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| Syria: Regime rejects Arab League call for peacekeepers - live updates | Syria: Regime rejects Arab League call for peacekeepers - live updates |
| (40 minutes later) | |
| 10.15am: The Syrian government news agency, Sana, reports that President Assad has received a copy of the country's new draft constitution. He issued a presidential decree last October setting up a special committee with instructions to produce a draft within four months – which it has now done. | |
| Plans for a new constitution have been hailed by the regime as evidence of its intention to reform and Sana suggests this will transform Syria "into an example to follow in terms of public freedoms and political plurality". | |
| Opponents of the regime are unconvinced, pointing out that the drafting has been done without public dialogue. | |
| One of the most criticised parts of the existing constitution is Article 8, which says: | |
The leading party in the society and the state is the Socialist Arab Baath Party. | |
| This, in effect, prevents any other party from winning power in an election. | |
| 10.06am: Russia is reserving judgment on the Arab-UN peacekeeping proposal until it learns further details, the foreign minister has said this morning. | |
| Sergei Lavrov said at a press conference that the government was studying the proposal, made by the Arab League last night, but that violence would have to end before any such mission takes place, Reuters reports. | |
| So that's now two muted reactions to the proposal from the two countries that have blocked attempts to pass a UN Security Council resolution on Syria. | |
| Earlier today China's foreign ministry indicated that, while it backed Arab Leage mediation in the country, there was no clear support for the call for peacekeepers. Asked about the proposal, spokesman Liu Weimin was quoted by Reuters as saying: | |
China calls for and supports the Arab League's continued efforts at political mediation, which plays a proactive and constructive role with regard to peaceful settlement of the Syrian issue. | |
| 9.45am: Syrian government tanks have failed to push into the rebel-held town of Rastan, activists have told AP. | 9.45am: Syrian government tanks have failed to push into the rebel-held town of Rastan, activists have told AP. |
| The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, says Monday's attempt to storm Rastan left at least three soldiers dead. Rastan has been held by the rebels since late January. | The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, says Monday's attempt to storm Rastan left at least three soldiers dead. Rastan has been held by the rebels since late January. |
| Calls to town's residents are not getting through. The telephone lines appear to be cut as they usually are during military operations. | Calls to town's residents are not getting through. The telephone lines appear to be cut as they usually are during military operations. |
| 9.24am: William Hague, the foreign secretary, has welcomed the Arab League's "significant steps" towards raising diplomatic pressure on the regime. | 9.24am: William Hague, the foreign secretary, has welcomed the Arab League's "significant steps" towards raising diplomatic pressure on the regime. |
| He said a joint Arab/UN peacekeeping force could play "an important role" in easing the conflict- but only if the regime first ends its violence. In a statement, he said: | He said a joint Arab/UN peacekeeping force could play "an important role" in easing the conflict- but only if the regime first ends its violence. In a statement, he said: |
We will discuss urgently with the Arab League and our international partners the proposals for a joint AL/UN peacekeeping force. | We will discuss urgently with the Arab League and our international partners the proposals for a joint AL/UN peacekeeping force. |
| Such a mission could have an important role to play in saving lives, providing the Assad regime ends the violence against civilians, withdraws its forces from towns and cities and establishes a credible ceasefire. | Such a mission could have an important role to play in saving lives, providing the Assad regime ends the violence against civilians, withdraws its forces from towns and cities and establishes a credible ceasefire. |
| 8.55am: Good morning and welcome to Middle East Live. Today looks to be another day of bloodshed in Syria and diplomatic wrangling in the corridors of the UN and the Arab League. | 8.55am: Good morning and welcome to Middle East Live. Today looks to be another day of bloodshed in Syria and diplomatic wrangling in the corridors of the UN and the Arab League. |
| Here's a brief summary of the latest develpments. | Here's a brief summary of the latest develpments. |
| Syria | Syria |
| •The regime has resumed its tank bombardment of Homs overnight, according to an activist quoted by Reuters who said loyalist troops had been focusing their fire on the Baba Amro and al-Waer districts of the rebellious city. Mohammad al-Hassan said the tank shelling in the former neighbourhood had been "non-stop". | •The regime has resumed its tank bombardment of Homs overnight, according to an activist quoted by Reuters who said loyalist troops had been focusing their fire on the Baba Amro and al-Waer districts of the rebellious city. Mohammad al-Hassan said the tank shelling in the former neighbourhood had been "non-stop". |
| •The Guardian's Martin Chulov reports from a rural town on the outskirts of Homs which has been transformed into a Free Syria Army stronghold. He writes: | •The Guardian's Martin Chulov reports from a rural town on the outskirts of Homs which has been transformed into a Free Syria Army stronghold. He writes: |
| Less than five months ago, this poor rural town on the outskirts of Homs was a passive place whose residents vented their anger at Bashar al-Assad at weekly rallies; never through the barrel of a gun. An army attack on 23 September changed all that. Now the town is a stronghold of armed resistance in Syria's west. | Less than five months ago, this poor rural town on the outskirts of Homs was a passive place whose residents vented their anger at Bashar al-Assad at weekly rallies; never through the barrel of a gun. An army attack on 23 September changed all that. Now the town is a stronghold of armed resistance in Syria's west. |
| •Arab leaders have called for a joint United Nations-Arab peacekeeping force to curb the bloodshed and agreed to end all diplomatic co-operation with Damascus.The Arab League, meeting in Cairo on Sunday, adopted a resolution calling for renewed international efforts to end the 11-month conflict and scrapped its own monitoring mission to Syria. The UN General Assembly is due to meet later today to discuss the ongoing crisis. | •Arab leaders have called for a joint United Nations-Arab peacekeeping force to curb the bloodshed and agreed to end all diplomatic co-operation with Damascus.The Arab League, meeting in Cairo on Sunday, adopted a resolution calling for renewed international efforts to end the 11-month conflict and scrapped its own monitoring mission to Syria. The UN General Assembly is due to meet later today to discuss the ongoing crisis. |
| •Syria swiftly rejected the call. Syria's ambassador to the Arab League, Ahmed Youssef, was quoted as saying that Saudi Arabia and Qatar were "living in a state of hysteria after their last failure at the U.N. Security Council to call for outside interference in Syria's affairs and to impose sanctions on the Syrian people." | •Syria swiftly rejected the call. Syria's ambassador to the Arab League, Ahmed Youssef, was quoted as saying that Saudi Arabia and Qatar were "living in a state of hysteria after their last failure at the U.N. Security Council to call for outside interference in Syria's affairs and to impose sanctions on the Syrian people." |
| •China has this morning refused to say whether or not it will back the Arab League's move. Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Weimin refused to directly answer repeated questions, AP reported, saying merely that China backed the Arab League's "political mediation efforts." | •China has this morning refused to say whether or not it will back the Arab League's move. Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Weimin refused to directly answer repeated questions, AP reported, saying merely that China backed the Arab League's "political mediation efforts." |
| •Ayman al-Zawahiri, the leader of al-Qaida, called on Muslims around the world to support the Syrian rebels. The statement- the most explicit attempt yet by the terrorist group to intervene in the ongoing conflict- came in a video posted on extremist websites on Saturday. Zawahiri denounced Assad's regime as "penicious" and "cancerous". | •Ayman al-Zawahiri, the leader of al-Qaida, called on Muslims around the world to support the Syrian rebels. The statement- the most explicit attempt yet by the terrorist group to intervene in the ongoing conflict- came in a video posted on extremist websites on Saturday. Zawahiri denounced Assad's regime as "penicious" and "cancerous". |
| Bahrain | Bahrain |
| •Security is high in and around the capital of Manama ahead of the one-year anniversary of Bahrain's uprising. Opposition groups are urging protesters to head to a site dubbed 'Freedom Square' on the outskirts of the city, which many hope to occupy. The opposition party Al Wefaq has accused the authorities of impsosing a 'siege' on Shiite villages around Manama ahead of the anniversary. | •Security is high in and around the capital of Manama ahead of the one-year anniversary of Bahrain's uprising. Opposition groups are urging protesters to head to a site dubbed 'Freedom Square' on the outskirts of the city, which many hope to occupy. The opposition party Al Wefaq has accused the authorities of impsosing a 'siege' on Shiite villages around Manama ahead of the anniversary. |