Saudi Arabia Recalls Syria Envoy as Assad Defends Crackdown
إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية
Saudi Arabia recalled its envoy to Syria in a major escalation of international pressure Monday after security forces killed more than 50 people and the regime defended its crackdown on "outlaws."
The shock move by Riyadh, the Middle East's Sunni Muslim heavyweight, followed condemnation by Pope Benedict XVI and the Arab League over the continuing bloodshed.
"Saudi Arabia announces the recall of its ambassador for consultations," the king said in a statement and urged Damascus to "stop the killing machine and the bloodshed... before it is too late."
"The kingdom does not accept the situation in Syria, because the developments cannot be justified," he said, urging "comprehensive and quick reforms."
"The future of Syria lies between two options: either Syria chooses willingly to resort to reason, or face being swept into deep chaos, God forbid," he said.
He branded the crackdown on protests immoral and in breach of Islamic teaching.
"Large numbers of martyrs have fallen, their blood has been shed, and many others have been wounded... This is not in accord with religion, values and morals," he said.
He reminded the Syrian government of Saudi support "in the past" but said that the Gulf kingdom had to take a "historic" decision.
The U.S. envoy to Damascus, Robert Ford, who returned to Syria on Thursday, also said in a U.S. television interview on Sunday that Washington will "try to ratchet up the pressure" on President Bashar Assad's regime.
The latest bloodshed came as the pope said he was "following with deep concern the dramatic and increasing episodes of violence in Syria that have led to numerous victims and grave suffering".
Ford, who infuriated the Syrian authorities with a visit to the flashpoint protest city of Hama last month, also told ABC news that the violence against protesters was "grotesque" and "abhorrent".
Activists said security forces backed by tanks killed 42 civilians in the eastern city of Deir al-Zour and at least 10 more in the central town of Hula on Sunday.
"Forty-two civilians have been killed and more than 100 wounded in Deir al-Zour by gunfire from the armed forces and security agents," Syrian League for the Defense of Human Rights head Abdel Karim Rihawi told Agence France Presse.
Rihawi said that 28 people were killed in Deir al-Zour’s al-Jura neighborhood and 14 died in Huweika, adding that thousands also fled the city.
In Hula in Homs district, at least 10 people were killed in a military assault, Rihawi said.
"About 25 tanks and troop carriers entered Hula and carried out military operations," another activist, Rami Abdel Rahman of the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, said earlier.
The Observatory also reported two civilians shot dead in Idlib in the northwest by security forces firing on mourners at a funeral.
Abdel Rahman said hundreds of demonstrators took to the streets of Syria's second city Aleppo in the north late on Sunday, demanding the fall of the regime and proclaiming solidarity with Deir al-Zour and Hama.
The Local Coordination Committees, which organized the protests, said on Facebook that snipers on rooftops in Deir al-Zour "are firing on anything that moves," and also gave a toll of 42 dead.
Assad roundly defended his security forces, however.
"To deal with outlaws who cut off roads, seal towns and terrorize residents is a duty of the state which must defend security and protect the lives of civilians," state news agency SANA quoted him as saying.
SANA also quoted an official military source as dismissing claims that the army was shelling Deir al-Zour with tanks as "completely false and untrue".
The pope called for an adequate response to the "legitimate aspirations" of the Syrian people, while Ford told ABC he would continue traveling across Syria to observe the crackdown first-hand.
The Arab League made its first official statement on the unrest, calling on Damascus to "immediately" stop the violence that has raged since mid-March.
Secretary General Nabil al-Arabi also urged an "impartial probe" into the bloodshed, warning against "chaos" and "religious strife" in Syria, it said.
On Saturday U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon phoned Assad to express similar concerns, U.N. spokesman Martin Nesirky said.
Ban "reflected to the Syrian president the clear message sent by the (U.N.) Security Council and urged the president to stop the use of military force against civilians immediately."
U.S. and European leaders pledged to consider new steps to punish Syria after security forces killed more than 30 people on the first Friday of Ramadan, the holy Muslim month of fasting.
Syria's government has sought to crush the democracy movement with force, leaving at least 2,059 people dead, including 391 members of the security forces, according to the Syrian Observatory.
The Assad regime has pledged reform and accused "armed terrorist gangs" of fomenting the unrest.
On Saturday Foreign Minister Walid Muallem said "free and transparent" parliamentary elections would be held by the end of 2011 and that the regime was committed to reform announced by Assad.
08 August 2011, 09:04
17
Oups! I smell saudi haters!
Smalldig: I gave up on you a long time, so I will not try to reason with you. I will just say that your argument is so weak and fallacious that my best advice for you would be to wait a few years so that your brain matures a bit more ( at this rate, its gonna take quite some time).
And Metwali... no need to reply, your username is self explanatory...
thank you
08 August 2011, 09:11
16
The pressure is on nd the end is near for Assad. Idc who says it, as long as SOMEBODY is turning the heat on the butcher nd doing what's right...his time is near...I can smell his rotting corpse
08 August 2011, 09:58
06
Now that Saudi Arabia has done it, wait for the next few days for the rest of the GCC to follow suit. Egypt will not be far behind, followed by Jordan. The first nail in the coffin has been drilled home, everybody else is just looking for their hammers. When they find them, Assad is done with. I actually thought this might drag into 2012, but it looks like we will have a new PEOPLE's government of Syria before new year. Bigdig, SA has always supported Assad from the begining, as a return of the favor for Assad supporting the Sunnis in Bahrain. Around 25 people died in bahrain, around 2,500 are dead in Syria.. notice any difference? If SA wanted to militarily get rid of Assad they can send ALOT of weapons through Jordan. so cut the crap and for once stand up for what is right. HA will follow Assad soon, a home in Qom is already being built for Aboul noooos...haha
08 August 2011, 10:25
07
Have you heard any of the testimonies from soldiers that deserted? and are now in turkey? Or do you just follow exactly what your leaders tell you? i am not denying there are a few trouble makers. But if you just visit youtube, and see the peacefull marches, or funerals that were shot at and show me some weapons. Israel in 2006 in a month with it's indiscriminate bombing killed just over 1500. Are you trying to tell me that the syrian army is THAT efficient that it can find 2500 armed gang members and kill them within that short period of time?? wake up. How about the guy that made the song Ir7al Ya Bashar?? was he carrying a gun when his throat was slit? how about all the children? all armed? show us a video, of a group of civilians carrying guns and shooting at protestors. Yes syria is killing the soldiers that refuse to shoot at protestors, and yes they try and kill the deserters. the last thing assad wants is a huge crack in the army. point is, say your farewells. it wont be long
08 August 2011, 11:15
04
We are getting closer to a Turkish incursion into Syria. A safe Zone including a no fly zone will be established to protect the civilians. The end is near..... Rejoice..... Rejoice...... Rejoice.......
08 August 2011, 12:05
52
King Kong, the illiterate fart, rules over a kingdom of criminals who committed immeasurable crimes in Bahrain and Yemen. Let's not forget that they fund, teach and graduate Al Qaeda members whether in Pakistan, Afghanistan or other Stans. Reality is that their plot in Syria has failed, and Assad is pursuing the Sunni crazies in every corner. We don't need a neighbor run by Al Qaeda under a different name. King Kong should take them back. His desert is vast. mabroukin
08 August 2011, 13:44
42
Very well said Bigdig, they all show they panic and the end of this gangs are very close. It is a shame how SAUDI!!! can teach Syrians, it is the top of hypocricy, just NO COMMENT
08 August 2011, 14:06
05
"We don't need a neighbor run by Al Qaeda under a different name"
We also don't need to be ruled by the thugs of Hizb Al Shabeeha either..... also run by Iran under a different name (The resistance)....
08 August 2011, 16:11
02
@ smalldig:
bigdig
6 hours ago 3 0
@th21: please don't tell me you are a Saudi lover! At least not politically speaking. LOL
haha ! ( of course not )
So you have a problem with saudi people in general? Dude stop making a fool of yourself. Not only are you cognitively incompetent, but you are also discriminative of a whole population. Well done, well done :)
08 August 2011, 16:18
32
I find very ironic, hypocritical and laughable that King Abdullah, the whoremaster par excellance, is condemning the Syrians after sending troops into Bahrain and hosting Yemen's Saleh. It appears rather sectarian to me. I am under no illusions regarding the brutality of the Syrians nor that all the anti-government Syrians are peaceful protestors. The Saudi's (the ultimate Salafists) are most likely funding a large part of the violent anti-government protestors. Saudis: first clean up things at home!
08 August 2011, 17:26
03
No one believes that there are 'armed gangs' forcing thousands and hundreds of thousands to peacefully protest month after month, 'armed gangs' is a desperate ruse, that shills like bigdig parrot on every web site they frequent.
The Syrian people and the soldiers who have defected know that the dead soldiers and police are those who where shot in the back for not firing on unarmed civilians. Hezbollah is happily lending a hand in this as well.
The days are numbered for Assad regime and hopefully it's parasites as well...
08 August 2011, 17:29
04
I am amazed at all the Syrian regime supporters. Do you really accept the slaughter off men women and children? Have you no say off your own?
08 August 2011, 17:50
03
I have posted this on another page but I will do this here as well.
Below is a link to a youtube video of a Baath high senior member, stating without any hesitation, that the killing of the demonstrators is a duty and needs to be imposed.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M1ytKHl7lQo
This is the Baath party mentality. Kill your opponents whether innocent men, women or children without any compassion.
No one will defend such a regime unless he is an accomplice.
