June 15th, 2012

Umayya for Researches and Strategic Studies

The Daily Monitoring Report

Field Mobility
- Mass demonstrations were organized yesterday in the Damascus neighborhoods of Al-Mezzeh, Barzeh, Al-Qaboun and Al-Hajar Al-Aswadm, as well as Palestine refugee camp (Yarmouk).(1)

Statistics June 14th death toll: 78

Internal Situation
- A team of eight UN observers visited the Latakia city of Al-Haffa on the day after the Assad authorities announced that they cleared the city of what they called "armed groups". The UN observers found Al-Haffa nearly deserted, government buildings burnt down, shops abandoned and a body lying in the street. A number of soldiers carrying arms were deployed in the city and the Assad Army set up a checkpoint at the entrance of the city.(2)(3)(4)

Military Situation
- Al-Assad's forces used tanks, helicopters, artillery and rocket launchers in their attacks against several cities, towns and villages of a number of Syrian governorates, including Homs, Damascus, Rif Dimashq, Daraa, Idlib, Aleppo, Deir al-Zour and Hama.(2)(3)(4) - The Assad troops carried out a new massacre in Rif Dimashq's Hmouriya where nine people were shot dead and then slaughtered.(2) - Government forces use people, in particular children, as hostages and human shields during storming into towns. They used Al-Ghouta district's inhabitants as human shields in their attempts to break into the neighborhoods controlled by the Free Syrian Army (FSA).(2) - The regular Army continues its violent bombardment of Darra's Lajat. Five citizens died by a shell and gunfire in the neighborhood of Tariq Al-Sad in Daraa city.(4) - The Assad tanks stormed into the city of Douma where serious clashes erupted between regular troops and the Free Syrian Army (FSA) during which two people died and 15 other were injured.(3) - Government forces' artillery fiercely bombarded the city of Deir Al-Zour, killing at least 11 people and injuring 200 others. This came after the Free Syrian Army (FSA) managed to repel ground attack, hitting four armored-vehicles with rocketpropelled grenades. Sources said that Saleh AlShawhan, commander of "Euphrates Martyrs Brigade" was martyred by tank's fire.(2)(3) - Al-Assad's troops imposed a complete blockade on the Aleppo rural town of Anadan amid attempts by the security forces to storm into it after setting fire to crops surrounding the town. Activists in Aleppo's Hayyan said that 30% of houses were completely destroyed and 25% were partially demolished due to the artillery and missile shells.(2)

- Sausan Ghosheh, spokeswoman for the UN monitors, said "There has been a dangerous escalation of armed violence across Syria," adding, "People want the violence to stop and so do the UN observers, but the UN Supervision Mission cannot impose a ceasefire."(3) - The local media associated with the Assad regime says that Al-Assad told the UN-Arab League envoy Kofi Annan that he gave the militants across Syria a 24-hour deadline to lay down their arms and surrender. The local media quoted what it called as well-informed sources that strict measures will be taken and instructions will be issued to the brigades to "move and eliminate hotbeds of terrorism militarily not peacefully according to the will of the United Nations."(2)

Syrian soldiers inspecting the site of a car bomb in the Sayyida Zeinab suburb of Damascus - AFP

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June 15th, 2012

Political Mobility
- Representatives for different Syrian opposition factions meet Friday and Saturday in Istanbul to discuss ways and means over overcoming their differences. Members of the Syrian National Council (SNC)'s executive office, the Kurdish National Council of Syria and other small groups, such as the one headed by a chieftain called Nawaf Al-Bashir, will participate in the meeting.(4)

Umayya for Researches and Strategic Studies

political solution in Syria, which might lead to a political shift in its stance on the Syrian Crisis. Hollande expressed his hope that sanctions imposed on Syria will be reinforced and that the UN-Arab envoy Kofi Annan's mission will be strongly supported, adding that Friends of Syria group will hold a meeting on July 6th in Paris.(2)

Activities of Civil Organizations

- The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says at least 52 people were killed in clashes, shelling and sniping in several areas across Syria, including 33 civilians, 13 regular soldiers and 6 of the armed opposition fighters.
(4)

Sources:
- Britain's UN envoy Mark Lyall Grant said time was running out for Kofi Annan's plan to bring peace to Syria, adding, "We're very focused on the moment on imposing, making live, the Kofi Annan six-point plan." Grant added that Al-Assad is not committed to the plan, he, instead, is brutally killing his people. He called on the UN Security Council to take "much tougher action" to enforce the sixpoint plan, ruling out, at the same time, a military action in Syria.(3) - Alexei Pushkov, chairman of the State Duma Committee on Foreign Affairs, said that his country's pro-Assad regime stance is in favor of the West, adding "By blaming Russia you (the West) have the possibility to say that somebody is preventing you from solving this crisis." Pushkov added "The West does not have any policy at all towards Syria," describing calls for Al-Assad to step down as imprudent!(2)(3)

Political Stances Syria

- The Assad regime's ambassador to Moscow alleges that Russia does not supply any helicopters to the regime.(3)

Arab
- Some 12 MPs of the National Assembly of Kuwait and a former minister call on the Saudi king to intervene in the Syrian crisis and end the injustice suffered by the Syrian people. In a statement, they urged the Islamic countries and their governments to hasten to support the Syrian people before they undergo what the people of Bosnia had suffered a few years ago.(2)

(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7)

Asharq Al-Awsat AlJazeera net Reuters AFP AP Guardian Telegraph

International
- Diplomats say major powers seek to hold a meeting on Syria in Geneva on June 30th as an attempt to get the faltering peace plan back on track.(2)(3)

- French President Francois Hollande said on the G20 summit in Mexico next week would provide an opportunity to try to find a compromise with Russia for a

A Syrian boy sits in the rubble of house which was destroyed during a military operation by the Syrian pro-Assad army in April 2012 in the town of Taftanaz, Idleb, Syria, Tuesday June 5th, 2012

This Report was issued by Umayya for Researches and Strategic Studies, and it contains pure news that do not reflect an opinion. Edited by Abed Alrhman Alsarraj Page 2