Jew World Order

• U.S pulls number of embassy workers out of country
• French TV cameraman becomes first journalist to die in Syrian uprising
• Assad’s public appearances come as Arab League monitor quits ‘farce’ of a mission

By
Daily Mail Reporter

Last updated at 11:02 AM on 12th January 2012

The British-born wife of Syrian President Bashar Assad made an extremely rare public appearance with her embattled husband, as he told a rally he would fight the ‘conspiracy’ against his rule.

Asma Assad, a graduate of King’s
College, London, and a former investment banker, attended with their
children Zein, nine and Karim, seven.

Once said to have been seen as an advocate of reform in her husband’s regime, there had been rumours she had fled the country as her husband grappled with opponents in a brutal crackdown which has brought widespread condemnation.

Dressed casually, despite a reported love of Laboutin shoes and Chanel, she heard her husband tell a pro-regime rally in the capital that the ‘conspiracy’ against his country will fail.

In support: Asma (right), the wife of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, made an appearance with her two children, seven-year-old Karim (right) and nine-year-old Zein (left)

Show of strength: Syrian President Bashar Assad waves to supporters at a pro-regime rally in Damascus. He told the crowd that the ‘conspiracy’ against his country will fail

Dressed more casually than usual in a
jacket but no tie, the president told the cheering crowd that he wanted
to draw strength from them.

Security guards surrounded him as supporters waved his portrait and raised Syrian flags.

‘It is important that we maintain our
faith in the future,’ said Assad, 46, who has made very few public
appearances since the uprising against his regime began 10 months ago.

‘I have that faith in the future and we will undoubtedly triumph over this conspiracy.’

Assad, who inherited power from his father in 2000, has blamed the revolt on foreign-backed terrorists and conspirators.

On Tuesday, he gave his first speech since June and said he would strike back at those who threaten his regime with an ‘iron hand.’

In both appearances, Assad appeared determined to show strength and confidence as the conflict in Syria is entering a new and heightened phase, with army defectors and some members of the opposition increasingly turning weapons on government targets.

Rally: Supporters hold portraits of President Assad and wave Syrian flags during the demonstration in the capital Damascus
today

Delight: Three girls show their support for President Assad after he
pledged to crack down on anti-government activists

FRENCH TELEVISION REPORTER KILLED IN HOMS 

A French television reporter was killed today during a government-authorised trip to the restive city of Homs.

Gilles Jacquier, 43, who worked for France-2 Television, is the first Western journalist to die in Syria since the country’s uprising began 10 months ago, officials said.

According to a reporter who was on the media trip, the group was hit by several grenades. As many as six Syrian civilians also were killed, but the figure could not be confirmed, activists said.

‘France-2 Television has just learned with great pain about the death of reporter Gilles Jacquier in Homs, Syria, in circumstances that must still be clarified,’ the network said.

A Dutch freelance journalist also was wounded in Homs, a Dutch Foreign Ministry spokeswoman said. She said the man was treated in a local hospital and released.

The circumstances of Wednesday’s violence were unclear, but reporter Jens Franssen said he was among about 15 journalists who were taken on a tour of the city.

‘At some point, three or four (grenade) shells hit, very close to us,’ he told the Belgian VRT network.
French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe said Jacquier had been killed ‘in an attack’ in Homs.

Opponents say Assad is dangerously out of touch.

U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations
Susan Rice said Syria had stepped up killings of opponents since Arab
monitors arrived in the country in late December to assess whether the
government is abiding by its agreement to an Arab League plan to end the
military crackdown on dissent.

On Tuesday, diplomats quoted U.N. political chief B. Lynn Pascoe as saying about 400 people have been killed in the last three weeks alone, on top of an earlier U.N. estimate of more than 5,000 dead since March.

Rice said that rate was even higher than before the monitors arrived and a clear indication the Syrian government was stepping up the violence.

Also Wednesday, the British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported fresh violence in Syria.

The group said soldiers and army defectors were fighting Wednesday in central Hama province. There was no immediate word on casualties.

The group also said regime forces fired on students demonstrating in Daraya in Damascus province.

The Arab League mission came under
fresh scrutiny Wednesday after a former monitor said he quit in disgust
because the regime was committing ‘war crimes’ against its own people.

‘The
mission was a farce and the observers have been fooled,’ Anwer Malek
told Al-Jazeera in an interviewed broadcast late Tuesday.

‘The regime
orchestrated it and fabricated most of what we saw to stop the Arab
League from taking action against the regime,’ Malek said, still wearing
the orange vest used by monitors.

According
to Al-Jazeera’s transcript of the interview, Malek said the regime is
committing ‘a series of crimes against its people.’

‘The
regime didn’t meet any of our requests, in fact they were trying to
deceive us and steer us away from what was really happening toward
insignificant things,’ he said in the interview.

‘They didn’t withdraw
their tanks from the streets they just hid them and redeployed them
after we left.’

North: A handout photo released by the official Syrian News Agency
shows a pro-regime rally in Lattakia province, northern Syria

South: Another official handout photo shows a pro-regime rally in El Souweida province, southern Syria

There was no immediate comment from
the Arab League. But Malek’s name was on a list of the observers who
were sent to Syria last month.

He was identified as a Tunisian working
for the Paris-based Arab Committee for Human Rights.

According
to an Arab League official, three observers declined to complete their
mission and returned, citing health problems.

The official, who spoke on
condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the
media, didn’t identify the three.

Rare appearance: President Assad gave his first speech since June yesterday
and said he would strike back at those who threaten his regime with an
‘iron hand’

Opposition groups have been deeply critical of the Arab League mission, saying it is giving Assad cover for his ongoing crackdown.

The observer mission’s Sudanese chief has raised particular concern because he served in key security positions under Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, who is wanted for crimes against humanity in Darfur.

Critics also say the mission is far too small – and too dependent on government escorts – to be effective. The regime says the escorts are vital to the monitors’ personal safety.

On Wednesday, the United States announce dit is cutting back on staff at its embassy in Syria because of security worries.

The State Department says it has ordered a number of embassy employees to leave as soon as possible. It also reminded Americans to avoid traveling to Syria.

The travel warning was issued as Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton criticized Syrian President Bashar Assad for – as she put it – ‘only making excuses’ about the continued violence.

The U.N. says at least 5,000 have been killed in 10 months of unrest.

The Damascus embassy’s consular section will no longer offer public hours, with services by appointment only. The travel warned that the embassy’s ability to help Americans in the event of an emergency was now ‘extremely limited’.

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