Syria’s information minister railed on Sunday against media portrayals of the
country’s 21-month-long conflict, as the top international peace envoy prepares
to visit Damascus for talks.
Omran al-Zaaby told reporters at a press conference that “the majority” of
news reports on the Syrian crisis are “lies.”
He insisted that the army was battling al-Qaeda-linked terrorists across the country, and said opposition groups were not interested in opening dialogue with the government.
“The army is not one 'side' in a battle as the media tries to show,” he said. “The army is the nation. The army is the people.”
He rejected speculation over deteriorating relations with Russia, claiming that “there have been no changes from the Russian government stance from the beginning of the crisis.”
“Russia does not interfere with [Syrian affairs]. Russia respects Syria’s sovereignty … and is working for a solution through dialogue,” the minister added.
The remarks come as Lakhdar Brahimi, the international envoy for Syria's civil war, arrived in Beirut on Sunday and planned to travel by land to Damascus to meet with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, according to Lebanese airport officials.
But when asked about the visit, Zaaby responded: “We have no news whether Brahimi is coming or not coming.”
Brahimi, who represents the United Nations and the Arab League, has made little apparent progress toward brokering a negotiated solution to Syria's crisis since he assumed his post in September.
The security situation inside Syria has declined in the meantime, with rebel forces expanding their control in the north and near the capital and storming a number of army bases, making off with valuable arms as booty.
Fighting in and around Damascus has also intensified in recent weeks. Last week rebels entered the Yarmouk Palestinian refugee camp near the capital after weeks of bloody clashes with a pro-government Palestinian armed group.
On Sunday Palestinian Prime Minister for Hamas, Ismail Haniyeh, appealed to the Lebanese government to “embrace” the thousands of Palestinian refugees that have fled Syria’s fighting.
In a press conference, Haniyeh said that Palestinian leaders ultimately bore responsibility for the wellbeing of their people while calling for their human and civil rights to be respected.
Before the recent influx of refugees from the Syrian crisis, Lebanon had been host to about 400,000 Palestinian refugees. Most of them the descendants of those who were forced from their homes by Jewish militias during the 1948 Nakba and the creation of Israel.
Referring to all Palestinian refugees in Lebanon, Haniyeh emphasized their right of return to Palestine, and rejected the idea of naturalization.
“I am calling on the state institutions of Lebanon to give the Palestinians the pillars for a decent life so that they can go back to their country,” he said.
(Al-Akhbar, AP)
River to Sea
Uprooted Palestinian 
The views expressed in this article are the sole responsibility of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of this Blog!
He insisted that the army was battling al-Qaeda-linked terrorists across the country, and said opposition groups were not interested in opening dialogue with the government.
“The army is not one 'side' in a battle as the media tries to show,” he said. “The army is the nation. The army is the people.”
He rejected speculation over deteriorating relations with Russia, claiming that “there have been no changes from the Russian government stance from the beginning of the crisis.”
“Russia does not interfere with [Syrian affairs]. Russia respects Syria’s sovereignty … and is working for a solution through dialogue,” the minister added.
The remarks come as Lakhdar Brahimi, the international envoy for Syria's civil war, arrived in Beirut on Sunday and planned to travel by land to Damascus to meet with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, according to Lebanese airport officials.
But when asked about the visit, Zaaby responded: “We have no news whether Brahimi is coming or not coming.”
Brahimi, who represents the United Nations and the Arab League, has made little apparent progress toward brokering a negotiated solution to Syria's crisis since he assumed his post in September.
The security situation inside Syria has declined in the meantime, with rebel forces expanding their control in the north and near the capital and storming a number of army bases, making off with valuable arms as booty.
Fighting in and around Damascus has also intensified in recent weeks. Last week rebels entered the Yarmouk Palestinian refugee camp near the capital after weeks of bloody clashes with a pro-government Palestinian armed group.
On Sunday Palestinian Prime Minister for Hamas, Ismail Haniyeh, appealed to the Lebanese government to “embrace” the thousands of Palestinian refugees that have fled Syria’s fighting.
In a press conference, Haniyeh said that Palestinian leaders ultimately bore responsibility for the wellbeing of their people while calling for their human and civil rights to be respected.
Before the recent influx of refugees from the Syrian crisis, Lebanon had been host to about 400,000 Palestinian refugees. Most of them the descendants of those who were forced from their homes by Jewish militias during the 1948 Nakba and the creation of Israel.
Referring to all Palestinian refugees in Lebanon, Haniyeh emphasized their right of return to Palestine, and rejected the idea of naturalization.
“I am calling on the state institutions of Lebanon to give the Palestinians the pillars for a decent life so that they can go back to their country,” he said.
(Al-Akhbar, AP)
River to Sea
Uprooted Palestinian 
The views expressed in this article are the sole responsibility of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of this Blog!
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