Syria to Lift Emergency Law

DAMASCUS, Syria (Al Arabiya News) - The decision to lift emergency rule in Syria, which has been in place since 1963, has "already been made," a presidential adviser said Sunday as dissent against government developed into a spiral of violence that left scores of people dead since March 15.

"The decision to lift the emergency law has already been made. But I do not know about the time frame," Buthaina Shaaban told AFP in an interview at her office.

Syria's emergency law, put in place when the ruling Baath party rose to power in March 1963, imposes restrictions on public gatherings and movement and authorizes the arrest of "suspects or persons who threaten security." The law also authorizes interrogation of any individual and the surveillance of personal communication as well as official control of the content of newspapers and other media before publication.

More than 30 people have been confirmed killed in a spiral of violence that has gripped Syria since a wave of protest broke out on March 15, with demonstrators demanding major reforms.

In a previous attempt to appease increasingly angry protesters, authorities freed 260 political detainees on Saturday. But the reports from Latakia by reformist activists living abroad suggested unrest was still spreading.

Syrian rights activist Ammar Qurabi told Reuters in Cairo: "There have been at least two killed (in Latakia) today after security forces opened fire on protesters trying to torch the Baath party building."

"I have been in touch with people in Syria since last night, using three cell phones and constantly sitting online. Events are moving at an extremely fast pace," he said.

Officials have confirmed 27 deaths in clashes between demonstrators and security forces -- 20 of them protesters -- in cities including Homs, Sanamen, Daraa and Latakia since the rallies began on March 15. Activists have put the death toll at more than 126, with upwards of 100 killed on Wednesday alone in a bloody crackdown on protests in Daraa, the southern tribal town that has become the symbol of the protests.

Analysis: "The Syrian government appears to be employing a mixture of tactics in the attempt to slow spreading unrest throughout the country. Offers of substantial concessions in the past few days follow weeks of unrest and violent clashes that have left scores of protesters dead. Following these offers, the Syrian people must now decide what they want to achieve from protests. If they want reforms and freedoms, President Assad appears to be signaling the possibility of changing long-standing policies and practices in return for peace. However, if the people's demands include the collapse of the Assad regime, do not expect the ruling Baathists to relinquish power easily."
 

Read the Full Article here: http://www.alarabiya.net/articles/2011/03/27/143167.html

Dozens of Syrians reported Killed in Daraa

(CNN) - Violent protests erupted Friday in Syria, with dozens of people people killed in and around the restive city of Daraa and a boy slain in the coastal town of Latakia, reports said.

"The situation in Syria has worsened considerably over the past week, with the use of live ammunition and tear gas by the authorities having resulted in a total of at least 37 people being killed in Daraa, including two children," said Rupert Colville, a spokesman for the U.N.'s Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights.

Among the dead were 15 people who tried to march to Daraa, sources said, and nine others who died when security forces fired on demonstrators in Daraa's main square, said Wissam Tarif, a human rights activist. There were many casualties in Daraa, said Abdullah, an eyewitness who asked that his full name not be reported due to security concerns. He said he saw Friday's events in the city, where deadly clashes have taken place in recent days between security forces and protesters.

"Thousands gathered and moved to the governor's building in Daraa, and there they burned a large picture of Bashar al-Assad, and then they toppled a statue of Hafez al-Assad in the center of the square," Abdullah said, referring to the current president and his late father, the former president.

Aman al Aswad, an opposition activist, said dozens of people appeared to have been killed or wounded in clashes with security forces in the square, but he could not be precise on the totals. CNN could not independently confirm the accounts as the Syrian government has yet to grant access to the network.

Earlier, more than 100,000 people attended an anti-government demonstration in the town, according to Kamal Aswad, a political activist in Daraa.

The situation has drawn concern from the international community. The United Nations said Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon spoke by phone with President Assad. In Washington, White House Press Secretary Jay Carney said Friday that the U.S. government condemns the outbreak of violence in Syria. "We are making clear from here and from other places what our position is," he said.

Human Rights Watch, among other groups, said Thursday that around three dozen people were killed in clashes in a 48-hour period. "Syria's security forces are showing the same cruel disregard for protesters' lives as their counterparts in Libya, Tunisia, Egypt, Yemen, and Bahrain," said Sarah Leah Whitson, Middle East and North Africa director at Human Rights Watch.

"President Bashar al-Assad's talk about reforms doesn't mean anything when his security forces are mowing down people who want to talk about them."

Analysis: "Syria is the latest Arab country to experience widespread protests and government-sanctioned violence. In these early days and weeks of political violence, domestic public reaction will direct the future events in the country. If the public is serious about regime change and willing to make to sacrifices necessary in doing so, Assad and the Baath regime in Syria are in for a prolonged period of dissent and violence."

Read the Full Article here: http://www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/meast/03/25/syria.unrest/