Syria Today: An Opposition in Disarray?

See also Syria Audio Analysis: Will Europe Give Arms to the Insurgency?
Syria 1st-Hand: Regime "Gas Attacks" in Damascus
Middle East Today: Israel & Palestine --- US "Peace Plan"? More Rhetoric About "Private Investment"
Sunday's Syria Today: The Spillover into Lebanon

---

Opposition Spokesman Louay al-Safi (Akin Celiktas/Reuters)Four days of talks among the opposition Syrian National Coalition, far from bringing resolution, have raised the prospect of division.

The discussions in Istanbul of the 60-member coalition failed to reach agreement on re-structuring.

A bloc headed by veteran activist Michel Kilo was seeking up to 22 new seats, but received an offer of only five seats after a session that ended just before dawn.

The Coalition continues to be led by a faction supporting Secretary-General Mustafa al-Sabbagh, backed by Qatar.

We were talking about 25 names as the basis for our negotiations, then there was agreement on 22 and then the number dropped to 20, then to 18, then to 15, then to five.

I do not think you have a desire to cooperate and hold our extended hand....We wish you all the best.

The Kilo bloc is now considering whether to withdraw from the opposition conference.

Coalition spokesman Khaled Saleh described the outcome as "democratic", but said the coalition could discuss the expansion issue further.

The discussion over expansion has been framed as tension between Qatar and Saudi Arabia, another key backer of the Coalition, with a broadened group favouring the Saudis and reducing the Qatari influence.

Sabbagh, who has had a leading role in channeling money for aid and military supplies inside Syria, was resisting a Saudi-supported plan to add members to the coalition, according to sources.

The Istanbul meeting has also been discussing the position of Prime Minister-designate Ghassan Hitto, who has not been able to form a provisional government since being appointed on 19 March.

The head of the Coalition, cleric Moaz al-Khatib, resigned last month amid the manoeuvres for influence.

---

Iranian Lines of Credit to Damascus

The Syrian Central Bank has said that Iran has opened two lines of credit totaling $4 billion to Damascus and plans on opening up a third.

"Iran continues to support Syria, by opening one line of credit worth a billion dollars to finance the import of different items and another line of credit worth three billion dollars to finance the purchase of petrol and associated products," Central Bank Governor Adib Mayale said.

Mayale said Iran was considering an additional loan of $3 billion to bolster the Syrian economy amid war and international sanctions.

Jordan Imprisons Men for Trying to Fight in Syria

A court in Amman has imprisoned nine men who were planning to fight with the insurgency in Syria to fight for jihad.

The men, identified as Salafist Muslims by a court official, were initially sentenced to five years' hard labour each. However, the court reduced the sentences for six of them to 2 1/2 years. The other three men are in hiding.

The official said the army arrested the group in February.

Jordanian Salafist leader Mohammad Shalabi, better known as Abu Sayyaf, said more than 500 men had crossed into Syria to fight, and about 50 had been killed.

UN Criticises Failure to Protect Human Rights

Navi Pillay, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, has told the Human Rights Council, “Appalling violations of the most basic human rights are occurring in Syria, and I fear that we in the international community are failing to meet our fundamental obligations to the victims."

Pillay continued, “We have agreed that we have a duty to protect our fellow human beings — even if they are born in other countries; and even when they are being crushed by governments that have a claim to sovereignty over their territory."

Pillay stopped short of calling for direct intervention, while calling on the Security Council to refer Syria to the International Criminal Court for prosecution of war crimes suspects.

The UN official said all parties to Syria’s conflict had shown “flagrant disregard of international law and human life". She cited the regime’s indiscriminate and disproportionate use of force and targeting of civilian locations such as schools and hospitals, as well as “gruesome crimes” by antigovernment forces, including torture and executions.

Minister of Information: State TV Correspondent Killed

The Ministry of Information says insurgents have killed Yara Abbas, a TV correspondent for State-owned Al-Ikhbariya TV, during clashes near the Babaa military air base in Homs Province.

Lebanese Army Deploys in Tripoli

Clashes in the northern Lebanese city of Tripoli, between supporters and opponents of the Assad regime, have eased after the deployment of Lebanese armed forces, the establishment of checkpoints, and the start of patrols.

More than 30 people were killed in fighting in the city last week after the renewal of shelling and gunfire, especially in the Bab el-Tebbaneh and Jabal Mohsen sections.

The international highway linking Tripoli to Akkar was reopened after it was closed because of snipers. Schools and universities resumed classes.

The Battle for Qusayr

State media continues to trumpet victory in the battle for Qusayr, near the Lebanese border and 18 miles from Homs, after two weeks.

State news agency declares this morning that "units of the armed forces tightened control on large parts of the northern and central neighbourhoods in the city after killing a number of terrorists". It asserts positions taken include the Consumer Establishment building, the Party's Division building, and the Region Directorate in northeast Qusayr.

In addition, a SANA reporter claims regime forces "destroyed the terrorists' last dens and gatherings" to the south of the cemetery in the centre of the city.

Casualties

The Violations Documentation Center reports that 61,649 people have been killed in the Syrian conflict since March 2011, an increase of 108 from Saturday. Of the deaths, 47,949 were civilians, a rise of 49 from yesterday.