن ضلوع أميركا باغتيال الحريري والجميل والتويني وآخرين
Iran will reveal the secret documents include documents soon, serious involvement of America, the assassination of Hariri and Gemayel and Tueni and others
http://www.aksalser.com/index.php?page=view_news&id=d32545682fdc21179db29cea5ef32a49&ar=228863653
Thursday - November 10 - 2011 - 11:39:07
Forward the strategic expert said Iran's "Amir of al-Musawi," that Iran will soon unveil documents and documents of a very sensitive and confidential present possession of the Iranian intelligence has been able to disclose and collected for many years and especially in the last eight years doubled in these documents.
The al-Moussawi as reported on the magazine "al-Inqaad" of Lebanon that these documents are distributed on several types as follows:
1 posts written.
2 orders of the CIA.
3 minutes of meetings and documents registered in a video.
4 messages across the Internet and communications.
5 banking financial documents are very important and very dangerous, the names of individuals and institutions sensitive. "
Moussawi and revealed that these "documents related to three areas of operational and executive are:
1 Iran's Islamic Republic where include bombings, assassinations and sabotage of facilities, locations and facilities, including nuclear facilities, and inciting sectarian strife in Iran.
2 Arab region, especially Iraq, Lebanon, Syria and the Gulf region, Afghanistan, Pakistan and North Africa through assassinations, murder mastermind, which shows the target as if they died of cases of death natural, such as the assassination of the commander of the Northern Alliance in Afghanistan, Ahmed Shah Masood, Pakistani President Muhammad Zia ul-Haq, as well as death surprise to the Prince of Bahrain, Shaikh Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa, Muhammad bin Rashid Al Maktoum.
In Lebanon, said Moussawi said, "There are documents serious about the assassination of former minister Pierre Gemayel and editor of" daylight "Gebran Tueni, and other personalities," and also stressed that "there are documents serious assassination of President Rafik Hariri, as well as the operations of a failed assassination against some names, were all of the intervention of U.S. or American orders, as well as the documents sought from the America in which the rhythm between Lebanon and Syria, and documents proving serious roles for institutions and personalities in this context. "
He pointed out that al-Moussawi Iran is also in possession of secret documents on the "assassinations took place in Sudan, Egypt, Algeria and Mauritania, as well as documents for specific U.S. operations in France and Europe."
More seriously, according to al-Moussawi that "there are assassinations of important and very serious for eminent persons in the area but failed and documents to be provided around Iran to America and if denied by the Islamic Republic, then you would expose them."
رئيس وزراء قطر : لا خلاف شخصي مع الرئيس الأسد والحديث عن استضافة قطر لحركة حماس غيرصحيح
Prime Minister of Qatar: no personal dispute with President Assad and Qatar to host talk about Hamas incorrect
http://www.aksalser.com/index.php?page=view_news&id=1a2c2eca447d05f81ce5c4af6f09149c&ar=115896316
Thursday - November 10 - 2011 - 11:57:27
Hamad Bin Jassim, the Qatari Prime Minister said, "there is no personal dispute between him and President Bashar al-Assad," and added that the rumors about the transmission of the political bureau of Hamas from Damascus, was premature, and that talk about the host in Qatar is not true.
He said in a lengthy dialogue with the Egyptian newspaper Al-Akhbar published on Thursday: "We hope that Syria remains a strong coherent state is a central and important in the Arab and regional levels."
And Prime Minister and Qatar's foreign minister that he could not confirm that the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) immune hundred percent against the "Arab spring".
In response to a question about whether the Gulf states are immune to the spring of revolutions of the Arab, he said, "my testimony Mejrouhh because I am part of the system of the Gulf states, but I cannot say that the countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council fortified hundred percent, and the fact that the Council is always flexible, and the relationship between the ruler and ruled in the region different from the others and there is keen on customs and traditions and to communicate more between the top of the pyramid of power and rule. "
Shaikh Hamad and attributed the cause of "Arab" revolutions to the spread of an intellectual movement in the Arab world rejected the phenomenon of political repression, adding that it was possible to address these "explosions" If the leaders and the Arab rulers began to deal with all the seriousness and speed of reform.
He said: "There is, in my opinion, is a need to hand over the baton on to younger generations. Unfortunately, there is an absence of such a culture in the Arab world .. Why the challenge and am sorry for this word / cursed Abu authority that allows the governor to kill people / Winkle him and destroy his country in order to stay in power ".
And the situation in his country, he said: "We have no political prisoners, and human rights organizations roam all prisons .. A significant progress in education, health, and how the development of society," adding that increasing the salaries of the state of the country "type of distribution of wealth," and not what is said for that decision proactive against any protests or social tensions.
And Al-Jazeera, said: ".. Some say that al-Jazeerah is a tool in the hands of national policy, this is not true .. the opinion of His Highness al-Amir (Emir) is that the freedom of the media is part of a road map on which we walk."
With regard to the financial support to Egypt, he said: "Qatar has promised to aid and provide economic and financial support to Egypt as we are assured that we are prepared to invest 10 billion dollars and we're still on our commitment to this has been provided the first tranche, which was ordered by the Emir of Qatar Shaikh Hamad and $ 500 million, and there are other amounts soft loans or bonds in progress on the arrangements. "
In response to accusations from several quarters, some official about the existence of money being pumped from the Qatar civil society organizations and personalities designed to influence the situation in Egypt, said Qatari Prime Minister: "Whether the statement formally or informally, we are dealing with evidence and facts .. and we, as not interfere in the internal affairs of any country and does not donate unless it was something, declaring, clear, and through legitimate channels, and to assure that there is no directed government to charity. I cannot deny that there are donors not only from the country, but some Egyptians working in Qatar, and we as a government do not We support anything like that. "
He denied that Qatar's preferred candidate for the presidency of Egypt, and said: "We do not have a favorite candidate at all the issue is related to the Egyptian people and it is subject to the choices do not interfere in this matter."
He believed that "the crisis of Libya, embodied the first positive cooperation between the West and the Arab countries may not agree with me some .. when I started the revolution in Libya and found a gun kills people .. and we went to the Arab League and the question is who will lead the process, it was assumed that Egypt is not for the circumstances in which pass them as a neighbor and the most capable and most powerful intervention .. and when we fail we asked to impose an air embargo, we just want to stop the bombing of the Libyan people by air and do not forget that Saif al-Islam Gaddafi threatened to remove the Benghazi from the map. What is the procedure required if: Would you say non-interference and wait until is the elimination of the Libyan people? ".
In the Yemeni affairs, said: "We have announced three months ago our withdrawal from the Gulf after the initiative and found that we may be taking the initiative as to no end and are caught up in delays."
And the relations with Iran, he said: "We have good relations with Iran and is always careful to maintain good relations with Iran, because Iran is a neighboring country directly to Qatar and the large .. do not agree in every policy with them, nor will they agree with us in every policy, but we are together agree that there should be a good relationship .. We always strive for calm as anything that may occur in the region Sadharna directly. "
On the Palestinian issue, Shaikh Hamad said that talk about the nomination of Qatar to host the political bureau of Hamas, an alternative to Damascus "premature was not looking and not true."
الجزائر ترفض استقبال "المجلس الوطني" المعارض
Algeria refused to receive the opposition "National Council" (SNC)
http://www.aksalser.com/?page=view_news&id=17e5929ad3f9d6379e6906071a958e0b&ar=531605336
Thursday - November 10 - 2011 - 14:43:55
Jabr al-office member of the Secretariat for the "Syrian National Council" revealed the Algeria's official refusal of receiving the oppositions delegation from the Executive Office of the Council for the time being, adding that the Council hopes a date of the visit to be set by the Algerian authorities at a later time.
al-Shoufi told the Algerian daily "al-Shurouq", National Council Syrian request for an official visit to the Algerian government and the latter reserved for the visit at the moment, however, pointed out that the Algerian "did not refuse to receive the delegation as permanent, but apologized for receiving us now," and why an apology Algiers contents of these bilateral contacts confirmed that the Algerian government did not provide a reason for that and only an apology.
Shoufi added that the Executive Office of the Council is still awaiting a date from the Algerian government to receive them, and "hopes to be close, especially with the continued killing in the Syrian street."
And concerning two states of Sudan and the Sultanate of Oman that the SNC announced for an expected visit, he explained that they had not received a response yet, and they are waiting for that.
Lebanon must protect against Syria evading sanctions: U.S. official
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Politics/2011/Nov-10/153637-us-official-says-lebanon-must-protect-itself-from-syrian-bids-to-evade-sanctions.ashx
November 10, 2011 01:43 PM (Last updated: November 10, 2011 04:57 PM)
BEIRUT: Lebanon must protect its financial sector from attempts to use it to avoid sanctions on Syria, U.S. Treasury Assistant Secretary for Terrorist Financing Daniel Glaser said Thursday.
Glaser "stressed the need for authorities to protect the Lebanese financial sector from potential Syrian attempts to evade U.S. and EU financial sanctions," said a statement issued by the U.S. Embassy in Lebanon.
It said Glaser, who is in Lebanon on his first visit as assistant secretary, also underscored the need for Lebanon to take the necessary steps to "ensure a transparent and well-regulated financial sector for Lebanon's continued prosperity."
Glaser's remarks were made during separate meetings with Prime Minister Najib Mikati, Lebanon's Central Bank Governor Riad Salameh, and a number of representatives from the Lebanese banking sector.
He reiterated the U.S. view that it is important to ensure that the current instability in Syria does not undermine the Lebanese financial sector.
There have been fears that sanctions imposed on Syria may impact Lebanon, due to the close relationship between the two countries, and Glaser is not the first official to warn about such dangers. Last week, U.K. ambassador to Lebanon Tom Fletcher said he hoped the Lebanese economy could distance itself from the Syrian sanctions.
Labor Minister Charbel Nahhas assured Lebanese Thursday that they need not worry over the possibility of sanctions hitting the banking sector.
"There are banking controls and regulations in place that must be adhered to by all banks including the Central Bank," Charbel told a local radio station.
"Lebanese bankers are aware of these rules and they cannot breach them," he said, adding that if "sanctions are imposed they would be political."
Regarding a U.N.-backed court probing the assassination of statesman Rafik Hariri, the U.S. official urged Lebanon to meet all of its international obligations, including cooperating with and funding the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, according to the embassy statement.
It said Glaser renewed Washington's commitment to a "stable, sovereign and independent Lebanon."
U.S. to question Lebanon over deposits
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/Business/Lebanon/2011/Nov-10/153551-us-to-question-lebanon-over-deposits.ashx
November 10, 2011 01:06 AM
BEIRUT: Alleged reports of capital and deposits fleeing from Syria to Lebanon will be the key issue raised by a senior U.S. official during his talks with Lebanese officials Thursday.
The U.S. Treasury Assistant Secretary for Terrorist Financing Daniel Glaser, who is scheduled to meet with Central Bank governor Riad Salameh and Finance Minister Muhammad Safadi, will convey Washington's deep concern about reports that Syrian officials who are on the U.S. blacklist are trying to transfer their money to Lebanese banks and financial institutions.
Salameh told the Association of Banks in Lebanon that Glaser's visit had been scheduled previously.
The visit comes on the heels of news that Washington is determined to apply pressure on any country that facilitates the transfer of Syrian funds, especially if they belong to Syrian officials who may have played a role in the crackdown on Syrian protesters.
But Salameh and bankers insist that Lebanese banks have not received substantial deposits from Syria since the crisis broke out eight months ago.
Bankers argue that the deposit growth this year has dropped compared to last year, proving that no Syrian cash has entered Lebanon.
A leading banker told The Daily Star that it is nearly impossible for any cash to enter the banking and financial system in a haphazard manner.
"Any penny that enters our financial system in Lebanon will appear in the balance sheets of commercial banks. There is no way billons of U.S. dollars [are] entering the Lebanese financial market without raising the alert of the Central Bank," the banker stressed.
He added that banks have clear instructions to ask any person who deposits more than $10,000 where he got the money from.
But the banker suggested that money could be carried through the border illegally by smugglers, but they surely won't dare to deposit them in the banks since they realize that this cash will be frozen by monetary authorities.
Salameh made similar these remarks in an interview with a Russian TV station, saying that the growth in Lebanon's deposits dropped this year when compared to 2010.
The latest data supports his claim. Deposits grew 5.4 percent in the first eight months of 2011, compared to growth of 7.3 percent in the first eight months of 2010, according to numbers by data provider, Economena Analytics.
Salameh confirmed that no Syrian accounts have been frozen in Lebanon, saying that such a procedure is the prerogative of the Special Investigation Commission, a body affiliated with the Central Bank.
"The Commission has not taken any action against Syrian depositors," he said, adding, "generally, this requires a decision by the [U.N.] Security Council."
But a statement issued earlier by the U.S. Treasury Department said Glaser was expected to "highlight the need for authorities to remain vigilant against attempts by the Syrian regime to evade U.S. and EU sanctions through the Lebanese financial sector," the U.S. Treasury Department said.
The United States had informally inquired about Syrian deposits in Lebanese banks last September as part of Washington's efforts to tighten economic and financial sanctions on Damascus, media reports said.
Bankers confidentially say that Syrian deposits in Lebanese banks do not exceed $3 billion and that most of this money belongs to prominent Syrian businessmen and traders who have held deposits in Lebanon previously.
These bankers also claim that they will abide by any Security Council resolution in the future which may prohibit any banking and financial transactions between Lebanon and Syria.
"So far, the Security Council did not pass any resolution on this matter and for this reason Lebanon is officially not obliged to heed the pressure from any country," a banker told The Daily Star.
Salameh and President of the Association of Banks in Lebanon Joseph Torbey have aggressively campaigned in Washington and other European capitals to dispel all rumors that Lebanese banks are a haven for illegal activities.
Torbey made it abundantly clear that Lebanese banks are well regulated and always abide by all Security Council resolutions.
Exchange dealers in Lebanon also denied some media allegations that they are receiving large sums of cash from Syria, adding that they are also under the strict supervision of the Central Bank.
Some Arab leaders offered haven for Assad - U.S.
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Middle-East/2011/Nov-10/153616-some-arab-leaders-offered-haven-for-assad---us.ashx
November 10, 2011 10:52 AM
Reuters
WASHINGTON: Some Arab leaders have told the United States they are willing to provide safe haven to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to hasten his "inevitable" departure from power, a senior U.S. official said on Wednesday.
Assistant Secretary of State Jeffrey Feltman did not identify the countries that had offered a place for Assad to go after seven months of protests against his rule in Syria.
"Almost all the Arab leaders, foreign ministers who I talk to say the same thing: Assad's rule is coming to an end. It is inevitable," Feltman, who is in charge of near eastern affairs, told a Senate panel.
"Some of these Arabs have even begun to offer Assad safe haven to encourage him to leave quickly," Feltman said. He hoped Assad and his inner circle would "head for the exits voluntarily."
Assad has shown no sign of leaving. Syrian troops shot dead eight protesters and injured 25 in Damascus earlier Wednesday, activists said, in one of the bloodiest incidents in the capital since the upraising against Assad began.
More than 60 people have been killed by the army and security forces just since last week, when Assad's government signed a peace plan sponsored by the Arab League.
Western governments led by the United States have called on Assad to leave power. Feltman said the United States would continue to support the Syrian opposition while diplomatically and financially pressuring the regime, "until Assad is gone."
U.S. and European financial sanctions were "tightening the financial noose around the (Assad) regime," he added.
But the United States did not seek militarization of the conflict: "Syria is not Libya."
Washington favored multilateral sanctions on Syria at the United Nations, Feltman said, adding that if Russia and China continued to block a Security Council resolution condemning Syria, Washington would consider other steps.
The United States favored European-led efforts to introduce a resolution in the U.N. General Assembly's human rights committee that would insist on access to Syria for internationally recognized human rights monitors, Feltman said.
He feared the transition to democracy in Syria could be long and difficult, and had no answer when Senator Richard Lugar asked who might replace Assad once he is gone.
"That's one of the real challenges, because the opposition in Syria is still divided," Feltman said.
Assad to play 'Kurdish card against Turkey, report says
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/n.php?n=assad-to-play-8216kurdish-card-against-turkey-report-says-2011-11-09
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
PARIS - Hürriyet
(Note: This is the same report as this one. The headline of this article indicates how nervously the Turkish government is reacting to a tiny change on the Syrian side.)
Syria is looking to destabilize Turkey by providing greater autonomy to the Arab republic's Kurdish population in the wake of Ankara's demands that Damascus heed the demands of the country's opposition, French daily Le Figaro has reported.
The Bashar al-Assad government has begun to support the Kurdish people living in Syria's north, which is reportedly home to 1.9 million Kurds, in an attempt to pose a threat to Turkey in its fight against the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), daily Hürriyet quoted the daily as saying yesterday.
Assad has taken advantage of the current crisis in the country to establish a "Kurdish autonomous region" in Syria in the event that he falls from power in a similar fashion to Col. Moammar Gadhafi in Libya.
The president has been preparing the ground for a Kurdish autonomous regional administration by opening Kurdish schools in the country's north, reported Le Figaro, adding that the language of instruction was Kurdish and that the Kurdish anthem was sung every day.
The daily also claimed that Assad permitted Kurdish politician Muhammad Salih Muslim, the head of the Democratic Union Party (PYD), which is seen as a PKK affiliate, to return to Syria as a message to Turkey. Muslim was in exile in Iraq until the protests against Assad began in Syria earlier this year.
The PYD is reportedly organizing local elections in the north, the daily said.
The newspaper said accepting the Kurdish politician into Syria must be seen as an action to "punish [Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip] Erdoğan for harshly objecting to Syria's crackdown on its dissidents."
"It is no coincidence that Muslim has been elected as the deputy head of the Democratic Change Committee Coordination, which was founded by the Syrian regime, shortly after returning from exile," said the daily. "The PYD is staying away from the Syrian National Council [SNC] which was founded in Istanbul because it believes that the SNC is backed by Western powers and is against the PKK."
The assassination of Mashaal Tammo on Oct. 7, a Kurdish opposition leader in Syria, was also a message to Syrian Kurds that a "good Kurd" was one supported by the regime, according to Le Figaro.
Ankara will need to tread with care
http://www.todayszaman.com/columnistDetail_getNewsById.action?newsId=262183
09 November 2011, Wednesday
SUAT KINIKLIOĞLU, Columnists
Turkey's neighborhood policy has been devised with a clear understanding of situating Turkey at the center of a number of intersecting regions. Indeed, at the time of its implementation we were not aware of the far-reaching consequences it could have in such a short time both for Turkey and our neighbors.
When Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu addressed the people at the opening dinner of the İstanbul Forum last week, it became apparent how much distance had been covered in comparison to the old days and how deeply involved we found ourselves in the intricacies of the Middle East.
This is what we asked for. Turkey wanted to be a player in the Middle East and now that is part of our reality. History will judge how the reintegration of Turkey into its immediate neighborhood has impacted it, the region and Turkey's traditional alliances. From an overall strategic perspective, what Turkey needs most urgently is to remind itself every morning that we have to tread extremely carefully in the coming weeks and months in the Middle East. The regional nuances and complexities are far beyond the ordinary understanding most of us have about the region. That said, there is no need for despair but we must not forget that we are walking into territory that is mined, and one of the most treacherous traps Turkey could fall into is the sectarian one. So far, Ankara has rightly articulated an "above-sectarian" approach to the region's issues. Yet, the more we become enmeshed into the regional imbroglio, the capability to remain above sectarian politics turns into an ever more challenging gamble.
The Iranian-Saudi confrontation, which is to be felt at every level in the region, is almost inescapable and we should not give up reiterating our nuanced position vis-à-vis these two antagonists. While we find ourselves on the same side of the Syrian equation with the US and Saudi Arabia, we may not have the same objectives there. Ankara does not operate on a Sunni-based leadership role there but rather seeks to pacify a problematic country whose leadership has become part of the problem and continues to breed instability.
One difficulty we face in Syria is to convince our own public and regional players that Turkey's opposition to the Baath regime's killings are genuinely Turkish concerns and have nothing to do with a neo-conservative democracy promotion agenda. However, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, President Abdullah Gül and Foreign Minister Davutoğlu's messages have been clear and consistent from the very beginning.
Conventional wisdom speculates that the departure of the Baath regime will take place within two years. These are promising to be two tense years that will have to be managed with utmost care to avoid an all-out civil war there. In fact, the Assad regime's greatest asset is the fear of a sectarian earthquake that would shake the region. It does not necessarily have to be that way. If all interested in a smooth transition act responsibly, the transition may even be more orderly than the doomsday scenarios suggest. One prerequisite is the maturing of the Syrian opposition. We need a representative and articulate leadership that can demonstrate its capacity to lead the country through a difficult transition. There are already strong signs that the Assad regime understands the risks at hand. We hear of aggressive real estate purchases in İstanbul, Beirut and Dubai by pro-Assad circles who no longer see their rule in Syria as guaranteed.
We also need to monitor closely the situation in Lebanon and do our utmost to prevent a spillover of instability into the precarious balance of power there. The last thing anyone wants is Lebanon to become infected by the Syrian malaise. There are things in history one cannot stop. The Arab Awakening has set into motion dynamics which are difficult to stop. Ankara will need to tread with care.
The real question for the PKK: Listen to Barzani or follow Kalkan?
http://www.todayszaman.com/columnistDetail_getNewsById.action?newsId=262175
09 November 2011, Wednesday
MARKAR ESAYAN, Columnists
The Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) problem has now entered a completely new phase.
The parameters and conditions of the past will no longer apply. Actually, the conditions marking the advent of this new period began with the attacks on Reşadiye, Kastamonu and Silvan. With these attacks, the Turkish government -- and, for example, people like me -- felt tricked, and also realized that the authority emanating from İmralı is not as unquestionable as previously believed. Just as serious advances were being made in the government's talks with PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan, all of a sudden the PKK was ramping up the violence. As for Öcalan, he was not using his authority over the PKK to urge it to abandon weapons, either, in order to not open up his own leadership to question, or to avoid hearing a clear rejection from the PKK. This standoff has finished Öcalan off as the unquestionable leader of the PKK.
Even though the Çukurca attack and the 24 martyrs lost in it have appeared to amount to a sort of breaking point, I believe the government has been devising a new strategy towards the PKK for a long time now. This strategy was not to send a sort of Afghanistan-style horde of soldiers into the mountains of northern Iraq. Rather, this new strategy is based on the idea of striking the PKK's camps in Hakkari and Zap using the air forces and professional soldiers supported by high-level intelligence and advanced technological aids. And the strategy does not only encompass the military arena: It also includes elements such as sending some of the state's most elite names – such as Tufan Ergüder -- to the region to establish state control in regions like Hakkari, which had previously been abandoned to PKK control. The state's intentions on this front are evidenced by the appointment of experienced diplomats, as opposed to local governors without much knowledge, such as Murat Özçelik to the position of public safety counselor. As a result of this new strategy, the PKK will be forced to engage in war and broker peace with a completely different Turkey.
I wish this violence had not happened and that we had no need for a new strategy. I wish the PKK, rather than acting like a spoiled child and playing into Assad's game, had taken advantage of the opportunity arranged for it to come down from the mountains in an honorable way. If it had, perhaps an agreement could have been signed last year, without so many more people having to die. But neither the PKK in the mountains nor the Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) on the plains were able to show this kind of foresight and acumen.
Did the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) make mistakes as well? They did. They acted slowly and deficiently on the initiative front. They were unable to prevent the Habur disaster. They directed the whole initiative process with a lack of seriousness and experience. The name of a military barracks that had been named after Mustafa Muğlalı Pasha, who killed 33 Kurdish villagers, has only recently been changed. Even in taking this very simple step, the government behaved too calculatingly and cautiously.
There is no doubt that warlords such as Duran Kalkan, Fehman Hüseyin, Cemil Bayık and Murat Karasu believed they would be able to successfully bring Turkey to its knees with support from Syria. I really doubt, though, that either İmralı or Kandil has correctly assessed today's Turkey. It is clear that that they don't understand how Turkey has changed and that they are not dealing with the old Turkey. They are still formulating strategies according to the paradigm of the 1990s and calculating Turkey's response accordingly, when the truth is that Turkey has changed tremendously in the past nine years.
I do not know whether Turkey's response to the Çukurca attack forced the PKK to wake up. After all, the dead were not warlords, but rather Kurdish youths. At the same time, it did become clear that the PKK's purported strength had been exaggerated and its leaders lost prestige. But Syria is still providing serious support for the PKK. At the same time, a chain of talks continues in which the abandonment of violence remains on the table as a real option. In this new period, Turkey is not offering the PKK any option other than leaving off weapons. Barzani is now looking ahead to when America pulls out of Iraq and, knowing he will face real problems at that time, is expending serious energy to get the PKK to abandon its weapons, for which Turkey is offering real support.
In the wake of serious losses, the PKK is stuck in something of a corner. It must either trust in Syria's support and follow the orders of Duran Kalkan, or listen to Massoud Barzani and announce that it is laying down its weapons. As it is, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has already declared that only under such conditions can talks begin. If the PKK makes the wrong decision and chooses warfare, it will be suicide.
'Sacrifices' in Syria
http://www.todayszaman.com/news-262172-sacrifices-in-syria.html
09 November 2011, Wednesday / CENGİZ ÇANDAR, RADİKAL
İstanbul hosted an important meeting, The İstanbul Forum, just before the Kurban Bayramı (Feast of the Sacrifice) holiday. During the two-day İstanbul Forum meeting, the state Syria is currently in was the most discussed topic since political developments in the neighboring country have great importance for Turkey.
Every foreign intellectual who comes to Turkey asks, "Why has Turkey adopted such a harsh attitude towards the regime considering its close relations with the leaders of the region?" The Foreign Ministry official replied to the question by saying that taking the values and ethics of Turkey into consideration, Turkey has chosen the Syrian people over the regime. What I personally think is that Turkey's stance towards Syria is risky. I am not saying it is right or wrong; my observation is that it is risky. The officials say that the regime will stay in power for another six months, two years at most. We cannot know if it will turn out to be true or not until the time comes. But what is certain for now is that the regime has the power to extend its hold on power, I am afraid.
Lebanese Military Investigating Judge Refers Two Arrested Syrians to Prison on Charge of Trafficking and Smuggling Weapons
http://www.sana.sy/eng/337/2011/11/10/380857.htm
Nov 10, 2011
BEIRUT, (SANA) – Lebanese military investigating judge on Thursday issued a prima facia arrest warrant against the Syrians Ammar al-Adib and Muhammad Bashlah on charges of weapon trafficking and smuggling.
General Directorate of General Security in Lebanon said in a statement issued today that the military investigating judge referred the arrested to Qubba prison in Tripoli, Lebanon.
Jumblatt may have overseen Aisamy's killing: Baath Party MP
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Politics/2011/Nov-10/153641-jumblatt-may-have-overseen-aisamys-killing-baath-party-mp.ashx
November 10, 2011 03:25 PM
BEIRUT: Baath Party MP Assem Qanso said there was no evidence that Syrian opposition members had been kidnapped in Lebanon, and accused Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblatt of having supervised the killing of missing Syrian dissident Shibli Aisamy.
"All that talk about kidnapping of Syrians in Lebanon is fabricated and lacks evidence," Qanso told el-Nashra website.
"Since when did Walid Jumblatt care about Syrian opposition [figures]?" asked Qanso, a Baalbek-Hermel MP and the former head of the Baath Party in Lebanon.
Three brothers, believed to be Syrian opposition members, as well Aisamy, a dissident and co-founder of Syria's ruling Baath Party have disappeared in recent months.
Qanso suggested that Aisamy may have been killed, and hinted that Jumblatt and Aley MP Akram Shehayeb may have supervised the murder.
"It is not unlikely that Jumblatt and Shehayeb oversaw the liquidation of Aisamy," he said.
Shehayeb swiftly hit back at Qanso.
"It seems that the 13 Syrian opposition [figures alleged to be missing] did not know that the Baath Party MP is too busy with his colleagues to be devoted to kidnappings so they hid themselves, unless a group from another planet abducted them with no trace," Shehayeb mocked.
Police chief Maj. Gen. Ashraf Rifi said last month that Internal Security Forces has collected "dangerous information" pointing to the Syrian Embassy's involvement in the May disappearance of Aisamy.
Aisamy, 86, was abducted in Aley, minutes after leaving his daughter's home for a walk.
Earlier this month, Prime Minister Najib Mikati acknowledged that members of the Syrian opposition had gone missing in Lebanon, but said it had happened before his government came to power.
"This happened several months ago, before the formation of the government" in mid-June, Mikati said of the kidnappings in an interview with BBC Arabic.
Qanso Thursday suggested that Aisamy's disappearance could not necessarily be traced to Lebanon.
"We didn't even know he was here [in Lebanon]. He [Aisamy] was living among them [the Druze community]. He may have been killed over a family or inter-Druze dispute," Qanso suggested.
In a statement issued Wednesday, Jumblatt questioned whether reports were true that the number of Syrian activists kidnapped in Lebanon has reached 13.
"Are we about to establish a return of the renowned era of security tutelage?" Jumblatt asked.
Qanso hit back Thursday, accusing Jumblatt of being paid for making such statements.
"We know that these statements are being paid in advance by the Future Movement, Israel and America," he said.
Regarding all-party talks, Qanso lamented there was no "basis for dialogue."
Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri has stepped up efforts to revive dialogue among the rival political leaders to discuss a defense strategy for Lebanon.
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