« Syria Press Review » #12

Accusations swelling against Syria

Both the Western and the Gulf press have relayed the allegation of the SOHR (London office of the Syrian Muslim Brotherhood) according the which the Syrian army has massacred hundreds of people in Kafroueid, in the province of Idleb.

Although this accusation was not cross-checked, France and the United States reacted strongly. The Quai d’Orsay spoke of an "unprecedented massacre" while the White House said that "Assad does not deserve to rule Syria."

• The international press keeps silent about the kidnapping of five Iranian engineers in Homs. This action follows the sabotage of the pipeline supplying the electric power plant and the withdrawal of Petro-Canada. The aim is to deprive Homs of energy.

• Jane’s Defence Weekly notes that even with the 20 000 men it is purported to have, the Free Syrian Army has no chance of winning. Indeed, it does not benefit from any significant defection in terms of combat units or high ranking officials. It is intended to serve as cover for an international operation.

• The Jerusalem Post is the first newspaper to bring up the open letter addressed to President Obama by 55 members of the Foreign Policy Initiative (see pp. 45-46), the new US hawkish organization, which is firmly in line with the Project for A New American Century. The letter was written in collaboration with the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies, which is an offshoot of the Israeli government.

The signatories urge the President of the United States to step up sanctions, establish official contacts with the opposition, civil and military, and entrust Turkey with the creation of a neutral zone in Syria.

• In Le Point, Edward Luttwak, official historian of the Israeli army, paints the unrest in Syria as a means of undercutting Iranian influence by stirring up a fitna.