{"id":12758,"date":"2011-11-21T17:26:09","date_gmt":"2011-11-21T22:26:09","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/?p=12758"},"modified":"2011-11-21T17:26:09","modified_gmt":"2011-11-21T22:26:09","slug":"assad-determined-to-fight-on-snc-issues-plan-reasons-for-energy-shortages","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/assad-determined-to-fight-on-snc-issues-plan-reasons-for-energy-shortages\/","title":{"rendered":"Assad Determined to Fight On; SNC Issues Plan; Reasons for Energy Shortages"},"content":{"rendered":"

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MSNBC: Syria’s Assad vows to continue crackdown despite Arab League pressure<\/a>
\n2011-11-20 01:19:11.139 GMT<\/p>\n

Arab League Peace Effort in Syria Appears at Impasse<\/a>
\nBY: Patrick J. McDonnell | Los Angeles Times<\/p>\n

An Arab initiative to end violence in Syria appeared at an impasse Sunday, as Damascus and Arab foreign ministers failed to agree on a formula that would allow monitors into the country.<\/p>\n

Syrian Rebel Group Claims Attack on Ruling Party Office in Damascu
\n<\/a>BY: Hannah Allam | McClatchy Newspapers<\/p>\n

Rocket-propelled grenades reportedly struck a Damascus office of Syrian President Bashar Assad\u2019s Baath Party before dawn Sunday, the first attack of its kind in the capital since an anti-government uprising began last spring.<\/p>\n

The SNC has finally issued it’s proposed “plan”<\/a>. This comes three months after the Tayyar proposal<\/a>. The SNC agenda claims it is committed to eliminating Syria’s present discrimination of non-Muslims and women. To stay true to this declaration it will have to eliminate article 3 of the constitution:<\/p>\n

Article 3 [Islam]<\/p>\n

(1) The religion of the President of the Republic has to be Islam.<\/p>\n

(2) Islamic jurisprudence is a main source of legislation.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The SNC platform insists that it is committed to “Criminalizing all forms of oppression, exclusionary policies, and discrimination on the basis of ethnic or religious background, or gender.<\/em>” The Muslim Brotherhood seems not to have had much to do with writing this document. Article 3 was inserted into the constitution after widespread demonstrations in 1973 protesting the Baathist attempt to eliminate special reference to Islam and religion as a basis for selecting the president and informing legislation.<\/p>\n

The constitution guarantees national rights<\/em> for the Kurdish people and a resolution to the Kurdish question in a democratic and fair manner within the framework of the unity of Syrian territory and people, as well as the exercise of rights and responsibilities of equal citizenship among all citizens.<\/p>\n

The SNC is now working on a transitional government.<\/p>\n

U.S.-based social science professor Amr al-Azm told Reuters: “The Council’s program has good points but the Council is acting like a political party rather than a broad opposition movement.”<\/p>\n

The 260-member Syrian National Council,<\/strong> which is leading the opposition against the Assads’ 41-year rule, said a conference will take place in Egypt under the auspices of the Arab League, to bring together political factions and independent figures to plan the transition and set rules for a democratic system. “The opposition is more mature now. It is ready to agree on a common vision,” said SNC spokeswoman Bassma Kodmani.<\/p>\n

Fawaz Gerges<\/strong><\/p>\n

“The Syrian regime is not isolated internally as many would like to believe. It retains a strong social base of support in major centers like Damascus, Aleppo and Latakia where 60% of the population live,” Gerges said. “There is a real danger that Syria has already descended into a prolonged conflict no one knows its outcome internally and regionally. I don’t see a way out for the Assad regime. Assad has no exit strategy. This is a fight to the bitter end for the family, the clan, with the mentality: either I am going to be killed or I kill my enemy,” Gerges said.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The Syrian government committee to rewrite the constitution claims it will eliminate Article 8<\/a>, which proclaims the Baath Party the leader of politics and society in Syria.<\/p>\n

Syp at 54.80: <\/strong>The Central Bank of Syria sold through an auction some USD 15 million in foreign currencies last week as it attempts to counter pressures on the Syrian Pound.
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

Feodor Saveliev writes “The Russian nuclear naval strike group was introduced in Syria” <\/a><\/p>\n

Syrian opposition\u00a0 leaders belonging to the SNC will hold talks in Montreal on teh 27th of november. Here is the announcement:?
\n???? ?????? ??? 27 ????? ?????? ????? ????? ?????? ?????? ?? ????? ????????. ????? ??? : ??? ?????? ????? ????? ??????? ???? ????? ???? ? ???? ??????? ???? ???? ? ???? ???????? ????? ????? ????? ???? ????? ????? ?????? ? ????? ????.
\n???????? ???????? ?????? ? ????????? :
\n= ??????? ??????? ? ??????? ???? ???? ??? ???? ?????? ???????? ?? ???? ????? ?????????
\n= ?????? ??????? ??????? ??? ?????? ??????
\n= ???? ?????? ??????? ?? ????? ?? ?????? ??????
\n= ??? ???????: ???????? ? ???? ?? ????? ???? ?? ??? ??????
\n= ??????? ??? ??????? ??????? ? ???????? ???????? – ?????? ??????
\n= ?????????? ? ??????????… ????? ???? ?? ???? ????????? ? ?????? ????? ?? ???? ???????
\n= ?????? ???????? ??????? \\ ??????? ??? ??????? ??????? ?????? ????
\n—-<\/p>\n

Syrian TV had the ministers of electricity and oil on Saturday afternoon.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The most important points expressed by the oil minister were that the tankers going from Homs to Damascus and Aleppo have been attacked several times by terrorists. This supports the report of Syria Comment in my last post. The gas trucks are being stolen or attacked in Homs. Also the pipeline from the refinery in Homs going to Aleppo have been sabotaged or attacked. The pipeline was attacked over a 100 times in Hama province and 280+ times in Idlib province.<\/p>\n

He claimed that the amount of mazoot sent to each mohafaza has increased this year from 40-100 percent according to the request of each governor (exept for Homs which witnessed reduced consumption). The other reason is the distribution policies. So their could be corruption there too.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

To summarize the reasons for the mazoot crisis:
\n1-Early cold weather
\n2-Sabotage and criminal acts
\n3-Poor distribution policies
\n4-Increased smuggling
\n5-monopolistic acts by private sector distributors.<\/p>\n

Video of the long lines waiting for gas in Homs. <\/a><\/p>\n

Here are a few comments by friends who watched the Oil minister on Syrian TV.<\/p>\n