War plans stalled

The news are dominated by the UN Secretary General’s declaratios urging the Security Council to authorize a military intervention in Syria, and by the Emir of Qatar’s call for an Arab military intervention.

With the exception of the Chinese press, no one is spotlighting the amnesty decreed by President al-Assad and the release of hundreds of detainees who were arrested at the beginning of the protests.

The key message of the day put out by the US communication services dwells, on the one hand, on the defections of General Abdul-Hamid hammad al-Awwad and Homs MP Imad Ghalioun and, on the other hand, on the opening of a liaison unit between the Syrian National Council and the Free Syrian Army. Assad’s power falls in disarray while the opposition gets its act together.

In reality, these defections are insignificant. MP Ghalioun is the namesake cousin of the National Syrian Coucil chairman. As for the relations between the Council and the FSA, they are still just as dreadful.