20th/march/2012

Umayya for Researches and Strategic Studies

The Daily Monitoring Report

The Military Situation
- Fierce clashes erupted between the Free Syrian Army (FSA) and Al-Assad's forces in the Damascus district of Al-Mezzeh. (Asharq Al-Awsat, the London-based Al-Hayat, the Kuwaiti Al-Watan, AlQuds Al-Arabi, Reuters, Al-Jazeera, the Guardian) - The Israeli Haaretz newspaper quotes activists as saying that some 50 of Al-Assad's troops were killed in Al-Mezzeh clashes. (The Israeli Haaretz) - Heavy fighting was reported between the FSA and Al-Assad's forces in the Rif Dimashq neighborhood of Basatin Barzeh. The government forces also broke into Harasta suburb of the same governorate. (Al-Jazeera, the Israeli Haaretz, the Washington Post, the Wall Street Journal) - Fierce clashes also broke out between the FSA and the government forces in Deir Al-Zour, which was raided by dozens of AlAssad's tanks and armored personnel carriers to restore the main neighborhoods controlled by the FSA forces. (Al-Jazeera) - The Free Syrian Army (FSA) forms a new squad in Damascus called "Martyrs of the Capital Battalion", which fought in AlMezzeh clashes yesterday. (Asharq Al-Awsat) - The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) issued a recent report, saying that Syria imported nearly six times more weapons between the years 2007 and 2011 than in the previous five-year period. Russian weapons accounts for 78% of the arms supplies to President Bashar Assad's regime. situation (in Syria) is most likely to deteriorate. (Asharq AlAwsat, Reuters, Al-Jazeera, the Washington Post, Yedioth Ahronoth)

Statistics

Arab
- The Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki said, "The Syrian crisis issue is not listed on the agenda of the coming Arab Summit to be held in Baghdad." (Al-Jazeera)

19th/Mar Martyrs: 52

International
- Spokesman for the UN-Arab envoy Kofi Annan, Ahmad Fawzi said, The mission has arrived. There are five people with expertise in political, peacekeeping and mediation. They will be staying for as long as they are making progress (on reaching) agreement on practical steps to implement Mr Annans proposals, which include a monitoring mechanism.. (Asharq Al-Awsat, the Kuwaiti Al-Watan) - During a press conference with his Moroccan counterpart Saad -Eddine Al-Othmani, the Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said, "Turkey could not remain indifferent to developments in Syria. It is our duty to offer them support. Turkey will continue to work with the opposition Syrian National Council (SNC) to help it get more international support." (Asharq AlAwsat) - The ruling Justice and Development Party in Turkey said, "Government has not decided yet to establish a buffer zone on the Turkish borders with Syria." (Asharq Al-Awsat) - In a statement, the Russian Foreign Ministry said, "Moscow has noted a certain change in our Western partners' conduct regarding Syria. However, this is not enough to find a way out of the current situation. Russia continues making active steps to negotiate a political settlement of the Syrian crisis." (Asharq AlAwsat, the Kuwaiti Al-Watan) - Sources with the Russian Navy announced the arrival of a Russian navy ship with a unit of anti-terrorist Marines aboard arrived in the Syrian port of Tartus on Monday. The military tanker joined a Russian naval reconnaissance and surveillance ship affiliated to Russia's Black Sea Fleet already stationed in the Mediterranean. (Asharq Al-Awsat, Al-Quds Al-Arabi, the Lebanese Al-Mustaqbal, Al-Jazeera)

The Internal Situation

- Some Eight soldiers of the Free Syrian Army martyred during clashes in Damscus, Deir Al-Zour, Daraa and Al-Rastan. (AlJazeera) - Documents leaked by a dissident revealed that the Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad personally signed plans drawn up by his government's crisis management centre, prioritizing a security crackdown to prevent protests against his regime spreading to Damascus. (the Guardian) - Asma al-Assad, the British-born wife of the Syrian president, will be added to a European Union sanctions blacklist later this week, The Daily Telegraph has learned. (The Telegraph)

Activities of Civil Organizations

- During his meeting with the Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Moscow, head of the International Committee of the Red Cross said, "Our assessment, unfortunately, is that the humanitarian situation (in Syria) is most likely to deteriorate. (Asharq Al-Awsat, Reuters, Al-Jazeera, the Washington Post, Yedioth Ahronoth)

Political Stances Syria

- During his meeting with the Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Moscow, head of the International Committee of the Red Cross said, "Our assessment, unfortunately, is that the humanitarian
Hundreds of protesters gather at Toronto Old City Hall for Syria's National Day of Action Andrew Moran, The Digital Journal

This Report was issued by Umayya for Researches and Strategic Studies, and it contains pure news that do not reflect an opinion.