Damascus Vows to 'Cleanse' Syria of Outlaws, 'Regrets' Decision to Pull Out Observers
Syria said it was surprised by and regrets the Arab League's decision to suspend its observer mission to the unrest-swept country on Saturday.
"Syria is surprised by and regrets the decision taken by (Arab League chief Nabil) al-Arabi to suspend the observer mission after having decided (last week) to extend it for a month," state news agency SANA said on its website.
An unidentified official accused Arabi of acting at the request of Qatar, which heads the Arab League's committee on Syria, ahead of a U.N. Security Council meeting next week.
"This decision is aimed at increasing the pressure for foreign intervention in Syrian affairs," SANA quoted him as saying.
Earlier this month, Qatar suggested sending an Arab military force to Syria to work towards an end to the 11 months of violence that the United Nations says has killed more than 5,400 people.
Damascus rejected that proposal.
The 165 League observers were deployed a month ago after Syria agreed to a League plan foreseeing a halt to the violence, prisoners freed, tanks withdrawn from built-up areas and free movement of observers and foreign media.
Damascus has not fulfilled the commitments it made under that deal.
On Friday, several Arab countries submitted to the Security Council a draft resolution that follows the general lines of a League proposal made last week that would have President Bashar al-Assad step down in favour of his deputy and a unity government formed.
Interior Minister Mohammed al-Shaar said earlier the authorities in unrest-hit Syria are determined to "cleanse" the country of outlaws and restore order, quoted by state news agency SANA.
"The security forces are determined to carry on the struggle to cleanse Syria of renegades and outlaws ... to restore safety and security," he said at a ceremony in honor of fallen soldiers.
"Groups are committing terrorist acts and killing innocent people, robbing them of their property and undermining their security," he said.
Damascus does not recognize the scale of the protest movement that erupted in mid-March, insisting it is fighting "terrorist groups" seeking to sow chaos as part of a foreign-hatched conspiracy.
"These crimes will not deter members of the internal security forces from carrying out their sacred duty to confront these groups and establish a climate of safety and security," the interior minister stressed.
12 years
look at bashar a year ago, and look at him now ..u can see the trend clearly
12 years
"Cleanse the country". That is not like, but it is a policy of "ethnic cleansng" the kind that Milosovic tried for crimes against humanity; the kind of policy that the Right wing Likud in Israel seek to implement against the "invented people", the Palestinians.
It is racism in its purest form, to attempt to "cleanse a country" of those who would oppose a minority undemocratic, not popularly elected regime.
Not just shame on Assad, but shame on the International Community; shame on the proud people of Russia for their government's continued support of this ongoing insult to humanity that is taking place inside Syria.
There is no individual national interest that can be argued which supercedes the interests of all humanity to come to the aid of the free people of Syria.
12 years
According to the warriors who have an outstanding track record protecting Lebanon, namely allouchi, realist, thepatriot, peace, allouchi, Gabby, shab, Dr. Samir Balqis and others in Hariri Mafia and its Christian Sunnis, Damascus should let the outlaws, aka Sunni crazies, run the country in order to rebuild it like the collaborators with Israel and all of Lebanon's enemies, the last of these being Rafic Syria and his capos, have done to Lebanon. Thisis the essence of democracy a la Saudi Arabia, the filthiest country on the face of the earth after Israel.
12 years
@Cookie Monster..
Do you seriously think that Russia would interfere if NATO attacks?
How come they didn't interfere when they were bombing Libya? Russia's all talk and no bite
They have one Aircraft Carrier that was build in 1985...No match for any NATO aircraft Carriers
The only reason why Russia is an ally of Syria it's because Syria is buying weapons from Russia.
Russia will stab Assad once there's nothing else to do
12 years
Cookie you are really a silly cookie. If China will not sell to the west, who else has the same disposable income to buy? Also, why does China keep buying US treasury bills? Open your eyes and think deeper amigo.
12 years
cookie, this is 2012, yes the "world" community meaning the western powers and turkey. Same thing happened in bosnia btw and russia used 6 vetoes. Google it and learn some history. The regime is finished, it is just a matter of time, might take up to a year but the end is a mathematical certainty.
12 years
in lybia, russia was also against a military intervention... and what happened? :)
syrian regime is just digging its own grave! they are desperate and don t know how to handle the situation that is escaping them by the day...
and hezb is getting ready to take over lebanon to prevent anyone from taking its arms if the syrian regime falls... they won t hesitate once again to use their arms against lebanese with the help of psns and amal, thing they solemnly promised once never to do!
the attempted assassination of rifi and hassan was just a warning against the state of lebanon and all those against the hezb...
12 years
Just like the Saddam regime. Denial and threats.
12 years
@Cookie_moron: u buy chinese and I buy American to enforce my economy, if you prefer to buy your cloth from Kmart(China/Russia) mine are from Macy's(Indian, Turkish or Mexican)Allies of my Country. You will fade sooner or later because there is a presidential debate coming up and Obama Hussein in the state of the Union speech has already summed it up for your in terms of the terrorist regime in Syria. So get with the program as in Lebanon history we never tolerated the non payers of the electricity thieves claiming to be resistance.
12 years
Bomb AL-Kordaha from the Air and everything will be over.
12 years
Yes but @ cookine monster, nobody got the US by the balls , The $ will always be on top because its the international currency, and by the way the debts are in US $, tell me , who produces US $? this all crisis thing is a joke , the US admnistration is still on top, and if a war between china and the US erupts, the US militarily and economically will destroy China. They just have to pressure the big manufacturers like Nike, etc... to lower the salaries of their employees, which are already very low as you know, it will cause an uproar and you will have the chinese rising against their state like in Syria. As well as triggerring Saudi Arabia to lower its oil prices , lower than Iran, so that China lifts its cover of Iran and Syria if it wants to buy cheaper oil. As for Russia, dont even think about them, they are still faaaaaaar from beeing the USSR they once were. they need at least 10-15 years to compete with the US economy.
12 years
Step one: Pull out the observers. ASSad made sure they would not be successful.
Step two: Send in heavy arms so the people can defend themselves.
Step three: Put some ropes over a tree branch.
12 years
Lol world war? Cookie were did u get your political science degree? From 7ay el seloum?
12 years
I have a proposition:
1. Send hizb and allies, and shiates of syria to Iran.
2. Form a new Country Kuristan from Iran, Syria and Iraq, and send Kurds of Lebanon there; they could take the palestinians with them too.
3. Send sunnis of Lebanon to Syria, and Syria sunnis; could also send some palestinians there.
4. Split Iraq bewteen the sunnis and shiites.
5. Leaanon for the Christians. The true Lebs.
12 years
The bloody regime has done enough damage to a lot of people inside Syria. Time to talk about post ASSad and at what point the M8 shoe licker will wake up and smell the coffee.
12 years
11 months and still they couldn't "cleanse". Their killing has created a resistant population tired of living without tongues. The only "armed gangs" are the Hezz and Iranians killing civilians.
Any day now things are going to change and go up a level. All the cookie lovers in Syria will be broken into crumbs.
12 years
Good Luck Syria - May all the strength & protection you require for success be with you. Cleanse this nation & the Lebanese one if you can of the Sunni filth which is the Cancer of the 21st Century. Wipe them out once & for all will you. You will be doing this world a favour not just Syria & Lebanon. The Lebanese Sunni's are the worst of the worst orchestrators of evil crimes. They were allied with you whilst you occupied Lebanon and now they want to kill you after you left. The Sunnis will not succeed in their endeavors & crimes throughout the Middle East - especially Lebanon & Syria.
12 years
Which Hummus is better, Israeli Hummus or Lebanese Hummus?
12 years
Russia was not against military intervention in libya... They allowed it through the u.n. security council. They were later against the French and British breaches to the mandate. This is why they will never allow any foreign attack on syria to be legalized at the u.n.. The Russians have made huge investments in Syria including the naval base at tartus. They will be moving their black sea fleet there next year.
In the 90s, Russia was in no position to do anything, after the ussr break up. This is a very different Russia now, that is modernizing their huge military industry.
Such language reflects the level of desparity in the regime. The fact is the defections are on the rise and there are not enough loyal troops to conquer all Syria. The regime would need 300-500 thousand loyal troops to be an occupation force and that is simply not the case because the demographics in Syria are not in the regime's favor at all. The regime already lost control of many towns even in the vicinity of damascus. The regime might use its airforce at some point but that would be a suicidal move as the world would interfere militarily. In the current rules of the game, the regime will mathematicaly fall against the tide of economic deterioration and army defections. The Syrian army is not designed/equipped/trained to face a Guerrilla warfare against a very determined enemy.