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Syria, Libya and Middle East unrest - Monday 1 August 2011
• 'Four killed' today as attack on Hama continues
• UN holding closed-door consultations on Syria
• Egyptian army violently retakes Tahrir Square from protesters
• Read a summary of today's key events
• UN holding closed-door consultations on Syria
• Egyptian army violently retakes Tahrir Square from protesters
• Read a summary of today's key events
Tanks in Hama in a video uploaded today. The video cannot be independently verified. Photograph: Reuters
Welcome to Middle East Live. Two stories dominate today: what appears to be a continued bloody assault by Syrian troops and tanks in the central city of Hama, and the continued repercussions for Libya's potentially fractured opposition following the assassination of the rebel military chief, Abdel Fatah Younis.
First, to Syria: up to 100 people died in Hama when Bashar al-Assad, the president, sent in tanks to crush protests in a brutal display of force. Armoured vehicles smashed through makeshift barricades and, although the international media are banned from Syria, video clips apparently show unarmed civilians taking cover from shelling and heavy machine gun fire.
It may not be over yet. There are unconfirmed reports that a fresh attack was launched on Hama this morning. Speaking from the city, a man told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that at 7.30am residents heard the sound of heavy artillery and machine guns. "We were hoping that nothing would happen but it looks like they've decided to attack again," he said. He said he had no word on casualties from this morning.
The onslaught sparked a new wave of revulsion from the international community. Barack Obama said he was "appalled" by the brutality of the Syrian government, while William Hague, the UK foreign secretary, condemned the "shocking" tactics. Germany is calling for a meeting of the UN security council today in order to discuss the escalation of violence.
The city, a Sunni stronghold, occupies a key place in recent Syrian history. Assad's father, Hafez, sent in the tanks in 1982 in an attempt to quash an Islamist uprising. At least 10,000 were killed then.
There's also plenty to focus on in Libya. The aftermath of the killing of the rebel commander continues to sow division among the forces fighting to oust Muammar Gaddafi. Yesterday units loyal to the ruling National Transitional Council stormed the base of the al-Nidaa Brigade, an allegedly renegade unit held responsible for Younis's assassination.
Nour Ali, a pseudonym for a journalist in Damascus, sends this on Hama:
The Guardian spoke to a resident in Hama at 8am local time (6am BST) who said tanks were trying to enter the city again, from the Hamidiyeh area. He says yesterday the army and security didn't take control of the city, so residents think they may be trying again. While on the phone to him, tank fire was audible in the background."They are firing again," he said, talking on Skype, as loud thuds went off. "We need to get out but it is unclear if it is safe."Several protests were reported last night after the first set of tarawih prayers, extra nightly prayers which run from the eve of Ramadan throughout the month. Protesters from the coastal city of Tartous, to Qamischli in the north east, came out and chanted for Hama, where at least 55 and up to 100 people were killed in yesterday's brutal assault. Security forces fired into the air to disperse them in some places.Activists from the Local Co-ordination Committees, which organise and report on protests in Syria, reported a raid on Zamalka, close to Damascus, with scores of arrests.In a sign that protests will intensify this month as predicted, several demonstrations were also reported after dawn prayers today, the first morning of a rather bleak Ramadan. This included one in Arbeen, a suburb of Damascus, where the Local Co-ordination Committees said forces opened fire. No injuries have yet been reported.Heavy gunfire has also been reported by activists in at least two areas of the eastern city of Deir Ezzor in the early hours of the morning after at least 11 people were killed there yesterday. The city is tense, activists said, after tribal leader Nawaf al-Bashir was arrested on Saturday. Residents are threatening to fight back if he is not released. The city, out in the eastern area rich in oil, is a volatile mix of tribes, many of whom are armed.
Here's a brief recap of some of the video purportedly shot in Hama yesterday, courtesy of al-Jazeera's English service. Separately, the channel has some footage of what it says is more shooting overnight in the city.
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Briefly back to Libya again, where the ripples from rebel commander Abdel Fattah YounisYounis's assassination are being felt in the UK – which, only last week, decided to formally recognise the rebels as Libya's legitimate government.
Speaking at the weekend, the defence secretary, Liam Fox, conceded that the opposition's progress had been slow and that on their own they would not be able to oust Muammar Gaddafi. Today's Daily Telegraph carries quotes from Sir Menzies Campbell, the former Liberal Democrat leader, who argues that the UK needs a "wholesale re-examination" of its actions in Libya. He said:
This assassination now provides an opportunity and a spur for a wholesale re-examination of policy ... I think if we are going to get this right we have to be clearer about defining what success would amount to. If you like – what the endgame is.
Peter Walker has been speaking on the phone to an activist in Hama, Syria, called Omar Habal, who said the city has come under heavy artillery bombardment again this morning from the north and south of the city. He said:
Suddenly, at 7.30[am], we start hearing heavy shelling, heavy artillery, on the city from all sides. This was continuous for about 20 to 25 minutes. We could not count how many bombardments.
More shells were fired every 15 to 20 minutes from then on, Habal said, adding that he knew of two people killed when artillery hit their houses.
We cannot get to the cemetery; people are using the city gardens as graveyards to bury our dead people.
Habal said people were building barricades and were intent on defending the city against possible occupation by troops, fearing a repeat of the massacre in Hama in 1982 in which at least 10,000 people died:
We will not allow what happened in 1982 to be repeated.
As with all these witness accounts, there is no way they can be independently verified.
William Hague has called this morning on the UN security council to pass a resolution condemning the violence in Syria – a task he admitted would be "quite difficult" given the internal disagreements plaguing the council. He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme:
I would ... like to see a United Nations security council resolution to condemn this violence, to call for the release of political prisoners and call for legitimate grievances to be responded to ... There are nations on the security council opposed to any resolution – or they have certainly been in recent weeks. We will revisit this in the coming hours and days.
He ruled out any military action on Syria, saying it was "not a remote possibility". The conditions in Libya, he said, had been "entirely different".
Hague added that, for the international community to be effective, Arab nations needed to join the west in condemning Bashar al-Assad, the Syrian president:
We want to see stronger international pressure all round. Of course, to be effective, that can't just be pressure from western nations, that includes from Arab nations, it includes from Turkey, which has been very active in trying to persuade President Assad to reform instead of embarking on these appalling actions.
Photograph: Gianluigi Guercia/AFP/Getty Images In his BBC interview this morning, William Hague (left), the UK foreign secretary, also defended the record of the military campaign in Libya, insisting it had saved "many thousands of lives".
What we have done so far has been a success in achieving the objectives of saving civilian life. Now we want to see a political settlement and that involves the departure of Colonel Gaddafi.
Hague stood behind the rebels' National Transitional Council, which Britain last week recognised as the "sole governmental authority" of Libya. Just a day later, the assassination of their military commander – apparently by a rebel-aligned group – threatened to expose the deep divisions within the forces trying to oust Muammar Gaddafi. Hague said there were no splits among the countries backing the Nato campaign.
The international community is united. No one should mistake our determination and our unity in carrying this through to success and that involves supporting the NTC.
A fresh update from the Nafusa mountains offensive launched last week by the Libyan rebels – the big push that the rebel National Transitional Council hoped would free up a key supply route from the Tunisian border and prise several towns from Muammar Gaddafi's control.
James Bays, Al-Jazeera's journalist covering the offensive, is reportingthis morning that the rebels pulled out of one of those towns, Al Jawsh, last night. Bays tweets:
Opp fighters confirm they withdrew from Al Jawash at nightfall ... Opp fighters say they withdrew because Grad bombardment, ammo truck hit. Death and injuries ... A fighter who was in Al Jawsh until sunset tells me anti-aircraft guns had been seizing up due to sandstorm.
There has been an exchange of fire on the Israeli-Lebaneseborder. No injuries were reported. Each side blamed the other for the clash.
Here is a map showing the location of Hama in Syria. Damascus is marked on there too.
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Activists in Syria had promised to use Ramadan to increase the intensity of their protests.
My colleague Nour Ali (a pseudonym) wrote about this yesterday.
Activists intend to exploit the increased daily attendance at mosques, which have over the past five months acted as gathering points for protests following Friday prayers. Many who do not regularly attend mosque do so during Ramadan, when prayers are believed to carry more weight that at other times of year.
It seems the Syrian authorities are attempting to head this off by intimidating activists across the country through this brutal attack on Hama.
Ramadan, the Islamic month of fasting, lasts from today to 29 August.
Photograph: Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP Here are some fuller quotes from last night on what Barack Obama (left) said about the attack on Hama:
I am appalled by the Syrian government's use of violence and brutality against its own people. The reports out of Hama are horrifying and demonstrate the true character of the Syrian regime. Once again, President Assad has shown that he is completely incapable and unwilling to respond to the legitimate grievances of the Syrian people. His use of torture, corruption and terror puts him on the wrong side of history and his people ... In the days ahead, the United States will continue to increase our pressure on the Syrian regime, and work with others around the world to isolate the Assad government and stand with the Syrian people.
My colleagues on the video desk send this video made up of amateur footage showing Hama coming under fire yesterday. Tanks can be seen on the streets. The video shows badly injured people being stretchered away or lying wounded in the streets. Large parts of the city are covered in smoke.
Interesting times in Turkey: prime minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan starts a four-day meeting today with military leaders to decide on promotions for the top jobs and, after Friday's dramatic resignation of the country's top four generals, Erdogan now has "unprecedented freedom to steer the process", reports the Bloomberg news agency. Soli Ozel, a professor of international relations and political science at Istanbul's Bilgi University, is quoted as saying that the issue of "who runs Turkey has been won, and won by the civilians". There's also a fascinating analysis of the situation in the Wall Street Journal.
Nour Ali sends this from Damascus.
Damascus is quiet on the first day of Ramadan as cafes are empty and people lay low in the heat. But some of those who are out are talking about Hama, among discussions of this year's soap operas and the high temperatures. Overheard were mutterings about how children were among the dead yesterday. "Ya haram" (shameful), said one woman. There are reports of increased checkpoints around the city's suburbs and satellite towns. Many on Facebook and Twitter changed their profile pictures to a solid black square to signify their mourning.While most are outraged about yesterday, some are frustrated about the likelihood of more protests. One man, who is sympathetic to the protesters, said the late night protests after tarawih prayers were not sustainable as he and his family needed to sleep.
Nour Ali is a pseudonym.
The New York Times has posted a number of YouTube videosfrom yesterday's attack on Hama, although they have not been independently verified. As Nour Ali (a pseudonym) reports in the Guardian today, security forces withdrew from Hama on 3 June after shooting more than 70 residents dead after Friday prayers – this gave the city, the New York Times writes, a sense of independence that proved to be all too fleeting". The NYT also has some details of attacks yesterday in Deir Ezzor and Daraa.
I've added those locations to my Google map.
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Russia, one of the veto-wielding members of the UN security council, has called for an end to the violence in Syria. "Moscow is seriously concerned by information about numerous casualties," the foreign ministry said, according to Reuters. "The use of force against civilians and representatives of state structures is unacceptable and must cease."
Germany's chancellor, Angela Merkel, has also condemned the Syrian government's attack on protesters. Christoph Steegmans, a spokesman for the Berlin government, said:
Chancellor Merkel condemns in the strongest of terms the Syrian government's action against its own civilian population. [She] explicitly urges President Assad to halt the violence against his own people immediately.
Russia's statement (see 11.13am) may be important because, with China, it has opposed any condemnation of Syria in the UN security council, where the two – along with France, the UK and the US – hold veto powers.
Rebels who seized the government-held town of Ghazaia inLibya's Western Mountains in a new offensive describe themselves as "liberators", but there were no cheers when they rolled in, Reuters reports (thanks reader BrownMoses).
Its estimated 5,000 residents, supporters of Muammar Gaddafi, had been transported to his stronghold Tripoli by his militiamen, leaving behind a ghost town. "We would have liked to have been welcomed here. These people all liked Gaddafi. They benefited from him," a rebel named Majdi told the news agency, standing beside rows of houses built by Libyans aided by soft loans from the government.
Just in case you missed it, here's the official version of events in Syria: Bashar al-Assad's message to the armed forces. The country is the victim of a conspiracy, he writes, which is designed to deepen sectarian divides:
This vicious attack won't fare any better than the previous ones … All of Syria's honest people are confident that we will emerge from the crisis more powerful, more present and more effective regionally and internationally.
Dima Khatib, a journalist with Al-Jazeera, remembers the last time Syrian troops ravaged Hama on the orders of a President Assad: it was in 1982, when she was a schoolgirl and the father of the current leader, Hafez, was in power. "How could a whole lifetime have passed by and history would repeat itself in a new massacre in Hama?" she wonders on her blog.
My colleague Jack Shenker writes with details of the upcoming trial of Hosni Mubarak, the former Egyptian president.
More than six months on from the moment Hosni Mubarak fled Cairo by helicopter, the ousted Egyptian president has been formally ordered back to the capital to face trial on multiple charges of economic fraud and unlawful killing.Although the trial date – set for this Wednesday, 3 August – has been known for some time, it was only last night that the country's attorney general, Abdel Meguid Mahmoud, issued an official summons. The order, delivered to interior minister Mansour Essawy, stipulated that the 83-year-old be transferred from the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, where he has been residing in hospital since the anti-government uprising that toppled his regime earlier this year.In a last-minute change of venue, supposedly for security reasons, the trial will now take place at a police academy on the outskirts of Cairo rather than a much larger convention centre closer to town. Mubarak is slated to appear alongside his sons Gamal and Alaa, former interior minister Habib Al Adly, and a number of other senior officials.Bringing Mubarak to justice has been a key demand of the revolutionaries from day one, and the army's perceived foot-dragging on the issue has motivated much of the recent unrest that has erupted across Egypt. Despite the fact that preparations for Wednesday are now in full swing, the local press is full of quotes from Egyptians who are sceptical that they will ever see their former dictator in the dock. "This trial reminds me of the World Cup Finals qualifiers ... Whenever we are close, we lose," one taxi driver told Ahram Online.
Jack will be covering the trial from Wednesday.
The Associated press news agency has filed a report on today's attack on Hama. The agency says Syrian security forces have shelled the city, with troops backed by tanks joining the assault.
Omar Hamawi, a Hama-based activist, said tanks opened fire early this morning after a night of sporadic shooting. There was no immediate word on casualties.
Bashar al-Assad, the president, said in remarks published this morning in the army's As-Shaab magazine that he remains confident his government will quell the uprising, which he said aims at "fragmenting the country as a prelude for fragmenting the entire region".
The head of the political department of the Syrian army, Lieutenant General Riad Haddad, said today that Syria is facing the "closing chapter of the conspiracy". Haddad called the army's intervention in some Syrian cities an "indispensable necessity" to defend and protect the country's security and stability, and to put an end to armed groups that attacked people, smashed public and private properties and disrupted public life.
Hamawi said Hama's streets were full of barriers as well as men "who are ready to defend the city with stones". "People will not surrender this time. Will not allow a repetition of what happened in 1982," he said, referring to the army massacre in Hama in that year when at least 10,000 people were killed.
The Muslim Brotherhood accused the Alawite elite – the president's sect – of waging sectarian warfare on Sunnis by attacking Hama.
"Syria is witnessing a war of sectarian cleansing. The regime has linked its open annihilation with the crescent of Ramadan. It is a war on the identity and beliefs of the Syrian nation ... on Arab Muslim Syria," it said in a statement, according to Reuters.
The Libyan opposition's new ambassador to Paris, Mansour al-Nasr, is urging the French government to reopen its embassy and free up frozen money in French banks that could be used by the rebels, the Associated Press reports.
William Hague, the UK foreign secretary, told the BBC this morning that a "further round of sanctions" on Syria – as yet unspecified – had been prepared at the European Union, and now a spokeswoman at the French foreign ministry has echoed that. Officials in Syria "must know, now more than ever, that they will have to be held accountable for their acts", she said, according to the Associated Press.
At least four civilians have died in today's attack on Hama, Reuters reports. The killings were in the residential district of Hamidiyah, according to the agency, bringing to 84 the number of civilians reported killed since the crackdown began yesterday. One resident, who gave his name as Raed, said:
No one can leave the town because the troops and Shabiha ["ghosts" – pro-Assad militia] are shooting at random with machine guns.
In Deir Ezzor, in the east of the country, at least 29 people were killed over the weekend, Reuters reported. "The shelling is concentrating on northern quarters. The tanks are pushing toward the centre," a witness told the news agency.
The UN security council is holding "closed-door consultations" on Syria today, according to Germany's UN mission.
The EU has extended its sanctions today by imposing asset freezes and travel bans on five more Syrians associated with the crackdown on protesters; the EU already targets Bashar al-Assad and at least two dozen officials, as well as Syrian firms linked to the military.
Lady Ashton, the EU's foreign policy chief, warned there could be further steps "should the Syrian leadership persist in its current path".
Here is a lunchtime summary.
Syria
• The Syrian government has continued its attack on the central city of Hama, with reports saying four people have died today, bringing to 84 the number killed since the crackdown began yesterday (see 1.09pm). Troops backed with tanks are attacking the city. In Deir Ezzor, in the east, at least 29 people were killed over the weekend, according to reports.
• The UN security council is to hold "closed-door consultations" on Syria today, Germany has said. William Hague, the UK foreign secretary, is calling for the security council to pass a resolution condemning the violence (see 9.18am). Russia and China have previously vetoed all condemnation of Syria by the security council, but a Russian foreign ministry spokesman today called for an end to the violence, which he said was "unacceptable" (see 11.13am). The EU has extended its sanctions to five more Syrians associated with the crackdown on protesters (see 1.09pm).
• Bashar al-Assad, the Syrian president, has said he remains confident his government will quell the uprising, which he said aims at "fragmenting the country as a prelude for fragmenting the entire region" (see 12.25pm). The head of the political department of the Syrian army, Lieutenant General Riad Haddad, called the attacks on some cities an "indispensable necessity" to defend and protect the country.
Egypt
• Former president Hosni Mubarak has been formally ordered to Cairo for his trial on charges of economic fraud and unlawful killing, which begins on Wednesday (see 12.03pm).
Libya
Opposition forces have withdrawn from Al Jawsh in the Western Mountains after being bombarded by pro-Gaddafi forces (see 10.07am). But they have advanced on Tiji in the same region, Zlitan, 100 miles (160km) east of Tripoli, and Brega, a key oil town in the centre of the northern coast. Several explosions rocked Tripoli overnight. Twenty-five dead bodies were found on a boat carrying nearly 300 African migrants from Libya that arrived on the Sicilian island of Lampedusa today.
I've been speaking again to Omar Habal in Hama (see 9.09am) who said that the city is now slightly calmer following the morning bombardment, though occasional artillery fire can still be heard.
Separately, he said he had been in hiding for the past three months but had decided nonetheless to speak out using his real name:
If they catch me they will kill me immediately, because I am talking to you. That's the biggest crime – to talk to the media.
Reuters are reporting that Syrian tanks have stormed the eastern town of Albu Kamal after a two week siege. Albu Kamel lies very near the border with Iraq's Sunni heartland.
A quick update from Egypt:
The army has gone in to Tahrir Square to rid it of remaining protesters,Al Jazeera is reporting. Shots were fired in the air as the remaining demonstrators were dispersed. It had previously been decided that a sit-in in the square should be suspended for Ramadan.
An interesting piece by Johnny West at the Huffington Post
argues that
argues that
Brussels, unusually, is in a position to make a major unilateral contribution and be on the right side of history in the Arab spring.
West's suggestion is an EU ban on commercial activity by a handful of Syrian oil companies, which he claims "could deprive the Assad regime of the foreign exchange they critically need to fund the repression of protests".
The Egyptian army's chief of staff Sami Anan - currently one of the country's most powerful political leaders - has denied suggestions that the military is cutting a deal with Islamist groups ahead of forthcoming parliamentary elections, Jack Shenker writes.
Many anti-Mubarak revolutionaries have consistently warned that some elements of the old regime, including the current ruling army generals, would seek an alliance with conservative political forces in an attempt to stifle any meaningful change as the country begins its transition to democracy. Local press reports alleged last week that the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) had secretly guaranteed the Muslim Brotherhood a strong showing in November's ballot, in return for securing the group's support at a time when the military's legitimacy has been called into question by ongoing street protests.
The United Nations building in New York. Photograph: Osamu Honda/AP The new EU sanctions (see 1.09pm) bring the number of individuals subject to asset freezes and travel bans to 35, including the president, Bashar al-Assad. Four government entities are also on the list. The EU has not yet released the new names on the list, but it said it would do so tomorrow.
Syrian rights groups said in a joint statement today that 74 people were killed throughout the country yesterday, 55 of them from Hama and neighbouring villages.
France is calling for the UN security council to "condemn this violence" as the security council prepares to meet tonight at 10pm BST (5pm in New York). Germany requested the meeting. Western diplomats told Reuters they hoped to use the meeting tonight to try revive a draft resolution condemning the Syrian crackdown that was circulated two months ago before Russia and China threatened to veto it. "I think the idea is to resuscitate the draft resolution," one diplomat said.
The Local Co-ordination Committees, which organise and report on protests in Syria, said today that as well as the four people killed in Hama today, one was killed in Deir Ezzor and another in al-Boukamal, which is nearby. I've updated my Google map to show where al-Boukamal is.
The Turkish president, Abdullah Gül, has spoken out today to criticise the Syrian government, a former close ally whose crackdown against activists has led to increasingly harsh public comments from Turkey. Gül said:
The recent developments in Syria have deepened our already existing concerns. The footage from yesterday's events has horrified us. The use of heavy weapons in Hama against civilians has given me a deep shock.We cannot remain silent and accept a bloody atmosphere at the start of Ramadan, which is absolutely contrary to the spirit of Ramadan, a period when people expect peace to be secured and reforms to be carried out. It's impossible to remain silent in the face of events visible to everyone. I urge the Syrian administration to stop violence against people and to carry out reforms to build the country's future on the base of peace and stability.
