- Photojournalist and media activist Murhaf al-Modhi, known by the pseudonym of Abo Shuja, was killed in shelling during fighting between rebels and pro-Syrian government forces in Deir Ezzor on Saturday. [AFP]by AJE Staffby AJE Staff 3:21 AM
- 43 rebel groups fighting on the outskirts of Damascus have merged to form a new front against President Bashar al-Assad. They are calling themselves the Islam Army.
The group will be the biggest operating in the area, leaving the Free Syrian Army, the military wing of the internationally recognised National Coalition of opposition parties, more isolated than ever.
Al Jazeera's Hashem Ahelbarra explains.by AJE Staff 2:06 AM - A Syrian photographer has been killed by shelling in the eastern city of Deir Ezzor.
Murhaf al-Modahi, known by the pseudonym Abu Shuja, was killed on Saturday in fighting between rebels and troops loyal to President Bashar al-Assad, a fellow photographer from Deir Ezzor said.
Al-Modahi had contributed work to AFP news agency. AFP's photography director for the Middle East and North Africa Patrick Baz said he had trained Abu Shuja in June, and that "he had made huge progress".
Abu Shuja "was part of this new generation of Syrian photojournalists" born of the country's brutal conflict.
The main opposition National Coalition also reported Abu Shuja's death, saying in a statement that he "died while carrying out his duty as a journalist".
The Coalition said he "picked up a camera and started documenting (the Syrian revolt) as soon as the first protests broke out in Deir Ezzor.
"He continued to work under the bullets, bombs and tank shells, defying the regime's military might."
International press freedom watchdog Reporters Without Borders (RSF) describes Syria as the world's most dangerous country for journalists to work in.
It says that 25 journalists have been killed there, as have 26 citizen journalists, since March 2011 when the Syrian revolt began.
[AFP]by AJE Staff 12:59 AM - Syrian President Bashar al-Assad told Italian TV his country will respect the UN agreement on the destruction Syria's chemical weapons stockpile.
[Reuters]by AJE Staff 9:10 PM yesterday - NGO: Air strike kills nine in Syria high school
Children were among nine people killed in an air strike on a high school in a rebel-held city of northern Syria on Sunday, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.
"The Syrian air force bombed a technical high school in the city of Raqa, killing nine people, among them children under 18, and wounding several other people," the Britain-based watchdog said.
Raqa, on the Euphrates valley 160km east of the main northern city of Aleppo, is the only provincial capital entirely in rebel hands.
Captured from government forces on March 6, the city is now largely controlled by al-Qaeda loyalists of the Islamic State of Iraq and Levant (ISIL), an armed group operating in Syria and a US-designated "terrorist organisation".
The air strike came after rebels launched an overnight attack on army positions in Nasseriya al-Qalamun, north of Damascus, killing at least 19 soldiers and wounding 60, the Observatory said.
"There were also losses in the ranks of the rebels, who succeeded in capturing several positions," it added, without giving a figure.by AJE Staff 5:03 PM yesterday - by AJE StaffInternational chemicalSyria
chemical clean-up the biggest ever staged
With more than 1,000 tonnes of sarin, mustard gas and
other banned horror chemicals stocked across the country, the UN and the global chemical weapons watchdog have launched an urgent appeal for
scarce experts to join the mission.
Applicants must be ready to face
mortal risks and an impossible deadline.UN leader Ban Ki-moon called the
operation "daunting" after the UN Security Council voted Friday to eliminate
President Bashar al-Assad's chemical arms.UN needs 200 inspectors
The mission by the Organisation
for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), which polices the 1993
Chemical Weapons Convention, will run in parallel to a UN investigation into
a huge sarin gas attack in Damascus in August and other suspected
attacks.
Final details of a US-Russia plan to dispose of stockpiles at an
estimated 45 sites have still not been agreed, UN diplomats
said.
Clean-ups of chemicals have been staged in Iraq and Libya, but
never in the middle of a raging war.Experts say the OPCW will need up to 200
inspectors for the Syria force. It has less than half that number
who already have a heavy regular workload.The watchdog has had to appeal to
the major powers to send scientists.Those who go will become a new target in
the 30-month-old conflict and the strife means the noxious potions will have
to be moved out of Syria to be destroyed. - AFP [Photo: EPA/ Youssef Badawi]by AJE Staff 10:37 AM yesterday - Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon has met the President of the National Coalition forUN chief meets Syrian opposition leader
the Syrian opposition forces, the UN has said.by AJE StaffThe UN said in a written statement issued on Saturday that Ban underlined to Ahmad al-Jarba the the suffering of the Syrian people on all sides, as a result of the conflict, and also the hardship of the neighbouring countries hosting Syrian refugees.
The Secretary-General welcomed al-Jarba's commitment to send a delegation to the Geneva Conference, and urged the National Coalition to reach out to other opposition groups and agree on a representative and united delegation.
The UN statement said that Ban stressed the paramount importance of embarking on serious dialogue as soon as possible, as well as the need to ensure accountability for war crimes. [Photo: Getty Images/ AFP/ Spencer Platt]by AJE Staff 8:10 AM yesterday - WATCH | Al Jazeera World - Syria: The Reckoning - Episode 2Since its independence from France in 1946, Syria has been rocked by periods of political instability.As the colonial hold of the great powers began to fade and the region witnessed a wave of Arab nationalism, Syria shifted through a succession of military coups.But in 1970, Hafez al-Assad, an ambitious minister of defence, seized control. Rising from a humble background in western Syria, he was to rule the country for 30 years.His was an autocratic one-party state in which any dissent was ruthlessly suppressed.Following the death of Hafez in 2000, father was succeeded by son - Bashar al-Assad took the reigns and a dynasty was born.In 2011, with the region in revolt, the al-Assad regime was challenged.by AJE Staff 5:58 AM yesterday
- Bushra Kaake walks with her husband beside the Syrian government's air intelligence centre in Aleppo. Bushra Kaake, also known as Om Saeed, is a member along with her husband of the Free Syrian Army. [Reuters]
- Syria is "comfortable" with a UN Security Council resolution on destroying its chemical weapons and will not discuss the future of President Bashar al-Assad, the country's foreign minister said Saturday.
Walid Muallem told reporters the resolution voted by the 15-nation council on Friday meant the opposition could be the target of UN sanctions.
"I am comfortable with the resolution," Muallem said at the UN headquarters where he will give Syria's address to the UN General Assembly on Monday.
"It calls for Chapter VII against the terrorists," the foreign minister added.
Assad's government habitually calls the opposition groups battling to overthrow him "terrorists".
The UN resolution allows the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons to start a mission this week to collect and destroy Syria's arms.
It does not allow for immediate sanctions under Chapter VII of the UN Charter in Syria, but there could be a new vote on measures if the disarmament accord is violated.
[AFP]by AJE Staff 3:32 AM yesterday - Another picture uploaded on the official page of the Syrian Presidency on Facebook purports to shows Syrian first lady, Asma al-Assad, speaking with students in the capital Damascus.by AJE Staff 3:28 AM yesterday
- A picture uploaded on the official page of the Syrian Presidency on Facebook purports to shows Syrian first lady, Asma al-Assad, speaking with students in the capital Damascus.by AJE Staff 3:21 AM yesterday
- Al Jazeera's Nisreen El-Shamayleh, reporting from Amman, said the importance of Syrian rebels' take over of the military post near Jordan remains merely symbolic.
"Ramtha border crossing has been closed for around two year. It was closed while it was under the control of the Syrian army," she said.
"So it definitely won't be opened by Jordan now, especially that the rebels who captured it are not part of the Saudi-backed military council in Deraa, whom Jordan had some security coordination with."
Officials in Jordan refused to comment on the takeover, saying they would not issue statements on events that are taking place on the side of a sovereign state outside their territory.
The Naseeb-Jaber border crossing is the only operational post between Syria and Jordan. The Syrian side of it is under the control of the Syrian army.
There is close coordination between the governments in Amman and Damascus on security maintenance at the crossing.
Rebels control multiple areas along the borders with Jordan, Iraq, Turkey and Lebanon as well as the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.by AJE Staff 1:14 AM yesterday - Syrian rebels, including members of an al-Qaeda-linked group, have captured a military post on the border with Jordan after four days of fighting, according to an activist group.The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said 26 government soldiers were killed in Saturday's battle as well as a number of rebels, including seven foreign fighters.The Ramtha post served in the past as the customs office on the border with Jordan.It was turned into an army post years ago.The post is on the outskirts of the southern city of Deraa where the uprising against President Bashar Assad's regime began in March 2011.The uprising later turned into a civil war that has killed more than 100,000 people, according to the UN.by AJE Staff 1:09 AM yesterday
- Syria's main opposition group has lost its bargaining power ahead of any potential peace conference, after rebels withdrew their support and a UN resolution failed to meet its expectations.
With talks aimed at bringing about an end to the civil war planned for November in Geneva, the opposition feels more abandoned than ever by its friends in the West.
National Coalition chief Ahmad Jarba officially welcomed the UN resolution to eradicate Syria's chemical weapons, but other members of the group expressed bitterness at the outcome.
"The (UN) Security Council resolution is a big disappointment for us," said Coalition member and veteran dissident Samir Nashar.
"It serves the interests of most regional and international powers, including the Syrian regime... but by no stretch of the imagination does it serve the Syrian people or the Syrian revolution."
The UN Security Council on Friday passed resolution 2118, after gruelling US-Russian negotiations, ordering Syria's chemical arsenal destroyed, but the resolution stops short of promising sanctions or the use of force against President Bashar al-Assad's regime.
And the resolution says nothing about the regime's use of other weapons - from fighter jets to scud missiles -- that have also exacted a heavy toll on the rebels and civilians.
"The opposition is the big loser," France-based Middle East expert Agnes Levallois said.
"With this issue of chemical weapons, Bashar al-Assad has regained his place as the Syrian partner for talks with the international community."
Even if the Geneva talks go forward as planned, the Coalition's decisions "will neither be accepted nor recognised by the opposition inside Syria... It's terrible for the opposition," Levallois added.
[Reuters]by AJE Staff 12:17 AM yesterday - EU hails UN Syria chemical arms resolutionThe European Union has praised a United Nations resolution aimed at destroying Syria's chemical arms cache for "setting a standard" against perpetrators of poison gas attacks.The resolution represented "a major step towards a sustainable and unified international response to the crisis in Syria" and EU would provide "forceful" support in the case of non-compliance, foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton said in a statement late on Friday.The UN Security Council unanimously passed a landmark resolution on Friday ordering the destruction of Syria's chemical weapons and condemned a murderous poison gas attack in Damascus."This decision should pave the way to the elimination of chemical weapons in Syria, and set a standard for the international community in responding to threats posed by weapons of mass destruction," Ashton said.The plan calls for Syria's estimated 1,000 tonnes of chemical weapons to be put under international control by mid-2014. Experts say the timetable is very tight.Ashton said the European bloc "reiterates its readiness to support actions foreseen under the resolution," including "a forceful international reaction in the event of non-compliance."- AFPby Asad Hashim September 28 at 6:23 PM
- The state-run Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) reports that Syrian authorities have arrested 15 members of the armed opposition brigade Jabhat al-Nusra, which is aligned with al-Qaeda in the Qaddour Baik neighborhood of Qamishli city.
Meanwhile, SANA also reported, citing security sources, that three Syrian security personnel were killed after sustained injuries due to firing from across the Turkish border at a Syrian checkpoint in Ras al-Ein.
The injured were admitted to hospital before they died, the agency reported.by Asad Hashim September 28 at 5:58 PM - Syrian style restaurants are booming in Dubai as a large number of Syrians have flocked into the United Arab Emirates (UAE). According to statistics from the Syria consulate to Dubai, the Syrian population in UAE has increased from 170,000 before the crisis to approximately a million.The increased population has led to the opening of many Syrian restaurants in Dubai, which provide the refugees a place to heal their homesickness.Salouja, decorated in Damascus style, offers genuine Syrian dishes. Consumers here can indulge in their Syrian accent to waiters and carry on a nostalgia of sitting in a deep quite corner of Damascus.''The dishes of this restaurant taste delicious and remind me of my mom's cooking," said Yamin, a Syrian consumer of Salouja, who only gave his first name.
For the Syrians, the restaurants are more than a place to have meals; they are also a place to look for Syrian connections and to forget for a moment the bad memories of Syria. Dubai is stable and safe, but many Syrians hope the crisis back home could be over and they can return as soon as possible.
"Believe me, nothing can feel like home, wherever you are, you always look back to your country. The restaurant can console you but can never give you the same feel," said Kinan.
"I really hope that the situation of this conflict will end as soon as possible. And many Syrians living outside Syria around the world can contribute to building the country again," said Mohammed, another Salouja consumer, who also would only give his first name.- AP - Concerns grow over Syria's foreign fightersAlJazeeraEnglishConcern is growing in Syria about the impact foreign fighters and groups affiliated to al-Qaeda are having on the conflict.Many are coming into the country from Turkey, and analysts are warning that it is jeopardising security.Al Jazeera's Anita McNaught reports from Antakya.by AJE Staff September 28 at 3:37 PM
UN agrees to Syria arms resolutionby AlJazeeraEnglish on 8:42 AMAfter weeks of intense negotiations and the threat of military action, the UN has finally agreed on a resolution to destroy Syria's chemical weapons. The 15-member Security Council voted unanimously on the deal put forward by the US and Russia.It is a significant step forward in international diplomacy to deal with the two and a half-year war which has left more than 100 thousand people dead.Al Jazeera's James Bays reports from the UN headquarters in New York. For more on this story, click here.by AJE Staff September 28 at 3:05 PM- The Syrian Ministry of Tourism has helped sponsor a mass wedding for 25 couples in Damascus, including young men and women displaced by the country's on-going civil war and family members of the Syrian Army.by AJE StaffThe wedding was held at the five-star Dama Rose hotel on Friday. It was attended by government ministers and officials as well as the Grand Mufti of Syria.Couples and guests, dressed in suits and formal clothing, sang and danced to celebrate the weddings.
"These types of social activities come as evidence of the Syrian people's will to go on with life and of their determination," said Kinda al-Shammat, the Syrian Minister of Social Affairs.
Syrian Minister of Tourism Bisher Yazeji said the mass wedding symbolised a "message of hope, rejuvenation and giving".- AP [Photos: Reuters]by AJE Staff - My photo of @baysontheroad speaking w Syrian foreign minister. Read full storyaje.me/15zh6oR @AJEnglish pic.twitter.com/uoE4iIMpVPSep. 28, 2013
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by AJE Staff September 28 at 12:20 PM - UN-Arab League peace envoy prepares to bring Syrian regime and rebels togetherUN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has said that Lakhdar Brahimi, the UN-Arab League peace envoy, will carry out the preparatory work needed in the weeks ahead to bring together the opposition and the Syrian regime of President Bashar al-Assad."All violence must end. All the guns must fall silent," Ban stressed on Saturday, as he hailed the "historic resolution" on Assad's chemical weapons stockpile, stressing it was not "a license to kill" with conventional arms."As we mark this important step we must never forget that the catalogue of horrors in Syria continues with bombs and tanks, grenades and guns." - AFPby AJE Staff September 28 at 11:06 AM
- Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons' (OPCW) statement on SyriaThe OPCW Executive Council today adopted a historic decision on
the destruction of Syria’s chemical weapons.In a special session, the 41-member body agreed on an accelerated
programme for achieving the complete elimination of Syria’s chemical weapons by
mid-2014. The decision requires inspections in Syria to commence from 1
October 2013.The decision also calls for ambitious milestones for destruction
which will be set by the Council by 15 November.The Executive Council decision was informed by the Framework
Agreement reached by the Russian Federation and the United States of America in
Geneva on 14 September. It also facilitates the request by Syria that the
Convention be applied ahead of its formal entry into force for Syria on 14
October.The OPCW Director-General warmly welcomed the decision by the
Council. He assured States Parties of the Technical Secretariat’s readiness to
commence its work in Syria immediately.“This decision sends an unmistakable message that the
international community is coming together to work for peace in Syria,
beginning with the elimination of chemical weapons in that country.”“I assure the Council that I and my colleagues are ready to take
up this historic responsibility. A few days ago, I stated that we approach this
mission with a sense of destiny. What this means is that we will not allow the
significant challenges to obscure the vision of peace and security that is
embedded in this noble undertaking.”“We have known all along that an OPCW mission of this
extraordinary character will require the support of the United Nations. I look
forward to working closely with the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Mr
Ban Ki-moon.”by AJE Staff September 28 at 10:23 AM - Syria UN envoy says chemical weapons resolutionA resolution adopted by the UN Security Council to eliminate Syria's chemical weapons covers most of the concerns of Damascus, Bashar Ja'afari, Syria's UN Ambassador has said.
"We must work together with the same determination, the same co-operation the UN Security Council to eliminate Syria's chemical weapons covers most of Damascus' concerns, Syrian UN Ambassador Bashar Ja'afari has said.
Ja'afari, reacting after the Security Council unanimously adopted the resolution, said on Friday countries supporting Syria's rebels - Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, France and the US - should also abide by the resolution.He said the Syrian government was "fully committed" to attending a proposed November peace conference in Geneva aimed at ending Syria's civil war. - Reutersby AJE Staff September 28 at 10:00 AM 
by AJE StaffKerry warns of 'consequences' if Syria fails to abide by resolution
US Secretary of State John Kerry has warned that Syria would face punishment if it does not comply with a UN Security Council resolution on its chemical weapons.
"Should the regime fail to act, there will be consequences," Kerry told the Security Council after the vote sealing a US-Russian agreement on Friday, in remarks broadcast by Al Jazeera English.Kerry hailed the deal, reached after prolonged negotiations, as a breakthrough.
"The Security Council has shown that when we put aside politics for the common good, we are still capable of doing big things," Kerry said.
"Provided this resolution is fully implemented, we will have eliminated one of the largest chemical weapons programs on Earth from one of the most volatile places on Earth."
But Kerry said that chemical weapons were only one issue and that a solution was needed to end the 30-month civil war that has killed more than 100,000 people.
The world "still carries the burden of doing what we must to end mass killing by other means," Kerry said.
"We must work together with the same determination, the same co-operation that has brought us here tonight, in order to end the conflict that continues to tear Syria apart even this veryday." - AFP [ Photo: AFP/ Stan Honda]by AJE Staff September 28 at 9:54 AM
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