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| Syria: Shelling continues as ceasefire deadline passes | Syria: Shelling continues as ceasefire deadline passes |
| (40 minutes later) | |
| 9.59am: Syria: Despite the claims by the opposition of ongoing violence, Syria's foreign minister Walid al-Moualem says its troops have already pulled back from some cities. After talks with the Russian foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, in Moscow, he told reporters that Syria wanted a say in the composition of an international team to observe implementation of a ceasefire in the country. | |
| "An end of violence must be simultaneous with the arrival of the international observers," he said. | |
| Lavrov said that he had urged the Syrian government to act "more decisively" to implement the plan but added that foreign states should use their influence on opposition groups to press for an immediate ceasefire. Lavrov said: "We told our Syrian colleague ... we think their actions could be more active, more decisive in regard to the fulfillment of the points of the plan." | |
| He said Syrian opposition groups must also be committed to Annan's plan and called on foreign states with influence on them to use it to promote an immediate ceasefire. | |
| Meanwhile, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Liu Weimin said China hopes the Syrian government and opposition "stay with their commitment to the cease-fire and withdrawal, and create favourable conditions for easing the tension in Syria and pushing for a political resolution for the Syria issue". | |
| 9.58am: Bahrain: Formula One chief Bernie Ecclestone has conceded the possibility of the Grand Prix taking place Bahrain later this month without all the teams competing. The Times (paywall) quotes him as saying: "If the teams don't want to go, then we cannot make them." | |
| 9.33am: Egypt: On the Arabist blog, Cairo-based journalist Issandr el Amrani considers the decision of Omar Suleiman, Mubarak's former intelligence chief, to run for the presidency. | |
| Amrani says it's galling to see Suleiman – often referred to as Egypt's "torturer-in-chief" – claiming democratic credentials but suggests he is unlikely to win unless the election is rigged. In the meantime, Amrani says, Suleiman "can certainly be useful" in stirring up sentiment against the Muslim Brotherhood – "especially if he uses some of the documents and recordings he no doubt has saved from his years as spy chief". | |
| 9.29am: Syria: The Local Co-ordination Committees activist group has linked to video it says is of tanks in the Damascus suburb of Douma this morning. | |
| The LCC also claims the following breaches of the ceasefire are taking place: | |
| Aleppo: Mareh: The regime's army shells the city with planes and heavy machine guns | |
| This video purports to show smoke above Mareh today caused by shelling by government forces: | |
| Deraa: Alma: The regime's army raid the area and is randomly shelling the town using war aircraft | |
| Deraa: Sanamain: The regime's army raided the town and besieged a number of neighborhoods after conducting an arrest campaign that reached dozens of activists | |
| Deraa: Tafas: The regime's army raid the city using a large number of tanks amid gunfire from anti-aircrafts and heavy weapons, and used sound grenades, in addition to a random arrest and raid campaign in the area | |
| Hama: Kafr Zeita: The regime's army surrounds the city from all points as security forces raid several homes and wage a campaign of arbitrary arrests and destruction of homes and commercial shops | |
| Homs: Violent shelling on Old Homs neighborhoods especially Bab Duraib and Safsafa areas | |
| It has also posted a video said to be of shelling in Qarabes, in Homs: | |
| Idlib: Areeha: Aircraft flying over the city accompanied with shooting from heavy weapons, and random raid and arrest campaign were reported in the area | |
| The LCC's reports cannot be independently verified. | |
| 8.51am: Good morning. Welcome to Middle East Live. Today we shall be monitoring events in Syria after the passing of the ceasefire deadline, as well as unrest in other parts of the region. | 8.51am: Good morning. Welcome to Middle East Live. Today we shall be monitoring events in Syria after the passing of the ceasefire deadline, as well as unrest in other parts of the region. |
| Syria | Syria |
| • Syrian government forces show no sign of meeting today's deadline for a ceasefire and withdrawal from population centres. Reuters, citing local activists, reports that tanks fired two shells in the city of Homs around 2am this morning and that tanks remain on the streets of Douma, a Damascus suburb. | • Syrian government forces show no sign of meeting today's deadline for a ceasefire and withdrawal from population centres. Reuters, citing local activists, reports that tanks fired two shells in the city of Homs around 2am this morning and that tanks remain on the streets of Douma, a Damascus suburb. |
| • Turkey's prime minister, on a visit to China, says he is considering what steps to take after Syrian forces opened fire on a refugee camp on the Turkish side of the border. Witnesses say two people in the camp were killed. The Syrian troops are reported to have been attacking rebels who fled towards the camp after ambushing a Syrian military checkpoint, killing six soldiers. | • Turkey's prime minister, on a visit to China, says he is considering what steps to take after Syrian forces opened fire on a refugee camp on the Turkish side of the border. Witnesses say two people in the camp were killed. The Syrian troops are reported to have been attacking rebels who fled towards the camp after ambushing a Syrian military checkpoint, killing six soldiers. |
| • Syria has offered "warm condolences" to the family of cameraman Ali Shaaban of al-Jadeed TV who was killed on the Lebanese border yesterday. The Syrian government news agency said he was shot during a firefight with "an armed terrorist group" that was trying to infiltrate the country. A reporter who survived said the TV crew came under fire "from the Syrian side" as they were taking footage of Syrian territory from inside Lebanon and after they had had "greeted the Syrian forces guarding the borders". | • Syria has offered "warm condolences" to the family of cameraman Ali Shaaban of al-Jadeed TV who was killed on the Lebanese border yesterday. The Syrian government news agency said he was shot during a firefight with "an armed terrorist group" that was trying to infiltrate the country. A reporter who survived said the TV crew came under fire "from the Syrian side" as they were taking footage of Syrian territory from inside Lebanon and after they had had "greeted the Syrian forces guarding the borders". |
| • Syrian foreign minister Walid al-Moallem has arrived in Moscow for talks with his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov. We shall be following developments there during the course of today. | • Syrian foreign minister Walid al-Moallem has arrived in Moscow for talks with his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov. We shall be following developments there during the course of today. |
| Bahrain | Bahrain |
| • UN secretary-general Ban Ki-moon has urged Bahrain to consider transferring Abdulhadi al-Khawaja, the jailed hunger striker, to Denmark for medical treatment on humanitarian grounds. Khawaja, who has Danish citizenship, has been refusing food since 8 February. The authorities in Bahrain have so far refused to hand him over to Denmark on the grounds that Bahraini law prevents transfers of "accused and convicted persons to foreign countries". | • UN secretary-general Ban Ki-moon has urged Bahrain to consider transferring Abdulhadi al-Khawaja, the jailed hunger striker, to Denmark for medical treatment on humanitarian grounds. Khawaja, who has Danish citizenship, has been refusing food since 8 February. The authorities in Bahrain have so far refused to hand him over to Denmark on the grounds that Bahraini law prevents transfers of "accused and convicted persons to foreign countries". |
| • There is continuing speculation that the Formula One Grand Prix, due to be held in Bahrain on April 22 may yet be cancelled. Some of the F1 teams have reportedly been issued with alternative plane tickets that will take them straight home from the race in China on April 15 – missing out Bahrain. | • There is continuing speculation that the Formula One Grand Prix, due to be held in Bahrain on April 22 may yet be cancelled. Some of the F1 teams have reportedly been issued with alternative plane tickets that will take them straight home from the race in China on April 15 – missing out Bahrain. |
| Tunisia | Tunisia |
| • At least 15 civilians and eight police were injured during protests in Tunis yesterday, AFP reports. Police used teargas and batons against a march in Avenue Bourguiba – the city's main thoroughfare – where the government recently announced a ban on demonstrations. | • At least 15 civilians and eight police were injured during protests in Tunis yesterday, AFP reports. Police used teargas and batons against a march in Avenue Bourguiba – the city's main thoroughfare – where the government recently announced a ban on demonstrations. |