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| Syrian troops 'will not shoot' protesters | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: May 13 2011, 10:15 AM (408 Views) | |
| shure | May 13 2011, 10:15 AM Post #1 |
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Syrian troops 'will not shoot' protesters Activist says the president has ordered security forces not to open fire at rallies expected after Friday prayers. Last Modified: 13 May 2011 07:52 http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2011/05/201151362452271960.html ![]() Opposition figures have presented their demands to Bouthaina Shaaban, adviser to President Assad [Reuters] Bashar al-Assad, the Syrian president, has ordered troops not to fire on pro-democracy demonstrators, a rights campaigner has told Reuters news agency. This came ahead of Friday prayers that have become a rallying point for protesters in the country's now eight-week long uprising. Louay Hussein, a Syrian political activist, said Assad's adviser Bouthaina Shaaban had told him in a phone call on Thursday that "definitive presidential orders have been issued not to shoot demonstrators and whoever violates this bears full responsibility," according to Reuters. Broadening the crackdown Friday - the main congregated day of prayer for Muslims - offers the only chance for Syrians to assemble in large numbers, making it easier to hold demonstrations. This Friday will be an important test after the government said it had largely put down the unrest. The Geneva-based International Commission of Jurists said troops had killed 700 people, rounded up thousands and indiscriminately shelled towns during the protests. Tanks advanced in the southern towns of Dael, Tafas, Jassem and al-Harah on Thursday, broadening a crackdown before Friday. In Deraa, a witness, who declined to be named, said the first significant demonstration since tanks shelled the city's old quarter into submission two weeks ago, erupted on Thursday. Eighteen people were reportedly killed in shelling by tanks in residential areas across the country on Wednesday. Ammar Qurabi, head of Syria's National Organisation for Human Rights, said 13 people had been killed in the southern village of al-Harah. Tanks also shelled a residential district in Homs killing at least five people, a rights campaigner in the city said. A sixth person was killed by a sniper. Washington and its European allies have been criticised for a tepid response to the violence in Syria, in contrast with Libya where they are carrying out a bombing campaign they say will not end until leader Muammar Gaddafi is driven from power. Hillary Clinton, the US Secretary of State, said Washington and its allies would hold Assad's government to account for "brutal reprisals" against protesters and might tighten sanctions, but she stopped short of saying Assad should leave power. |
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