US Calling for Syrian Leader to Step Down

US Calls for Syrian Leader to Step Down
October 7th, 2011 - VOA

The United States is calling for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to step down immediately, following the alleged assassination of a key opposition leader.

A White House statement strongly condemned Friday's killing of Mashaal Tammo, the spokesman for the Kurdish Future Party and a member of a newly formed Syrian opposition coalition. Activists say masked gunmen killed him at his home in the northern town of Qamishliwhen.

The White House warned Mr. Assad must step down now “before taking his country further down this very dangerous path.”

It also said the attacks demonstrate the Syrian regime's latest attempts to shut down peaceful opposition inside Syria, where thousands of protesters have been rallying for President Bashar al-Assad's departure.

The opposition leader was among eight people killed Friday in Syria, allegedly by security forces.

Earlier, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said Mr. Assad needs to enact reforms or resign. But he added that Russia opposes foreign attempts to push Mr. Assad from power.

Russia had joined China on Tuesday in vetoing a draft U.N. Security Council resolution that condemned Syria for its crackdown on civilian protesters. The French news agency says anti-government protesters in the town of Dara'a trampled the Russian and Chinese flags on Friday.

Activists say another prominent opposition figure, former lawmaker Riad Seif, was beaten on Friday outside of a mosque in Damascus.

In another development Friday, Syrian Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad blamed much of his country's deadly unrest on “terrorists.” He told the U.N. Human Rights Council that criminals have killed more than 1,100 people in Syria.

The world body, which is meeting in Geneva, is reviewing Syria's response to the pro-reform rallies.

The meeting is taking place a day after the U.N. raised its death toll from Syria's seven-month crackdown on dissent more than 2,900.

Protests in Syria Continue - Syrian-American Activists Fearful for Relatives in Syria

Syrian-American Activists Fearful for Relatives in Syria
Mana Rabiee
VOA - September 14, 2011




As protests in Syria continue, Syrian-American dissidents in the U.S. are increasingly faced with a troubling dilemma: Do they pursue their activism from afar - even if it places their relatives and loved ones back home in Syria at greater risk?

Radwan Ziadeh is a Syrian-American activist in Washington. Ever since the uprising in his homeland, this mild-mannered university professor has been a central figure in the Syrian opposition movement in the United States. Then last week, he got the message he had hoped never to receive.

"I get one line from my brother in Syria saying that ‘I have bad news for you, Radwan,'" Ziadeh said.

Ziadeh’s brother, Yasin, a small business owner, had been arrested after a protest in their hometown Daraa. Now, Ziadeh and his family are concerned that Yasin’s treatment in detention will be especially brutal - to pressure his activist brother in the U.S. into silence.

"This is why I always have some guilt that I have put my family in some pressure and always they been interrogating my mother and my brothers, trying actually to use them as a hostage to push me to be quiet," Ziadeh said.

Ziadeh is not alone. Khalid Saleh is a spokesman for the Syrian-American Council based in Chicago. He said Syrian-American dissidents are now thinking about how their activism in the U.S. may jeopardize the safety of their families back home.

"A few of us also were contacted by our family members in Syria telling us ‘Please cool things down because you are putting us at risk.’ The ‘mokhaberat’ - the secret security forces in Syria -- have reached out to a few of our family members, asked them questions about our activities here in the States, trying to get more information about us," Saleh said.

Some of those relatives have already paid a price for their family members’ activism in the U.S.

Malek Jandali is a Syrian-American composer and performed at a protest rally outside the White House in July.

A few days later, he said his elderly father and mother were attacked in their home by government security forces. "She was asking them ‘Why are you hitting me? What’s going on?’ and they kept referring to me and to my concert and how I stand by the people and how I mock the government and they kept beating her and telling her ‘We’re going to teach you how to raise your kids.'"

Reports of similar incidents have reached the U.S. State Department. They have raised the U.S concern with the Syrian embassy in Washington over allegations that Syrian-Americans as well as their families in Syria may have been harassed and intimidated by supporters of the Syrian government.

“Everyone has the right to have their opinion be heard without fear of repercussions, without fear of arrest, and without fear of their families being attacked. And any country that seeks to do those types of things to its citizens is completely inappropriate and acting outside of international norms and that’s unacceptable,” said Andy Halus, a State Department spokesman.

But as pressure on the Assad regime grows, activists like Ziadeh say they continue to receive threatening emails and text messages nearly every day.

"He’s threatening that ‘If your brother get exit from the prison I will kill him,'" Ziadeh said reading a threatening text message from his cell phone.

"Every minute I ask [my] self ‘Where is he right now? What is he doing inside the prison? Does he get good food? Does he get water? How is his family doing?’…This feeling make me very nervous every day, day by day, because I cannot do more," Ziadeh said.

Other Syrian-American activists also say that while they themselves are far from Syrian police and prisons - they never forget that each new protest could bring retribution on their loved ones back home.

US, Europe Call On Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to Step Down

US, Europe Call for Syria’s Assad to 'Step Aside'
VOA - David Gollust

The United States and its key European allies on Thursday made a coordinated call on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to step down, after he ignored appeals to end a brutal five-month crackdown on protestors. The U.S. appeal for regime change is coupled with far-reaching sanctions against the Damascus government, including a ban on imports of Syrian oil.

President Barack Obama began the diplomatic effort with a written statement condemning the Syrian leader for “ferocious brutality” against democracy protestors, including what, he called, “disgraceful” attacks on cities like Hama and Deir al-Zour.

Mr. Obama said President Assad’s calls for dialogue and reform have “rung hollow” as he imprisoned, tortured and slaughtered his own people. He said that for the sake of the Syrian people, “the time has come for President Assad to step aside.”

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton affirmed the call in a press appearance here.

“The people of Syria deserve a government that respects their dignity, protects their rights and lives up to their aspirations," said Clinton. "Assad is standing in their way. For the sake of the Syrian people, the time has come for him to step aside and leave this transition to the Syrians themselves.

Soon after the U.S. announcement, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President Nicolas Sarkozy and British Prime Minister David Cameron said in a joint statement that by resorting to brutal military force against his own people, Mr. Assad “has lost all legitimacy and can no longer claim to lead the country.”

The Obama administration had been poised to make the call for regime change earlier this month, but reportedly delayed action pending final reform appeals to President Assad from Arab states and neighboring Turkey -- calls that went unanswered.

Secretary Clinton, who helped orchestrate the U.S.-European action, said the allies are not trying to dictate a resolution of the crisis.

“We understand the strong desire of the Syrian people that no foreign country should intervene in their struggle, and we respect their wishes," she said. "At the same time, we will do our part to support their aspiration for a Syria that is democratic, just and inclusive.”

The new sanctions announced by President Obama sharply expand on punitive measures targeted at the Syrian leader and his inner circle. An executive order by the president freezes all Syrian government assets subject to U.S. jurisdiction, and it bans U.S. imports of Syrian petroleum products. If as expected, the move is matched by the European Union on Friday, it will severely affect what has been the main driver Syria's economy.

Syria expert Andrew Tabler of The Washington Institute for Near East Policy says the U.S. action makes dealings in Syrian oil politically risky for European and other companies.

“It forces a lot of their companies to make a choice," said Tabler. "Do they continue their relatively small Syrian business or purchases of Syrian crude, or do they maintain their relationship with the United States? These kinds of sanctions push those companies into those kind of dilemmas.”

Analyst Ed Husain of the U.S. Council on Foreign Relations says that calling on Mr. Assad to step down weakens opposition members who will now be seen as stooges of the United States. He adds that Mr. Assad’s departure would trigger instability in a country that is a patchwork of ethnic alliances.

“It’s a country that is divided along sectarian lines hugely," said Husain. "And Assad’s party and Assad’s family - whether we like it [or not], it’s an ugly truth - have held that country together. And they know if Assad falls, there will be a bloodbath between the Alawis and Druze, the other minorities as well as the Sunni majority. And for those reasons, I think at least in the short term, Bashar al-Assad remains the least worst option.”

Omar al-Issawi, Middle East and North Africa Advocacy Director for Human Rights Watch says that although his organization takes no position on the call for regime change, he hopes it will increase international pressure for accountability on Syrian human rights abuses.

“Our prime concern is for the [Syrian] regime to put an end to the very serious, grave, human rights violations that have been taking place against overwhelmingly peaceful protestors," said al-Issawi. "We hope that the authorities in Syria follow up on the declaration of President Assad yesterday, when he said military operations have stopped.”

The U.N. Human Rights Council will hold an emergency session on Syria on Monday in Geneva.


VOA - August 18, 2011

Syria Protests in Hama - Nearly half million Syrians protest in an anti-Syrian government rally

Nearly Half Million Syrians Protest in Flashpoint City

VOA - July 08, 2011

Near a half a million protesters jammed the streets of the flashpoint city of Hama in an anti-Syrian government rally on Friday, as the U.S. ambassador traveled there to show American solidarity with protesters.

Rights activists told Western news media that crowds in Hama topped more than 450,000 - one of the largest gatherings since the uprising began four months ago.

Activists in Syria also say security forces have raided a Damascus suburb to quell an overnight protest against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Security forces reportedly fired bullets at civilians participating in the demonstration.

The Reuters news agency reported at least four dead in the siege and numerous injuries.


Ambassador leaves

In Hama, the Associated Press reported that U.S. Ambassador Robert Ford left the city by midafternoon as crowds swelled.

An activist in Syria told VOA that Ford was given videos from residents showing alleged human rights violation by Syrian forces.  The ambassador's presence attracted notice from residents, who she says threw flowers at his motorcade to show their appreciation.

The Syrian foreign ministry said Thursday that Ford's presence in Hama without prior permission constitutes "clear evidence" of a U.S. attempt to "increase tension and damage Syria's security and stability."

In Washington, State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said Ford met with a dozen people on Thursday in a visit designed to show solidarity with protesters.

She said Ford has hoped to stay in the city until late Friday and that the U.S. embassy had informed the Syrian government that an embassy team was travelling to the city.

Families fleeing

Earlier, a Syrian activist monitoring developments in Hama told VOA in a telephone interview that dozens of families fled the city Thursday fearing a military crackdown. She said security forces have surrounded Hama with tanks, and that troops have detained more than 100 people.

The activist confirmed reports from rights groups that at least 25 people have been killed and more than 40 wounded in Hama in recent days. Troops had pushed through improvised barriers and roadblocks set up by Hama residents after massive anti-government protests last week.

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urged Syria to stop the deadly crackdown. Ban asked the Syrian leadership to grant access in the country to U.N. aid workers and a fact-finding mission.

Rights groups say Syrian security forces have killed at least 1,400 civilians since mid-March while trying to suppress the anti-government uprising. The Syrian government says terrorists and Islamist militants have killed hundreds of security personnel during the same period.

 

 

Nearly Half Million Syrians Protest in Flashpoint City

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Iran Denies Role in Syria Crackdown - vicious assaults on peaceful protesters

June 14, 2011

Iran Denies Role in Syria Crackdown

VOA - Elizabeth Arrott | Cairo

Iran has rejected allegations from Britain and the United States that it is helping Syria crack down on domestic opposition with advice, equipment, and training. Iran remains a key Syrian ally, with the two governments finding common ground on such issues as Israel, Lebanon and Iraq.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton accuses Iran of supporting the Syrian government in what she calls its vicious assaults on peaceful protesters and military actions against its own cities.

Violence in Syria - Rights groups say at least 1,100 have been killed...

France to Push for UN Vote to Condemn Syrian Violence

VOA, Margaret Besheer - United Nations June 07, 2011

France says it will push for a vote in the U.N. Security Council on a resolution condemning a government crackdown on protesters in Syria. Foreign Minister Alain Juppé says a vote could come soon.

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a Security Council meeting on HIV/AIDS, Juppé said the situation in Syria is escalating and the council must take action.

“The repression is getting worse; the massacres are on the rise. It is inconceivable that the U.N. remains silent on such a matter. We are working with our U.K. friends to have as large a majority as possible on the Security Council. I think we have to move to a vote so that everyone can assume their responsibilities,” Juppe said.

Iran and Syria Denounced in United Nation's Nuclear Talks Opener

Iran, Syria Denounced in UN Nuclear Talks Opener
VOA - Monday, June 6th, 2011

The head of the United Nation's nuclear watchdog says Iran may have carried out nuclear work with possible military purposes.

Speaking at the start of a week-long board meeting on nuclear developments in Vienna, International Atomic Energy Agency chief Yukiya Amano criticized Iran Monday for not cooperating with international nuclear experts.

President Barack Obama Tells Syria's Assad to Lead Transition or Leave

Obama Tells Syria's Assad to Lead Transition or Leave

VOA - David Gollust | State Department May 19, 2011

US President Barack Obama delivers a speech about United States' policy on the Middle East and North Africa at the State Department in Washington, May 19, 2011.

In his Middle East policy speech, President Barack Obama said Syrian President Bashar al-Assad faces the choice of either leading a democratic transition in his country or getting out of the way.  The comment came a day after the U.S. administration imposed sanctions on the Syrian leader and key aides.

President Barack Obama's comments stopped short of an outright demand Syria's leader step down. But the remarks were another sign of diminishing U.S. patience with President Bashar al-Assad, whose reform promises have been contradicted by an ongoing brutal crackdown on protesters.

"The Syrian people have shown their courage in demanding a transition to democracy," said Obama.  "President Assad now has a choice: he can lead that transition, or get out of the way.  The Syrian government must stop shooting demonstrators and allow peaceful protests, release political prisoners and stop unjust arrests, they must allow human rights monitors to have access to cities like Daraa, and start a serious dialogue to advance a democratic transition."

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's crackdown on anti-government protesters...

Assad Family Grip on Syria Hampers Reform

VOA - Elizabeth Arrott | Cairo May 17, 2011

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's crackdown on anti-government protesters has been leavened with at least verbal concessions to reform. But given the history of the country, the government and his family, some political analysts believe those promises will never be fulfilled.