Syria: Pro-regime Rallies & Anti-regime Protests

Monday 18 July 2011

Syria: Pro-regime Rallies & Anti-regime Protests

(Dp-news)

SYRIA- While Syrian citizens; youth and civil activities, continue all across the Syrian provinces, to rally in order to stress their rejection of all forms of foreign interference in Syria's affairs; some other Syrian citizens escorted their dead ones and mourn them as Martyrs; no matter if they were army members or civilians.

In expression of loyalty to Homeland and support to the reform program and to mark the 11th anniversary of Bashar al-Assad's taking the oath of office as a Syrian President, a huge carnival is to be arranged at Omayyad Square inside Damascus on Sunday evening. The concert supposed to host prominent Syrian and Lebanese artists and singers, and also to tell a pledge of loyalty toward Syria and Leader Bashar al-Assad, according to the organizers.

Syria State news Agency (SANA) also reported that tens of thousands of the citizens of Banias city in the coastal province of Tartous went out on a mass march to voice their support of the comprehensive reform program led by President Bashar al-Assad, responding to the incitement campaigns against the Syrian people.

In Homs province, central Syria, SANA reported hundreds of the residents of Khirbet Ghazi village raised on Saturday a Syrian flag along the main road in the village in cooperation with the neighboring villages. Citizens of Nibel town in Aleppo province, in northern Syria, did the same and hoisted an 8 m long and 4 m wide flag on a 22 m high flagpole erected on the town's hill in expression of national unity and rejection of foreign interference, according to SANA too.

SANA added that, on Sunday too, three martyrs from the army and security forces were escorted from Homs and Deir-Ezzor Military Hospitals to their final resting place after they were targeted by armed terrorist groups in Homs and Deir-Ezzor.

Regarding Syrian refugees in Turkey, SANA said that 183 citizens from Jisr al-Shughour and its countryside that were forced out of their homes by the armed terrorist groups, returned over Friday and Saturday.

For is part; Day Press correspondent in Hama confirmed that normal daily life have been back to Hama city, as people went on their daily tasks and issues normally and safely.

At northern-east Syria, the army was preparing to storm the eastern border town of Al-Bukamal, next to Iraq, where "armed groups" have created an "explosive" situation," Al-Watan newspaper reported.

"The situation in Al-Bukamal is explosive, so the army is preparing to intervene... because the authorities fear an armed revolt in this border town where (insurgents) can easily find logistical and political support," Al-Watan said early on Sunday.

For thier part; activists along with Local Co-ordination Committee (LCC) have confirmed this news and talked at the Pan-Arab TV al-Jazeera about an Army Troops operation at al-Bukamal that is taking place on the ground, they also added that another operation for the Syrian Army have been taking place at al-Zabadani and Qatana in Damascus suburb.

A Syria-based human-rights activist, Mustafa Osso, said that government forces entered Zabadani, some 40km northwest of Damascus, early on Sunday. The Local Co-ordinating Committees, which help organise and track the protests, confirmed the Zabadani raid and said about 2,000 military and security forces swarmed in after cutting the town's telephone services, internet connections and electricity.

LCC also confirmed that arrests campaign have been applied at Damascus suburb, Qatana, al-Zabadani, Daraa, Homs, Hama, Idleb, Deir Ezzour, al-Bukamal and other towns in Syria; where many activists have been arrested and detained, such as the wirter Ali al-Abdullah from Qatana and many others. Abdullah, a 61-year-old secular thinker, was released in May after spending four years in prison because of his membership of the Damascus Declaration, a pro-democracy group of intellectuals and opposition figures, and his criticism of Syria's alliance with Iran's clerical rulers.

Local Co-ordination Committee (LCC) said, their page at online social networks, that mourn was set for three days at Qaboun quarter where many were shot dead last Friday.

Videos that allegedly showed the funeral processions for those killed were posted Saturday on Facebook pages belonging to Syrian activists. They showed people marching on the streets, carrying coffins and chanting slogans against the Syrian regime. Protesters echoed the demands for reforms that they have voiced for months.

On the other hand; Members of Syria’s opposition in exile met this weekend and elected a council they say will challenge the rule of President Bashar al-Assad.

The group in Istanbul went ahead and elected what it called a National Salvation Council, reports Reuters. Though the 25-member council includes Islamists, liberals, and independents, it is unclear how much support it has from protesters on the ground in Syria. It is mostly made up of aging figures that left Syria years ago.

A final statement on Sunday said activists in Damascus would elect another 50 board members, and that each would then elect smaller executive committees of 11 and 13 members respectively. It will choose an 11-strong cabinet that would take over the running of the country in the event of a sudden regime collapse. In the meantime, it would hope to win diplomatic recognition, as has the Transitional National Council formed by opponents of the Libyan regime in Benghazi.

"That would be the ultimate goal," said Iyas al-Maleh, one of the council members. "Our immediate aim is to organise ourselves so that we will be ready to take over on a temporary basis to avoid chaos."

The Post reports that one of the main groups organizing protests in Syria, the Local Coordination Committees, declined to send representatives to the gathering in Damascus that had planned to hold a video conference with the group in Istanbul. The group said it was unsure of the gathering’s motives.