Syrian Crackdown Follows Protests

DAMASCUS (BBC) - Syrian security forces have arrested dozens of people, hours after clashes at pro-democracy protests in several cities left at least seven people dead, activists say. Most arrests came in the southern city of Deraa and the Damascus suburb of Duma, scene of the worst violence.

The government said its forces were not responsible for the deaths, blaming them on "armed groups".

Coverage of the protests is difficult to gauge because of media restrictions. Some reports said as many as 15 people had died in Friday's clashes.

An eyewitness told the Associated Press news agency that there was tension in Duma, with security forces patrolling the streets and checking documents. Other residents said bodies of some of the dead had been withheld, amid fears that funerals would spark further violence.

A joint statement by eight human rights groups, quoted by AFP news agency, said 46 people were arrested.

President Bashar al-Assad said earlier this week that demonstrations were part of a foreign "plot", but he has agreed to examine unpopular emergency laws in place since 1963.

Activists and rights groups estimate that between 60 and 130 people have died in clashes in the past two weeks. Government officials say the death toll is closer to 30.

Analysis: "Whether or not protester deaths are connected to the Assad regime, they will be perceived as such. The Baath government should take care not to initiate violence with protesters. It would also be in the government's interest to protect protesters from these 'armed groups' if they are, in fact, not sanctioned by Assad."

Read the Full Article here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-12948268

Syrian President blames Protests on 'Conspirators'

DAMASCUS (AP) - Syrian President Bashar Assad blamed "conspirators" Wednesday for an extraordinary wave of dissent against his authoritarian rule, but he failed to lift the country's despised emergency law or offer any concessions in his first speech since the protests began nearly two weeks ago.

Assad said Syria is facing "a major conspiracy" that aims to weaken this country of 23 million. The Assad family has ruled Syria for nearly 40 years, using the feared security services to monitor and control even the smallest rumblings of opposition. Draconian laws have all but eradicated civil liberties and political freedoms.

"We don't seek battles," Assad, 45, said in an unusually short, televised speech before legislators who cheered for him and shouted support from their seats. "But if a battle is imposed on us today, we welcome it."

Assad's speech was surprising not so much for what he said but for what he left out. His adviser, Bouthaina Shaaban, said last week that Syria had formed a committee to study a series of reforms and constitutional amendments, including lifting the state of emergency laws, in place since Assad's Baath party took power in 1963.

Assad had been widely expected to formally announce those changes. But the fact that he failed to mention any of them was a major disappointment for thousands of protesters who have taken to the streets since March 18, calling for reform. Human rights groups say more than 60 people have been killed as security forces cracked down on the demonstrations.

Within minutes of his speech, social networking sites exploded with activists expressing major disappointment, with some calling on Syrians to take to the streets immediately.

"The fact that he is blaming everything on conspirators means that he does not even acknowledge the root of the problem," said Razan Zaitouneh, a Syrian lawyer and pro-reform activist. "I don't have an explanation for this speech, I am in a state of shock ... There are already calls for a day of anger on Friday. This cannot sit well with the Syrian people."

The unrest in Syria, a strategically important country, could have implications well beyond its borders given its role as Iran's top Arab ally and as a front line state against Israel.

Analysis: "Assad's over-hyped, under-delivered speech could show uncertainty within the president's inner circle. To essentially renege on a pledge of a major announcement could point to a last-minute change of policy for the Baathist regime. With the immediate options for Assad being crack down or offer concessions, he is opting for neither at the moment. Expect to see Assad make a decision soon."

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Syrian Government Resigns

DAMASCUS, Syria (CNN) - The Syrian government resigned Tuesday amid an unusual wave of unrest that has roiled the nation, state TV reported.

President Bashar al-Assad accepted the resignations Tuesday, the same day that tens of thousands of Syrians poured onto the streets of Damascus to demonstrate in favor of the government. A new government should be named in a few hours, said Reem Haddad, a spokeswoman for the Syrian Information Ministry.

Meanwhile, the president plans to make "a very important speech" on Wednesday, she said. The speech will "reassure the Syrian people," the state-run SANA news agency has reported.

The pro-government rally on Tuesday followed violent clashes between protesters and security forces in the cities of Daraa and Latakia in recent days. At least 37 people have been killed since last week, according to the U.N. Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights.

Many demonstrators at the pro-government rally held posters of the president. Others waved Syrian flags, while some painted their faces and chests in national colors. Crowds filled the square in front of the Central Bank and jammed all roads leading to it, aerial pictures on state TV showed.

There were also pro-government rallies in the cities of Aleppo, Hama, and Hasaka, the broadcaster said.

Analysis: "President Assad is employing a tactic used by Mubarak in Egypt and King Abdullah in Jordan, to different effects. In Jordan, a majority of protesters were at least temporarily satisfied by the move. In Egypt, however, the ire of the opposition was too focused on Mubarak, and concessions were too late. By appointing a new government relatively early in the opposition movement, Assad may delay or stop the spreading of major protests throughout Syria, giving the government time formulate a major concession package."

Read the Full Article here: http://www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/meast/03/29/syria.unrest/index.html