Albawaba news: Scores dead as Russia agrees to Assad powers handover: The Syrian army continues its offensive against the insurgents. Residents of the city of Idleb reported Sunday on massive bombings. In total , 62 people were killed Saturday across the country.
Meanwhile, an Arab diplomatic source said that Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov agreed to adopt the Arab initiative, which provides for the transfer of the powers of President Bashar al-Assad to his deputy.
Lavrov: A Common Approach to Solve the Syrian Crisis without Funding or Arming Opposition Should Be Agreed on: Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov stressed on Saturday Russia's support to the approach prompted by urgent needs to stop violence and offer humanitarian aid and start a political dialogue under Syrian leadership between the government and all opposition groups.
"We should agree on a common approach to solve the Syrian crisis on condition of not funding or arming the opposition," Lavrov said during the Arab Ministerial Committee on the Syrian Crisis meeting at the Arab League headquarters in Cairo. He underlined Russia's readiness to work with all sides calling for reform and construction, not for destruction. That means let Russia continue to arm Assad so he can slaughter the opposition. Then we will replace Assad with his deputy and we can maintain our controlling relationship.
Russia is getting nervous! Despite the fact that Russia is arming Syria to the teeth so Assad can kill his people and their hopes of a Democracy so Russia can keep her last Ally in the middle east the people look to be succeeding. The free Syrian army is growing and gaining speed and the ability to govern.
Russia boosts arms sales to Syria: Russia faces a growing international outcry over its arms sales to Syria but shows no sign of bowing to pressure and has even increased deliveries of arms that critics say are helping keep President Bashar al-Assad in power.
The biggest importer of arms to Syria, Russia sold Damascus nearly $1 billion worth of arms including missile systems last year, while shipments of hard-to-track Russian small weapons have risen since the uprising against Assad started, government defectors say. In January, the Russian ship Chariot, loaded with arms and ammunition, turned off its radar and sailed quietly to Syria to avoid attracting the attention of world powers increasingly frustrated by Russia and China’s refusal to back UN Security Council resolutions aimed at ending 11 months of violence.
In a surge of defections from Syria's army, 15 officers, including high-ranking brigadier generals, joined the uprising against President Bashar al-Assad and fled to Turkey on Thursday and Friday, senior rebel officers said. Meanwhile, the head of Syria's main opposition group said Arab states had committed funding to help equip the growing rebel army. At least 50 officers have defected from the army over the past week, senior rebel leaders said on Friday, in an apparent response to a stepped-up military campaign that has widened from the central city of Homs to the northern province bordering Turkey.
Turkey's state-run Anadolu news agency said four defected generals, two colonels, and a field officer are among 234 refugees that crossed over into Turkey since Thursday. Senior rebel officers said more than that—at least 15 officers—arrived in the Turkish camp over the past two days. Rebel soldiers in Turkey said the sectarian divide in Syria's uprising—pitting Sunnis against Alawites—had begun to crack the military. Col. Hammoud said one of the six incoming brigadier generals described Sunni officers coming under increasing threat by higher-ranking Alawites. "They are being detained and their families are threatened," he said.
At least 234 people, including the generals as well as two colonels, a lieutenant colonel and two sergeants, arrived in the southern Hatay province’s Reyhanli district, Turkey’s state-run Anatolia news agency reported, citing local governor Yusuf Guler and people it didn’t identify. There are more than 10,000 Syrians in camps set up by the Red Crescent in Hatay by the border.
As Defections in Syria Mount, Rebels Are Said to Reject Talks: An international diplomatic effort to nudge Syria’s president toward peace talks ran into difficulties on Friday even before it got under way when the leader of the main exile opposition group rejected the initiative and forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad were reported to have intensified an assault on their adversaries.
I remember saying a year ago that the Syrian protesters are the bravest in the world as they know they at the least are facing dedicated Syrian and Iranian Revolutionary Guard killers and now we find out we were right on and then some. I know the protesters vowed not to be deterred stating they will break the Government period but there is no way. The Syrian Government will kill and arrest who they have too. Iran will accept nothing less!
I remember the Syrian opposition saying that they would not stop and would ultimately defeat the Government saying Democratic transition would safeguard Syria from violence. As outsiders looking in we know nothing could be further from the truth. People are being imprisoned and murdered and I can not see that stopping until the Democracy movement is crushed. Supposedly this expected situation is begging for us to get involved but we damn well better not. Unless that is going to war with Iran is the goal.
I remember saying from day one that it would take almost the whole military to defect before they would have a chance and now that we know how involved Russia, Iran and Hezbollah are in the slaughtering that is going on around the country that is beginning to look like the beginning of their fight.
You have to be very concerned about what is happening in Syria especially. Iran is not going to allow Syria to fall to Democracy. What we saw after the voter fraud in Iran was mild compared to what the IRG will do if this movement spreads to Iran. I really wish Bashar would step down but Iran is the elephant in the room any way you look at it. The total middle east breakdown we have written about numerous times is well under way. We can only hope we keep it from erupting into WW3.
In closing: You know Putin just got himself reelected as President, he did this so he could be at the helm of Russia as he like me knows 100% that world war is our future. He plans on marshaling China who is rapidly building a more formidable military and whoever he can to take on US hegemony.Russia watched helplessly as we had our way in Libya. Putin blames what is happening in Syria on our interference and Libya for training the protesters to fight against Bashar Al-Assad.Russia and Iran will not let this be another Libya but?
Putin is going to do everything possible to keep us from helping the Syrian people and I really feel for them. I do not see this going down the way Libya did and Iran and Russia are going to make sure it does not. I am afraid the Syrian people are going to be sacrificed, sacrificed in what is merely an opening salvo in this the wars for future dominance. With that said, with any kind of luck and our ability in keeping Russia with having her way in Syria I think when all is said and done the protesters will have their Syria free of Bashar Al-Assad.
James Joiner
Gardner, Ma
http://anaverageamericanpatriot.blogspot.com
