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| Syria crisis: US accuses Russia of sending attack helicopters - live updates | Syria crisis: US accuses Russia of sending attack helicopters - live updates |
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| 9.56am: Libya: There was heavy fighting around the town of Mizdah yesterday between forces from Zintan and members of the Mashasha tribe, the Libya Herald reports. At least 19 people are said to have died. | |
| There has been growing hostility in recent months between the Zintanis who played a prominent role in last year's revolution and the Mashasha who did not support it. Last December, there were clashes in which four people died. | |
| The present fight started yesterday when the Mashasha stopped a Zintan military contingent heading to Sebha at a makeshift road block near Mizdah. In the ensuing conflict, one Zintani, who has been named as Muftah Ibrahim Al-Ramah, was shot dead and two others injured. They were taken to the local government hospital in Mizdah. | |
| Both sides then started to gather their forces and look for allies. The Mizdah and the Al-Qantrar tribes came out in support of Zintan while Twarghans from Hun and elsewhere are said to have driven over to support the Mashasha. | |
| 9.55am: Libya: The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) says it has no information at this stage linking yesterday's attack on its office in Misrata to the incident in Benghazi on 22 May, when a group of Islamists justified an attack on its premises by claiming that the ICRC is a Christian organisation that has been distributing bibles in Libya. | |
| One man was injured by the pre-dawn explosion in Misrata – the son of the owner of the offices, who lives in the compound. | |
| Yesterday, the ICRC issued a statement explaining the nature of its activities in Libya: | |
| Upon the request of the Libyan authorities, the ICRC is focusing its activities on the fate of missing persons, visiting detainees and promotion of international humanitarian law ... | |
| We would like to stress that the ICRC is a strictly neutral, impartial and independent humanitarian organisation. It is not involved at all in any kind of politics or religion. | |
| The ICRC is the founding body of the worldwide Red Cross Red Crescent movement. In Libya it works in close partnership with the Libyan Red Crescent Society. Currently, about 70% of the ICRC operations worldwide are in Muslim countries ... | |
| The ICRC is not a religious organisation. The ICRC did not distribute bibles in Libya. However, on some occasions it distributed Qurans in places of detention upon request of the persons detained and this always in full transparency and agreement with the concerned authorities. | |
| The emblems of the Red Cross and Red Crescent bear no religious meaning. They are protected by international humanitarian law, which Libya has adhered to. | |
| 9.38am: More helicopter news. Activists have broadcast footage of what they claim is the defection of a captain of a helicopter squadron. | |
| The clip purports to show Captain Ahmed Taher, declaring that he is joining the opposition. | |
| According to our colleague Mona Mahmood, Taher said: | |
| I am captain Ahmed Taher Tarrad from the 59th brigade Hawamat squadron. This is my ID. I declare my defection from Assad's criminal army to join the Free Syrian Army. I am defecting because of Assad's shelling of cities and towns by war planes and helicopters and other types of heavy weapons to kill the innocents civilians; and the commitment of horrible massacres designed to create sectarian division among Syrian people. Long live free Syria. | |
| The clip cannot be independently verified. | |
| Activists from Rastan have uploaded what they claim is the latest bombardment of the opposition stronghold. A helicopter can been flying above the smoke-filled skyline. | |
| Yesterday the UN's supervision mission in Syria broadcast footage of helicopters flying over Syria. Kofi Annan's spokesman Ahmad Fawzi said observers had filmed helicopters firing, in what he claimed was the first documented case of its kind in the conflict. | |
| Human Rights Watch points out that it recorded helicopter attacks as early as February. | |
| 8.58am: The US campaign group, Human Rights First, has urged the US state department to obtain more details about recent Russian shipments of attack helicopters. | 8.58am: The US campaign group, Human Rights First, has urged the US state department to obtain more details about recent Russian shipments of attack helicopters. |
| It issued this statement: | It issued this statement: |
| Russian made attack helicopters such as Mil Mi 24 (Mi 25) have been identified by citizens and reporters as a new tactic used in recent months in attacks by the Syrian regime on civilians in areas of Idlib, Rastan and Latakia. While many of the attack helicopter models currently used by the Syrian regime may have been imported a long time ago, any new shipments of such equipment to Syria is very worrying given their possible use against civilians. For this reason, Human Rights First has called on Secretary Clinton to obtain the disclosure of cargo manifests for Russian arms shipments to Syria over the past 16 months, to verify that Russia is in fact not providing the Syrian regime with weapons that are being or can be used to target civilians, as they have recently claimed. | Russian made attack helicopters such as Mil Mi 24 (Mi 25) have been identified by citizens and reporters as a new tactic used in recent months in attacks by the Syrian regime on civilians in areas of Idlib, Rastan and Latakia. While many of the attack helicopter models currently used by the Syrian regime may have been imported a long time ago, any new shipments of such equipment to Syria is very worrying given their possible use against civilians. For this reason, Human Rights First has called on Secretary Clinton to obtain the disclosure of cargo manifests for Russian arms shipments to Syria over the past 16 months, to verify that Russia is in fact not providing the Syrian regime with weapons that are being or can be used to target civilians, as they have recently claimed. |
| 8.36am: (all times BST) Welcome to Middle East Live. Hillary Clinton has accused Russia of escalating a conflict that the UN peacekeeping chief says has descended into civil war. And there are fresh claims that Saudi Arabia and Qatar are supplying weapons to the rebels. | 8.36am: (all times BST) Welcome to Middle East Live. Hillary Clinton has accused Russia of escalating a conflict that the UN peacekeeping chief says has descended into civil war. And there are fresh claims that Saudi Arabia and Qatar are supplying weapons to the rebels. |
| Here's roundup in more detail: | Here's roundup in more detail: |
| Syria | Syria |
| • Clinton said Russia was shipping attack helicopters to the Assad regime and lying about weapons deliveries. She said: | • Clinton said Russia was shipping attack helicopters to the Assad regime and lying about weapons deliveries. She said: |
| We have confronted the Russians about stopping their continued arms shipments to Syria. They have, from time to time, said that we shouldn't worry, [that] everything they're shipping is unrelated to [Syria's] actions internally. That's patently untrue, and we are concerned about the latest information we have that there are attack helicopters on the way from Russia to Syria which will escalate the conflict quite dramatically. | We have confronted the Russians about stopping their continued arms shipments to Syria. They have, from time to time, said that we shouldn't worry, [that] everything they're shipping is unrelated to [Syria's] actions internally. That's patently untrue, and we are concerned about the latest information we have that there are attack helicopters on the way from Russia to Syria which will escalate the conflict quite dramatically. |
| UN officials say that helicopter gunships are already being used as activists circulated footage of spent Russian-made helicopter missiles. | UN officials say that helicopter gunships are already being used as activists circulated footage of spent Russian-made helicopter missiles. |
| • Clinton's remarks directly contradict Russian President Vladmir Putin who claimed earlier this month that Moscow was not supplying arms to Syria which could be used against protesters. "As for arms supplies, Russia is not supplying arms that could be used in civil conflicts," he said. | • Clinton's remarks directly contradict Russian President Vladmir Putin who claimed earlier this month that Moscow was not supplying arms to Syria which could be used against protesters. "As for arms supplies, Russia is not supplying arms that could be used in civil conflicts," he said. |
| • Herve Ladsous, head of the UN's department of peacekeeping operations, said that Syria was in a state of civil war. "Clearly what is happening is the government of Syria lost some large chunks of territory, several cities to the opposition, and wants to retake control," he told Reuters. Asked if the crisis can now be characterised as a civil war he said: "Yes, I think we can say that." | • Herve Ladsous, head of the UN's department of peacekeeping operations, said that Syria was in a state of civil war. "Clearly what is happening is the government of Syria lost some large chunks of territory, several cities to the opposition, and wants to retake control," he told Reuters. Asked if the crisis can now be characterised as a civil war he said: "Yes, I think we can say that." |
| • UN observers were prevented from reaching the besieged north-western town of al-Haffa by angry crowds, and were shot at as they left. Sausan Ghosheh, spokeswoman for the UN supervision mission in Syria, said: "The crowd, who appeared to be residents of the area, hurled stones and metal rods at the UN vehicles. The UN observers turned back. "As they were leaving the area, three vehicles heading towards Idlib were fired upon – the source of fire is still unclear." | • UN observers were prevented from reaching the besieged north-western town of al-Haffa by angry crowds, and were shot at as they left. Sausan Ghosheh, spokeswoman for the UN supervision mission in Syria, said: "The crowd, who appeared to be residents of the area, hurled stones and metal rods at the UN vehicles. The UN observers turned back. "As they were leaving the area, three vehicles heading towards Idlib were fired upon – the source of fire is still unclear." |
| • Syrian rebels are being armed by Saudi Arabia and Qatar, with the implicit support of Turkey's intelligence agency, a unnamed diplomat told the Independent. | • Syrian rebels are being armed by Saudi Arabia and Qatar, with the implicit support of Turkey's intelligence agency, a unnamed diplomat told the Independent. |
| An Ankara-based Western diplomat, who spoke on a condition of anonymity, confirmed that the delivery of "light weapons" to the rebels was a "recent development", one that involved unmarked trucks transporting the weapons to the border for rebel groups. "There are arms coming in with the knowledge of the Turks," he said. The Syrian National Council (SNC), the main umbrella organisation of groups opposed to the regime, vetted the consignment. | An Ankara-based Western diplomat, who spoke on a condition of anonymity, confirmed that the delivery of "light weapons" to the rebels was a "recent development", one that involved unmarked trucks transporting the weapons to the border for rebel groups. "There are arms coming in with the knowledge of the Turks," he said. The Syrian National Council (SNC), the main umbrella organisation of groups opposed to the regime, vetted the consignment. |
| • Britain is poised to ban the head of Syria's national Olympic committee from attending the London games next month but allow a young showjumper with close family ties to the regime of Bashar al-Assad to compete as planned. Whitehall sources have indicated that General Mowaffak Joumaa will be refused entry to the UK on the grounds of his links to President Assad and the Syrian military. But Ahmed Hamsho, 18, is the first ever Syrian equestrian to qualify for the Olympics, is expected to compete despite the fact that his father is a close associate of Maher al-Assad, the president's brother and architect of the brutal suppression of the uprising. | • Britain is poised to ban the head of Syria's national Olympic committee from attending the London games next month but allow a young showjumper with close family ties to the regime of Bashar al-Assad to compete as planned. Whitehall sources have indicated that General Mowaffak Joumaa will be refused entry to the UK on the grounds of his links to President Assad and the Syrian military. But Ahmed Hamsho, 18, is the first ever Syrian equestrian to qualify for the Olympics, is expected to compete despite the fact that his father is a close associate of Maher al-Assad, the president's brother and architect of the brutal suppression of the uprising. |
| Egypt | Egypt |
| • More than 50 MPs boycotted the launch of a panel to draft Egypt's new constitution in protest at the domination of Islamists on the group, Alhram reports. Twenty-seven seats of the 100-member constituent assembly have been allocated to Islamist parliamentarians. Other prominent Islamist figures were also selected. | • More than 50 MPs boycotted the launch of a panel to draft Egypt's new constitution in protest at the domination of Islamists on the group, Alhram reports. Twenty-seven seats of the 100-member constituent assembly have been allocated to Islamist parliamentarians. Other prominent Islamist figures were also selected. |
| Tunisia | Tunisia |
| • A night time curfew was imposed in Tunis and seven other areas after Salafi Islamists angered by an art exhibition they say insults Muslims clashed with police. Protesters blocked streets and set tyres alight in the working-class Ettadamen and Sidi Hussein districts of the capital overnight on Monday. Some hurled petrol bombs at police in some of the worst confrontations since last year's revolt ousted Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali as president.An interior ministry official said 2,500 Salafis were still involved in clashes with police in the area on Tuesday evening, 162 people had been detained and 65 members of the security forces had been hurt. | • A night time curfew was imposed in Tunis and seven other areas after Salafi Islamists angered by an art exhibition they say insults Muslims clashed with police. Protesters blocked streets and set tyres alight in the working-class Ettadamen and Sidi Hussein districts of the capital overnight on Monday. Some hurled petrol bombs at police in some of the worst confrontations since last year's revolt ousted Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali as president.An interior ministry official said 2,500 Salafis were still involved in clashes with police in the area on Tuesday evening, 162 people had been detained and 65 members of the security forces had been hurt. |
| • The Arab Spring is the triumph of democracy not Islam, Tunisia's President Moncef Marzouki told the Guardian. He said: | • The Arab Spring is the triumph of democracy not Islam, Tunisia's President Moncef Marzouki told the Guardian. He said: |
| When people tell me that we are going back to some new Islamic dictatorship, they don't understand the fact that Islam is not the main force; the main force is democracy. We secularists did not become Islamists, the Islamists became democrats, and this is why I think the Arab spring is the triumph of democracy and not Islamism. Islam is just trying to use democracy but in fact when you use democracy, I would not say you become a slave of it, but you become part of it. So this must be understood by the west. Even if we have elections and Ennahda prevails, it does not mean that the Islamist mood is prevailing. It means that the Islamist movement has been co-opted by democracy. | When people tell me that we are going back to some new Islamic dictatorship, they don't understand the fact that Islam is not the main force; the main force is democracy. We secularists did not become Islamists, the Islamists became democrats, and this is why I think the Arab spring is the triumph of democracy and not Islamism. Islam is just trying to use democracy but in fact when you use democracy, I would not say you become a slave of it, but you become part of it. So this must be understood by the west. Even if we have elections and Ennahda prevails, it does not mean that the Islamist mood is prevailing. It means that the Islamist movement has been co-opted by democracy. |
| Libya | Libya |
| • A team from the international criminal court has visited colleagues detained by a local militia in the Libyan mountain town of Zintan, the BBC reports. Ahmed al-Jehani, Libya's ICC envoy, said the group was eventually allowed into the town after an initial delay. One of the four detained ICC staff is accused of trying to pass documents to Saif al-Islam Gaddafi. | • A team from the international criminal court has visited colleagues detained by a local militia in the Libyan mountain town of Zintan, the BBC reports. Ahmed al-Jehani, Libya's ICC envoy, said the group was eventually allowed into the town after an initial delay. One of the four detained ICC staff is accused of trying to pass documents to Saif al-Islam Gaddafi. |