August 4, 2011 – Syria News Blog: A Roundup of International Reportage

Grave military campaigns in Hama, Homs, Daraa and Deir ez-Zor ushered in the first week of Ramadan. The Sunday crackdown, the worst since the start of the Syrian revolution in March, resulted in the deaths of an estimated 136 – some 100 of whom, were killed in Hama. Though the month of Ramadan is meant to be characterized by charitable acts and well wishes, fears of broad scale unrest and violence following daily prayers have only been confirmed as no day since August 1, the first day of Ramadan, has passed without considerable fatalities. As the city of Hama reportedly lay in severe duress, and after months of diplomatic wrangling, the United Nations Security Council responded to the crisis in Syria with a Presidential Statement condemning the “widespread violations of human rights and the use of force against civilians by the Syrian authorities” and calling for an “immediate end to all violence”. 

 

On Thursday July 28, international media reported that a total of five civilians were shot and killed amid security sweeps in Deir ez-Zor and Madaya, a town situated in the Anti-Lebanon Mountains. Madaya has seen large protests in recent weeks.

 

Each Friday draws larger and larger crowds of anti-government protests, with numbers exceeding a million across the country last Friday, July 29 – as well as the Friday before. Reports of fatalities cary significantly. Most reportage suggest that some 23 civilians died amid Friday’s uprisings with two people shot and killed in central Damascus, seven in the city’s suburbs, six in Deir ez-Zor and Boukamal, three in Lattakia and one in both Hama and Lattakia. Other reports indicate a lower figure of 11 people killed. There is no way to confirm. 

 

The capital and surrounding areas saw significant unrest around the day, with protests in Midan, Zahera, and Haja al-Aswad where protestors were reportedly met with heavy gunfire while leaving Abraham Mosque. 

 

The town of Jabal al-Zawiya was put under curfew and no one was allowed to go to mosques and the town of Kiswe saw the deaths of several civilians and soldiers and the injuring of many other civilians during a violent security sweep in the evening. 

 

According to activists, security forces shot and killed three members of the military who had attempted to defect and wounded another 13.

 

Meanwhile, there was an explosion at an oil pipeline in Tal Kalakh, about 160 kilometers north of Damascus. State media attribute the event to a terrorist attack. The explosion occurred in the early hours of the morning and left a 15-meter crater in the earth. 

 

On Saturday afternoon, Syrian security forces conducted raids in Deir ez-Zor. International media reported that heavy gunfire could be heard throughout the afternoon. Between one and three people were reportedly shot dead in a neighboring village, according to activists. Rami Abdul-Rahmad, the head of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that some 60 vehicles of security reinforcements were sent to Deir ez-Zor during the day. 

 

According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights as of July 30, some 1,888 people had died since the Syrian revolt began on March 15. Included among them, were an estimated 367 members of the country’s security and military forces. 

 

On Sunday July 31, the Syrian military waged a full-fledged assault against opposition strongholds in Hama, Homs, Deir ez-Zor and Daraa. The day was a horrific one as an estimated 136 civilians were killed in broad-scale attacks backed by tanks and armored vehicles. In Hama alone, some 100 people were  reportedly killed. Security raids were conducted in a number of other locations as well, including Damascus and Idleb. 

 

Tanks reportedly arrived in Hama in the early hours of the morning as electricity and water supplies were cut in a number of the city’s neighborhoods.  Armored trucks and tanks reportedly blocked the entrances to the city around the day as the assault was carried out. 

 

Hama has largely been operating outside of the control of security forces for over a month and a half. In recent weeks, the city’s Friday protestor numbers had swelled to well over half a million – with no significant reports of violence. 

 

In Deir ez-Zor, activists reported that trucks mounted with machine guns fired into crowds of protestors. A number of mosque minarets were targeted in a move many saw as attempt to stir sectarian tensions. Snipers were reportedly on rooftops scattered across the city’s points of assualt. 

 

Many reportedly died from fatal gunshot wounds to the head and hundreds of videos of the disaster and resulting fatalities were posted on the internet throughout the day. As the assault was carried out, many are said to have died, unable to reach medical care due to ongoing gunfire. 

 

SANA, state-run media, reported that “confrontations with armed groups” in Hama and Deir ez-Zor had resulted in the deaths of six law enforcement officials. According to the government, armed gangs set fire to police stations and vandalized property in the city. The same men allegedly “set up roadblocks and barricades and burned tires at the entrance of the city and in its streets” and “scores of gunmen were stationed on the rooftops of the main buildings in the streets of the city, carrying machine guns and RPGs and shooting intensively to terrorize citizens.” The went on to state that, “armed groups were wandering the streets on motorcycles, using machine guns to impose a curfew on the citizens and setting fire to a number of public properties.”

 

Of the violence in Deir ez-Zor, SANA reported that three military men were killed by gunmen during “confrontations with members of armed groups who were shooting randomly in the city’s streets and setting up roadblocks.” The report continued that, “The armed groups also attacked law-enforcement forces and emergency police station and robbed some weapons and ammunition. The law enforcement forces confronted these armed groups and dealt with them in a suitable way leading to the death of one of those armed groups leadership member. The army units are pursuing these groups to restore safety and security to the city.”

 

The military campaign, which numerous foreign officials publicly termed tantamount to an act of war against a civilian populace, was likely intended to bring an end to the country’s deepening unrest in advance of Ramadan – which begins August 1. 

 

There is no doubt, however, that this was a miscalculation; even as the assault was being carried out, Facebook and Twitter and numerous opposition sites erupted with plans to organize protests against what thousands termed the “Ramadan Massacre” on Twitter. The opposition website The Syrian Revolution 2011, called for “retaliation protests” Sunday night, stating that “Syria is bleeding“. 

 

Reports and videos emerged suggesting that a number of Syrian military members had defected around the day, reportedly shaken by the events. 

 

The international community was swift to issue statements of shocked condemnation. No other day in Syria, save for perhaps “Bloody Good Friday” in April, surpassed the level of Sunday’s violence. 

 

UK Foreign Secretary William Hague termed the events “shocking” and said there was “no justification” for the Syrian government’s attacks against its own people. 

 

Former Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri issued a statement saying the events were in “conflict with all intentions to see brotherly Syria and its proud people overcome the present ordeal…” He continued, “We in Lebanon cannot, under any circumstances, remain silent regarding the bloody developments taking place in Syria, and we call on all concerned parties to rectify their position in order to enable the Syrian people to define their choices freely and within their humanitarian rights. Silence on the international and Arab levels about what is happening in Syria, and in Hama in particular, whose people witnessed the worst massacre in the 1980s, does not establish the required solutions, but leads to the loss of more Syrian lives.”

 

The Press Attache at the US Embassy in Damascus, JJ Harder said the events were akin to “full-on warfare” and constituted a “last act of utter desperation” on the part of the Syrian government. On the issue of the armed gangs that the government continues to blame for the violence, Harder said,  “There is one big armed gang in Syria and it’s named the Syrian government. That’s the armed gang that is pillaging its own cities, that’s the armed gang that is striking terror into the hearts of a lot of these people who are out there who just want to peacefully protest.”

 

US President Barack Obama issued a statement on the weekend’s violence, asserting that he was “appalled” by the Syrian government’s crackdown against the Syrian opposition. Obama stated that “The reports out of Hama are horrifying and demonstrate the true character of the Syrian regime.” He continued, “President Assad has shown that he is completely incapable and unwilling to respond to the legitimate grievances of the Syrian people. His use of torture, corruption and terror puts him on the wrong side of history and his people. Through his own actions, Bashar al-Assad is ensuring that he and his regime will be left in the past, and that the courageous Syrian people who have demonstrated in the streets will determine its future. Syria will be a better place when a democratic transition goes forward.  In the days ahead, the United States will continue to increase our pressure on the Syrian regime, and work with others around the world to isolate the Assad government and stand with the Syrian people.”

 

Monday August 1 marked the start of Ramadan, and though it is a holiday characterized by well-wishing, charitable acts, and introspection, numerous parts of the country were under siege. 

 

Tanks reportedly remained in Hama everyday this week as the city was under constant shelling, with reports indicating that a massive humanitarian crisis is presently underway as thousands have lost access to electricity and water. 

 

Local media report that the military is fighting armed men who have been terrorizing Hama residents. Smoke could be seen rising above the city around the week and reports of deaths continued everyday. 

 

In response to the ongoing crisis in Hama, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said on Tuesday of President Assad, “[he] must be aware that under international humanitarian law, this is accountable. I believe that he lost all sense of humanity.”

 

There have been reports of protests following tarawih, or evening prayers, every night this week. Protests have been reported in cities and towns across the country – indeed, far more than can be listed – with violence and deaths each day – including in the heart of the capital. Some 24 people died amid unrest across the country on Monday alone – with fatalities reported in Damascus, Lattakia, Irbin, Homs, Hama and Al-Boukamal. Another 30 reportedly died in Hama – on Wednesday. Activists in the city maintain that an estimated 250 people have been killed in Hama since Sunday.

 

If the protests continue to expand and carry on throughout the week, it unclear that the Syrian army has the resources necessary to carry out such intensive campaigns. At present, there is much speculation that it is increasingly overstretched. 

 

A horrific video surfaced on the internet on August 1 – and was played in constant rotation by local TV stations – showing a group of men, who by their accents are clearly Hamawis, unloading the bodies of murdered men, presumably government supporters, from the back of a truck and tossing them over a bridge and into the bloodied Orontes River.  Warning: the video is highly graphic and contains inappropriate language – it can be viewed here. The video sparked outrage, as many used it to claim that Syrian revolutionaries are criminals as claimed by the authorities. It is impossible to ascertain the events that lead up to those captured in the video.

 

The Syrian opposition’s Local Coordination Committees (LCCs) has put forth significant evidence indicating that members of the opposition were increasingly facing targeted assassinations – with a growing number of well-known activists being shot and killed outside of organized protests. According to the LCCs, in the month of July, three key opposition leaders, Khalid al-Afnan, Diyaa Ramiz al-Najjar and Hady al-Jundy, were all assassinated in separate attacks in Homs.

 

The human rights group Avaaz, has also come forward with evidence that some 2,918 Syrians have been “forcibly disappeared” since the start of the uprising in March. Those that have disappeared have been largely accused of being political dissidents involved in the revolution. At the same time, some 12,617 people are known to be in detention, all also also accused of anti-government activities, however, their family members were notified of their imprisonment. 

 

One activist now exiled in Turkey, spoke to Avaaz on the motivations behind his support of the opposition and his perspective of who is taking to the streets, stating that “I participated in all the protests before I left and I saw all components of Syrian society, Christians, Muslims, Kurds uniting as one to demand their rights. The government and the army is sectarian, not us. They are killing and detaining in a very cruel way. People have kneeled to Assad for 42 years. They need to understand that Syria is not a farm that belongs to Assad and his family. It is a free Arab country and the people will take their rights.”

 

 

The complexity of the Syrian uprising and the difficulty of obtaining accurate information about the nature of the unfolding events and divergent associated strategic interests have, among much else, resulted in a diplomatic divide over whether or not to express support for Syrian revolutionaries. On the one hand, some foreign officials remain skeptical of both the motives of the Syrian opposition and the likely political outcome of the uprising – whether it be a new government or the continued rule of the current one. On the other hand, other foreign officials have expressed support for the Syrian opposition, regardless of underlying concerns about the instability and unknowns that would follow a change of leadership. 

 

Democratic and Republican members of a US House Subcommittee on Foreign Affairs held a session on Wednesday July 27 calling into question the US’s arguably equivocal stance on the Syrian uprising. Members of the bipartisan committee agreed that the US has been hedging bets on whether or not President Assad will weather the revolt and have consequently failed to adopt a clear stance in support of the Syrian opposition. 

 

Some interpret the US’s equivocation, as a central catalyst of more anti-American sentiments in Syria. As James Dorsey argues in an article for Al-Arabiya, “US Fence Straddling Fuels Anti-Americanism in Syria and Bahrain,” Syrian “protesters charge that US and Western reluctance is what keeps Mr. Assad in power because he is under no international pressure to step down.” As Dorsey sees it, the US has “reached out” to members of Syrian opposition and offered “consultation” with the country’s activists thus playing a “supportive role in the background” or as American officials term it, “leadership from behind”. 

 

Dorsey’s argument might perplex those who are familiar with the oft-repeated local sentiment, the ‘Syrian people will determine the fate of their country.’ Indeed, Dorsey’s article exemplifies a powerful component of American foreign policy thinking – namely, that the US is both capable of and indeed responsible for, helping to remedy the region’s woes. 

 

At the same time, Dorsey’s article, in conjunction with countless others discouraging the US from any form of intervention, highlights the reality that the US is faulted for its hesitation and relative quiet as much as it is faulted for its meddling. 

 

In joint testimony, “Axis of Abuse: U.S. Human Rights Policy toward Iran and Syria: Part 1,” before the House Foreign Affairs Committee’s Subcommittee on the Middle East and South Asia, Michael H. Posner, Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor and Jeffrey D. Feltman, Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs made a number of significant comments on the Syria issue, which can be read in their entirety here. Some key excerpts of the testimony were as follows:

 

“In…Syria, we have seen the regime play a cruel double game designed to divert attention away from people’s demands and justify the regime’s monopoly on power. Asad is exploiting fears of sectarianism and factionalism by surreptitiously fomenting violence of an intentionally sectarian nature, while at the same time cautioning Syrians not to rock his carefully guided boat. As a consequence, deadly violence has at times taken a purportedly sectarian shade. This has only left more blood on Asad’s hands.

 

“We view these incidents as further evidence that President Assad’s government continues to be the real source of instability within Syria. He has promised reforms but delivered no meaningful changes. He talks about dialogue, but continues to engage in violence that proves his rhetoric hollow. Assad has made clear that he is determined to maintain power regardless of the cost. And the human toll is mounting. …

 

“We continue to urge more nations to join our call, in bilateral and multilateral settings, to shine a spotlight on these countries’ [Iran and Syria] gross violations of human rights. 

 

“Our efforts to support the Iranian and Syrian people as they seek to exercise their rights have been consistent and sustained. …we work with civil society organizations to support their efforts to defend human rights and to advocate for change. We help them expand political space and hold their government accountable. We provide training and tools to civil society activists in Iran and Syria, and throughout the world, to enable citizens to freely and safely exercise their freedoms of expression, association, and assembly on the Internet and via other communication technologies. In cases like Iran and Syria, where governments have good reason to fear the spotlight on their activities, access to technological tools allows the people to tell their story to the world. Despite both government’s ramped up activities to try to suppress information flows, the days are gone when governments could brutalize their people without the world knowing.”

 

While the Obama Administration’s policy toward Syria and decision to keep US Ambassador Ford in Damascus amid the crisis has been subject to heavy criticism, some endorse the Administration’s “creative diplomacy”, arguing that as the US has little pull in the Syrian government and no will or means to wage a military operation in response to the violence, it is better off to place itself on the “right side of Syria’s history” by using Ambassador Ford’s presence in Damascus to show its support for Syrian revolutionaries. The Editorial Board of Bloomberg News, publicly adopted this stance on July 27. 

 

On Monday August 1, President Obama met Ambassador Ford in Washington to “consult with” Ford, who was in DC for a number of meetings, on the Syrian uprising. The White House reported that Obama used the meeting to reiterate his “strong condemnation of the Syrian regime’s outrageous use of violence against its own people” as well as his support for “the courageous Syrian people, and their demands for universal rights and a democratic transition“. 

 

On Tuesday, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton held a meeting at the State Department with figures from the Syrian-American community to discuss the “urgent situation” in Syria. No further information was released to the press. 

 

On August 2, the European Union added five names to its last of Syrian officials placed under sanctions. Syrian Defense Minister Ali Habib is among those on the new list. 

 

EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton also warned whist announcing the latest sanctions that in the future, the EU might impose further sanctions “should the Syrian leadership persist in its current path”. For more information on the sanctions already imposed against Syrian officials, including US sanctions, see here. 

 

On Tuesday August 2 at a press briefing, Christine Fages, the deputy spokeswoman of the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs said of the situation in Syria, “The situation in Libya and Syria are not similar. No option of a military nature is considered.” Fages went on to state that, “The violence this weekend marked a new and increasingly worsening unacceptable” situation for the Syrian people. 

 

On Tuesday in another significant diplomatic blow to the Syrian government, Italy recalled its Ambassador to Syria, due to the “horrible repression” of Syrian civilians. The Italian government also proposed that “all ambassadors from countries within the European Union be recalled”.  

 

The latter comment, however, is unlikely to be acted upon anytime soon. In response to Italy’s move, EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton said that the EU’s ambassador to Syria, Greek-born Vassilis Bontosoglou, “will remain in Damascus to observe what’s happening on the ground”. 

 

On Monday, Turkey intensified its condemnation of the Syrian government’s management of the uprising, as a senior Turkish official indicated that sanctions were now “on the table”. Sunday’s attack “raised serious, very serious questions about the intentions of the Syrian regime. We are coming to a point where their words no longer mean anything. They have shown they are not interested in a peaceful resolution,” the official continued.

 

Turkish President Abdullah Gul also made a statement to Anadolu Ajansi that day, saying that “Beginning the holy month of Ramadan with bloodshed is unacceptable. It is not possible for us to remain indifferent to this violence.” 

 

Turkey is among Syria’s key trading partners. According to Turkey’s Foreign Economic Relations Board, the country’s trade with Syria tripled between 2006 and 2010 to USD 2.4 billion. Though the Syrian uprising has wreaked havoc on the Syrian economy, according to data released on August 1 from the Turkish Exporters’ Assembly, trade between the two countries continues to grow. Indeed, Turkish exports to Syria in July, increased 13% to USD 191.6 million compared to last year, and in the first six months of this year, Turkish exports exceeded USD 1 billion – a small increase from last year. 

 

There are some reports, however, that suggest that localized cross-border commerce between the two countries, has been hit hard. 

 

Turkey has thus far maintained dialogue with the Syrian government and avoided measures beyond tough words. Talk of sanctions marks a serious shift in its stance as the imposition of sanctions would undoubtedly have a profound effect on the Syrian economy. Turkey has ruled out the possibility of military intervention in Syria.

South Africa, Brazil and India, all of which have blocked UN efforts to draft a resolution on the Syria case, announced on Friday that they will send envoys to Damascus to help bring an end to the violence. In an interview on the issue South African Ambassador to the UN Baso Sanggu said that, “The goal is to engage Syria, understand where they are, and see if we can assist them to overcome the difficulties they have.”

 

On August 4, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev made a statement urging President Assad to implement reforms. As Medvedev put it, “He [Assad] needs to urgently carry out reforms, reconcile with the opposition, restore peace and set up a modern state.” Medvedev continued, “If he fails to do this, he will face a sad fate.” Medvedev’s statements are quite significant given Russia obstinate resistance of any meddling in Syrian affairs – or use of associated harsh language. 

 

 

 

“The Syrian People Will Determine the Fate of Syria: An Interview with Burhan Ghalioun” – Jadaliyya/Qantara – An informative interview with Burhan Ghalioun, director of the Centre d’Etudes sur l’Orient Contemporain (Ceoc) in Paris, professor of political sociology at the Université de Paris III (Sorbonne Nouvelle) and member of the opposition. Ghalioun addresses the current government’s options – genuine dialogue vs. continued crackdowns against the opposition; the interests represented by the “silent segment’ of the Syrian population and what might break their silence; the issue of sectarian conflict; members of the opposition in and outside of the country and their strengths and pitfalls; the ‘three no’s’ they currently embrace (no military intervention, no sectarian conflict and no use of arms); what the opposition is seeking with regard to international players, and; the role of regional powers including Iran, Turkey Saudi Arabia and Egypt. 

 

“To Topple Assad, It Takes a Minority” – The New York Times – Bassma Kodman, the executive director of the Arab Reform Initiative, argues that the success of the Syrian revolt depends on the ability of those in the opposition to demonstrate to the country’s Alawite minority, which comprises between 10 and 12 percent of the population, that they can “safely turn against the Assad regime”. The Alawites have historically faced severe persecution, thus leaving many who would otherwise come forward in support of the revolution, fearful of being persecuted in the wake of the current government’s collapse. According to Kodman, the “onus falls on the Sunni majority to reassure Alawites and other minorities like Christians, Druse and Shiites…that they will not be subjected to acts of vengeance. These Sunni religious and political leaders can save Syria from its sectarian demons.”

 

“The “State of Emergency” is Not a Law . . . It is a Structure and a Regime” – Jadaliyya/Dar al-Hayat – Badrakhan Ali offers up analysis of the realities of the Emergency Law – its origins, broader implications for Syrian society, and the resulting “entrenched pattern of authoritarian rule in Damascus”. According to Badrakhan, the Emergency Law has shaped the very foundation of the country’s current system of governance: “In Syria …it is not possible to attribute all political crimes and breaches of rights that have occurred to the state of emergency. It is not possible, for example, to explain the absence of free elections during the past decades and at every level…the presence of more than ten security apparatuses that are not subject to accountability, criticism, and counsel…and that there are parties that “rule” Syria without a parties law…and the eighth article of the constitution, which stipulates that “the Baath Party leads the country and the society”…and the disappearance of peaceful activists for ten years or more without trial…The constitution itself is a state of emergency and was written according to the whims of the rulers, but the truth is that even this constitution itself, with all of its defects, is absent.”

 

“Syrian Uprising and President Assad Depicted in Cartoons” – Middle East Media Research Institute – A collection of cartoons depicting the Syrian revolution and President Assad – as published in Arab press. 

 

“Can Non-violent Struggle Bring Down Syria’s Assad?” – Reuters – Ausama Monajed, a key leader of Syria’s opposition abroad, is a driving force behind efforts to develop structured non-violent opposition in Syria.  This article by Hugo Dixon, explores the possibilities of such an approach one efforts to undermine the current government’s “pillars of support”. The article also puts forth strategies for those fearful of taking to the streets – including releasing “freedom balloons” at a designated time in a specific city and drafting “lists of shame” of businesses and high profile figures close to the current government who could be boycotted. 

 

“Getting Serious in Syria” – The American Interest – Setting aside the policy advise at the end, which some will find both presumptuous and worrisome, authors Michael S. Doran and Salman Shaikh put forth a notably comprehensive assessment of the events that have transpired thus far in Syria. The article covers the familial relations within the current Syrian government; the alliance between Alawi political forces – the so-called ‘deep state’ – and Sunni businessmen; dynamics and loyalties within the military; the government’s exploitation of sectarian fears; insider/outsider opposition tensions; and the provincial autonomy slowly creepy across the country as more cities and villages become the sites of nearly unquenchable mass unrest. 

 

“Why Damascus, Aleppo are Silent for Now” – Gulf News – Sami Moubayed, editor-in-chief of a local publication, Forward Magazine, argues that while Aleppo and Damascus have remained comparatively silent since the uprising began in March, their silence will be short-lived. Moubayed cites three reasons for this: 1) rampant and growing unemployment which will draw more youths out onto the streets, 2) a lack of widely accepted community leaders in both cities to help quell tensions, and 3) demographics – Damascus in particular, is full of internal migrants and according to Moubayed, they will be among the first to take to the streets en masse as they will not have the same business and political loyalties as native Damascenes. 

 

“Arab Spring: R.I.P.?” – Huffington Post – A gloomy but interesting read by Josef Olmert, evaluating the differences between the revolutions in Egypt and Syria and the reasons why the author maintains that Syria is on course for more violence along sectarian lines. 

 

“Underground In Beirut: A Syrian Activist Continues the Fight from Lebanon” – The Boston Review – An account of opposition member Rami Nakhle’s flight from Syria. A very well-written and lengthy account of the revelations that inspired Nakhle’s political beliefs – revelations that were stretched out over the last 11 years and fueled by information discovered on the internet. The article also explores the complexity of being a Syrian dissident exiled in Lebanon – still well within reach of the Syrian government and those who support it. 

 

“Syrian Uprising Expands Despite Absence Of Leaders” – National Public Radio – While the Syrian opposition is rapidly growing, it has yet to put forth leaders. According to this report by Deborah Amos, this is in part because young Syrians have “grown up under an authoritarian system” and now distrust “any kind of leadership”. While this has indeed helped the opposition in some respects, it now beginning to hinder its ability to launch a plan for the country’s future. 

 

“Young Iraqi Refugees Dream of Seattle, Wait in Limbo in Syria” – The Seattle Times – Sarah Stuteville explores the lives of two Iraqi refugees living in Damascus and the manner in which the recent unrest in Syria has impacted their lives. At present, some 151,000 Iraqi refugees are registered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees office in Damascus. Many, having already fled war once in Iraq, now live in fear of the onset of conflict in Syria. 

 

 

According to Bassam al-Hammed, the head of the foreign trade department of the Syrian General Establishment of Cereals Trade and Processing, the Syrian government plans to buy 100,000 metric tons of soft wheat to expand its reserves. The agency is looking for “one supplier from one origin” and will be accepting bids until August 15.

 

 

Royal Dutch Shell Plc (RDSA), intends to maintain its production in Syria in compliance with the sanctions recently imposed against the Syrian government for its crackdown against Syrian civilians. The oil company is Europe’s largest. According to CEO Peter Voser, operations remain unaffected by the Syrian uprising.