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March 21st, 2012 
FAKE NEWS for the Zionist agenda
“We believe the Syrian leadership reacted wrongly to the first
appearance of peaceful protests and … is making very many mistakes,”
Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told Russian radio station Kommersant-FM.
“This, unfortunately, has in many ways led the conflict to reach such a
severe stage.”
Lavrov also spoke of a “future transition” period for Syria but
continued to reject calls from most Western and Arab states for Assad to
resign, saying this was “unrealistic”.
It was not immediately clear if the change in language would translate into a
tangible difference in the way international powers, hitherto divided on
Syria, might deal with the crisis.
“The change in the Russian position is one of tone, not of substance.
Moscow still sees its support of Assad as part of a regional game, but it is
losing the support of the Syrian people, which could backfire on it if the
Syrian regime falls,” said Najati Tayyara, a prominent Syrian
opposition figure.
The uprising started with non-violent demonstrations last March, but the
situation deteriorated rapidly amid a ferocious army crackdown and there are
now daily clashes between rebels and security forces around the country.
The United Nations says more than 8,000 people have been killed so far, but
the toll is rising rapidly, with at least 31 men, women and children killed
on Tuesday, the British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported.
Lightly armed rebel forces have been forced into retreat across the country in
recent weeks, with the army using heavy weapons to chase them from towns and
cities, chalking up its latest victory in Deir al-Zor.
“Tanks entered residential neighbourhoods, especially in southeastern
areas of Deir al-Zor. The Free Syrian Army pulled out to avoid a civilian
massacre,” a statement by the Deir al-Zor Revolution Committees Union
said.
After failing to hold significant stretches of land, analysts say the rebels
appear to be switching to insurgency tactics, pointing to bloody car bomb
attacks in two major Syrian cities at the weekend and the sabotage of a
major rail link.
Car bomb attacks in the capital Damascus and second city Aleppo killed at
least 30 over the weekend, while rebels also destroyed a railway bridge
linking Damascus to Deraa, according to official Syrian media.
Diplomats warn the fighting could develop into a civil war pitching Assad’s
Alawite sect and its minority allies against the majority Sunni Muslim
population.
Assad may also be facing pressure from inside his government. Documents
described as leaked from inside Syria’s embattled government show it trying
to dissuade the president’s allies from defecting.
The government says 2,000 members of the security forces have been killed by
foreign-backed “terrorists” and denies accusations of brutality
and indiscriminate violence.
In a new twist, the advocacy group Human Rights Watch said the rebels were
guilty of serious crimes, citing cases of kidnapping, torture and killings
in cold blood.
Washington said it would “absolutely denounce” human rights
violations by the rebels, but stressed that most of the abuse was being
carried out by pro-Assad forces.
Russia has previously vetoed two Western and Arab-backed U.N resolutions
condemning government violence, arguing that the actions of rebels should
also be criticised.
In a fresh effort to form a united international front, France has circulated
a Western-drafted statement for the sharply divided U.N. Security Council
deploring the turmoil and backing peace efforts by U.N.-Arab League envoy
Kofi Annan.
Russia announced it would back the text on two conditions – that there was no
ultimatum imposed on Assad and that Annan release full details of his peace
plan.
Annan dispatched a team of five experts to Damascus on Monday to discuss ways
of implementing the peace drive, including a mechanism to let international
monitors into the country. Syria has questioned the value of such a mission
and talks continue.
Lavrov also dismissed media reports of Russian warships entering Russia’s
naval facility in the Syrian port of Tartous as “fairy tales”.
Some reports had said Russian ships were delivering weapons or special
forces troops.
Lavrov said a Russian tanker with fuel for Russian warships involved in
antipiracy operations in the Gulf of Aden was docked at the port. Russia has
repeatedly said its arms sales to Syria violate no laws and it sees no
grounds to suspend them.
Source: agencies
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