Annan and Assad Meet in Damascus
POMED – 9 July, 2012

U.N. Special Envoy to Syria Kofi Annan met with Syrian president Bashar al-Assad today, and later announced that the two had devised a new approach to ending the conflict, although he is not disclosing details yet; this came after Annan openly acknowledged that his peace plan had failed in an interview with Le Monde published over the weekend. The Daily Star published an editorial today highlighting the fact that Annan is just now admitting what the rest of the world had already concluded, and urges the international community to take new, harsher measures against the regime. In an interview on German television, Assad declared that the public supports his government, and for that reason he would continue to lead Syria; he also accused the U.S. of supporting “gangs” which are destabilizing the country.

Meanwhile, in response to U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton‘s command that Russia and China “get off the sidelines,” Representative John McCain admonished the Clinton and the Obama administration themselves to get off the sidelines. “How many times has Secretary Clinton said that in the last 14 months?” he asked, “and by the way, when was the last time the president…stood up and said we are with these people?”

Russia is hosting Syrian dissident Michel Kilo today, and on Wednesday will host the new head of the Syrian National Council, Abdul Basset Sayda. Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov claimed that Russia is perhaps the only country talking to both the Syrian government and the opposition. Kilo said, however, that while he wanted to have a dialogue with the government, “the regime…is not replying to our demands and is saying that we are not representatives of the Syrian people.” Russia also announced today that it is delaying the sale of fighter jets to Syria while the situation there remains “unresolved.” …more

“Thugs” dressed as Riot Police, lead Rajab away to Jail

Bahrain court jails protest leader over tweets: lawyer
July 09, 2012 – By Andrew Hammond – Reuters

DUBAI: A prominent Bahraini protest leader, Nabeel Rajab, was sentenced to three months in prison on Monday over a tweet against the prime minister which the court said insulted Bahrainis, Rajab’s lawyer said.

Rajab, head of the Bahrain Centre for Human Rights, spent three weeks in jail in June under investigation after suggesting in a tweet that residents of the Muharraq district had only made a recent show of support for Sheikh Khalifa bin Salman for financial gain.

A complaint over that and other tweets against the prime minister, who has been in his post since 1971, was made by a group of retired army and security officers who are seen as pro-government.

Rajab has been a key figure in organizing protests during 16 months of unrest in the Gulf Arab state as majority Shi’ites lead calls for democratic reforms to limit the powers of the ruling Sunni Al Khalifa family.

Bahrain has increased parliament’s powers of scrutiny over ministers and says it is reforming policing to conform with international rights standards. It accuses protesters of rioting and wounding police.

The judge said the time Rajab has already spent in jail would count towards the sentence, Rajab’s lawyer Mohammed al-Jishi said. Jishi said Rajab would lodge an appeal and it was not clear if he would be taken to jail or remain free.

“Every day there are a thousand people insulting a thousand people, this isn’t logical. Normally the charge of insult leads to just a fine. So for me it’s a surprise,” Jishi said.

The prime minister, the uncle of King Hamad bin Isa, has been a lightning rod for the opposition who have demanded his ouster. But many Sunnis who fear empowering Shi’ite Islamists in the opposition see him as a key support.

The Arab uprisings have seen changes of leader in Egypt, Tunisia, Yemen and Libya but Bahrain – a U.S. ally that hosts the U.S. Fifth Fleet – imposed martial law to try to crush the uprising last year.

Washington has urged Manama to hold a dialogue with the opposition to end the unrest and hold officials accountable for rights violations uncovered in a probe led by international legal experts and published in November.

…source