The “Friends of Syria”, a consortium of Syrian and international stakeholders in the Syria crisis convene in Rome today, while violent clashes between the Syrian military and insurgents continue in several hot-spots of the country, which has been targeted by its militant and political “friends” since early 2011.
According to the Syrian Arab News Agency SANA and other agencies, the Syrian military has been tracking down insurgents in several suburbs of the capital Damascus, causing many casualties among the insurgents, and destroying many of their hide-outs, positions and weapons.
Fighting erupted in the western Damascus suburb of Darya, where are car, loaded with weapons and ammunition was destroyed. In al-Nabek, near Damascus and the resort town of al-Zabadani, the Syrian military reportedly killed scores of armed insurgents.
Syrian government sources report, that successful operations were also carried out at the Aliya and Zamalka farms, where leaders of several armed groups reportedly have been killed, and where 20 explosive devices were successfully dismantled by military specialists.
In Hama province, SANA reports, the military killed and wounded several gunmen in Zahret al-Madean, seizing large quantities of weapons and ammunition, while army engineers dismantled 16 roadside bombs. Also according to SANA, elements of the Syrian army clashed with insurgents at the outskirts of Homs, in the central part of Syria, where the military also destroyed several hide-outs.
The al-Watan daily newspaper reports that a resident of Talbiseh in the northern parts of the district of Homs, has reported that, “troops belonging to the Syrian army have confiscated stocks of US-made anti-tank weapons which had been stored in warehouses, which insurgents had used as weapons and ammunitions depots”.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), based in London, reports of violent clashes in the vicinity of the Saba Bahrat roundabout, near the Directorate of Religious Endowments and the Court of Justice in Aleppo. According to the SOHR, the fighting in Aleppo has been going on for days.
The SOHR reports, that the insurgents in Aleppo are trying to push forward in Aleppo and that the insurgents had captured the Museum of the Time Honored Umayyad Mosque in the city´s old quarter, which was set alight during the fighting.
US secretary of State John Kerry. Photo, US Department of State
While the insurgents attempts to destabilize the country continue, the international meeting of the “Friends of Syria” is convening today in Rome. According to no yet independently confirmed reports, the Syrian opposition is pleading to the USA and EU to provide more support for the armed insurgents, requesting qualitative and quantitative improvements in weapons deliveries to tip the military balance in the favor of the insurgents.
Although Israel is actively involved in the delivery of weapons to the insurgents, Israel is, according to several intelligence sources, monitoring the situation closely, and opposes deliveries of high-caliber or high-tech weapons and weapons systems, which could pose a potential danger for the Zionist state.
The new US Secretary of State, John Kerry, who has attended meetings with representatives of the French administration of Francois Hollande, has left Paris for Rome, and is expected at the “Friends of Syria “ meeting today. Parts of the foreign-backed Syrian opposition who initially had threatened to boycott the meeting in Rome today, have since back-tracked and are attending.
Although the US administration of President Barak Obama recently stated, that they USA would not provide any “lethal” aid to the foreign-backed opposition, the sudden change of heart in US policy is both half-hearted and effectively inconsequential, as long as the USA, who together with Qatar is the main instigator of the attempted subversion, fails to make its influence over its allies felt. The “Friends of Syria” meeting in Rome today poses the question: “With such good Friends, who needs any Enemies”.
Dr. Christof Lehmann who is one of the frequent contributors for The 4th Media is the Founder and Senior Editor for the nsnbc.me.
Related articles:
In depth analysis of the dynamics of the crisis in Syria, conflict and conflict resolution in six parts, by Christof Lehmann:
The Dynamics of the Crisis in Syria, Conflict versus Conflict Resolution 1/6 – 2/6 –3/6 –4/6 – 5/6 – 6/6