Jew World Order

Hundreds of shells and mortar bombs were reported to be falling every hour,
while the insurgents were unable to retaliate with anything more effective
than small arms fire.

_{Amateur footage showing shelling in Homs}

20.42 The Telegraph’s Alex Spillius’s story in Tuesday’s paper
on Britain
recalling its ambassador from Syria:

Britain on Monday recalled its ambassador to Syria in protest at the continued
onslaught against civilians by Bashar al-Assad’s regime, as the United
States closed its embassy in Damascus and withdrew its staff amid fears for
their security.

With diplomatic pressure intensifying on Syria, William Hague, the Foreign
Secretary, also summoned the country’s ambassador in London to express his “abhorrence”
at “violence that is utterly unacceptable to the civilised world”.

20.02 The Telegraph’s David Blair considers the
options open to Britain, France and America after the UN security
council veto – and the likelihood of those options becoming reality:

The double veto cast by Russia and China in the United Nations Security
Council has forced Western governments to reappraise their approach towards
Syria. Britain, France and America will now be considering other ways of
turning up the heat on President Assad’s regime. Their options are: 1)
Taking further diplomatic and economic measures. 2) Helping the Free Syrian
Army. 3) Taking direct military steps against Mr Assad, notably by imposing
a no-fly zone or buffer areas where civilians would be safe from attack.

_{A wounded girl sits near her relatives in Baba Amro, Homs}

19.37 A senior US Treasury Department official will travel to Russia
and the Middle East for talks about sanctions on Syria and Iran.

The Treasury Department’s assistant secretary for terrorist financing Daniel
Glaser will visit Doha, Muscat and Moscow from February 6-10.

Talks will detail “the need for authorities to remain vigilant against
attempts by the Syrian regime to evade international sanctions,”
according to a Treasury statement.

19.04 Switzerland has added 34 top Syrian military and interior
ministry officials as well as pro-regime organisations to a travel ban list.

The Swiss list now has 108 names on it, a statement said, adding that the
expanded travel ban would now extend to Finance Minister Mohammad
Al-Jleilati and Economy Minister Nidal Mohammad Al-Shaar.

The other officials targeted on Monday include chief of staff, Fahid
Al-Jassim, for his involvement in violence in the flashpoint city of Homs
and his deputy Ibrahim Al Hassan.

_{Syrians outside a hospital, which activists say was hit in an early
morning bombardment by regime forces, in Homs}

18.16 The White House has warned Syria’s allies that backing President
Bashar al-Assad was a “losing bet” after China and Russia blocked
a UN Security Council resolution condemning his crackdown. White House
spokesman Jay Carney said:

Betting everything on Assad is a recipe for failure.

17.59 Activists now reporting 66 civilians killed across Syria
today, including 42 in Homs.

17.56 The Pentagon said the latest defections of senior officers from
Syria’s military were “noteworthy” as the regime in Damascus
sought to crush protests. Pentagon press secretary George Little
said:

It is noteworthy that we’re seeing some high level defections, senior Syrian
military officials defecting into the opposition.

The focus remains on applying intense diplomatic and economic pressure on
the Assad regime and we believe that there is a strong chance that that
pressure can yield results on behalf of the Syrian people and those who are
oppressed in Syria.

17.55 The BBC’s Paul Wood reports from Homs:

_{The Obama administration has closed the US Embassy in Damascus}

17.26 Poland has said it would represent US interests in Syria,
after Washington closed its embassy there. A Polish foreign ministry
statement said:

The US Department of State – taking into account the special nature of
Polish-American relations and Poland’s position in the Middle East –
requested that the authorities of the Republic of Poland represent US
interests in Syria.

In keeping with the principle of international solidarity and the long
tradition of Polish-American friendship, Poland has agreed to the request.

17.13 Telegraph video of William Hague saying the Russian and Chinese
veto of UN action against President Assad’s regime has betrayed the Syrian
people and made civil war more likely:

16.41 Residents of Homs have described scenes of panic and
carnage in the city of central Syria. Wael, a resident contacted by AFP by
telephone said:

What is happening is indescribable. Security forces have been relentlessly
shelling the city since this morning.

On the streets, there are only bodies and wounded people along with tanks.
There are tanks everywhere.

People are in a state of panic and they are screaming, ‘May God help us’ or
‘Where are the Arabs?’ We feel like the world has abandoned us.

16.18 The Telegraph’s Alex Spillius writes:

William Hague stresses in the Commons that Britain is not considering arming
opposition groups and has not met the Free Syrian Army. “We are not
contemplating arming anybody. We have not been in contact with the Free
Syrian Army. We are not calling for military action or intervention… but
seeking a broad international coalition,” he said.

15.50 Syria’s ambassador to London has been summoned to the Foreign
Office, where Britain expressed its “abhorrence” at the
violent repression of protests across the country, Mr Hague said.

15.46 Britain has recalled its ambassador to Syria for consultations, William
Hague has just told the Commons.

_{William Hague addresses the House of Commons on Syria}

15.34 William Hague speaking in the Commons:

This is an utterly unacceptable situation that demands a united international
response.

The UN plan was the Arab League plan, not imposed by Western nations.

Russia and China decided to side with the Assad regime. They have increased
the likelihood of civil war in Syria. It was a grave error of judgment.

This is a doomed regime as well as a murdering regime.

We will continue our strong support for the Arab League – I commend their
leadership and action so far. We will seek to widen the international
coalition of nations against Syria … to demonstrate to the people of Syria
the strength of support.

We will continue to raise Syria with the Security Council … We will
increase pressure within the European Union.

We will work to ensure those responsible for crimes in Syria will be held
to account.

15.32 Reports on Twitter that Assad troops are firing on
ambulances:

_{Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad prays during a celebration of Prophet
Mohammed’s birthday at the al-Rawda mosque in Damascus yesterday}

14.57 In Cairo, Arab League chief Nabil Elaraby said he was “extremely
alarmed and concerned” at the use of heavy weapons by regime forces.
The League been an important diplomatic force trying to stem the bloodshed,
and its proposal for a transition to democracy in Syria was the basis for
the UN Security Council resolution that Russia and China blocked in a vote
on Saturday.

14.42 US State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said in a
statement about the closing of the embassy:

We, along with several other diplomatic missions, conveyed our security
concerns to the Syrian government but the regime failed to respond
adequately.

Together with other senior US officials, Ambassador Ford will maintain
contacts with the Syrian opposition and continue our efforts to support the
peaceful political transition which the Syrian people have so bravely sought.

14.29 A Telegraph video of the bombardment of Homs:

14.26 The United States has announced it was closing its embassy
in Syria due to the worsening security situation, further isolating Damascus
over its bloody crackdown on anti-government protests.

The State Department said in a statement that the embassy had suspended
operations and that US ambassador to Syria, Robert Ford, and all
embassy personnel had departed the country.

14.24 The world’s leading diplomatic figures have all been speaking out
against Russia and China today. Washington’s UN ambassador Susan Rice
said:

Russia and China will, I think, come to regret this decision which has aligned
them with a dying dictator, whose days are numbered, and put them at odds
with the Syrian people and the entire region.

The United Nations will continue on this issue.

Thirteen of the 15 members of the Security Council are united in seeking a
peaceful resolution of this. We will step up our economic pressure. We’ll
coordinate with our Arab partners… to increase the pressure on Assad and
isolate him.

_{Syrian rebels gather in an alley as they secure a demonstration in Idlib}

14.18 French President Nicolas Sarkozy said he would speak with
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev later in the day to discuss the situation
in Syria, which he described as a “scandal”:

France and Germany will not abandon the Syrian people.

What’s happening is a scandal. We will not accept that the international
community remains blocked.

14.15 CNN’s Rima Maktabi reports:

14.10 The Telegraph’s Chief Foreign Correspondent David Blair
writes:

Syria occupies a vital strategic position in the Middle East, serving as
Iran’s only Arab ally and providing a supply route for Hizbollah in Lebanon.
This means that the stakes in the current crisis are exceptionally high,
says Jonathan Eyal, head of international security studies at the Royal
United Services Institute. Breaking the alliance between Syria and Iran is a “crucial
strategic objective” for the leading Arab powers, he added. “They
cannot now allow Assad to triumph as that would be seen as a victory for
Iran,” said Mr Eyal.

_{A wounded girl in Baba Amro, a neighbourhood of Homs}

14.09 CNN reports the US embassy in Syria has been closed:

14.08 Downing Street earlier released a statement saying Britain is
seeking new ways to put pressure on Syria through the UN and EU after Russia
and China vetoed any action against the regime. David Cameron’s
spokesman said the actions of the two countries were “incomprehensible
and inexcusable”:

Clearly there is a tragedy unfolding in that country.

Russia and China are protecting a regime that is killing thousands of
people. We find their position incomprehensible and inexcusable.

I think it is our intention to return to the UN. There are alternative ways
to apply pressure on the Syrian regime through the UN, for example through
the General Assembly, and we are thinking about those options.

_{Protesters opposed to the Syrian regime burn Russian and Chinese flags
during a protest outside the Russian embassy in Beirut}

14.02 US President Barack Obama vowed to apply sanctions and
step up pressure on Assad’s government to leave power but said the Syrian
crisis could be resolved without outside military intervention:

I think it is very important for us to try to resolve this without recourse
to outside military intervention. And I think that’s possible.

14.00 GMT (16.00 EET Damascus) Good afternoon and welcome to our live
rolling coverage on Syria developments, where Homs is under heavy artillery
assault in what has been described as the fiercest attack during the
11-month uprising.