Israel Matzav

UN: Assad says Syrian 'police actions' have stopped

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad told UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon on Wednesday that military and 'police' operations against protesters in Syria have stopped.

In a phone call with Assad on Wednesday, Ban "expressed alarm at the latest reports of continued widespread violations of human rights and excessive use of force by Syrian security forces against civilians across Syria, including in the Al Ramel district of Latakia, home to several thousands of Palestinian refugees," the United Nations said in a statement.

"The Secretary-General emphasized that all military operations and mass arrests must cease immediately. President Assad said that the military and police operations had stopped," the statement added.

Residents of the besieged port city of Latakia said on Wednesday that Syrian forces raided houses in a Sunni district, arresting hundreds of people and taking them to a stadium after a four-day tank assault to crush protests against al-Assad.

The UN statement said Ban repeated his calls for an independent investigation into all reported killings and acts of violence, and for free access by the media.

It added the UN chief called on Damascus to cooperate fully with the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights.

"The Secretary-General also urged president Assad to engage in a credible and peaceful process of reform towards comprehensive change," the statement said.

Assad enumerated the reforms he will undertake in the next few months, including revision of the Constitution and the holding of parliamentary elections, the statement said.

Of course, the 'reforms' will be designed to keep Assad in power, and I would expect that means that the protesters will stay in the streets.

What will Assad do? What could go wrong?

If the 'police actions' stop, don't expect it to last.

Labels: Ban Ki-Moon, Bashar al-Assad, Syrian uprising, United Nations

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 9:53 AM