France said on Saturday that it would not hesitate to strike Syrian government targets again if the chemical red line was crossed, but that no new strikes were planned at this stage, adding that it would renew a push for peace through dialogue with Russia.

President Emmanuel Macron ordered the military intervention in Syria alongside the United States and Britain in response to a poison gas attack that killed dozens of people last week.

"Our objectives were met," Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian told BFM TV.

If the red line banning the use of chemical weapons was crossed again, there would be another intervention, he said, while adding: "I think the lesson will have been learnt."

The French strikes, involving 12 cruise missiles, fighter jets and warships, were Macron's first major military decision since taking office a year ago and was all but inevitable after the young president repeatedly said France would strike if a fatal chemical attack took place in Syria.

"This action was proportionate and targeted, it was not aimed at (Syrian President Bashar al) Assad's allies nor at the civilian population," Le Drian said in a televised statement.

Le Drian said France, which has backed opponents of Assad throughout the civil war, would swiftly take new political initiatives to find a solution to the crisis.

He added that Paris would work with all countries and that there were no changes to Macron's planned trip to Russia next month.

While there had been general public warnings broadcast by U.S. President Donald Trump, Macron himself and other Western leaders, a French presidency source said Macron did not tell Russian President Vladimir Putin the allies would strike overnight when they talked over the phone on Friday.

However, regular "deconfliction" contacts were made with the Russian military once the operation had been kicked off to make sure that they would not be accidentally hit, the source said.

Defence Minister Florence Parly said this meant Russia had been "warned beforehand" to avoid any confrontation or escalation.

The French presidency issued a video on Twitter showing what it said were war planes taking off as part of the intervention.

Macron said in a written statement that the attack had been limited to Syria's chemical weapons facilities and said the facts and the responsibility of the Syrian regime were beyond doubt.

Backing up its reasons for the air strikes, the foreign ministry released an intelligence report based largely on open sources which concluded that there was no other plausible explanation than a chemical attacked coordinated by the Syrian military.

The report said that for now France did not have chemical samples from the attack site analysed by its own laboratories yet.

Macron, who tweeted a picture of himself in a meeting room with military and diplomatic advisers, has not made any address to the nation. He is due to be interviewed by three French media on Sunday night.

The French air force has been active in Syria since 2015 to fight Islamic State, but had not targeted government targets until now.

The British say

Britain had no alternative but to take military action to degrade Syria's chemical weapons capability, Prime Minister Theresa May said on Saturday after ordering <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/us-uk-and-france-hit-syria-with-airstrikes-target-military-chemical-weapons-sites-130352">air-launched cruise missile strikes</a> along with the United States and France.

Four Royal Air Force Tornado jets from the Akrotiri base in Cyprus fired Storm Shadow missiles at a military facility near Homs where it was assessed that Syria had stockpiled chemicals, Britain's Ministry of Defence said.

May cast the strike as "limited and targeted" and came after intelligence indicated Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's government was responsible for an attack using chemical weapons in the Damascus suburb of Douma a week ago.&nbsp;

May said the missile strike, designed to minimise civilian casualties, was aimed at deterring further use of chemical weapons and was not an attempt to topple the Syrian government.

"This is not about intervening in a civil war. It is not about regime change," May said in statement made from her country residence at Chequers just minutes after US President Donald Trump announced the strikes from the White House.

Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson said the mission had been highly successful and implied that no further action was imminent.

"We don't expect that we'll be a position where we're having to make further strikes," he told LBC radio. "We believe that the strikes we have taken last night had a significant impact in terms of what the Syrian regime can do in the future."

By launching strikes without prior approval from parliament, May dispensed with a non-binding constitutional convention dating back to the 2003 invasion of Iraq. She said speed was essential and that military action was in the national interest.

May, whose government is propped up by a small Northern Irish party, said Britain and the West had an obligation to deter both Assad and others from using chemical weapons after the poison gas attack in Douma near Damascus killed up to 75 people, including children, last Saturday.

However, opposition Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, a fervent anti-war campaigner, called the strikes "legally questionable" and said May should have recalled parliament from a holiday and "not trailed after Donald Trump".

"Bombs won’t save lives or bring about peace," he said in a statement. "Britain should be playing a leadership role to bring about a ceasefire in the conflict, not taking instructions from Washington and putting British military personnel in harm's way."

Britain has accused Russia of being behind last month's nerve agent attack on former spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter in Salisbury, southern England - a charge Moscow has denied.

"While this action is specifically about deterring the Syrian regime, it will also send a clear signal to anyone else who believes they can use chemical weapons with impunity," May said.

"We cannot allow the use of chemical weapons to become normalised – within Syria, on the streets of the UK, or anywhere else in our world."

May said Britain and its allies had sought to use every diplomatic means to stop the use of chemical weapons, but had been repeatedly thwarted, citing a Russian veto of an independent investigation into the Douma attack at the U.N. Security Council this week.

"So there is no practicable alternative to the use of force to degrade and deter the use of chemical weapons by the Syrian regime," she said.

The Western missile strikes demonstrate the volatile nature of the Syrian civil war, which started in March 2011 as an anti-Assad uprising but is now a proxy conflict involving a number of world and regional powers and a myriad of insurgent groups.

Trump said he was prepared to sustain the response until the Assad government stopped its use of chemical weapons.

Russia, which intervened in the war in 2015 to back Assad, has denied there was a chemical attack and has accused Britain of helping to stage the Douma incident to stoke anti-Russian hysteria.

'Targeted strikes'

Britain's defence ministry said "very careful scientific analysis" had been applied to maximise the destruction of stockpiled chemicals while minimising any risk of contamination to surrounding areas.

Many politicians in Britain, including some in May's own Conservative Party, had called for parliament to be recalled to give authority to any military strike.

Former Prime Minister David Cameron lost a parliamentary vote on air strikes against Assad's forces in 2013 when 30 Conservative lawmakers voted against action, with many Britons wary of entering another conflict after intervention in Iraq, Afghanistan and Libya failed to bring stability to the region.

A YouGov poll for The Times newspaper this week indicated that only a fifth of voters believed that Britain should launch attacks on Syrian military targets and more than two-fifths opposed action.

Williamson said Britain had had to act swiftly and added May would update parliament when lawmakers returned on Monday.

Prime Minister Theresa May said Britain had no alternative but to take military action to degrade Syria's chemical weapons capability

France said on Saturday that it would not hesitate to strike Syrian government targets again if the chemical red line was crossed, but that no new strikes were planned at this stage, adding that it would renew a push for peace through dialogue with Russia. President Emmanuel Macron ordered the military intervention in Syria alongside the United States and Britain in response to a poison gas attack that killed dozens of people last week. "Our objectives were met," Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian told BFM TV. If the red line banning the use of chemical weapons was crossed again, there would be another intervention, he said, while adding: "I think the lesson will have been learnt." The French strikes, involving 12 cruise missiles, fighter jets and warships, were Macron's first major military decision since taking office a year ago and was all but inevitable after the young president repeatedly said France would strike if a fatal chemical attack took place in Syria. "This action was proportionate and targeted, it was not aimed at (Syrian President Bashar al) Assad's allies nor at the civilian population," Le Drian said in a televised statement. Le Drian said France, which has backed opponents of Assad throughout the civil war, would swiftly take new political initiatives to find a solution to the crisis. He added that Paris would work with all countries and that there were no changes to Macron's planned trip to Russia next month. While there had been general public warnings broadcast by U.S. President Donald Trump, Macron himself and other Western leaders, a French presidency source said Macron did not tell Russian President Vladimir Putin the allies would strike overnight when they talked over the phone on Friday. However, regular "deconfliction" contacts were made with the Russian military once the operation had been kicked off to make sure that they would not be accidentally hit, the source said. Defence Minister Florence Parly said this meant Russia had been "warned beforehand" to avoid any confrontation or escalation. The French presidency issued a video on Twitter showing what it said were war planes taking off as part of the intervention. Macron said in a written statement that the attack had been limited to Syria's chemical weapons facilities and said the facts and the responsibility of the Syrian regime were beyond doubt. Backing up its reasons for the air strikes, the foreign ministry released an intelligence report based largely on open sources which concluded that there was no other plausible explanation than a chemical attacked coordinated by the Syrian military. The report said that for now France did not have chemical samples from the attack site analysed by its own laboratories yet. Macron, who tweeted a picture of himself in a meeting room with military and diplomatic advisers, has not made any address to the nation. He is due to be interviewed by three French media on Sunday night. The French air force has been active in Syria since 2015 to fight Islamic State, but had not targeted government targets until now. The British say Britain had no alternative but to take military action to degrade Syria's chemical weapons capability, Prime Minister Theresa May said on Saturday after ordering air-launched cruise missile strikes along with the United States and France. Four Royal Air Force Tornado jets from the Akrotiri base in Cyprus fired Storm Shadow missiles at a military facility near Homs where it was assessed that Syria had stockpiled chemicals, Britain's Ministry of Defence said. May cast the strike as "limited and targeted" and came after intelligence indicated Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's government was responsible for an attack using chemical weapons in the Damascus suburb of Douma a week ago. May said the missile strike, designed to minimise civilian casualties, was aimed at deterring further use of chemical weapons and was not an attempt to topple the Syrian government. "This is not about intervening in a civil war. It is not about regime change," May said in statement made from her country residence at Chequers just minutes after US President Donald Trump announced the strikes from the White House. Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson said the mission had been highly successful and implied that no further action was imminent. "We don't expect that we'll be a position where we're having to make further strikes," he told LBC radio. "We believe that the strikes we have taken last night had a significant impact in terms of what the Syrian regime can do in the future." By launching strikes without prior approval from parliament, May dispensed with a non-binding constitutional convention dating back to the 2003 invasion of Iraq. She said speed was essential and that military action was in the national interest. May, whose government is propped up by a small Northern Irish party, said Britain and the West had an obligation to deter both Assad and others from using chemical weapons after the poison gas attack in Douma near Damascus killed up to 75 people, including children, last Saturday. However, opposition Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, a fervent anti-war campaigner, called the strikes "legally questionable" and said May should have recalled parliament from a holiday and "not trailed after Donald Trump". "Bombs won’t save lives or bring about peace," he said in a statement. "Britain should be playing a leadership role to bring about a ceasefire in the conflict, not taking instructions from Washington and putting British military personnel in harm's way." Britain has accused Russia of being behind last month's nerve agent attack on former spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter in Salisbury, southern England - a charge Moscow has denied. "While this action is specifically about deterring the Syrian regime, it will also send a clear signal to anyone else who believes they can use chemical weapons with impunity," May said. "We cannot allow the use of chemical weapons to become normalised – within Syria, on the streets of the UK, or anywhere else in our world." May said Britain and its allies had sought to use every diplomatic means to stop the use of chemical weapons, but had been repeatedly thwarted, citing a Russian veto of an independent investigation into the Douma attack at the U.N. Security Council this week. "So there is no practicable alternative to the use of force to degrade and deter the use of chemical weapons by the Syrian regime," she said. The Western missile strikes demonstrate the volatile nature of the Syrian civil war, which started in March 2011 as an anti-Assad uprising but is now a proxy conflict involving a number of world and regional powers and a myriad of insurgent groups. Trump said he was prepared to sustain the response until the Assad government stopped its use of chemical weapons. Russia, which intervened in the war in 2015 to back Assad, has denied there was a chemical attack and has accused Britain of helping to stage the Douma incident to stoke anti-Russian hysteria. 'Targeted strikes' Britain's defence ministry said "very careful scientific analysis" had been applied to maximise the destruction of stockpiled chemicals while minimising any risk of contamination to surrounding areas. Many politicians in Britain, including some in May's own Conservative Party, had called for parliament to be recalled to give authority to any military strike. Former Prime Minister David Cameron lost a parliamentary vote on air strikes against Assad's forces in 2013 when 30 Conservative lawmakers voted against action, with many Britons wary of entering another conflict after intervention in Iraq, Afghanistan and Libya failed to bring stability to the region. A YouGov poll for The Times newspaper this week indicated that only a fifth of voters believed that Britain should launch attacks on Syrian military targets and more than two-fifths opposed action. Williamson said Britain had had to act swiftly and added May would update parliament when lawmakers returned on Monday.

Strikes on Syria 'highly successful', says Britain; France says more possible if red line crossed

Syrian government forces pounded eastern Ghouta with air strikes on Wednesday in an effort to slice the rebel enclave in two as they intensified a campaign to deal the opposition its biggest defeat since 2016.

The Syrian government assault of the densely populated area on the outskirts of Damascus, which began more than two weeks ago, has become one of the fiercest campaigns of the war now entering its eighth year, with bombardment killing hundreds.

Live footage broadcast by Syrian state TV from the outskirts of the town of Mesraba showed enormous clouds of smoke rising into the sky. The sounds of explosions and jets could be heard.

A state TV correspondent said militant defences in the town were being struck by &quot;preparatory fire&quot; in advance of a planned infantry assault. &quot;Mesraba is under heavy attack today,&quot; said Khalil Aybour, a member of an opposition council in Ghouta.

Capturing Mesraba would be a major step towards severing the northern half of the Ghouta, including its biggest town, Douma, from the southern part. Government forces have seized more than 40 percent of the territory so far.

Civilians have been fleeing frontline areas into Douma and hiding in cellars.

&quot;It&#39;s bad in the basement, but it&#39;s better than the bombing,&quot; Adnan, 30, a Douma resident who has been sheltering below ground with his wife and two-year-old daughter together with 10 other families, told Reuters by telephone.

The United Nations says 400,000 people are trapped in the towns and villages of the eastern Ghouta, under government siege for years and already running out of food and medicine before the assault. An aid convoy reached the area this week but government officials had stripped out most medical supplies.

Russia, President Bashar al-Assad&#39;s most powerful ally, has offered rebel fighters safe passage out with their families and personal weapons. The proposal echoes previous agreements under which insurgents, in the face of military defeat, were permitted to withdraw to opposition-held areas at the Turkish border.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group says 800 civilians have been killed by government bombing and shelling. The Observatory said an extra 700 pro-government militia fighters had arrived at the front as reinforcements to join the operation.

The U.N. Security Council has called for a 30-day countrywide ceasefire, but Moscow and Damascus have not halted the campaign, arguing that the fighters they are striking are members of banned terrorist groups unprotected by the truce.

Russia&#39;s defence ministry said on Wednesday some rebels wanted to accept the proposal to evacuate. So far rebels have dismissed it in public. The military spokesman for one of the main eastern Ghouta rebel groups said rebels would defend the territory and there were no negotiations over a withdrawal.

&quot;The factions of Ghouta and their fighters and its people are holding onto their land and will defend it,&quot; Hamza Birqdar of Jaish al-Islam told Reuters in a text message sent overnight.

The opposition says such evacuation agreements amount to a policy of demographic change by which Assad has forcibly displaced those who oppose him.

In an interview on state TV, a Syrian army colonel expressed confidence Ghouta would fall quickly, saying the people there would return to the &quot;state&#39;s embrace&quot; &quot;very, very, very soon&quot;.

A commander in the military alliance fighting in support of Assad said he anticipated that rebels would end up besieged in Douma and then accept a withdrawal deal.

Assad said this week that the majority of people in eastern Ghouta want a return of state rule. But rebels and opposition activists say people fear government persecution.

COMPLICITY

Russian warplanes have taken part in the eastern Ghouta operation, and the White House has accused Russia of complicity in the killing of civilians there.

Defeat in eastern Ghouta would mark the biggest setback for the anti-Assad rebellion since the opposition was driven from eastern Aleppo in late 2016 after a similar campaign of siege, bombing, ground assaults and the promise of safe passage out.

Moscow and Damascus say the Ghouta campaign is necessary to halt rebel shelling of the capital. The Observatory says such shelling has killed at least 27 people since Feb. 18, and Syrian state media have given a higher death toll.

Assad has steadily recovered rebel-held areas in western Syria since Russia intervened directly on his side in 2015.

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Tuesday voiced concern about attacks in eastern Ghouta which &quot;reportedly claimed the lives of more than 100 people&quot; on Monday alone, as well as reports of shelling of Damascus.

Western states have been demanding Russia press Assad to abide by the 30-day ceasefire. The Security Council, where Russia holds a veto, will meet on Wednesday to discuss the failed ceasefire.

The U.N. human rights chief Zeid Ra&#39;ad al-Hussein said the government offensive could not be justified by its targetting of a few hundred fighters.

&quot;Recent attempts to justify indiscriminate, brutal attacks on hundreds of thousands of civilians by the need to combat a few hundred fighters &ndash; as in Eastern Ghouta &ndash; are legally, and morally, unsustainable,&quot; he told the U.N. Human Rights Council.

&quot;Also, when you are prepared to kill your own people so easily, lying is easy too. Claims by the Government of Syria that it is taking every measure to protect its civilian population are frankly ridiculous.&quot;

Live footage broadcast by Syrian state TV from the outskirts of the town of Mesraba showed enormous clouds of smoke rising into the sky. The sounds of explosions and jets could be heard

Syrian government forces pounded eastern Ghouta with air strikes on Wednesday in an effort to slice the rebel enclave in two as they intensified a campaign to deal the opposition its biggest defeat since 2016. The Syrian government assault of the densely populated area on the outskirts of Damascus, which began more than two weeks ago, has become one of the fiercest campaigns of the war now entering its eighth year, with bombardment killing hundreds. Live footage broadcast by Syrian state TV from the outskirts of the town of Mesraba showed enormous clouds of smoke rising into the sky. The sounds of explosions and jets could be heard. A state TV correspondent said militant defences in the town were being struck by "preparatory fire" in advance of a planned infantry assault. "Mesraba is under heavy attack today," said Khalil Aybour, a member of an opposition council in Ghouta. Capturing Mesraba would be a major step towards severing the northern half of the Ghouta, including its biggest town, Douma, from the southern part. Government forces have seized more than 40 percent of the territory so far. Civilians have been fleeing frontline areas into Douma and hiding in cellars. "It's bad in the basement, but it's better than the bombing," Adnan, 30, a Douma resident who has been sheltering below ground with his wife and two-year-old daughter together with 10 other families, told Reuters by telephone. The United Nations says 400,000 people are trapped in the towns and villages of the eastern Ghouta, under government siege for years and already running out of food and medicine before the assault. An aid convoy reached the area this week but government officials had stripped out most medical supplies. Russia, President Bashar al-Assad's most powerful ally, has offered rebel fighters safe passage out with their families and personal weapons. The proposal echoes previous agreements under which insurgents, in the face of military defeat, were permitted to withdraw to opposition-held areas at the Turkish border. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group says 800 civilians have been killed by government bombing and shelling. The Observatory said an extra 700 pro-government militia fighters had arrived at the front as reinforcements to join the operation. The U.N. Security Council has called for a 30-day countrywide ceasefire, but Moscow and Damascus have not halted the campaign, arguing that the fighters they are striking are members of banned terrorist groups unprotected by the truce. Russia's defence ministry said on Wednesday some rebels wanted to accept the proposal to evacuate. So far rebels have dismissed it in public. The military spokesman for one of the main eastern Ghouta rebel groups said rebels would defend the territory and there were no negotiations over a withdrawal. "The factions of Ghouta and their fighters and its people are holding onto their land and will defend it," Hamza Birqdar of Jaish al-Islam told Reuters in a text message sent overnight. The opposition says such evacuation agreements amount to a policy of demographic change by which Assad has forcibly displaced those who oppose him. In an interview on state TV, a Syrian army colonel expressed confidence Ghouta would fall quickly, saying the people there would return to the "state's embrace" "very, very, very soon". A commander in the military alliance fighting in support of Assad said he anticipated that rebels would end up besieged in Douma and then accept a withdrawal deal. Assad said this week that the majority of people in eastern Ghouta want a return of state rule. But rebels and opposition activists say people fear government persecution. COMPLICITY Russian warplanes have taken part in the eastern Ghouta operation, and the White House has accused Russia of complicity in the killing of civilians there. Defeat in eastern Ghouta would mark the biggest setback for the anti-Assad rebellion since the opposition was driven from eastern Aleppo in late 2016 after a similar campaign of siege, bombing, ground assaults and the promise of safe passage out. Moscow and Damascus say the Ghouta campaign is necessary to halt rebel shelling of the capital. The Observatory says such shelling has killed at least 27 people since Feb. 18, and Syrian state media have given a higher death toll. Assad has steadily recovered rebel-held areas in western Syria since Russia intervened directly on his side in 2015. United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Tuesday voiced concern about attacks in eastern Ghouta which "reportedly claimed the lives of more than 100 people" on Monday alone, as well as reports of shelling of Damascus. Western states have been demanding Russia press Assad to abide by the 30-day ceasefire. The Security Council, where Russia holds a veto, will meet on Wednesday to discuss the failed ceasefire. The U.N. human rights chief Zeid Ra'ad al-Hussein said the government offensive could not be justified by its targetting of a few hundred fighters. "Recent attempts to justify indiscriminate, brutal attacks on hundreds of thousands of civilians by the need to combat a few hundred fighters – as in Eastern Ghouta – are legally, and morally, unsustainable," he told the U.N. Human Rights Council. "Also, when you are prepared to kill your own people so easily, lying is easy too. Claims by the Government of Syria that it is taking every measure to protect its civilian population are frankly ridiculous."

Damascus intensifies Ghouta assault to try and cut rebel enclave in half

A UN commission probing Syria rights abuses has gathered enough evidence to convict President Bashar al-Assad of war crimes, an outgoing member of the commission said in interviews published Sunday.

Veteran former war crimes prosecutor Carla Del Ponte, who is preparing to step down after five years serving in the UN Commission of Inquiry on Syria, told Swiss media the evidence against Assad was sufficient to secure a war crimes conviction.

&quot;I am convinced of that,&quot; she told Le Matin Dimanche and the Sonntagszeitung weeklies, adding though that with no international court or prosecutor tasked with trying the Syria war crimes cases, justice would remain elusive.

&quot;That is why the situation is so frustrating. The preparatory work has been done, but nevertheless, there is no prosecutor and no court,&quot; she told Sonntagszeitung. &quot;It&#39;s a tragedy.&quot;&nbsp;

Del Ponte, a 70-year-old Swiss national who came to prominence investigating war crimes in Rwanda and the former Yugoslavia, made the shock announcement earlier this month that she would resign from the UN commission because it &quot;does absolutely nothing&quot;.

She lamented that &quot;everyone in Syria is on the bad side. The Assad government has perpetrated horrible crimes against humanity and used chemical weapons. And the opposition is now made up of extremists and terrorists.&quot;

In Sunday&#39;s interviews, she said she had handed in her resignation letter last Thursday, and that she would officially step down on September 18, after the commission presents its latest report to the UN Human Rights Council.

UN chief Antonio Guterres appealed last week for the commission to continue its work despite Del Ponte&#39;s departure.

Resigning to provoke action 
 
The commission has been tasked with investigating human rights violations and war crimes in Syria since shortly after the conflict erupted in March 2011 with anti-government protests that have evolved into a complex proxy war.

The continued violence has left more than 330,000 people dead and displaced millions.

The commission, which once Del Ponte leaves will count just two members, has repeatedly urged the Security Council to refer the situation in Syria to the International Criminal Court, in vain.

&quot;I do not want to be an alibi for an international community that is doing nothing at all,&quot; Del Ponte told Le Matin Dimanche, explaining her decision to leave the UN commission.

&quot;My resignation is also meant as a provocation,&quot; she said, adding that she hoped it would &quot;put pressure on the Security Council, which must deliver justice to the victims.&quot;

Del Ponte, however, said that if an international judicial process is eventually established for Syria, &quot;I am ready to take on the position of international prosecutor.&quot;

She stressed that international justice was vital for Syria, where the crimes committed were &quot;far worse&quot; than what she had seen in the former Yugoslavia.&nbsp;

&quot;Without justice in Syria, there will never be peace and thus no future,&quot; she said.

Carla Del Ponte, a member of the UN commission, said she was resigning from the UN Commission because it 'does absolutely nothing'

A UN commission probing Syria rights abuses has gathered enough evidence to convict President Bashar al-Assad of war crimes, an outgoing member of the commission said in interviews published Sunday. Veteran former war crimes prosecutor Carla Del Ponte, who is preparing to step down after five years serving in the UN Commission of Inquiry on Syria, told Swiss media the evidence against Assad was sufficient to secure a war crimes conviction. "I am convinced of that," she told Le Matin Dimanche and the Sonntagszeitung weeklies, adding though that with no international court or prosecutor tasked with trying the Syria war crimes cases, justice would remain elusive. "That is why the situation is so frustrating. The preparatory work has been done, but nevertheless, there is no prosecutor and no court," she told Sonntagszeitung. "It's a tragedy." Del Ponte, a 70-year-old Swiss national who came to prominence investigating war crimes in Rwanda and the former Yugoslavia, made the shock announcement earlier this month that she would resign from the UN commission because it "does absolutely nothing". She lamented that "everyone in Syria is on the bad side. The Assad government has perpetrated horrible crimes against humanity and used chemical weapons. And the opposition is now made up of extremists and terrorists." In Sunday's interviews, she said she had handed in her resignation letter last Thursday, and that she would officially step down on September 18, after the commission presents its latest report to the UN Human Rights Council. UN chief Antonio Guterres appealed last week for the commission to continue its work despite Del Ponte's departure. Resigning to provoke action The commission has been tasked with investigating human rights violations and war crimes in Syria since shortly after the conflict erupted in March 2011 with anti-government protests that have evolved into a complex proxy war. The continued violence has left more than 330,000 people dead and displaced millions. The commission, which once Del Ponte leaves will count just two members, has repeatedly urged the Security Council to refer the situation in Syria to the International Criminal Court, in vain. "I do not want to be an alibi for an international community that is doing nothing at all," Del Ponte told Le Matin Dimanche, explaining her decision to leave the UN commission. "My resignation is also meant as a provocation," she said, adding that she hoped it would "put pressure on the Security Council, which must deliver justice to the victims." Del Ponte, however, said that if an international judicial process is eventually established for Syria, "I am ready to take on the position of international prosecutor." She stressed that international justice was vital for Syria, where the crimes committed were "far worse" than what she had seen in the former Yugoslavia. "Without justice in Syria, there will never be peace and thus no future," she said.

Enough evidence to convict Syria's Assad of war crimes: UN Commission

The United States, Russia and Jordan have reached a crucial ceasefire and &quot;de-escalation agreement&quot;&nbsp;in southwestern Syria, US secretary of state Rex Tillerson said on Friday.

Tillerson announced the deal after a meeting&nbsp;between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Hamburg.&nbsp;

The ceasefire&nbsp;goes into effect on Sunday,&nbsp;Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov, who was also present at the meeting, said.&nbsp;

Tillerson said the area covered by the ceasefire affects Jordan&rsquo;s security and is a &ldquo;very complicated part of the Syrian battlefield&rdquo;.

&ldquo;It is (a) well-defined agreement on who will secure this area,&rdquo; he told the media,&nbsp;

Prior to leaving for the G20 summit in Hamburg, Germany, Tillerson had said the US was prepared to discuss joint&nbsp;efforts with Russia in order to stabilise the situation in Syria,&nbsp;

(with inputs from Reuters)

&nbsp;

The United States, Russia and Jordan have brokered a crucial ceasefire deal in southwest Syria that goes into effect on Sunday

The United States, Russia and Jordan have reached a crucial ceasefire and "de-escalation agreement" in southwestern Syria, US secretary of state Rex Tillerson said on Friday. Tillerson announced the deal after a meeting between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Hamburg. The ceasefire goes into effect on Sunday, Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov, who was also present at the meeting, said. Tillerson said the area covered by the ceasefire affects Jordan’s security and is a “very complicated part of the Syrian battlefield”. “It is (a) well-defined agreement on who will secure this area,” he told the media, Prior to leaving for the G20 summit in Hamburg, Germany, Tillerson had said the US was prepared to discuss joint efforts with Russia in order to stabilise the situation in Syria, (with inputs from Reuters)

US, Russia and Jordan reach ceasefire deal for southwest Syria

A US-backed Syrian coalition of Kurdish and Arab groups advanced against Islamic State in the jihadists&#39; Syrian capital of Raqqa on Sunday, taking the al-Qadisia district, they said.

The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) began its assault on Raqqa earlier this month after a long campaign to isolate Islamic State inside the city. It took Qadisia, located in the west of Raqqa, after three days of intense fighting, it said in a statement on one of its official social media feeds.

The SDF has pushed Islamic State from swathes of northern Syria over the past 18 months. Turkey-backed Syrian rebels have also taken territory from it and the Syrian army has this year advanced rapidly against it in desert areas.

The US-backed coalition has supported SDF advances against the jihadist group throughout the Raqqa campaign with artillery and air strikes, including some against Islamic State leaders.

This month, the coalition said its air strikes had killed Turki Binali, a Bahraini cleric who was the group&#39;s top religious authority and the most senior known Gulf Arab in Islamic State.

It also said last week it killed Fawaz al-Rawi, who it said was an important Islamic State financier, in an air strike in Syria.

However, coalition air raids have also caused large numbers of civilian casualties, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based war monitor.

It said on Saturday that coalition airstrikes in and around Raqqa had killed nearly 700 civilians so far this year. The coalition says it works hard to avoid killing civilians and investigates all reports that it has done so.

&nbsp;

The Syrian Democratic Forces took Qadisia, located in the west of Raqqa, after three days of intense fighting

A US-backed Syrian coalition of Kurdish and Arab groups advanced against Islamic State in the jihadists' Syrian capital of Raqqa on Sunday, taking the al-Qadisia district, they said. The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) began its assault on Raqqa earlier this month after a long campaign to isolate Islamic State inside the city. It took Qadisia, located in the west of Raqqa, after three days of intense fighting, it said in a statement on one of its official social media feeds. The SDF has pushed Islamic State from swathes of northern Syria over the past 18 months. Turkey-backed Syrian rebels have also taken territory from it and the Syrian army has this year advanced rapidly against it in desert areas. The US-backed coalition has supported SDF advances against the jihadist group throughout the Raqqa campaign with artillery and air strikes, including some against Islamic State leaders. This month, the coalition said its air strikes had killed Turki Binali, a Bahraini cleric who was the group's top religious authority and the most senior known Gulf Arab in Islamic State. It also said last week it killed Fawaz al-Rawi, who it said was an important Islamic State financier, in an air strike in Syria. However, coalition air raids have also caused large numbers of civilian casualties, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based war monitor. It said on Saturday that coalition airstrikes in and around Raqqa had killed nearly 700 civilians so far this year. The coalition says it works hard to avoid killing civilians and investigates all reports that it has done so.

US-backed Syrian groups take Raqqa district from Islamic State

When Mohamed al-Khalaf escaped from Syria and won asylum in Luxembourg last year, his wife and children stayed behind in Raqqa, the hub of Islamic State&#39;s so-called Caliphate. Khalaf applied for his family to join him, exercising a right to family life under European law.

But first, Luxembourg officials said, they must see the family&#39;s passports and a document, certified by President Bashar al-Assad&#39;s administration, to prove Khalaf&#39;s wife Ghufran did not have a criminal record.

For Khalaf, it was a Catch-22. &quot;They need paperwork from the regime which is a party in the problematic situation which we, in the first place, are fleeing from,&quot; he said.

Such requirements are increasingly common. Six years into Syria&#39;s war, tens of thousands of Syrian families trying to be reunited in Europe have seen requests stalled for want of documents that European governments need from the Assad government.

Several families Reuters spoke to, including the Khalafs, said that to get the paperwork required, they resorted to chains of bribery culminating in Damascus.

Under normal circumstances, every country requires those who seek entry to produce documents proving their identity. European officials today say they need the papers for security, and to curb people-smuggling. But refugees, especially those trapped in zones controlled by Islamic State, cannot always obtain government papers.

In 2014, a report from the Red Cross and the European Council on Refugees and Exiles found that most European states require documentation that is hard for people from countries such as Syria to obtain. Since then, many countries have required more, not less, paperwork. States variously call for passports, birth and marriage certificates, proofs of guardianship, documents to prove people lived together, or fresh medical records. Some also expect legally certified translations.

In Germany, which has received more Syrian asylum-seekers than any other European country, around 26,000 Syrian applications for family reunifications are not ready for a decision because of missing documents, Berlin says. A German court in December said Assad&#39;s cash-strapped government is probably benefiting from the documentary requirements.

&quot;Family reunification is a human right,&quot; said Ska Keller, Co-President of the Greens/EFA group in the European Parliament. &quot;It pushes refugees into the hands of smugglers and on dangerous routes if member states curb their possibility to join their parents or children.&quot;

&nbsp;

&quot;HUMAN FACTORS&quot;

Since the start of 2015, at least 89,000 Syrian family members have reached Germany, Sweden, Austria, Luxembourg and Belgium under rules that allow someone who has been given asylum to bring in spouses and young children. There is no solid data on how many asylum-seekers still want to be reunified in Europe, but increasingly, Syrians are given &quot;subsidiary protection&quot; rather than refugee status. This often limits or eliminates their right to bring in family.

Even those who are eligible often have problems getting papers. This is what Kalaf found.

Luxembourg asked for the Khalafs&#39; exact family link to be proven, and a certified copy of a travel document, as well as a criminal record excerpt for Mohamed&#39;s wife. A spokesman for Luxembourg&#39;s Foreign Ministry said it accepts alternative solutions if documents are not available and takes &quot;into account the human factors while still respecting the relevant pieces of legislation&quot;.

Arnaud Ranzenberger, a Luxembourg lawyer who represented the Khalafs and dozens of family reunification cases, says he has seen systematic delays in every such case he has handled.

&quot;They ask for documents that are very difficult to provide and the file stays blocked as long as we don&#39;t provide the documentation,&quot; he said.

While Khalaf was trying to get his wife out of Raqqa, jihadist officials there arrested her for lifting the hem of her dress on a wet sidewalk. Then they beat her for wearing perfume. He managed to get the family smuggled out through Turkey.

The Khalafs were lucky. A Syrian friend in Amsterdam put Mohamed in touch with someone in Damascus &ndash; a so-called &#39;simsar&#39; or fixer. For $90 sent by Western Union, he provided proof Mohamed&#39;s wife was not a criminal, and the family joined him in December.

&nbsp;

SUPPLY AND DEMAND

Syrians escaping Raqqa have another way out: They can head to Damascus, in the hope of obtaining passports quickly enough to present at a Western embassy.

In peacetime it was a six-hour drive from Raqqa to Damascus. By last year, the journey took five days, through land controlled by warring factions, bribing officials at checkpoints along the way. Another Syrian mother and her baby daughter who escaped Raqqa said this seemed their only option.

Houriya al-Ahmad wanted to join her husband Younes in Austria, and was determined to travel legally. Officials in Vienna said the 22-year-old needed to prove her identity at the embassy in Beirut. But she did not have a passport.

Austrian officials tried to help, offering the family DNA tests, an option the Red Cross says is used by about one in 10 applicants in Austria. The tests cost 200 euros each, which is repaid if the results are positive. The total cost for the Ahmads would be 600 euros.

That was too much for the Ahmads, who did not know it could be refunded and decided Houriya&#39;s only chance was to go to Damascus. &quot;Bullets flew over our heads,&quot; Houriya recalled of the stretch of road outside Aleppo. &quot;I tried to avoid danger by running quickly, with Reem in my arms.&quot;

The family applied for passports with the help of an old school friend. A normal Syrian passport cost 4,800 Syrian pounds ($9), said the friend, lawyer Malek al Wardi. Last year he charged the Ahmads the equivalent of $300 for two, he said, adding fees had gone up sharply. The government in Damascus did not respond to requests for comment, but its website now shows the fee for a passport issued at a consulate abroad has jumped to around $400.

Austria&#39;s federal asylum office, which declined comment on specific cases, said it has no exact rules about which documents it requires. &quot;We have to be able to check what kind of family ties we&#39;re dealing with and identity papers are an advantage in this,&quot; a spokeswoman said.

Austria said its rules are in line with EU law. The Ahmads learned last month their application had been granted.

&nbsp;

PAPERCHASE

The European Court of Human Rights has recommended states use &quot;flexibility and humanity&quot; when dealing with family reunification. Official guidelines say asylum applicants should be allowed to prove their identity in other ways including interviews, family photos and videos.

&quot;Applications from refugees cannot be rejected, or refused to be received or examined, for the sole reason of missing evidence,&quot; said Thomas Huddleston of the Migration Policy Group, a think tank funded mainly by EU. &quot;This would be illegal under EU law.&quot;

The European Commission also declined to comment on specific cases, referring to its family reunification directive. This says any application should include documentary evidence to prove applicants do not threaten public policy or security. The Commission also said states should take into account evidence other than documents.

But some EU states have introduced more stringent documentary requirements.

Cyprus recently started asking for original documents instead of copies, according to the Asylum Information Database (AIDA), which is funded by refugee NGOs and the European Union. Cyprus also requests that documents be officially translated into Greek or English by the Public Information Office of Cyprus.

Hungarian authorities require all documents to bear an official stamp from the authorities that they are originals, as well as an official stamp from the Hungarian consulate. All documents have to be translated into English or Hungarian.

Spain also asks for documentary proof the applicant and older relatives lived together in the country of origin and the family depended on the applicant. Belgium requires a medical certificate, and a fresh extract from the criminal record of the applicant&#39;s country of origin.

Syrians in Europe who win permission to bring in family members can obtain special papers allowing people in. But these aren&#39;t easy to get hold of, as another family found.

Hayat Elwees saved up from her $60-a-month job in a camp canteen in Jordan to pay $195 for basic identity documents so she and her eight children could join her husband in Austria in January 2016. Austria agreed to admit them, but the ID they held was not enough to board a plane.

The Red Cross said it sent three emails to the Austrian ambassador in Amman seeking help with travel documents for the family, but got no reply. Vienna declined comment on the case.

In the end, the family raised $3,600 in private loans to pay for passports from the Syrian embassy in Jordan.

(Reuters)

($1 = 515.0000 Syrian pounds)

($1 = 0.9174 euros)

Host countries need to see documentation before granting people asylum, but Assad doesn't just hand out documentation to Syrian refugees

When Mohamed al-Khalaf escaped from Syria and won asylum in Luxembourg last year, his wife and children stayed behind in Raqqa, the hub of Islamic State's so-called Caliphate. Khalaf applied for his family to join him, exercising a right to family life under European law. But first, Luxembourg officials said, they must see the family's passports and a document, certified by President Bashar al-Assad's administration, to prove Khalaf's wife Ghufran did not have a criminal record. For Khalaf, it was a Catch-22. "They need paperwork from the regime which is a party in the problematic situation which we, in the first place, are fleeing from," he said. Such requirements are increasingly common. Six years into Syria's war, tens of thousands of Syrian families trying to be reunited in Europe have seen requests stalled for want of documents that European governments need from the Assad government. Several families Reuters spoke to, including the Khalafs, said that to get the paperwork required, they resorted to chains of bribery culminating in Damascus. Under normal circumstances, every country requires those who seek entry to produce documents proving their identity. European officials today say they need the papers for security, and to curb people-smuggling. But refugees, especially those trapped in zones controlled by Islamic State, cannot always obtain government papers. In 2014, a report from the Red Cross and the European Council on Refugees and Exiles found that most European states require documentation that is hard for people from countries such as Syria to obtain. Since then, many countries have required more, not less, paperwork. States variously call for passports, birth and marriage certificates, proofs of guardianship, documents to prove people lived together, or fresh medical records. Some also expect legally certified translations. In Germany, which has received more Syrian asylum-seekers than any other European country, around 26,000 Syrian applications for family reunifications are not ready for a decision because of missing documents, Berlin says. A German court in December said Assad's cash-strapped government is probably benefiting from the documentary requirements. "Family reunification is a human right," said Ska Keller, Co-President of the Greens/EFA group in the European Parliament. "It pushes refugees into the hands of smugglers and on dangerous routes if member states curb their possibility to join their parents or children." "HUMAN FACTORS" Since the start of 2015, at least 89,000 Syrian family members have reached Germany, Sweden, Austria, Luxembourg and Belgium under rules that allow someone who has been given asylum to bring in spouses and young children. There is no solid data on how many asylum-seekers still want to be reunified in Europe, but increasingly, Syrians are given "subsidiary protection" rather than refugee status. This often limits or eliminates their right to bring in family. Even those who are eligible often have problems getting papers. This is what Kalaf found. Luxembourg asked for the Khalafs' exact family link to be proven, and a certified copy of a travel document, as well as a criminal record excerpt for Mohamed's wife. A spokesman for Luxembourg's Foreign Ministry said it accepts alternative solutions if documents are not available and takes "into account the human factors while still respecting the relevant pieces of legislation". Arnaud Ranzenberger, a Luxembourg lawyer who represented the Khalafs and dozens of family reunification cases, says he has seen systematic delays in every such case he has handled. "They ask for documents that are very difficult to provide and the file stays blocked as long as we don't provide the documentation," he said. While Khalaf was trying to get his wife out of Raqqa, jihadist officials there arrested her for lifting the hem of her dress on a wet sidewalk. Then they beat her for wearing perfume. He managed to get the family smuggled out through Turkey. The Khalafs were lucky. A Syrian friend in Amsterdam put Mohamed in touch with someone in Damascus – a so-called 'simsar' or fixer. For $90 sent by Western Union, he provided proof Mohamed's wife was not a criminal, and the family joined him in December. SUPPLY AND DEMAND Syrians escaping Raqqa have another way out: They can head to Damascus, in the hope of obtaining passports quickly enough to present at a Western embassy. In peacetime it was a six-hour drive from Raqqa to Damascus. By last year, the journey took five days, through land controlled by warring factions, bribing officials at checkpoints along the way. Another Syrian mother and her baby daughter who escaped Raqqa said this seemed their only option. Houriya al-Ahmad wanted to join her husband Younes in Austria, and was determined to travel legally. Officials in Vienna said the 22-year-old needed to prove her identity at the embassy in Beirut. But she did not have a passport. Austrian officials tried to help, offering the family DNA tests, an option the Red Cross says is used by about one in 10 applicants in Austria. The tests cost 200 euros each, which is repaid if the results are positive. The total cost for the Ahmads would be 600 euros. That was too much for the Ahmads, who did not know it could be refunded and decided Houriya's only chance was to go to Damascus. "Bullets flew over our heads," Houriya recalled of the stretch of road outside Aleppo. "I tried to avoid danger by running quickly, with Reem in my arms." The family applied for passports with the help of an old school friend. A normal Syrian passport cost 4,800 Syrian pounds ($9), said the friend, lawyer Malek al Wardi. Last year he charged the Ahmads the equivalent of $300 for two, he said, adding fees had gone up sharply. The government in Damascus did not respond to requests for comment, but its website now shows the fee for a passport issued at a consulate abroad has jumped to around $400. Austria's federal asylum office, which declined comment on specific cases, said it has no exact rules about which documents it requires. "We have to be able to check what kind of family ties we're dealing with and identity papers are an advantage in this," a spokeswoman said. Austria said its rules are in line with EU law. The Ahmads learned last month their application had been granted. PAPERCHASE The European Court of Human Rights has recommended states use "flexibility and humanity" when dealing with family reunification. Official guidelines say asylum applicants should be allowed to prove their identity in other ways including interviews, family photos and videos. "Applications from refugees cannot be rejected, or refused to be received or examined, for the sole reason of missing evidence," said Thomas Huddleston of the Migration Policy Group, a think tank funded mainly by EU. "This would be illegal under EU law." The European Commission also declined to comment on specific cases, referring to its family reunification directive. This says any application should include documentary evidence to prove applicants do not threaten public policy or security. The Commission also said states should take into account evidence other than documents. But some EU states have introduced more stringent documentary requirements. Cyprus recently started asking for original documents instead of copies, according to the Asylum Information Database (AIDA), which is funded by refugee NGOs and the European Union. Cyprus also requests that documents be officially translated into Greek or English by the Public Information Office of Cyprus. Hungarian authorities require all documents to bear an official stamp from the authorities that they are originals, as well as an official stamp from the Hungarian consulate. All documents have to be translated into English or Hungarian. Spain also asks for documentary proof the applicant and older relatives lived together in the country of origin and the family depended on the applicant. Belgium requires a medical certificate, and a fresh extract from the criminal record of the applicant's country of origin. Syrians in Europe who win permission to bring in family members can obtain special papers allowing people in. But these aren't easy to get hold of, as another family found. Hayat Elwees saved up from her $60-a-month job in a camp canteen in Jordan to pay $195 for basic identity documents so she and her eight children could join her husband in Austria in January 2016. Austria agreed to admit them, but the ID they held was not enough to board a plane. The Red Cross said it sent three emails to the Austrian ambassador in Amman seeking help with travel documents for the family, but got no reply. Vienna declined comment on the case. In the end, the family raised $3,600 in private loans to pay for passports from the Syrian embassy in Jordan. (Reuters) ($1 = 515.0000 Syrian pounds) ($1 = 0.9174 euros)

Insight: Syrian refugees must buy travel papers - from Assad

An Israeli attack on a Syrian camp for pro-government forces killed three fighters near the Golan Heights today, an official from the forces said.

The official told AFP that two fighters were also wounded in the attack on the Al-Fawwar camp near Quneitra in southwestern Syria, adding that it was unclear whether the damage was inflicted by an air strike or shelling.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group confirmed today&#39;s attack but had no further details.

Israel&#39;s army on Friday said it targeted positions inside Syria in retaliation for mortar fire that hit the northern part of the Golan Heights.

Syria&#39;s official news agency SANA said Israel had struck a Syrian army position in the province of Quneitra on the Golan plateau, &quot;causing damage&quot;.

The Syrian government labels rebel groups and jihadists fighting the regime as &quot;terrorists&quot; and accuses Israel of backing them.

Israel seized 1,200 square kilometres (460 square miles) of the Golan from Syria in the Six-Day War of 1967 and later annexed it in a move never recognised by the international community. Around 510 square kilometres of the Golan are under Syrian control.

The two countries are still technically at war, although the border remained largely quiet for decades until 2011, when the Syrian conflict broke out.

The Israeli side is hit sporadically by what are usually deemed to be stray rounds, and Israel has recently taken to opening fire in retaliation.

(AFP)

An official said two fighters were also wounded in the attack, but said it was unclear whether an air strike or shelling caused the damage

An Israeli attack on a Syrian camp for pro-government forces killed three fighters near the Golan Heights today, an official from the forces said. The official told AFP that two fighters were also wounded in the attack on the Al-Fawwar camp near Quneitra in southwestern Syria, adding that it was unclear whether the damage was inflicted by an air strike or shelling. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group confirmed today's attack but had no further details. Israel's army on Friday said it targeted positions inside Syria in retaliation for mortar fire that hit the northern part of the Golan Heights. Syria's official news agency SANA said Israel had struck a Syrian army position in the province of Quneitra on the Golan plateau, "causing damage". The Syrian government labels rebel groups and jihadists fighting the regime as "terrorists" and accuses Israel of backing them. Israel seized 1,200 square kilometres (460 square miles) of the Golan from Syria in the Six-Day War of 1967 and later annexed it in a move never recognised by the international community. Around 510 square kilometres of the Golan are under Syrian control. The two countries are still technically at war, although the border remained largely quiet for decades until 2011, when the Syrian conflict broke out. The Israeli side is hit sporadically by what are usually deemed to be stray rounds, and Israel has recently taken to opening fire in retaliation. (AFP)

Israeli attack on Syria military camp kills three

G7 foreign ministers insist there can be no peace solution for war-torn Syria with President Bashar al-Assad in power, French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault said Tuesday.

The ministers, meeting in Italy as US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson readies for crunch talks in Moscow, were agreed that &quot;no future in Syria is possible with Bashar al-Assad&quot;, Ayrault told reporters.

He said the message for Russia was: &quot;That&#39;s enough now. There must be an end to hypocrisy and a very clear return to the political process&quot;.

&quot;This is not an aggressive stance towards Russia, rather a hand out-held, with clear intentions,&quot; he said.

The United States has hardened its stance on Damascus since a suspected chemical weapons on a rebel-held Syrian town that killed at least 87 civilians and triggered a retaliatory US bombing raid on a Syrian air base.

The West is also pushing for Russia to rein in the Syrian regime, with the war now in its seventh year.&nbsp;

Ayrault was speaking at the close of the two-day ministerial meeting of the G7 which groups Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States.

The group also held a special meeting on Syria on Tuesday with counterparts from Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and the UAE.

Tillerson headed from Italy to Russia, where he is set to meet with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov. 
 
(AFP) 
&nbsp;

The G7 foreign ministers met in Italy as US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson readies for crunch talks in Moscow

G7 foreign ministers insist there can be no peace solution for war-torn Syria with President Bashar al-Assad in power, French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault said Tuesday. The ministers, meeting in Italy as US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson readies for crunch talks in Moscow, were agreed that "no future in Syria is possible with Bashar al-Assad", Ayrault told reporters. He said the message for Russia was: "That's enough now. There must be an end to hypocrisy and a very clear return to the political process". "This is not an aggressive stance towards Russia, rather a hand out-held, with clear intentions," he said. The United States has hardened its stance on Damascus since a suspected chemical weapons on a rebel-held Syrian town that killed at least 87 civilians and triggered a retaliatory US bombing raid on a Syrian air base. The West is also pushing for Russia to rein in the Syrian regime, with the war now in its seventh year. Ayrault was speaking at the close of the two-day ministerial meeting of the G7 which groups Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States. The group also held a special meeting on Syria on Tuesday with counterparts from Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and the UAE. Tillerson headed from Italy to Russia, where he is set to meet with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov. (AFP)

G7 agrees no Syria solution with Assad in power: Italy

Syrian rebels have agreed to leave the Homs district of al-Waer with their families over the next few weeks, opposition media said on Monday, with state media quoting the governor of Homs province as saying the same.

Opposition-affiliated Orient News reported that negotiators from al-Waer had signed an agreement for rebel factions and their families to go to northern Syria.

The Homs Media Centre, run by opposition activists in Homs, also said an agreement had been reached.

The deal completes an agreement reached in September between the government and the rebel groups in al-Waer, the last insurgent bastion in Homs, which has been pounded by air strikes in recent weeks.

All fighters and their families will leave in batches for northern Syria, Homs governor Talal Barazi was quoted as saying on state television and by news agencies.

Orient News said they would go to Jarablus, a city near the border with Turkey that is held by rebel groups fighting under the Free Syrian Army banner with backing from Turkish forces.

In September, Barazi said al-Waer was home to about 40,000 civilians and 800 fighters. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based group monitoring the war, said there were more than 2,500 fighters there.

(Reuters)

Both opposition and state media reported that a deal has been negotiated to let the rebels leave with their families over the next few weeks

Syrian rebels have agreed to leave the Homs district of al-Waer with their families over the next few weeks, opposition media said on Monday, with state media quoting the governor of Homs province as saying the same. Opposition-affiliated Orient News reported that negotiators from al-Waer had signed an agreement for rebel factions and their families to go to northern Syria. The Homs Media Centre, run by opposition activists in Homs, also said an agreement had been reached. The deal completes an agreement reached in September between the government and the rebel groups in al-Waer, the last insurgent bastion in Homs, which has been pounded by air strikes in recent weeks. All fighters and their families will leave in batches for northern Syria, Homs governor Talal Barazi was quoted as saying on state television and by news agencies. Orient News said they would go to Jarablus, a city near the border with Turkey that is held by rebel groups fighting under the Free Syrian Army banner with backing from Turkish forces. In September, Barazi said al-Waer was home to about 40,000 civilians and 800 fighters. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based group monitoring the war, said there were more than 2,500 fighters there. (Reuters)

Syrian rebels agree to leave Homs' al-Waer district

Syrian President Bashar al Assad said on Tuesday that he hopes to see&nbsp;an ally in US President-elect Donald Trump if he &quot;lives up to his promise&quot; of fighting terrorists.&nbsp;

&quot;What about the countervailing forces within the (US) administration?&quot; Assad told a Portuguese television channel in reference to lobbies&nbsp;within the administration which influence the president.&nbsp;

Unlike Obama&#39;s policy,&nbsp;Trump has questioned the idea of&nbsp;backing the rebels instead of Assad, noting that he didn&#39;t like him but &quot;Assad is killing ISIS&quot;.

&quot;That&#39;s why for us it&#39;s still dubious whether he (Trump) can do or live up to his promises or not,&quot; Assad said. &quot;That is why we are very cautious in judging him...but let&#39;s say if he is going to fight the terrorists, of course we are going to be ally, natural ally with the Russians, with the Iranians,&quot; he added.

(WION with inputs from Reuters)

Trump has questioned the idea of?backing the rebels instead of Assad, noting that, while he didn't like him, 'Assad is killing ISIS'

Syrian President Bashar al Assad said on Tuesday that he hopes to see an ally in US President-elect Donald Trump if he "lives up to his promise" of fighting terrorists. "What about the countervailing forces within the (US) administration?" Assad told a Portuguese television channel in reference to lobbies within the administration which influence the president. Unlike Obama's policy, Trump has questioned the idea of backing the rebels instead of Assad, noting that he didn't like him but "Assad is killing ISIS". "That's why for us it's still dubious whether he (Trump) can do or live up to his promises or not," Assad said. "That is why we are very cautious in judging him...but let's say if he is going to fight the terrorists, of course we are going to be ally, natural ally with the Russians, with the Iranians," he added. (WION with inputs from Reuters)

Syrian President hopes for 'natural ally' in Trump

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