Syria - Increased Activity

UPDATE for August 8 / 9 inserted further down !

An opinion poll by Al-Jazeera's Arabic service provided the folllowing results:

هل تعتقد ان النظام السوري يسعى لتقسيم سوريا ؟

Do you think that Syria's regime is trying to divide Syria ?

Yes: 85.8%

No: 14.2%

Number of participants: 19.985

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News of the Day (August 7, 2012):

مراسل الجزيرة في حلب: قوات الجيش السوري الحر تقتحم مبنيي الأمن الجنائي و الجيش الشعبي في حلب

Al-Jazeera's reporter in Aleppo: Free Syrian Army forces are attacking a building of the [National] Security's Crimes [Squad] and the People's Army in Aleppo.

مراسل الجزيرة: الجيش النظامي السوري يقصف بالطائرات و الدبابات عدة أحياء في مدينة حلب

Al-Jazeera's reporter: Troops of the Syrian regime are shelling several quarters in the town of Aleppo, using planes and tanks.

On the subject of 48 alleged Iranian Revolutionary Guards, being held prisoners by the Free Syrian Army, Tehran has increased its diplomatic activity:

الأسد يقول عقب لقائه مبعوث خامنئي إن دمشق مصممة على تطهير البلاد من الإرهابيين

Assad says at the end of his meeting with an envoy of Khamenei (*) that Damascus is decided to "clean" the country from "terrorists".

* = The Iranian diplomat Jalili is the special envoy of Ayatollah Khamenei mentioned by Assad.

It is only recently that Iran had asked Turkey to act as a mediator in favour of the release of its citizens captured in Syria. Now, it seems that Turkey was again confronted with Iranian accusations about its position in the Syrian crisis:

تركيا تشجب اتهامات إيرانية لها بالمسؤولية عن استمرار العنف و تاجيج الأزمة في سوريا

Turkey condemns Iranian accusations of being responsible for continued violence and reviving the crisis in Syria.

Political Background: Turkey - Iran

On Tuesday, August 7, Iran's foreign minister Ali Akbar Salehi paid a snap visit to Ankara for a meeting with his counterpart Ahmet Davutoglu. Referring to the case of 48 "abducted pilgrims" he said:
"Turkey has links with the opposition in Syria, so we think Turkey can play a major role in freeing our pilgrims."

Turkey has repeatedly denied Iranian allegations that it is arming the rebels. Turkey and Iran are at the opposite ends of the Syrian crisis. Ankara has been at the forefront of international criticism against the Damascus regime's deadly response to the popular uprising, while Tehran is one of Assad's few allies.

Defected Syrian PM Riad Hijab coming to a rest in his new environment (above).

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UPDATE for August 8, 2012:

Al-Arabiya reported on August 8 the story of a Russian general, Vladimir Kuchev [فلاديمير كوجييف], who fell into the hands of the rebels:

جنرال روسي ينفي مقتله على يد الجيش الحر

Russian general in the hands of the Free Army is denying his [participation] in battle.

الثوار أكدوا أنه يعمل مستشاراً لوزير الدفاع السوري

The rebels confirmed that he was an adviser to the Syrian minister of defence.

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UPDATE for August 9, 2012:

The following news are quoted from Al-Arabiya Online.

انشقاق رئيس المراسم في القصر الجمهوري السوري

Defection of the head of protocol in the Palace of the Syrian Republic.

الجيش الحر: محي الدين المسلمانية في مكان آمن وستحدث انشقاقات مهمة الأيام القادمة

According to the Free Army, [Machi al-Din al-Maslamaniya] is in a secure place and [further] essential defections are being expected for the next days.

Defected Head of Protocol
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Related News from Lebanon by Al-Jazeera on August 9, 2012:

توقيف ميشال سماحة جاء بناء على إشارة من القضاء اللبناني

Apprehension of Michel Samaha [at his home] because of instruction by Lebanon's judiciary.

ميشيل سماحة يعتبر من أبرز و جود قوى 8 من آذار المتحالفة مع النظامين السوري و الإيراني و مقرب من الرئيس السوري

Michel Samaha is considered having promoted and [done his best to encourage] a collaboration of the March 8 [coalition] with both regimes in Syria and Iran. [Furthermore, he is considered] being familiar with the Syrian president.


Background Information:
Michel Samaha is a former Lebanese minister of the so-called March 8 coalition that includes the influential Hezbollah (God's Party) which allegedly maintains strong ties with Iran. According to General Prosecutor Samir Hammoud, Samaha should have been arrested for security reasons. Al-Jazeera's video is showing the broken door of his home and his shocked family that is now expected to call for mass demonstrations of pro-Hezbollah groups if Michel Samaha is not released until Friday.
[Source: Press TV and Al-Jazeera]

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Visitor access points to "blueprint news" in Eastern Europe (last 14 days):

"Postcard" from Moscow - Visitor from Kremlin

Syrian PM Defected - Iran Caught in a Dilemma

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Breaking News on Syria - Al-Jazeera Evening News, August 6:

رئيس الوزراء السوري رياض حجاب يعلن انشقاقه عن النظام و يتوجه إلى الأردن

Syria's prime minister Riad Hijab declares his separation from the regime and leaves for Jordan.

التلفزيون السوري: تكليف المهندس عمر غلاونجي بتسيير أعمال الحكومة بعد إقالة رياض حجاب

According to Syria's [state] TV, the engineer Omar [Ghalauniji] has been instructed to take over the duties of government after the dismissal of Riad Hijab.

According to Al-Jazeera, the former prime minister should have joined the rebels who helped him to get out of the country.

Official U.S. sources say the defection of Syria's PM is showing that Assad's government is "crumbling from within".

Syrian president Assad (right) and defected PM Hijab (left).

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Latest information from Al-Jazeera's Arabic website on August 6, 2012, and after Syrian rebels captured 48 alleged revolutionary guards near Damascus:

طهران تناشد أنقرة التوسط للإفراج عن مواطنيها

Tehran appeals to Ankara to act as a mediator for the release of their citizens.

إيران تحذر وألمانيا تستبعد تدخلا عسكريا بسوريا

Iran is cautious and Germany refuses any military intervention in Syria.

لاريجاني اتهم الولايات المتحدة ودولا أخرى بدعم المعارضة السورية عسكريا

Larijani [president of the Iranian parliament] accuses the United States and other countries for military support of the Syrian opposition.

Larijani, the president of Iran's parliament (above).

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German Position Towards Syria:

On May 29, 2012, Germany cut diplomatic ties with Syria as a consequence of the Al-Hula massacre. Regarding any military intervention whatsoever, the government of chancellor Merkel has always been cautious. Even after the retreat of U.N. special envoy Kofi Annan from his mission to Syria, Germany's minister of defence, Thomas de Maizière, declared German support for the people of Syria should be restricted to humanitarian aid and logistic support for the rebels (August 6).

[Main source: dradio.de - Deutschlandfunk on August 6, 2012]

Syria - Rebels Controlling Aleppo

Important UPDATE further down !

الجيش الحر يسيطر على الإذاعة والتلفزيون في حلب

The Free Army is in control of radio and television [stations] in Aleppo.

انسحب تكتيكياً لضراوة القصف من جانب قوات النظام ويتمركز حالياً في محيط المباني

Tactical retreat from [...] shelling by part of the [government] troops and momentary concentration in the environment of the buildings.

شهدت مدينة حلب السورية تطورات متلاحقة الليلة الماضية، إذ أعلن الجيش الحر أنه بات يسيطر على 60% من أحياء حلب، موضحاً أنه يتمركز حالياً في محيط مباني الإذاعة والتلفزيون في حلب بعد انسحابه من داخلها بسبب قصف طائرات النظام

Last night, the Syrian town of Aleppo witnessed the continued proceedings [that led to] the proclamation of the Free Army having definitely gained control over 60% of Aleppo [township]. They made clear having momentarily concentrated in the environment of the radio and television buildings in Aleppo after their retreat because of being bombed by [government] planes.

[Source: Al-Arabiya Online, August 4, 2012]

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UPDATE on August 5, 2012:

الحر يعتقل 48 عنصراً من الحرس الثوري الإيراني

"The Free" [Syrian army] have captured 48 members of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards.

إيران طلبت من تركيا وقطر التدخل الفوري للإفراج عنهم

Iran asked Turkey and Qatar to immediately intervene [in favour of] their liberation.

The photos below are taken from a video of the Free Syrian Army, presenting a member of Iran's Revolutionary Guards who is handing over his personal documents, including military papers, to an officer of the rebel forces:

[Source: Al-Arabiya Online, August 5, 2012]

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Headline of Al-Jazeera from the same day (August 5):

إيران تطالب تركيا وقطر بالتدخل في قضية المختطفين

Iran is asking Turkey and Qatar for intervention in the case of kidnappings.

According to official Iranian sources, those 48 Iranians should have been on their way by bus from Saida Sinab (*) to the international airport of Damascus when being captured. Saida Sinab is located about 16 kilometers away from Damascus. In the quoted article from Al-Jazeera there is no mentioning of the Free Syrian Army.

* Saida Sinab is named after a valuable woman, daughter of Imam Ali Ben Abi.

Comment by Ulysses:
The article of Al-Jazeera Online has been quoted because there are Western TV sources, most probably relying on Al-Jazeera and treating the subject as a mere "kidnapping by unknown bandits". This might be due to a different level of information for different news services. Today, Al-Arabiya seemed to be first in the daily race.

Japan - Territorial Claims - UPDATE

Important UPDATE added on August 10 !

Last Friday, Japan’s defence minister warned Tokyo could send troops to a chain of East China Sea islands at the center of a territorial row with China if the simmering dispute escalated. [Source: JapanToday, July 28, 2012]

On 1st August, 2012, People's Network, Beijing, published an article that can be seen as a semi-official reaction upon Japan's recent defence policy:

日本新《防卫白皮书》再提“中国威胁”

Japan's new "White Book of Defence" is, once again, referring to "China as a threat".

日本政府7月31日出台2012年度《防卫白皮书》。白皮书妄称中国的动向是地区的担忧事项，强调实现日美“机动防卫合作”；同时再次主张日俄、日韩争议岛屿拥有主权。

On July 31, the Japanese government released its 2012 "White Book of Defence". The White Book preposterously [or: presumptuously] called China tending to be a regional subject of worry, underlining [the necessity] to bring about a "flexible defence cooperation" between Japan and the U.S.A.. At the same time maintaining, once again, sovereign owner rights of such islands disputed between Japan and Russia as well as between Japan and South Korea.

That article is showing the difficulty of tracing national boundaries in the South Pacific. One main regional problem, concerning the South China Sea and that is under entire control of China's navy, has been discussed earlier in this blog. Even between allied nations like China and North Korea maritime borders and fishing grounds are being disputed.

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UPDATE on August 10, 2012:

People's Network, Beijing, reported an unusual trip of South Korea's president Lee to "Solitary Island" (Dokdo) today, August 10.

That small Pacific island which the Japanese have named "Bamboo Island" (Takeshima) is being disputed for long between South Korea and Japan. South Korea earlier annected that tiny island and stationed a small coastguard unit there. Because of its fishing grounds and possible offshore-oil deposits, Solitary Island has recently become the focus of public attention.

日媒：李明博访问独岛或为抵消丑闻之举

Japanese media: Lee Myung-bak's visit to Solitary Island is probably an act to counteract a scandal.

... Lee Myung-bak's "forced landing" on that island must extremely worsen the Japanese-Korean relations. This morning, Japan's foreign minister Koichiro Gemba held a speech in parliament where he told the media that South Korea's action and Japan's position are in conflict with each other. South Korea is strongly demanded to stop their action which needs to receive a determined answer. ...

According to BBC, London, Lee's visit to the disputed island comes shortly before South Korea marks the anniversary of the end of Japanese colonial rule.

Lee Myung-bak

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Visitor access points to "blueprint news" from Taiwan and the Philippines covering the last 14 days. Disputed islands are specially marked !

Visitor access points to "blueprint news" from Manila, Philippines,
covering the last 14 days.

Syrian Rebels - Fighting Air-Raids

叙利亚反对派从外部获取地对空导弹

Syrian rebels received anti-aircraft missiles from the outside.

People's Network, Beijing, on August 2, 2012, quoting an U.S. source:
According to a U.S. station broadcast on July 31, the Free Syrian Army should have acquired more than 20 anti-aircraft missiles from some "outside party". The guided missiles should have been received by way of a Turkish contact. Their military specification being unknown, it is clear, however, that they are determined to be used by single soldiers as a "shoulder device". It seems that U.S. government circles are not involved in that kind of "ammunition" deal.

This development comes together with news about increased shooting of rebel positions by Syrian army helicopters.

Political background:
When the Syrian-Turkish border came under control of Syrian rebels, tensions between the Assad regime and Turkey had already reached a culmination point, as Turkish premier Erdogan was not willing to accept shooting of refugees by Syrian government forces at his country's border. Even a hint was given that Turkey might call its NATO allies for support.
No wonder if, by chance of course, some outdated Turkish anti-aircraft missiles find their way to the Syrian rebels.

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Annan Quits as Special Envoy to Syria

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Visitor access points to "blueprint news" in the New York region .....

..... and in Norfolk, Virginia.

Syria - All Plannings Exclude Assad

Last UPDATE (1st August) added further down !

While fierce fighting is going on for supremacy in Aleppo, Syrias biggest town, thousands of civilians are fleeing the country (picture above).

Meanwhile, the Free Syrian Army is considering how to replace the old Syrian system in case Assad would leave the country. That option has been urgently offered to Assad by Leon Panetta, U.S. secretary for defense, following a similar proposal by the PM and foreign minister of Qatar who spoke on behalf of the community of Arabic nations some days before.

الجيش السوري الحر يقترح مشروع إنقاذ وطني للمرحلة الانتقالية بعد سقوط نظام الأسد

The Free Syrian Army proposes a plan of national rescue for the period of transition after the fall of the Assad regime.

الجيش السوري الحر: أي حكومة تشكل من دون أن تتبنى كامل مطالب الثورة لن تحظى بأي شرعية وطنية و ثورية

The Free Syrian Army: [Any] government formed without [coping with] all demands of a revolution will not benefit from [any] national and revolutionary legitimacy.

[Sources: CNN and Al-Jazeera, Arabic TV]

Violent fightings in the biggest town of Syria (above):
Red marked areas of Aleppo have been shelled by government troops since July 21, 2012. [Source: Arabic daily Asharq Al-Awsat on July 31, 2012]



Important data for Aleppo province:

24% of Syria's inhabitants

22.8% of Syria's working force

30% of Syria's industry

48% of Syria's agriculture (i.e. wheat and barley)

[Source: Al-Jazeera, Arabic TV, on August 1st, 2012]

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Makeshift prison of rebel forces:

Prisoner belonging to a pro-government militia with typical tattoos showing his loyalty to the ruling family (above: portraits) and Hezbollah (below: Arabic writing). The prisoner's skin is showing deep cuts probably indicating indecent treatment by rebel guards. Other prisoners, belonging to regular government forces, seem to be better treated than militiamen who are being related to arbitrary killings of civilians.
[Report: CNN on August 1st, 2012]

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لجان التنسيق المحلية في سوريا: 90 قتيلا معظمهم في دمشق و ريفها و ديرالزور و حلب

[According to] local committees of coordination in Syria, 90 [should have] died, most of them in Damascus and [its] outskirts, in Derisur and Aleppo.
[Source: Al-Jazeera, Arabic TV, on August 1st, 2012]

China's Economy - Greedy for Oil

China's Gigantic Business Coup

人民网2012年7月28日:
编者按：加拿大Nexen石油公司董事会22日宣布同意中国海洋石油总公司以151亿美元价格收购其66%股份，加拿大CTV电视台说，若收购成功，这将成为亚洲公司迄今在加最重大并购行为，也是中国能源行业在海外最大一笔收购。中海油为何在折戟7年后，再次收购尼克森？有什么深远意义？

People's Network, Beijing, on July 28, 2012:

Editorial note: On [July] 22 the director's board of Canada's Nexen Oil Company proclaimed having approved the purchase of 66% of [Nexen] shares by China's General Maritime Oil Company for a price of 15.1 billion US $. Canada's television station CTV says if the purchase succeeded, this would mean the Asian company's most significant incorporated buying action in Canada up to now. It would be as well the biggest purchase abroad at one stroke for China's industry of energy resources. Why, after seven years [...], is China's Maritime Oil buying Nexen for another time ? Is there any far-reaching significance in it ?

[Editorial note by Ulysses: China's General Maritime Oil Company is better known as CNOOC = China Offshore Oil Company]

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In order to answer the questions asked in the Chinese editorial note above, it is necessary to rely on further information. Some days earlier, on 23 July 2012, "gCaptain", a provider for maritime and offshore news, published an article on the Nexus deal. Some important facts from that article are quoted below:

State-owned CNOOC is China’s largest offshore oil company. The deal will give it ownership of oil and gas reserves in western Canada, the U.K. North Sea, the Gulf of Mexico and offshore Nigeria.

In 2012, approximately 70% of Nexen’s output is expected to come from offshore fields, according to Nexen’s website, making it a good fit for the Chinese company’s offshore fields. In 2011, Nexen produced around 207,000 barrels a day of oil equivalent.

Nexen, which describes itself as a major player in Canada’s oil sands sector, is also a producer of shale gas, in northeastern British Columbia.

In a statement on the Hong Kong stock exchange, CNOOC said it will fund the deal through existing cash resources and external financing. Nexen’s current debt of around $4.3 billion will remain outstanding, CNOOC said.
If the deal is approved by Nexen shareholders, Nexen will become a wholly owned subsidiary of CNOOC, the statement said.

Now it is clear that China's state-run company already owns 33% of Nexen shares. Therefore it is no "second purchase" of the same company but a completion of a gigantic business coup that gives China control over very many oil drilling sites distributed all over the world !

US Elections - Fight for Jewish Votes

Subject of discussion in today's broadcast "Behind the News ماوراء الخبر" from Al-Jazeera, Arabic service, is the application of both candidates in the coming presidential elections to come to terms with Israel.

What is named "act" in the following translation because of missing precision in the original text is referring to Obama's signature of the new "U.S.-Israel Enhanced Security Act" the day before and which means more money for Israel's military. Obama's signature and Romney's visit to Israel should therefore be seen in the light of gaining votes from an influential Jewish community in the U.S.A. as represented by groups like the conservative "Christians United for Israel".

توقيع أوباما جاء قبل يوم واحد من زيارة منافسه في الانتخابات ميت رومني إلى إسرائيل

Obama already gave [his] signature the day before his competitor in the [coming] elections, Mitt Romney, [began] his visit to Israel.

مراقبون يربطون بين توقيع القانون و قرب موعد الانتخابات حيث يسعى أوباما للفوز بفترة ثانية

Observers are [considering a] connection between the signature of [the act *] and the near date of elections where Obama is striving for the success of a second period [as a president].

مراقبون: توقيع أوباما للقانون و زيارة رومني لإسرائيل يعكسان سعيهما لكسب أصوات اليهود

Observers: Obama's signature of [the act *] and Romney's visit to Israel are reflecting their application to benefit from Jewish votes.

أنطوان شلحة - باحث بالمركز الفلسطيني للدراسات الإسرائيلية

Anthony Shalakha - Investigator at the Palestinian Center of Israeli Studies (above)

ميت رومني حصل على تأييد الجمهوريين لمواجهة أوباما في الانتخابات الرئاسية المقبلة

Mitt Romney reached the confirmation of the Republicans to confront Obama in the presidential elections to come.

باراك أوباما: القانون الجديد يعكس التزامنا الثابت بأمن إسرائيل

Barack Obama: The new act [*] is reflecting the persistent [actualization] for Israel's security.

القانون يتيح لإسرائيل الحصول على مزيد من الأسلحة و الذخائر الأمريكية

The act [*] allows Israel to obtain further weapons and U.S. [reserves].

الرئيس الأمريكي باراك أوباما يوقع على قانون يدعم التعاون العسكري مع اسرائيل

U.S. President Barack Obama [concentrates] on the act [*] supporting military cooperation with Israel.

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Elementary Physics - Munich Strings 2012

On July 28, 2012, we enjoyed an academic highlight at Ludwig-Maximilian's University in Munich, Germany.

It was a public lecture on how modern string theory can be applied in the description of elementary particles and their behaviour in the frame of latest experiments carried out at the Large Hadron Collider LHC site of CERN, Geneva. At the end of an international symposium, two top referents from the front of either theoretical or experimental research provided an intelligible introduction into that difficult subject, thereby facing a numerous audience comprising all ages. It must be noted that almost every listener remained on his seat up to the last second, even though it was a difficult subject to learn about and the day was hot and sultry.

Prof. Rolf-Dieter Heuer, Director General of CERN in Geneva, Switzerland, spoke about "The 'World Machine' LHC at CERN - Insights into an Early Universe" in German. Later, theoretical physicist Prof. Edward Witten from the Institute for Advanced Study at Princeton University held his lecture on "String Theory And The Universe" in English.


Prof. Edward Witten, Princeton University, U.S.A.

The subject will be dealt with some time later in a special webpage. For a first approach to elementary particle physics, I recommend another blogspot of mine on the discovery of a particle suspected to be the Higgs boson.

Visitor access point to "blueprint news" related to the recommended link above. That visitor came today and has been identified as being from CERN. His or her position is near Annecy where the LHC should be located.

Syria - Regime Under Increased Pressure

- 中文的消息 -
以色列威胁叙利亚
叙利亚军队谴责平民
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Update on July 25:

Government troops and rebels are preparing a decisive battle for Aleppo, Syria's most populated town. Meanwhile fighting is going on in Damascus and Al-Rastan (Homs province) [Al-Jazeera News]

Here are some remarkable TV screenshots:


Shelling of Al-Rastan by government troops (left) and traces of fighting in Derisur (right).


Doctor in a hospital treating rebel fighters (left) and rebel camp in Idlib (right).

Chinese source: Russia is urging the Syrian government not to move its chemical weapons, expecting the Syrian side to act according to their responsibility. [Russia's ministry of foreign affairs on July 24]

Different Western sources: Israel is threatening the Assad regime to resort to military action if biological and chemical weapons are being transferred to Hezbollah. Israel's minister of foreign affairs Liberman confirmed his country's position on an annual meeting of the European-Israeli contact group in Brussels.

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Al-Arabiya, Arabic website, on July 23, 2012:

مجلس قيادة الثورة: الجرحى بالعشرات إثر تدخل قوات النظام سجن حمص

Council of Command for the Revolution:
Tens wounded after troops of the regime enter the prison of Homs.

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Al-Arabiya, Arabic website, on July 24, 2012:

مجزرة جديدة في سجن خلب على يد النظام والحصيلة مقتل 15 سجيناً

New massacre in a prison, [fallen into] the hands of the regime, produced a death rate of 15 prisoners.

BREAKING NEWS

الجيش الحر يتهم الأسد بنقل سلاح كيميائي إلى الحدود

The Liberation Army accuses Assad of moving a chemical weapon to the border.

Additional news from Al-Jazeera TV, Arabic channel, on July 24, 2012:

الرائيس الأميركي يحذر النظام السوري من مغبة استخدام الأسلحة الكيماوية و باريس تعتبر استخدامها غير مقبول

America's president is warning the Syrian regime on the consequences of using chemical weapons while Paris is considering the possibility of own consequences.

إعدامات ميدانية في المزة بدمشق بطرق انتقامية

[On-the-spot] executions in [the outskirts] of Damascus as blows of revenge.

مسلحون لبنانيون في البقاع يخطفون سوريين للمبادلة

Armed Lebanese [in different places] are seizing Syrians for an exchange.

[Editor's comment: In the past, Syrian military has repeatedly crossed the Lebanese border in order to follow and capture Syrian citizens fleeing their country. There were as well reports of encroachment on Lebanese citizens during such incursions.]

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Al-Jazeera TV on July 23, 2012:

Border Crossings to Turkey under Rebel Control:

Above: Omar Khashram reporting from the passway to the Portal of Peace that is leading to the border between Syria and Turkey.

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Arabic Nations Urging Assad to Step Down:

Above: Qatar's PM and Foreign Minister, as a spokesman for the Arabic Nations he is offering Assad a safe retreat from power.