20th/May/2012

Umayya for Researches and Strategic Studies

The Daily Monitoring Report

Military Situation
- Today at dawn, violent clashes broke out between the Free Syrian Army (FSA) and the regime's troops in Kafr Sousseh, Damascus. In addition, the security forces created barriers in many important regions in the capital.(9)

Statistics 19th/May Martyrs: 36

Political Mobility
- The Syrian National Council (SNC) condemns Deir Al-Zour's explosion, as well as all other bombings, blaming Al-Assad's regime for such blasts.(1)(4)(9)

The Internal Situation

- Sounds of explosions were heard in the districts of Abu Rummaneh and Al-Malkie in Damascus, described by the inhabitants as being unprecedented and near to the presidential palace.
(9)

- The international monitors' mission- deployed in Deir ez-Zor town- examined the location of the "terrorist" explosion and scrutinized harms in that place.(8)(18)

- The British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said that the number of the martyrs of Deir ez-Zor hit only four. It also pointed out that that explosion took place in a street which includes the premises of the military and air intelligence, in addition to a military hospital.(8) - Unknown people assassinated brother of an official with an organization affiliated to Ba'ath Party in Deir ez-Zor.(1) - Violent shelling by missiles and mortars, in addition to gunfire continued from barriers in Al-Rastan city at the hands of AlAssad's battalions.(1)(9) - Al-Assad's detachments bombed Jobar district in Homs using mortars shells.(1) - Four fighters affiliated to the Free Syrian Army (FSA) were martyred, including an officer and a soldier following clashes that broke out on the outskirts of Sarmada village. In addition, an officer and a soldier who dissented from the governmental troops were also martyred- after being targeted in the forest in which they were hiding- from the barriers of Al-Assad's battalions in the village of Al-Fouz affiliated to Jisr ash-Shugur in Idleb governorate.(1)(8) - Eight elements, affiliated to Al-Assad's battalions, were killed at least after exploding a troop carrier in Al-Maghara village, Idleb countryside.(8) - Dozens of Syrian writers and artists will meet in Doha early next June in the Qatari capital of Doha to launch a Festival entitled "Freedom blooms in a Country". The festival is the largest of its kind in terms of the big number of events, as well as the number of attendees, which will include Syrian and Arab intellectuals.(9) - Lieutenant colonel Mohannad Al-Talaa, chairman of the military council in Deir ez-Zor, said that the council has nothing to do with the blast, accusing- in a video clip, Al-Assad's gangs of committing such acts to prove the regime's claims that there are "terrorist gangs" in Syria.(9)(18)

Sources:
(1) (2)

Syrian Political Stances

- Al-Assad's regime describes Deir Al-Zour's blast as the latest proof that the uprising against President Bashar Al-Assad is a foreign plot and a part of a campaign funded by Saudi Arabia and Qatar to topple Ak-Assad!(7)

Arab Political Stances

- Qatar, UAE, Bahrain urges their citizens not to travel to Lebanon, asking their nationals to leave Lebanon because the security situation there. The Lebanese government calls on those countries to reconsider their decisions.(1)(7)(8)(9)(18)

Asharq Al-Awsat The London-based Al-Hayat (3) The Kuwaiti Al-Watan (4) Al-Quds Al-Arabi (5) The Lebanese Al-Mustaqbal (6) The Syrian Al-Baath (7) Reuters (8) AFP (9) The Qatari Al-Jazeera (10) The Israeli Haaretz (11) Washington Post (12) wall Street Journal (13) The Israeli Yedioth Ahronoth (14) The Guardian (15) The Telegraph (16) Russia Today (17) Lebanon Now (18) AP

- During a press conference held on the sidelines of the G8 Summit, Mikhail Margelov, the Kremlin's Africa envoy, said his country's position on the Syrian crisis has not changed, stressing that "the regime in Syria cannot be changed through force." Margelov wondered, who would assume power in case the Assad regime stepped down?(1)(8) - The Canadian government announces trade ban on luxury trade with Syria. It also imposed financial sanctions on six individuals and bodies belonging to the Assad regime.(3) - Hassan Siklawi, a media representative of the UN mission in Syria, said the number of observers reached 276 from 38 countries. They are deployed in the governorates of Rif Dimashq (Damascus countryside), Homs, Hama, Idlib, Deir Al-Zour and Darrra. The number of the mission's international staff reached 61 from 54 countries.(9)

International Political Stances

- Powerful blasts were reported in Douma, al-Rihan, AlShifouniya and Aleppo Street in Rif Dimashq.(1)(8) - Four civilians, including a woman, her son and her daughter were martyred after being shot in their car at the hands of unknown armed persons in Hamdaniyeh district, Aleppo city.(8) - Al-Assad's battalions shelled regions under the control of the Free Syrian Army (FSA) in Idleb, following clashes that claimed the lives of five elements affiliated to Al-Assad's forces, and another one- also affiliated to the governmental troops- was wounded.(1)(3) - A Russian official announced that representatives of the G8 countries have not yet reached a unified position on the Syrian file, saying that it is impossible to change the regime in Syria by force.(1)(3) - During the G8 Summit held in Camp David and chaired by the US President Barack Obama, Obama said "We had a discussion about Syria, we all believe that a peaceful resolution and a political transition in Syria is preferable". Obama also announced the G8's support for the UN-Arab envoy Kofi Annan's six-point plan, as well as their unanimous agreement that the plan should be applied in full.(1)(8)(9)(18)

This Report was issued by Umayya for Researches and Strategic Studies, and it contains Edited by Abed Alrhman Alsarraj