Syria Today: Assad Plays the Pan-Arab Card

Anti-regime rally in Bustan al-Qasr section of Aleppo on Friday

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Trying to counter moves for an international conference --- including Arab States --- to force President Assad from power, the Syrian regime has played its own Arab card.

In a meeting with a Tunisian delegation on Thursday, Assad "stressed the important role which the national and pan-Arab parties and forces can play in facing extremist and takfiri [apostate] thinking and confronting the foreign plots targeting the Arab people".

Assad's declaration came as the Friends of Syria coalition, which includes Arab States, Turkey, the US, and European countries, renewed its call for the President's departure after a meeting in Jordan. Elements of the Syrian opposition are in the midst of a three-day meeting setting out its plans for a political transition

Assad countered with an assertion of the "the necessity of adhering to the Arab principles and identity and the values of Arabism to stand up to the changes witnessed in the Arab arena".

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Insurgent Takeover of Regime Base

More claimed footage of the insurgent takeover of a major regime base in Idlib Province, noted in EA's coverage on Thursday:

In the New York Times' At War Blog, CJ Chivers explained the significance of the area:

And in northern Syria, the government has retained several strong points in the face of rebel gains. Two of the most important have been a pair of mutually supporting positions between Ariha and Saraqib known almost universally in the area as the “Brick Factory” and the “Youth Camp,” names derived from each position’s prewar use. These two positions are in the lowlands at the foot of the Jebel al-Zawiya range, the mountainous area of the Idlib countryside, and virtually astride one of the four-lane highways that crisscross the region. The screen grab of a satellite image, below, from www.wikimapia.com shows the Brick Factory; the camp is just to its east.

The brick factory is one of the most loathed positions in the area; from here the government troops routinely shell the surrounding Sunni villages. This place, simply put, kills and terrifies local people. The boom of its artillery is a frequent sound. Many residents visibly flinch when they hear the outgoing rounds, wondering where the shells will land. A view of the next image, below, shows one of the reasons the position has survived so long: the surrounding ground is thinly vegetated with olive groves, making an undetected approach difficult.

Russia Elevates Regime, Denounces Opposition Over International Confernence

The Russian Foreign Ministry has praised the Assad regime for agreeing in principle to attend an international peace conference, while claiming that the opposition is blocking efforts for a resolution.

"We note with satisfaction that we have received an agreement in principle from Damascus to attend the international conference, in the interest of Syrians themselves finding a political path to resolve the conflict, which is ruinous for the nation and region," Alexander Lukashevich said.

Lukashevich said last week's UN General Assembly resolution that praised the opposition and condemned President Assad's forces has "essentially pushed [the opposition] to reject negotiations":

Demands to immediately name a specific date for the conference without having clarity about who, and with what authority, will speak in the name of the opposition, cannot be taken seriously.

The opposition Syrian National Coalition has said it will only go to the conference if Assad steps down as President, a condition rejected by Moscow.

Casualties

The Local Coordination Committees claim 86 people were killed on Thursday, including 27 in Damascus and its suburbs, 18 in Aleppo Province, and 14 in Homs Province.

The Violations Documentation Center reports that 61,372 people have been killed in the Syrian conflict since March 2011, an increase of 103 from Thursday. Of the deaths, 47,819 were civilians, a rise of 58 from yesterday.