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| Syria crisis - live updates | Syria crisis - live updates |
| (40 minutes later) | |
| 10.26am: There's excitement in Bahrain – or at least in the offices of the Information Affairs Authority and the Gulf Daily News – over a visit from members of the US Congress. | |
| The group were reportedly briefed on "Bahrain's accomplishments" and "expressed pleasure at visiting the kingdom, praising the development witnessed in Bahrain and the democratic stride". | |
| According to the Gulf Daily News, "they lauded the bold Royal steps, citing particularly the establishment of the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry (BICI) and the implementation of the recommendations". (The recommendations have not been properly implemented, Human Rights Watch said in a report last week.) | |
| Under the headline "Bahrain propaganda special", EA WorldView takes a detailed look at the visiting Congress members and their relationships with the regime. | |
| Whether the delegation's views of the situation were as glowing as they have been portrayed in the regime's media remains to be seen. The regime has a history of making up favourable quotes from foreigners. | |
| 10.02am: The Syrian president is unlikely to hold on to power much longer, according to his uncle, Rifaat al-Assad (pictured). | |
| "The problems are now general to all parts of Syria – there are no places that have escaped violence – so I don't think he can stay in power," Rifaat has told the BBC. | |
| However, he suggested Bashar should "co-operate with a new government and offer the experience he has" – adding that the Assad family was still "pretty much accepted by the Syrian people". | |
| Rifaat, who is the 74-year-old younger brother of the late President Hafez al-Assad, personally oversaw the 1982 Hama massacre and later went into exile after trying to stage a coup against his brother. He continued to have a political voice through Arab News Network, a satellite TV channel run by his son, Sumer. | |
| Another of his sons, Ribal, runs the Organisation for Democracy and Freedom in Syria (ODFS), a non-profit company registered in Britain. The ODFS has been trying to drum up political support in the west as part of the Syrian opposition, though it is not recognised as such by most other opponents of the regime. | |
| The BBC's Middle East editor Jeremy Bowen suggests Rifaat's latest remarks are a sign that he has ambitions for a future role in Syria. In the interview, Rifaat says: | |
| A commission should go from the Arab League and the [UN] Security Council to monitor free and transparent elections. | |
| "Then you will see that the Assad family has got much more importance and support than some of the meaningless figures [of the opposition Syrian National Council] who we see on TV screens now. | |
| 9.53am: Maryam Alkhawaja, spokeswoman for the Bahrain Centre for Human Rights, describes her nine-hour ordeal trying to get into Egypt yesterday. | |
| Speaking to al-Jazeera Alkhawaja says she was "blown away" by the response from Egyptian activists after she initially tweeted that she had been deported. | |
| 9.28am: Syria's state news agency Sana suggests Syria will only agree to Kofi Annan's peace plan if the opposition lays down its arms first. | 9.28am: Syria's state news agency Sana suggests Syria will only agree to Kofi Annan's peace plan if the opposition lays down its arms first. |
| It said: | It said: |
| Annan informed members of the UNSC of his mission in Syria, saying that Syria has agreed his plan, but it awaits a commitment by the opposition to halt violence and withdraw the armed terrorist groups. | Annan informed members of the UNSC of his mission in Syria, saying that Syria has agreed his plan, but it awaits a commitment by the opposition to halt violence and withdraw the armed terrorist groups. |
| It quoted Syria's UN ambassador, Bashar al-Ja'fari, as saying: "We expect Annan will contact the other sides, particularly those who are involved in arming the terrorist groups to end acts of violence." | It quoted Syria's UN ambassador, Bashar al-Ja'fari, as saying: "We expect Annan will contact the other sides, particularly those who are involved in arming the terrorist groups to end acts of violence." |
| Ja'fari also accused the Friends of Syria group of undermining Annan's plan. | Ja'fari also accused the Friends of Syria group of undermining Annan's plan. |
| 8.59am: There are conflicting accounts of a possible Free Syrian Army raid against the national hospital in Homs, yesterday. | 8.59am: There are conflicting accounts of a possible Free Syrian Army raid against the national hospital in Homs, yesterday. |
| Some activist claimed the hospital was "liberated" but this is far from verified. | Some activist claimed the hospital was "liberated" but this is far from verified. |
| Video footage has emerged purporting to show fighting around the building | Video footage has emerged purporting to show fighting around the building |
| Homs activist Abu Abdel Rahman, told the Guardian that the FSA attacked a military checkpoint in front of the hospital to retrieve bodies being kept in a morgue. | Homs activist Abu Abdel Rahman, told the Guardian that the FSA attacked a military checkpoint in front of the hospital to retrieve bodies being kept in a morgue. |
| He claimed that the authorities had converted hospitals into military barracks across Syria to prevent injured protesters being treated. He said he didn't know whether the rebels controlled the hospital. | He claimed that the authorities had converted hospitals into military barracks across Syria to prevent injured protesters being treated. He said he didn't know whether the rebels controlled the hospital. |
| The activist group the Syrian Revolution General Commission, said 64 bodies were found in the hospital yesterday. Another activist group, the Local Co-ordination Committees in Syria, said 75 unidentified corpses were found there. | The activist group the Syrian Revolution General Commission, said 64 bodies were found in the hospital yesterday. Another activist group, the Local Co-ordination Committees in Syria, said 75 unidentified corpses were found there. |
| EA WorldView is treating the story with caution but says it is potentially an important development. | EA WorldView is treating the story with caution but says it is potentially an important development. |
| The death toll and the lack of information from Homs obscured what appears to be a significant story. If insurgents can re-take one of Syria's largest hospitals, after weeks of siege and attack by regime forces, what did this say about the possibilities for President Assad's military to put down resistance once and for all? | The death toll and the lack of information from Homs obscured what appears to be a significant story. If insurgents can re-take one of Syria's largest hospitals, after weeks of siege and attack by regime forces, what did this say about the possibilities for President Assad's military to put down resistance once and for all? |
| 8.52am: The president of the International Committee of the Red Cross, Jakob Kellenberger, is in Damascus lobbying for a two-hour daily ceasefire. | 8.52am: The president of the International Committee of the Red Cross, Jakob Kellenberger, is in Damascus lobbying for a two-hour daily ceasefire. |
| Kellengber has meet foreign minister Walid al-Moualem, according to tweets from foreign ministry spokesman Jihad Makdissi. | Kellengber has meet foreign minister Walid al-Moualem, according to tweets from foreign ministry spokesman Jihad Makdissi. |
| Minister Moualim is having a positiveand constructive talks now with the head of the ICRC and Head of SARC | Minister Moualim is having a positiveand constructive talks now with the head of the ICRC and Head of SARC |
| — Dr.Jihad Makdissi (@Makdissi) April 3, 2012 | — Dr.Jihad Makdissi (@Makdissi) April 3, 2012 |
| They explored ways to improve access and cooperation with ICRC... Channels of Com are open ..Syria is engaging positively undoubtfully | They explored ways to improve access and cooperation with ICRC... Channels of Com are open ..Syria is engaging positively undoubtfully |
| — Dr.Jihad Makdissi (@Makdissi) April 3, 2012 | — Dr.Jihad Makdissi (@Makdissi) April 3, 2012 |
| 8.07am: (all times BST) Welcome to Middle East Live. Syria's pledge to partially implement Kofi Annan's peace plan by 10 April has been greeted with widespread scepticism. | 8.07am: (all times BST) Welcome to Middle East Live. Syria's pledge to partially implement Kofi Annan's peace plan by 10 April has been greeted with widespread scepticism. |
| Here's a roundup of the main developments | Here's a roundup of the main developments |
| Syria | Syria |
| • Syria has told the international envoy Kofi Annan that its military will withdraw troops and heavy weapons from populated areas by 10 April. Susan Rice, the US ambassador to the UN, said: "We have seen commitments to end the violence followed by massive intensifications of violence. So the United States, for one, would look at these commitments and say, yet again, the proof is the actions, not in the words." | • Syria has told the international envoy Kofi Annan that its military will withdraw troops and heavy weapons from populated areas by 10 April. Susan Rice, the US ambassador to the UN, said: "We have seen commitments to end the violence followed by massive intensifications of violence. So the United States, for one, would look at these commitments and say, yet again, the proof is the actions, not in the words." |
| • Syrian refugees in Turkey and Jordan have been recounting the violence and persecution that they fled from. | • Syrian refugees in Turkey and Jordan have been recounting the violence and persecution that they fled from. |
| Mohammed, a former Idlib prison guard who defected to the opposition and then fled to Turkey, describes the torture he witnessed: | Mohammed, a former Idlib prison guard who defected to the opposition and then fled to Turkey, describes the torture he witnessed: |
| One man lost an eye in a beating. If prisoners refused to say that 'Assad is our leader', they sat them down naked on to a glass bottle. The bottleneck penetrated [their anus]. | One man lost an eye in a beating. If prisoners refused to say that 'Assad is our leader', they sat them down naked on to a glass bottle. The bottleneck penetrated [their anus]. |
| Um Eddine, a mother of four whose husband was arrested in December, describes fleeing across the border to Jordan where a family were helped by soldiers: | Um Eddine, a mother of four whose husband was arrested in December, describes fleeing across the border to Jordan where a family were helped by soldiers: |
| My three-and-a-half year-old asked me, why do these soldiers gave us tea while the ones at home kill people? I said: 'Because that is Syria.' My sons haven't gone to school for a whole year. They haven't been able to play in the streets for a year. In Daraa, they were in a state of fear the whole time. I pray that I will see my husband again. I pray for him and all those who are arrested. | My three-and-a-half year-old asked me, why do these soldiers gave us tea while the ones at home kill people? I said: 'Because that is Syria.' My sons haven't gone to school for a whole year. They haven't been able to play in the streets for a year. In Daraa, they were in a state of fear the whole time. I pray that I will see my husband again. I pray for him and all those who are arrested. |
| • Egypt's foreign minister has warned that arming Syrian rebels could lead to civil war, the Egyptian Independent reports. Mohamed Kamel Amr also called for meeting with the Syrian opposition at the Arab League's headquarters in Cairo. | • Egypt's foreign minister has warned that arming Syrian rebels could lead to civil war, the Egyptian Independent reports. Mohamed Kamel Amr also called for meeting with the Syrian opposition at the Arab League's headquarters in Cairo. |
| • Syria's rebels have been forced to abandon efforts to hold territory and focus instead on guerilla tactics, a senior opposition commander told the Telegraph. He said: "After what happened in Deraa, in Homs, in Idlib, the Free Syrian Army is not focusing on holding cities anymore. We are now adopting guerilla tactics; we have watchers who spy on checkpoints and attack." Brown_Moses, a frequent commenter on this blog, notes an increase in IED attacks against Assad's forces and compiles a series of videos purporting to show such incidents on his new blog. | • Syria's rebels have been forced to abandon efforts to hold territory and focus instead on guerilla tactics, a senior opposition commander told the Telegraph. He said: "After what happened in Deraa, in Homs, in Idlib, the Free Syrian Army is not focusing on holding cities anymore. We are now adopting guerilla tactics; we have watchers who spy on checkpoints and attack." Brown_Moses, a frequent commenter on this blog, notes an increase in IED attacks against Assad's forces and compiles a series of videos purporting to show such incidents on his new blog. |
| Egypt | Egypt |
| • The Muslim Brotherhood's decision to field Khairat al-Shater as a candidate in the presidential election is seen by some as a panicky response to manoeuvring by the generals who ousted Hosni Mubarak. Rumours that Mubarak's intelligence chief, Omar Suleiman, is about to declare his candidacy have fuelled expectations of a dramatic fight. | • The Muslim Brotherhood's decision to field Khairat al-Shater as a candidate in the presidential election is seen by some as a panicky response to manoeuvring by the generals who ousted Hosni Mubarak. Rumours that Mubarak's intelligence chief, Omar Suleiman, is about to declare his candidacy have fuelled expectations of a dramatic fight. |