Syria (and Beyond) Live Coverage: So They Had This Meeting in New York....

Interactive Map of Conflict Around Damascus

View Damascus, 2012 Feb 1 in a larger map

See also Iraq Feature: State Department Drones Are Overhead...But For How Long?
Sudan Feature: 10 Leaders of Protest Movement Arrested
Tuesday's Syria (and Beyond) Live Coverage: More than 100 Die as UN Discussion Begins

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2046 GMT: In Egypt, at least 73 people have been killed and 1,000 injured in a riot at a football match in Port Said.

The match was between Al Ahli, one of Egypt's leading clubs, and al-Masry, a Port Said team. Live TV footage showed fans running onto the field and chasing Ahli players.

Egypt's state prosecutors have ordered an investigation into the pitch invasion and the violence. Parliament will hold an emergency session on Thursday.

2045 GMT: Claimed footage of Syrian insurgents in Homs capturing a tank and using it against regime forces:

1905 GMT: Turning to Bahrain, activist Zainab AlKhawaja has attended a protest in Ma'ameer that has been disrupted by police. She also reports that another person has been killed by teargas in Ma'ameer. These tweets start about 35 minutes ago:

Protesters chant "they strike so we don't bow to oppressors, our imprisoned leaders," "Kill us put and put us in jail but we will never die."

http://twitpic.com/8efnfy

Now they announce the death of a new martyr from Ma'ameer, I hear his name is Abdali and died from teargas.

Protesters chant "our death is a rebirth," [and] in english "Alkhalifa u will see, our nation will be free"...

The protesters of Ma'ameer have nothing in their hands but flags, and they chant "peaceful peaceful." Protesters making roadblocks to stop riot police from running them over. Ma'ameer protesters walk towards riot police chanting "we sacrifice our lives and blood for our freedom"

Riot police now attacking protesters. One riot police just pointed his gun at us, seeing a foreigner with us he put his weapon away.

Suffocating on tear gas, shooting continues, honking down down Hamad from inside the village. I hear shouting of protesters from inside the village, and more shooting.

1857 GMT: This video, sent to EA by an activist, appears to show residents celebrating a "victory" with Syrian soldiers from an armored unit who have defected in Safsafah, Homs, along with their vehicle. We believe this is the same unit that we posted in the previous video:

1744 GMT: The soldiers in this video are in the process of defecting to the Free Syrian Army, with this armored vehicle:

1732 GMT: The LCCS is now reporting that 68 have been killed by security forces in Syria, "14 martyrs from the Free Syrian Army, 2 ladies and 2 children. 35 martyrs in Wady Barada (Damascus suburbs), 14 in Homs, 8 in Daraa, 4 in Damascus suburbs (Arbeen and Moadamiya), 3 in idlib and one in each of Damascus "Saydei Zainab",Hama and Qamishly."

The LCCS also reports more violence in the hard-hit town of Rankous, north of Damascus, that was briefly held by the Free Syrian Army last week, but has been surrounded by tanks for days:

The sound of big explosions is reported in the towns of Rankous, Asal Al-Ward and Wohosh Arab. Smoke fills the air after the regime's army burned farms while looking for deserters

1721 GMT: Turning to Egypt, the Justice Minister has returned a letter, sent from the US Ambassador, asking to lift a ban that is stopping several American citizens from leaving the country.

Justice Minister Adel Abdel-Hamid said the letter should have been addressed to the judges investigating the groups, and that only those subject to the ban had the right to raise the issue.

According to Reuters, these US citizens were working with several non-government organizations before the NGOs were raided by security forces. The NGOs are accused of interfering in the Egyptian elections.

Egypt's government says the number of NGOs violating the law on funding political activities had grown since the uprising against Mubarak.

Groups including the U.S.-funded National Democratic Institute and International Republican Institute were raided in late December by judicial police, who took documents and equipment before sealing their offices shut.

Civil society groups said the military council had ordered the raids to defame and stigmatize activists, rights groups and others who were at the forefront of the anti-Mubarak revolt and are now demanding the army hand power immediately to civilians.

Among those prevented from leaving Egypt was the IRI's Egypt country director Sam LaHood, who is the son of U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood.

This move will likely further strain the relationship between Washington and Egypt's military government. The US, for its part, continues to maintain that no NGOs or US citizens have broken the law in this regard, and the citizens should be allowed to leave Egypt.

1713 GMT: The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights posts this update on today's battles in Homs (see update 1546 GMT):

At least 8 civilians were killed in gunfire by security forces in several neighbourhoods in Homs. And there were clashes between groups of defectors and the Syrian military forces which suffered the defection of an armoured personnel vehicle with its members in the neighbourhood of Al-Safsafah in Homs. At the same time, at least 15 members of the Syrian regular forces were killed in the neighbourhood of Bustan Al-Diwan, Homs, during clashes with groups of army defectors.

1643 GMT: In Idlib province there are more widespread reports of clashes between the Free Syrian Army and Assad's forces, as the regime continues to attack the province. In Ariha, south of Idlib, the LCCS has this report:

There are reports of clashes and continuous heavy gunfire from checkpoints all around the city. Explosions along the Aleppo-Lattakia highway have been reported, and tanks are stationed at the Dala Roundabout

1556 GMT: Just because the flashiest news involves firefights, and the most striking videos involve explosions, doesn't mean that the peaceful protest movement has slowed at all. In fact, the most startling difference between Libya and Syria is perhaps the fact that as the armed opposition is growing in Syria, so too is the size and strength of the peaceful protest movement.

However, this does not mean that there is a split within the opposition. In fact, many of the largest crowds have chanted in solidarity with the Free Syrian Army and have called for international intervention.

This video shows a large student protest in Binnish, a city in Idlib that is a stronghold of dissent. A sign, which is written in Russian and English, reads "Your silence is killing us.":

1550 GMT: The LCCS is now reporting that 63 have been killed by security forces nationwide:

14 martyrs from the Free Syrian Army, 2 ladies and 2 children. 31 martyrs in Wady Barada (Damascus suburbs), 14 in Homs, 8 in Daraa, 4 in Damascus suburbs (Arbeen and Moadamiya), 3 in idlib and one in each of Damascus "Saydei Zainab" and Qamishly

1546 GMT: Three dramatic videos from Homs, where the Free Syrian Army has captured several tanks and fighting vehicles in recent days, and fighting is escalating. The first video, posted by Ugarit News, appears to show FSA soldiers fighting behind an armored personnel carrier, perhaps a BMP:

We're not sure if the next two videos, posted by the Sham News Network, show the same vehicle.

1523 GMT: Deir Qanun is hardly the only city that looks like a war zone. The Idlib town of Saraqeb has been hard hit in recent days as the regular army has attempted to exert control over Idlib province, an area that has a strong presence of Free syrian Army soldiers, and an even stronger peaceful opposition movement.

The videos below are just two of many that we've seen that show widespread destruction in the city. This other video, for instance, appears to show an industrial space that was destroyed in recent fighting. In the top video, taken from inside a home, the gunfire can be heard, a sure sign that Saraqeb's problems are far from over:

1518 GMT: This video shows the extent of the damage in Deir Qanun, Damascus today, a town that has not regularly been attacked, but after less than one day of conflict it looks like it has been shelled for weeks:

1503 GMT: This dramatic video was taken in Deir Qanun, in the Wadi Barada valley, earlier today. According to sources, the Free Syrian Army has no defense against this kind of heavy shelling in this area:

1437 GMT: James Miller takes the live coverage only to find that the death toll in Syria has skyrocketed, according to the LCCS:

The number of martyrs today has risen to 56 so far including 14 martyrs from the Free Syrian Army, a lady and 2 children. 29 martyrs in Wady Barada (Damascus suburbs), 14 in Homs, 6 in Eastern Gharba (Daraa suburbs), 3 in Damascus suburbs (Arbeen and Moadamiya), 3 in idlib and one in Qamishly.

So far, Wadi Barada and Homs make up the bulk of the casualties. The Guardian has spoken to a contact in Syria who provides details on the situation in Wadi Barada:

A huge, huge number [of troops] belonging to the Republican Guard were invading the valley of Barada, Wadi Barada, with tanks and they were bombing two cities, Basemah, and the second is Deir Qanoun....There are around 11 houses [which] fell down to the ground on the heads of their residents. After five or six hours there were negotiations between the army and the civilians there. They [the army] said get out and take your martyrs and wanted men from the ground. When they got out to take them they [the army] started to shoot them.

Members of the Free Syrian Army started to fight with the Republican Guard in the area called Ashrafiet al-Wadi ...Members of the Free Syrian Army had a big fight with the Republican Guard and kill about 20 of them and destroy a tank.

We don't know why they [the Republican Guard] are in the area right now but you can say all the people here are against the system. People go out to protest, to topple the regime, to say we want the regime to leave.

1125 GMT: The opposition Local Co-ordination Committees in Syria claims 25 people have been killed today, including five members of the Free Syrian Army. Twelve have died in the Damascus suburb of Wadi Barada, seven in Homs, four in western Ghareih in Daraa Province, and one each in Idlib and Qamishli.

Meanwhile, a coalition of opposition groups has issued a joint press release calling for protesters to take to the streets across Syria on Thursday and Friday to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the Hama massacre, when forces of President Hafez al-Assad crushed a rebellion and killed tens of thousands.

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1115 GMT: More signals of the Bahrain regime's push for "dialogue" --- Gulf News highlights statements by the Crown Prince, the Speaker of Parliament, and a prominent MP.

On Monday, Crown Prince Salman expressed hope that Bahrainis "who have consistently succeeded in reaching national accords" would once more achieve a satisfactory agreement.

Khalifa Al Dhahrani, the Speaker of the lower chamber, while rejecting intermediares for discussions, said, "The people of Bahrain are well capable of managing their affairs and improving their practice of democracy. I urge all representatives of the people to respond to calls to national discussions and achieve reconciliation and to be serious in their participation in serving the nation,"

Legislator Adul Al Mouawda also drew a line against "foreign interference": "We have been, as Bahrainis, in constant touch and we have been holding official and non-official discussions. Bahrainis, regardless of their ideologies and tendencies, are truly able to handle their own matters."

Bahrain Government outlet Al Ayam, from unnamed sources, had reported initial contacts between "political societies with strong influence on the local scene with the aim to prepare the ground for a national dialogue that will result in bringing Bahrainis together and reinforcing national unity".

0615 GMT: Reuters summarises the hunger strike of detainees and activists, including 14 imprisoned opposition figures, in Bahrain.

The 14 were sentenced to lengthy sentences by a military court soon after the beginning of mass protests last February. Eight are serving life terms.

The strikers, who began their fast on Sunday, include rights activist Abdulhadi al-Khawaja, Al-Haq opposition party leader Hassan Mushaimaa, and Ibrahim Sharif, a Sunni Muslim opposition leader.

Sharif's wife Farida Ismail said prison authorities had removed privileges such as access to television to try to force the men to end the hunger strike in Jaw Prison. She said they were being force-fed.

The Ministry of Interior said the hunger strikers were receiving proper care: "While it is regrettable that this action may cause additional hardship for the detainees or put their health at risk, they do have the right to refuse food. All of the inmates have been provided with regular medical care that is available to them 24 hours a day."

A regime official said ome of the political prisoners would be freed but claimed others had planned an Islamist coup.

"I am hopeful that a lot of the cases will be reviewed, but there are some cases to go through and cases have been transferred to the civilian courts," said Sheikh Abdul-Aziz bin Mubarak al-Khalifa, a senior adviser at the Information Affairs Authority and former ambassador to London. "I'm hopeful for not necessarily all of them, but at least some of them ... There are those in prison who called for a restructuring of the country's institutions, for a full-blown revolution and who called for an Islamic republic using non-peaceful methods."

Meanwhile, the message in regime-linked media this morning is of the possibility of political resolution through a "Bahrain Debate" amongst youth activists.

The message follows reports earlier this week that the regime was seeking a new dialogue amongst all political groups, led by Crown Prince Salman.

0555 GMT: We pick up this morning where we left off on Tuesday, watching the United Nations Security Council discussion on Syria.

After we paused the Live Coverage, French Foreign Minister Alain Juppé put out a fierce denunciation of the Assad regime, complementing US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's calmer speech calling for all to stand with the people. But the Russian Ambassador, Vitaly Churkin, held the line against any firm resolution for action, saying Syria should "be able to decide for itself" and the Security Council "cannot impose the parameters for an internal settlement": "It simply does not have the mandate to do so." The Chinese representative, Li Baodong, called on Damascus to carry out "reforms and safeguard the interests of its people, stop the killing of innocent people and hold dialogue without delay", but he said Beijing was opposed to military action or sanctions.

So it is unclear if there will be any significant move towards intervention, as with Libya last spring. That uncertainty was reinforced with division between the Qatari delegation and the Secretary-General of the Arab League, Nabil El Araby. While the former, in a passionate statement, said that it was time for the Assad regime to go, El Araby did not look to Assad's departure as he called for "national dialogue".

In its current form, the resolution calls on Assad to halt the crackdown on protests and implement an Arab League plan in which he would hand over power to his deputy and a transitional government, as the country moved towards elections. If Assad fails to comply within 15 days, the council
would consider "further measures". 

French officials are putting out the message that the resolution will pass with at least 10 votes from the 15-member Council, but the prospect of a Russian and/or Chinese veto remains.