Syria - Newsfeed TopNews Oct. 8. 2012

Fars News Agency :: Syrian Army Purging Aleppo of Terrorists Syrian Army Purging Aleppo of Terrorists TEHRAN (FNA)- The Syrian Army forces are preparing for massive operations in Karam Al-Jabal neighborhood in the north of Aleppo city to purge terrorists from the city. Clashes between Syrian army soldiers and terrorists in different districts of Aleppo on Monday resulted in the death of 60 terrorists and destruction of five vehicles equipped with machine guns. The Syrian army has carried out four special operations in different districts of Aleppo during which 16 vehicles equipped with machine guns were destroyed and tens of terrorists were killed. The army also killed several terrorists in Aleppo's Bustan al-Pasha and Salehin districts. On Friday, the Syrian army purged the terrorists from Aleppo's districts of al-Sakhor and Suleiman Pasha. The army also chased terrorists in different districts of Damascus, including al-Qudsiya district on Saturday and inflicted heavy losses and casualties on them. Syria has been experiencing unrest since March 2011 with organized attacks by well-armed gangs against Syrian police forces and border guards being reported across the country. Hundreds of people, including members of the security forces, have been killed, when some protest rallies turned into armed clashes. The government blames outlaws, saboteurs, and armed terrorist groups for the deaths, stressing that the unrest is being orchestrated from abroad. In October 2011, calm was eventually restored in the Arab state after President Assad started a reform initiative in the country, but Israel, the US and its Arab allies are seeking hard to bring the country into chaos through any possible means. Tel Aviv, Washington and some Arab capitals have been staging various plots in the hope of stirring unrests in Syria once again. The US and its western and regional allies have long sought to topple Bashar al-Assad and his ruling system. Media reports said that the Syrian rebels and terrorist groups have received significantly more and better weapons in recent weeks, a crime paid for by the Persian Gulf Arab states and coordinated by the United States. ------------------------------------------ Al-Halqi: Syrian Arab Army Will Complete His Mission of Eliminating Armed Terrorist Groups Soon Source: SANA DAMASCUS, (SANA) – Prime Minister Dr. Wael al-Halqi lauded the role of Syrian media in confronting the conspiracy against Syria and exposing its dimension and goals, underlining the Syrian media's success in relaying the truth to the world's public opinion regarding the terrorism and universal war targeting Syria and in uncovering the misdirection campaigns waged by sedition channels and mercenary media. During a meeting on Monday with head of the executive office of the Journalists Union Elias Murad and members of the office, al- Halqi said that the Syrian Arab Army is waging the battle against terrorism valiantly, and managed to inflict heavy losses on terrorist groups and restore security to cleared areas, all thanks to the Syrian people's unity. The Prime Minister affirmed that the Syrian Arab Army will complete his mission of eliminating armed terrorist groups soon. He also affirmed the government's commitment to providing citizens' needs of food, medicine and petroleum products and ensuring the availability of goods in local markets, noting that there are stockpiles that are sufficient for local needs despite the embargo and the sanctions against Syria. The meeting also tackled a number of professional and vocational issues related to journalism and means to improve media performance, in addition to providing the Union's needs and overcoming difficulties hindering its projects. Premier al-Halqi affirmed that the demands and issues of the Union's executive office will be given proper attention and that its investment projects will be supported, calling for boosting communication between media and the executive and administrative authorities in order to improve work mechanism, relay the needs of citizens, uncover corruption, and achieve public interests. In turn, Murad and the office members lauded the government's efforts in support of national media and its work to ensure the availability of goods and stability of the Syrian Pound exchange rate and providing services. ------------------------------------------

Moallem: calls for Assad to step down are blatant interference in Syrian affairs

Source: LBC News

Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Moallem said on Monday during a televised interview that the US is using the chemical weapons issue as an alibi to launch a “campaign” similar to the one that led to the fall of President Saddam Hussein.

The news agency SANA mentioned that Foreign Minister Walid Mouallem said in a televised speech that the key to the success of Ibrahimi's mission lies in neighboring countries that harbor, arm and support financially and media wise armed groups.

He also said that Akhdar Ibrahimi might face the same problem as his predecessor Kofi Annan did in case he didn't get a real commitment from those interfering countries, especially from the USA which is leading the entire circumstances, as he said.

As for the related information reported on the presence of chemical weapons in Syria, Mouallem stressed that these are "US related thoughts similar to the campaign launched against Iraq regarding the presence of weapons of mass destruction there".

He also denied any dialogue with the American authorities.

During a speech to the U.N. General Assembly on Monday, Mouallem accused the United States, France, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Turkey of supporting "terrorism" in Syria by providing arms and money.

The Syrian Foreign Minister also said that calls for Assad to step down are "blatant interference" in Syria's internal affairs.

Moallem also called on all Syrian refugees to return to their villages.

For his part, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon criticized the Syrian government on Monday for killings, rights abuses, aerial and artillery attacks and expressed frustration that the 18-month conflict was getting worse.

Ban "raised in the strongest terms the continued killings, massive destruction, human rights abuses, and aerial and artillery attacks committed by the government" during a meeting with Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Mouallem on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly, his spokesman said.

Syria launches another artillery strike against Turkey: Voice of Russia

Syrian artillery shell landed on Turkish territory Sunday evening some 200 meters away from apartment buildings, and 150 meters from the Syrian border, killing or injuring no one.

The latest shell landed on a vacant land in Hatay province in southern Turkey.

"Our border troops immediately returned fire. We believe the mortar attack was by Syrian security forces,” said a written statement released by Hatay Governor's Office.

The incident came just hours after another mortar shell fired from Syrian territory landed in the town of Akcakal where five people died as a result of a similar attack on Friday.

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Blast appears in Damascus

Via: Breaking News Syria

large detonation took place inside the Police Command building in al- Fahhameh neighborhood of Damascus.

The explosion occurred by a car bomb that was inside the garage of the building, which resulted in 1 martyr, several injuries and large material damages so far.

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Erdogan tells Turks to prepare for Syria war if necessary

Via: Strategic-Culture.org

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has called on his nation to be prepared for a possible war with the neighboring Syria if need be.

"You have to be ready at every moment to go to war if it is necessary. If you are not ready for this, you are not a state, if you are not ready for this, you are not a nation,” Erdogan said in a speech on Sunday.

The prime minister reiterated that Turkey does not want war, but warned Syria not to test its resolve.

"Nobody should attempt to test Turkey's decisiveness and sensibility,” stated the Turkish prime minister whose country is accused of being a key member of an international coalition attempting to destabilize Syria.

Tensions have been running high between Syria and Turkey, with Damascus accusing Ankara -- along with Saudi Arabia, Qatar, France, and the United States -- of backing a deadly insurgency that has claimed the lives of many Syrians, including security and army personnel.

“Nobody should ask… but what will happen if a war were to begin and bring us to that point. You should be ready for it and have the memorandum in hand. What is necessary will be done if it becomes necessary," he stated.

Erdogan’s remarks came amid days of military strikes between the two countries.

On Sunday, Turkey's military fired an artillery shell into Syria shortly after a mortar round fired from Syria hit the southeastern Turkish border town of Akcakale.

On Saturday, the Turkish military fired mortar shells into Syria for the fourth day in a row after a number of projectiles slammed into the southern border province of Hatay.

Saturday’s exchange came three days after mortar shells from the Syrian side of the border killed five civilians in the town of Akcakale, which is located in Sanliurfa province in southeastern Turkey.

On October 5, Erdogan said that Turkey was not far from war with Syria due to the cross-border attacks.

"We are not interested in war, but we're not far from it either," Erdogan told a crowd in Istanbul.

On October 4, the Turkish parliament authorized cross-border military action against Syria “when deemed right.”

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Syrian Media Center Opens in Moscow 

Source: SANA

MOSCOW, (SANA) –The Ministry of Information inaugurated on Saturday the Syrian Media Center in Moscow with the aim of developing and enhancing media, cultural and political communication between Syria and Russia.

The center's mission is to relay an objective and true image of the events in Syria and to explain Syria's policy and stances to the Russian public opinion.

The center, which was opened on the occasion of the 39th anniversary of the October Liberation War, will also convey the Russian principal stances to the Syrian public opinion in cooperation with Russian media outlets to consolidate friendship ties between the two peoples.

During the inauguration ceremony, Syria's Ambassador in Moscow, Riad Haddad, said in his opening speech, the center will contribute to boosting friendship and cooperation ties between Syria and Russia through conveying the reality of the ongoing events in Syria to the Russian public opinion and conveying what is happening in Russia and its achievements to the Arab public opinion.

Ambassador Haddad pointed out that Syria has been suffering from conspiracies for more than 18 months, adding that the conspirators gave special importance to the media as its role has been extended to taking part in making and directing the events, not covering them only.

For his part, Deputy Head of the Middle East and North Africa Department in the Russian Foreign Ministry, Alexander Yakimov, said that a fierce media war was launched against Syria a long time ago, expressing confidence that the Syrian Media Center will contribute to conveying an objective image of the ongoing events in Syria to the Russian and international public opinion.

President of the Academy of Geopolitical Sciences in Russia, General Leonid Ivashov, stressed the importance of establishing this center, pointing out to the war which is waged against Syria.

He added that the geopolitical factors are the basic ones in the modern war, noting that defeating the enemy in the media is the most important factor in such wars.

Director of the Syrian Media Center, Dr. Fahad Kam Naqesh, pointed out to the importance of this step on the way to establishing such advanced Syrian media centers in several international capitals within a general plan set by the Syrian Information Ministry to inform the Russian and international public opinion about the reality of the ongoing events in Syria.

F.Allafi/H.Said