Posted on 03/14/2012 12:28:42 AM PDT by U-238
The Syrian army has recaptured most of the northern rebel stronghold of Idlib near the Turkish border, pushing hundreds of military defectors out of a major base they had held for months even as pockets of resistance kept up their fight Tuesday.
Members of the rebel Free Syrian Army gather in a mountainous area of the restive Idlib province in northwestern Syria. The three-day operation to capture the city followed closely after a similar offensive to dislodge the opposition from another key piece of territory it had controlled, the Baba Amr district in central Homs. The two victories gave President Bashar al-Assad's regime unmistakable momentum as it tries to crush the armed opposition fighters.
A pledge Tuesday from Syria's ally Russia that Moscow will continue selling weapons to the regime was yet another boost. And a diplomatic bid by Kofi Annan, an envoy from the United Nations and the Arab League, to broker a cease-fire and start negotiations failed over the weekend. Mr. Annan said Tuesday that he was expecting to hear from Syrian officials on "concrete proposals" he offered on how to end the violence in their homeland.
Still, international pressure is more intense than ever, with the U.S. considering military options. On Tuesday, the Arab League chief said the regime's killing of civilians amounts to crimes against humanity and he called for an international inquiry.
Also Tuesday, President Assad set nationwide parliamentary elections for early May. The vote was initially to take place in March but was postponed after February's referendum on the country's new constitution that allowed new political parties to run. Syria's opposition, and the U.S., dismissed the move as meaningless amid ongoing fighting.
Activists reported fresh violence in the central province of Hama near Homs, the suburbs of Damascus and elsewhere, killing dozens.
(Excerpt) Read more at online.wsj.com ...
Yes same ones that came out of the mountains of libya. Man what a set up.
Assad clearly has the momentum. Especially in light that his pipeline of arms from Moscow is not going to be cut.
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