Syrian dissidents establish "national council"

Syrian Protesters New developments in Syria show that Syrian dissidents meeting in Istanbul on Tuesday established a "national council" to coordinate a campaign to topple President Bashar al-Assad. In a final declaration , activists said the council rejected foreign intervention or the rule of any one ethnic group and emphasised the national character of the "revolution." "By this (council), the first steps of a large-scale transformation in Syria are taken," it said.
"(The) coming together of all groups is a must despite all dangers. This delegation will bring different groups together," it added.
Months of "sacrifice" in Syria, where many have died in a crackdown by Assad's regime, had created a "sense of unity," activist Ahmad Ramadan saidfollowing the four days of talks. The council would hold its first meeting in about two weeks to elect a chairperson and secretary. "The council represents all the forces of the opposition from the left to the right," said Louay Safi, a US-based political scientist, adding that it would look at "ways and means" to support the revolution and ensure the regime was "dismantled." Half the council members would be from opponents inside Syria, said Bashar al-Heraki, an engineer who was among the organisers of protests in the Syrian city of Daraa.
"Syrian people are very interested in such a council, they have been waiting this for a very long time," he said. The activists gathered in Istanbul were mainly from an Islamist background, but other opposition groups also took part. Syrian dissidents have held several meetings in Istanbul and elsewhere in Turkey in recent weeks as Assad's regime stepped up its crackdown on protestors across the country. UN rights chief Navi Pillay on Monday said 2,200 people had been killed since the mass protests in Syria began in mid-March, AFP reported.
In other developments, forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad raided the countryside near the city of Hama on Tuesday, killing at least five people in assaults to subdue pro-democracy protests, local activists said, as a UN humanitarian team toured the country. Houses were stormed in several villages and towns in the al-Ghab Plain, farmland east of the Mediterranean coast that contains the Roman city of Apamea, they said "Shabbiha (pro-Asssad militiamen) accompanied the military. "We have one name of the five martyrs, Omar Mohammed Saeed al-Khateeb," said an activist in Hama, under military siege since it was stormed at the beginning of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan on Aug 1.
The UN Human Rights Council in Geneva has agreed to "urgently" launch an international commission of inquiry to investigate abuses in Syria. Thirty three countries voted in favour of the move, including all the Arab countries on the council, whie four others - including Russia and China - voted against.
The UN Human Rights Council has ordered an investigation into violations committed by the Syrian regime during its crackdown on popular protests. The council passed a resolution to "urgently dispatch an independent international commission of inquiry" and demanded an end to the violence by Syrian security forces against protesters. It will "investigate violations of international human rights law in Syria since July 2011." There were 33 votes in favour, four against - reportedly including China, Russia and Cuba - and nine abstentions.
In related news, The US Ambassador to Syria, Robert Ford, made a surprise trip to the town of Jassem in southern Deraa province on Tuesday, residents told Reuters. The news agency reposrts that this is his second visit since July to an area rocked by pro-democracy demonstrations. One resident told Reuters: He came by car this morning, although Jassem is swarming with secret police. He got out and spent a good of time walking round. He was careful not to be seen talking with people, apparently not cause them harm."
In support of Syria people, police say vandals threw scores of red paint bombs at the Syrian embassy in downtown Berlin and scrawled `"Free Syria" on its facade. A police spokeswoman, speaking anonymously in accordance with department policy, said Tuesday there were currently no suspects in the attack, which occurred early Monday morning. Police say a total of 26 paint bombs were thrown at the embassy building, and the damage was discovered at 4:20am.
Activists say Syrian security forces have killed at least seven people in a central city of unrest, following a visit by members of an UN humanitarian team, reports the Associated Press news agency. Activists say Monday's casualties included four people, who died when troops opened fire to disperse anti-government protesters in Homs, and two people were killed and four wounded early Monday morning in the city of Mesyaf in Hama province when regime supporters opened fire on protestors. Video footage broadcast on Al Jazeera television showed a crowd of people thronging a car and chanting "The people want the overthrow of the regime" and holding signs saying "SOS" and "We will never give up until we get our freedom."
U.N. spokesman Farhan Haq told reporters in New York that "a protest situation developed" in Homs during the team's visit "and the mission was advised to leave for security reasons." The mission did not come under fire," he added. The Local Coordination Committees and the London-based Observatory for Human Rights are reporting that security forces have stormed several villages in the southern and northern parts of the country on Tuesday, arresting scores. The UN Human Rights Council called on the Syrian regime on Monday to halt its brutal crackdown on anti-government protests which has already left 2,200 people dead. Opening the emergency session, UN rights chief Navi Pillay told the council: "The gravity of on-going violations and the brutal attacks against the peaceful protesters in that country demand your continued attention."
"As of today, over 2,200 people have been killed since mass protests began in mid-March, with more than 350 people reportedly killed across Syria since the beginning of Ramadan," added Pillay. The UN had previously estimated a death toll of 2,000.
The emergency session comes after UN investigators concluded that widespread and systematic rights violations have been committed by President Bashar al-Assad's regime since peaceful demonstrations began in mid-March. While blocked from accessing the country, the UN mission found corroborating accounts of violations such as a "shoot-to-kill" policy, summary executions and even torture of children. Called by 24 members of the council, including Jordan, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Qatar, the meeting which goes on until Tuesday will decide whether to adopt a draft resolution that "deplores the continued indiscriminate attacks on its population" and seeks an immediate stop to "all acts of violence".
The resolution also highlights the need to "urgently dispatch an independent international commission of inquiry... to investigate violations of international human rights law in Syria since July 2011". Investigators would be asked "to establish the facts and circumstances which may amount to such violations and where possible, to identify those responsible, with a view of ensuring that perpetrators of violations are held accountable". US ambassador Eileen Donahoe called on the council to "take firmer actions to halt the ongoing crackdown against the Syrian people". "It is clear that President Assad believes that he can silence the voices of his people by resorting to the repressive tactics of the past. But he is wrong. It is time for the Syrian people to determine their own destiny, and we will continue to stand firmly on their side," she stressed.
But the allegations were angrily rejected by Syria's ambassador Faysal Khabbaz Hamoui, who described them as "mere lies". "Syria has been subjected to and continues to be subjected to an unprecedented misleading campaign carried by a number of countries in order to weaken Syria and to change its political position," said the diplomat. He also slammed the draft resolution, saying that "the language used is ... hateful". "The resolution will only cause the crisis to lengthen and will only cause more instability. On this basis, we call on the council not to support the draft resolution, to maintain peace and security in Syria," said the ambassador. Monday's meeting marks the second of its kind on Syria.
A European and US draft resolution will call for UN Security Council sanctions against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and several other top officials, council diplomats told Reuters on Monday. Speaking on condition of anonymity, diplomats said the resolution’s drafters--the United States, Britain, France, Germany and Portugal--included several Syrian firms that they hoped to blacklist and urged referring Syria’s clampdown on protests to the permanent war-crimes tribunal in The Hague. Typically, UN sanctions against individuals include an international travel ban and mandatory freezing of any financial assets. Sanctioned companies face an asset freeze and it becomes illegal for any firm to do business with them. A senior Western diplomat hinted last week that the proposed sanctions could include an arms embargo. Moscow might have trouble with that because Russia is a long-standing arms supplier for Damascus.
“There are four names of individuals and two or three entities (firms),” a diplomat familiar with negotiations said. The five Western powers hoped to circulate a draft to the other 10 council members. Once it reaches the full 15-nation council, there will be further negotiations and the text will likely be revised.  Another diplomat confirmed the envoy’s remarks. Russia and China traditionally oppose the use of sanctions against any UN member state and have worked hard for months to prevent the Security Council from imposing punitive measures on Damascus. Russia has long had close ties to Syria and its top arms exporter has vowed to continue supplying it with weapons. But Western diplomats said Moscow and Beijing--as well as Brazil, India and South Africa--might be persuaded that the time has come to take action against Assad.  Security Council resolutions need nine votes in favor and no vetoes from the permanent council members for approval. No country has proposed the kind of action against Syria which NATO forces have carried out in support of Libyan rebels seeking to topple Muammar Gaddafi. But Gaddafi's apparent collapse in Libya will give fresh heart to Assad's opponents.