Looks like the Syria opposition have nixed the idea put forward by the US, Russia and the UN of a transition period to save the regime, seems the opposition is not controlled by the US as the anti-anti imperialists tell us.Cort
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Saturday that the Syrian opposition coalition's refusal to talk to President Bashar al-Assad's government amounts to a "dead end". "We are sure this is a dead-end position which only will lead to degradation of the situation," said Lavrov, who also repeated Russia's position that Assad's exit must not be a precondition for a political process. The international mediator seeking to end the 21-month-old conflict in Syria met Russia's foreign minister in Moscow on Saturday after talks in Damascus but expectations of progress toward a negotiated solution were low. UN-Arab League envoy Lakhdar Brahimi's talks with Sergei Lavrov occurred a day after the main Syrian opposition group rebuffed diplomatic advances by Russia and firmly reiterated it would not negotiate with President Bashar al-Assad's government. Brahimi is trying to build on an agreement reached in Geneva in June by world powers, including the United States and Russia, that called for the creation of a transitional government but left Assad's role unclear. The mediator, who met Assad and others on a five-day trip to Syria, is to meet together with senior US and Russian diplomats in the coming weeks, after two such meetings this month that produced no signs of a breakthrough. In Damascus on Thursday, Brahimi called for a transitional government to rule until elections in Syria and said only substantial change would meet demands of ordinary Syrians, but did not specify who could be part of the transitional body. Syria (and Beyond) Live Coverage: UN Envoy Brahimi's Mission is "Dead in the Water"<http://www.enduringamerica.com/home/2012/12/29/syria-and-beyond-live-coverage-un-envoy-brahimis-mission-is.html> inShare Saturday, December 29, 2012 at 10:59 | Scott Lucas<http://www.enduringamerica.com/home/author/scott-lucas> in EA Live <http://www.enduringamerica.com/home/category/ea-live>, EA Middle East and Turkey<http://www.enduringamerica.com/home/category/ea-middle-east-and-turkey> , Middle East and Iran<http://www.enduringamerica.com/home/category/middle-east-and-iran> <http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=397332277011940&set=a.126761357402368.30010.117883441623493&type=1&theater> *Friday's message from protesters in Kafranbel in Syria to United Nations envoy Lakhdar Brahimi* ------------------------------ 1125 GMT: *Bahrain*. Activists claim journalist Ahmed Humaidan was abducted on Friday <http://www.twitter.com/Almakna> from a city centre mall as he left a cinema. 1105 GMT: *Yemen*. Gunmen renewed attacks<http://uk.news.yahoo.com/gunmen-attack-yemen-oil-pipeline-repairs-201353036.html> on a key oil pipeline in Marib Province in eastern Yemen on Friday, only hours after technicians repaired it from previous damage. The technicians had been able to work after mediation by tribal chiefs, following an offensive by Government troops earlier in the week in which 17 people were killed. A tribal source said that the offensive targeted prominent tribal figure Salah bin Hussein al-Dammaj, who has allegedly blown up the pipeline several times to pressure the authorities to pay him 100 million riyals ($480,000) in compensation for land he claims was taken from him in the capital Sanaa. The 320-kilometre (200-mile) pipeline carries about 180,000 barrels per day from Safer oilfields in Marib to an export terminal on the Red Sea. Elsewhere, two gunmen on a motorbike have shot and killed an intelligence officer<http://www.lbcgroup.tv/news/66912/yemeni-colonel-shot-dead-by-unidentified-gunmen>, the latest in dozens of assassinations of security personnel this year. Colonel Mutea Baqutian was on his way to work in Hadramaut Province in southeastern Yemen when the gunmen stopped his car. 1055 GMT: *Syria*. Appearing at a press conference in Moscow with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov after their talks this morning, United Nations envoy Lakhdar Brahimi has called<http://www.twitter.com/ZeinakhodrAljaz> for a "serious, credible, working, Syrian-led political process". Brahimi said he was "embarrassed to repeat again" that the alternative is "Somalia-isation" <http://www.twitter.com%27/bbclysedoucet>. He declared that Lavrov was right in assessing, "The conflict is now more militarised and sectarian, and if we are not careful, it will be a sectarian conflict with consequences." Lavrov called for negotiations<http://rt.com/news/lavrov-brahimi-syria-meeting-056/?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter> based on a June plan following an international conference in Geneva and then criticised the opposition for not accepting this: "When the National Coalition was formed we drew attention to the fact that it was stated in their platform that their position is uncompromising, their goal is the overthrow of the regime." President Assad had clearly said he was not going anywhere, Lavrov added.1025 GMT: *Syria*. AFPsummarises a press conference<http://uk.news.yahoo.com/defectors-syrian-state-journalists-kill-words-024709783.html> by three defecting journalists from Sate media, opening with a dramatic line from Lama al-Khadra of Radio Damascus: "Our mission was to kill with words." The trio, who said they hope to set up a pro-opposition station, claimed they worked in a climate of fear and paranoia: "It's hard to always wear a mask, to show nothing, to think and talk like them, the men of the regime....We were confined to following reports from (state news agency) SANA and denigrating the opposition, it wasn't easy." she said. "Some of us were called in by the secret services," said Kamal Jamal Beyk, the programme director of Radio Damascus, "We were threatened, as were our families." He said he was questioned three times by secret police. Jamal Beyk said "Iranian information experts" had been brought into the newsroom to train journalists and that the "most zealous" pro-regime reporters were sent to Beirut to study with Hezbollah's Al-Manar satellite television channel. The three journalists said they decided to flee after a friend and colleague, Mohammed al-Said, was abducted in mid-July and killed by pro-opposition Islamic extremists. 0600 GMT: *Syria*. Friday's message to United Nations envoy Lakhdar Brahimi from the protesters in Kafranbel could not have been clearer. Enhanced by a four-letter expletive, the banner rejected Brahimi's latest manoeuvre ---which included a meeting with President Assad and Russia as a possible broker --- for a political resolution; it suggested that the envoy might find more pleasure, if not success, by shutting himself away on his own. The response of the Syrian opposition National Coalition to Moscow's invitation for discussions was more polite but just as direct: " The coalition is ready for political talks with anyone ... but it will not negotiate with the Assad regime. Everything can happen after the Assad regime and all its foundations have gone. After that we can sit down with all Syrians to set out the future." Later in the day, Coalition head Moaz al-Khatib modified the rejection, saying he was open to talks but that he would not travel to Moscow and that Russia must offer a "clear condemnation of the crimes committed by the Syrian regime". *Even with al-Khatib's re-positioning, it was Kafranbel's message that prevailed. EA's James Miller sumamrised: "Brahimi's mission is dead in the water, and Russia is still out in the cold with the opposition, who will in one form or another replace the Assad regime.* http://www.enduringamerica.com/home/2012/12/29/syria-and-beyond-live-coverage-un-envoy-brahimis-mission-is.html http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/12/28/1174409/-Why-this-Syrian-tried-to-kill-her-own-child?showAll=yes FRI DEC 28, 2012 AT 10:38 AM PST Why did this #Syria-n mother try to kill her own child?<http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/12/28/1174409/-Why-this-Syrian-tried-to-kill-her-own-child> byClay Claiborne <http://www.dailykos.com/user/Clay%20Claiborne>Follow<http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/12/28/1174409/-Why-this-Syrian-tried-to-kill-her-own-child?showAll=yes#?friend_id=125110&is_stream=1> - - - 6 Comments / 6 New<http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/12/28/1174409/-Why-this-Syrian-tried-to-kill-her-own-child#comments> With all that is going on, *ABC Nightly News* didn't mention Syria once last night. That doesn't sound like *MSM* is trying to build support for * NATO* intervention to me. *Israel* has spoken up to support *Assad's* contention that he hasn't used chemical weapons. That doesn't sound like the*Zionists* are looking for a pretext for *"regime change."* Below is another story you will never hear from *Amy Goodman* on *Democracy Now*, they haven't done a segment on the human suffering in Syria in a very long time. [image: Follow clayclai on Twitter] <http://twitter.com/clayclai> What would you do if you needed to silence your crying child so as to save the lives of hundreds? This is the dilemma one Syria family was faced with while trying to escape Syria were the government is known for slaughtering civilians who oppose or flee their rule. The family was among a group 1400 Syrians trying to flee Syria. They where trying to sneak between two army posts and cross the border to Lebanon. It is well known that the Syrian Army will open fire on Syrians attempting to flee their violence and cross the border into a neighboring country, S K@*nolesfan2011* <https://twitter.com/nolesfan2011> we need gun control right now!!!!!! but stopping #*assad*<https://twitter.com/search/%23assad> isn't important at all, just ignore that. #*syria*<https://twitter.com/search/%23syria> 23 Dec 12 <https://twitter.com/nolesfan2011/statuses/282935965339770880> - ** <https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?in_reply_to=282935965339770880> - ** <https://twitter.com/intent/retweet?tweet_id=282935965339770880> - ** <https://twitter.com/intent/favorite?tweet_id=282935965339770880> Then the child started to cry and would not be quieted. The family knew that if the child continue to cry, the whole group would be discovered and slaughtered. So they took the hard decision to kill their own child. What would you have done? They smothered the child, which did indeed silence it. Fortunately, later they discovered that the child had survived. These are the hard decisions that a people must make when faced with massacre by their own government and abandoned by the world. Where is the humanity? I fear the people who just shine this on or excuse it. If they prevail, humanity is doomed. riad al asaad@*fsa_hq_syria* <https://twitter.com/fsa_hq_syria> #*Syria* <https://twitter.com/search/%23Syria> this picture says it all realy how the syrian people feel about the efforts to keep assad in power please viewRTpic.twitter.com/onoiZXZb <http://t.co/onoiZXZb> <https://twitter.com/fsa_hq_syria/statuses/284721152889335808> 28 Dec 12 <https://twitter.com/fsa_hq_syria/statuses/284721152889335808> - ***Reply*<https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?in_reply_to=284721152889335808> - ***Retweet*<https://twitter.com/intent/retweet?tweet_id=284721152889335808> - ***Favorite*<https://twitter.com/intent/favorite?tweet_id=284721152889335808> Ans this is why: Freedom For Syria@*HouriaWaBas* <https://twitter.com/HouriaWaBas> How many more children must suffer or be killed by this brutal butcher #* Assad* <https://twitter.com/search/%23Assad> regime? #*Syria*<https://twitter.com/search/%23Syria> pic.twitter.com/MVNASk2N <http://t.co/MVNASk2N> <https://twitter.com/HouriaWaBas/statuses/284453655254544387> 27 Dec 12 <https://twitter.com/HouriaWaBas/statuses/284453655254544387> - ***Reply*<https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?in_reply_to=284453655254544387> - ***Retweet*<https://twitter.com/intent/retweet?tweet_id=284453655254544387> - ***Favorite*<https://twitter.com/intent/favorite?tweet_id=284453655254544387> عمر الجعبري@*OmarJaabari* <https://twitter.com/OmarJaabari> A Syrian holding an infant who was killed by #*Assad*<https://twitter.com/search/%23Assad> forces #*Syria* <https://twitter.com/search/%23Syria> pic.twitter.com/XZEhJngu <http://t.co/XZEhJngu> <https://twitter.com/OmarJaabari/statuses/284728968672837632> 28 Dec 12 <https://twitter.com/OmarJaabari/statuses/284728968672837632> - ***Reply*<https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?in_reply_to=284728968672837632> - ***Retweet*<https://twitter.com/intent/retweet?tweet_id=284728968672837632> - ***Favorite*<https://twitter.com/intent/favorite?tweet_id=284728968672837632> Click here for a list of my other Daily Kos dairies on Syria<http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/12/24/1173518/-My-Syria-diaries> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] ------------------------------------ --------------------------------------------------------------------------- LAAMN: Los Angeles Alternative Media Network --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Unsubscribe: <mailto:laamn-unsubscr...@egroups.com> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Subscribe: <mailto:laamn-subscr...@egroups.com> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Digest: <mailto:laamn-dig...@egroups.com> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Help: <mailto:laamn-ow...@egroups.com?subject=laamn> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Post: <mailto:la...@egroups.com> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Archive1: <http://www.egroups.com/messages/laamn> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Archive2: <http://www.mail-archive.com/laamn@egroups.com> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Yahoo! 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