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| Syria crisis: Assad regrets downing of Turkish jet - live updates | Syria crisis: Assad regrets downing of Turkish jet - live updates |
| (40 minutes later) | |
| 10.35am: Syria: Further divisions in the Syrian opposition have come to a head over the two-day meeting in Cairo. | |
| The activist group the Syrian General Revolution Commission has pulled out of the talks claiming backing from the Free Syrian Army for the move, al-Arabiya reports. | |
| In a statement the commission said it was opposed to a political solution to the crisis, while the Assad regime was massacring its own people. | |
| Bassem Jaara, the commission's spokesman in Europe, said that the withdrawal from the Cairo meeting was made in collaboration with the Free Syrian Army. | |
| The moderate internal opposition group, Building a Syrian State, has made clear that it is staying away from the talks. | |
| In a statement it said any conference on the future of Syria should be held inside the country. It also suggested that preventing an all-out civil war was a more important priority. | |
| 8.59am: Syria: Nadim Houry, from Human Rights Watch, connects today's two main stories on Syria: | 8.59am: Syria: Nadim Houry, from Human Rights Watch, connects today's two main stories on Syria: |
| I wish Assad was 100% sorry for shooting his country's civilians. Wait, for him, they are all "terrorists" #syria | I wish Assad was 100% sorry for shooting his country's civilians. Wait, for him, they are all "terrorists" #syria |
| — Nadim Houry (@nadimhoury) July 3, 2012 | — Nadim Houry (@nadimhoury) July 3, 2012 |
| Turkish journalist Mahir Zeynalov says the key point about the Assad interview was a claim that he didn't order the shooting, rather than his expression of regret. | Turkish journalist Mahir Zeynalov says the key point about the Assad interview was a claim that he didn't order the shooting, rather than his expression of regret. |
| Dear int'l media, the flash news of Assad interview is not Assad regretting shootdown. They said it earlier. It is that Assad didn't order. | Dear int'l media, the flash news of Assad interview is not Assad regretting shootdown. They said it earlier. It is that Assad didn't order. |
| — Mahir Zeynalov (@MahirZeynalov) July 3, 2012 | — Mahir Zeynalov (@MahirZeynalov) July 3, 2012 |
| Assad: Turkish jet was not downed by a govt decision. We wouldn't shoot it if we knew it was Turkish. But we are at war, every jet is threat | Assad: Turkish jet was not downed by a govt decision. We wouldn't shoot it if we knew it was Turkish. But we are at war, every jet is threat |
| — Mahir Zeynalov (@MahirZeynalov) July 3, 2012 | — Mahir Zeynalov (@MahirZeynalov) July 3, 2012 |
| But the English language-version of Zeynalov's own paper Zaman, goes with a Reuters story with the top line about Assad regretting the shooting down. | But the English language-version of Zeynalov's own paper Zaman, goes with a Reuters story with the top line about Assad regretting the shooting down. |
| The full interview is available in Turkish here. | |
| Security analyst Bernard Finel says there has been an effort by Nato to persuade the Turks not to over react against the downing of the jet. | Security analyst Bernard Finel says there has been an effort by Nato to persuade the Turks not to over react against the downing of the jet. |
| "Realistically I don't think anything major is going to come out of this. I see it as emblematic of the instability that is being caused by this conflict," he told . | "Realistically I don't think anything major is going to come out of this. I see it as emblematic of the instability that is being caused by this conflict," he told . |
| 8.40am: (all times BST) Welcome to Middle East Live. | 8.40am: (all times BST) Welcome to Middle East Live. |
| Here's a roundup of the latest developments: | Here's a roundup of the latest developments: |
| Syria | Syria |
| • President Bashar al-Assad has expressed regret about the shooting down last month of a Turkish jet. In an interview with the Turkish newspaper Cumhuriyet, he said: "I say 100%, I wish we did not shoot it down." | • President Bashar al-Assad has expressed regret about the shooting down last month of a Turkish jet. In an interview with the Turkish newspaper Cumhuriyet, he said: "I say 100%, I wish we did not shoot it down." |
| • The Syrian intelligence agencies systematically use torture in 27 detention facilities according to research by Human Rights Watch based on more than 200 interview with former detainees and defectors. Ole Solvang, HRW emergencies researcher, said: "The intelligence agencies are running an archipelago of torture centres scattered across the country. By publishing their locations, describing the torture methods, and identifying those in charge we are putting those responsible on notice that they will have to answer for these horrific crimes." | • The Syrian intelligence agencies systematically use torture in 27 detention facilities according to research by Human Rights Watch based on more than 200 interview with former detainees and defectors. Ole Solvang, HRW emergencies researcher, said: "The intelligence agencies are running an archipelago of torture centres scattered across the country. By publishing their locations, describing the torture methods, and identifying those in charge we are putting those responsible on notice that they will have to answer for these horrific crimes." |
| A video to accompany the report illustrates the torture techniques using sketches based on the testimony of detainees. | A video to accompany the report illustrates the torture techniques using sketches based on the testimony of detainees. |
| It also show the exact location of torture cells was mapped. | It also show the exact location of torture cells was mapped. |
| • A TV presenter, a general from an artillery division and several other officers are the latest high-profile figures to announce their defection from the Assad regime. Ghatan Sleiba, who worked for both the state-owned al-Akhbariya network and the al-Dunya channel, said he had been providing intelligence to the rebels for seven months. "What we were doing was not reporting. It was simply acting as the tongue of the regime. I stayed as long as I could to help the revolutionaries, but I couldn't take it any more.'' | • A TV presenter, a general from an artillery division and several other officers are the latest high-profile figures to announce their defection from the Assad regime. Ghatan Sleiba, who worked for both the state-owned al-Akhbariya network and the al-Dunya channel, said he had been providing intelligence to the rebels for seven months. "What we were doing was not reporting. It was simply acting as the tongue of the regime. I stayed as long as I could to help the revolutionaries, but I couldn't take it any more.'' |
| • Navi Pillay, the UN's human rights chief, told the security council that the suspended observer mission to Syria should be strengthened. The UN is considering scaling back the mission in the face of continuing violence, but Pillay said it was a vital mission and that the number of monitors should be increased. | • Navi Pillay, the UN's human rights chief, told the security council that the suspended observer mission to Syria should be strengthened. The UN is considering scaling back the mission in the face of continuing violence, but Pillay said it was a vital mission and that the number of monitors should be increased. |
| • Russia's ties to Syria are underlined by the marriage of an estimated 20,000 Russian women to Syrian men who studied in the former Soviet Union, the New York Times reports. "They are wives of the elite, who can have some influence, but it's a soft influence," said Nina Sergeyeva, who until recently led an organization of Russian expatriates from her home in Latakia. | • Russia's ties to Syria are underlined by the marriage of an estimated 20,000 Russian women to Syrian men who studied in the former Soviet Union, the New York Times reports. "They are wives of the elite, who can have some influence, but it's a soft influence," said Nina Sergeyeva, who until recently led an organization of Russian expatriates from her home in Latakia. |
| • Divisions within the Syrian opposition have been exposed again after a leading figure in the Free Syrian Army criticised an opposition summit in Cairo, the Independent reports. Colonel Qassim Saadeddine, the FSA group's figurehead claimed the conference played into the hands of regime allies Russia and Iran. "We reject any meetings or conferences that do not embrace the demands of the Syrian people and their revolution without any equivocation or ambiguity," he said. | • Divisions within the Syrian opposition have been exposed again after a leading figure in the Free Syrian Army criticised an opposition summit in Cairo, the Independent reports. Colonel Qassim Saadeddine, the FSA group's figurehead claimed the conference played into the hands of regime allies Russia and Iran. "We reject any meetings or conferences that do not embrace the demands of the Syrian people and their revolution without any equivocation or ambiguity," he said. |
| Libya | Libya |
| • The international criminal court lawyer Melinda Taylor , and three of her colleagues, have been released from Zintan, after a deal brokered by the president of the court Sang-Hyun Song. But Libyan authorities publicly reiterated that Taylor had committed a serious "crime" when the four visited Saif al-Islam Gaddafi on 7 June. | • The international criminal court lawyer Melinda Taylor , and three of her colleagues, have been released from Zintan, after a deal brokered by the president of the court Sang-Hyun Song. But Libyan authorities publicly reiterated that Taylor had committed a serious "crime" when the four visited Saif al-Islam Gaddafi on 7 June. |
| Egypt | Egypt |
| • Members of the Revolutionary Youth Coalition, have announced they are disbanding, claiming many of their goals have been achieved. But the blogger Zeinobia said the group could not reach agreement on common goals, because of the strength of affiliation to the political groups within the coalition. | • Members of the Revolutionary Youth Coalition, have announced they are disbanding, claiming many of their goals have been achieved. But the blogger Zeinobia said the group could not reach agreement on common goals, because of the strength of affiliation to the political groups within the coalition. |