A bomb attack claimed by <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/at-least-15-dead-in-suicide-attack-targeting-us-led-coalition-in-syria-190785">Islamic State killed US troops</a> in northern Syria on Wednesday, weeks after President Donald Trump said group was defeated there and he would pull out all American forces.

A US official who declined to be named said four US troops had been killed and three wounded in the blast, which an Islamic State-affiliated site said was the work of a suicide bomber. Others said only two had been killed.

The US-led coalition fighting the Islamist militant group said that "US service members were killed during an explosion while conducting a routine patrol", and that it was still gathering details.

The attack, which took place in the town of Manbij, controlled by rebels opposed to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, appears to be the deadliest on US&nbsp;forces in Syria since they deployed on the ground there in 2015.

A Pentagon spokeswoman said that only two US troops had previously been killed in action in Syria. There were two additional non-combat fatalities.

Last month, US President Donald Trump made a surprise announcement that he would withdraw all 2,000 US troops from Syria after concluding that Islamic State had been defeated there.

The announcement helped trigger the resignation of his defence secretary, Jim Mattis, stunned allies and raised fears of a long-threatened Turkish military offensive against US-backed Kurdish forces in northern Syria.

RESTAURANT ATTACKED

A witness in the city said the attack had targeted a restaurant where US personnel were meeting members of the local militia that Washington backs there.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group said 16 people had been killed in all, including two Americans. A militia source in north Syria also said two US troops had been killed.

Islamic State later put out a statement saying a Syrian fighter had detonated his explosive vest on a foreign patrol in Manbij.

Two witnesses described the blast to Reuters.

"An explosion hit near a restaurant, targeting the Americans, and there were some forces from the Manbij Military Council with them," one said.

The Manbij Military Council militia has controlled the town since US-backed Kurdish-led forces took it from Islamic State in 2016. It is located near areas held by Russian-backed Syrian government forces and by anti-Assad fighters backed by Turkey.

One of the witnesses said there was a "heavy" presence of military aircraft over Manbij following the blast, which took place near a vegetable market.

Photographs on a local Kurdish news site, which Reuters could not verify, showed two mutilated bodies, several other bodies lying on the ground with people gathered around them, damage to a building and vehicles, and blood smears on a wall.

It was unclear whether the attack might influence Trump’s decision to give more time for the US withdrawal, a conflict he has tired of and described as “sand and death”.

A bomb attack claimed by Islamic State killed US troops in northern Syria on Wednesday, weeks after President Donald Trump said group was defeated there and he would pull out all American forces.

A bomb attack claimed by Islamic State killed US troops in northern Syria on Wednesday, weeks after President Donald Trump said group was defeated there and he would pull out all American forces. A US official who declined to be named said four US troops had been killed and three wounded in the blast, which an Islamic State-affiliated site said was the work of a suicide bomber. Others said only two had been killed. The US-led coalition fighting the Islamist militant group said that "US service members were killed during an explosion while conducting a routine patrol", and that it was still gathering details. The attack, which took place in the town of Manbij, controlled by rebels opposed to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, appears to be the deadliest on US forces in Syria since they deployed on the ground there in 2015. A Pentagon spokeswoman said that only two US troops had previously been killed in action in Syria. There were two additional non-combat fatalities. Last month, US President Donald Trump made a surprise announcement that he would withdraw all 2,000 US troops from Syria after concluding that Islamic State had been defeated there. The announcement helped trigger the resignation of his defence secretary, Jim Mattis, stunned allies and raised fears of a long-threatened Turkish military offensive against US-backed Kurdish forces in northern Syria. RESTAURANT ATTACKED A witness in the city said the attack had targeted a restaurant where US personnel were meeting members of the local militia that Washington backs there. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group said 16 people had been killed in all, including two Americans. A militia source in north Syria also said two US troops had been killed. Islamic State later put out a statement saying a Syrian fighter had detonated his explosive vest on a foreign patrol in Manbij. Two witnesses described the blast to Reuters. "An explosion hit near a restaurant, targeting the Americans, and there were some forces from the Manbij Military Council with them," one said. The Manbij Military Council militia has controlled the town since US-backed Kurdish-led forces took it from Islamic State in 2016. It is located near areas held by Russian-backed Syrian government forces and by anti-Assad fighters backed by Turkey. One of the witnesses said there was a "heavy" presence of military aircraft over Manbij following the blast, which took place near a vegetable market. Photographs on a local Kurdish news site, which Reuters could not verify, showed two mutilated bodies, several other bodies lying on the ground with people gathered around them, damage to a building and vehicles, and blood smears on a wall. It was unclear whether the attack might influence Trump’s decision to give more time for the US withdrawal, a conflict he has tired of and described as “sand and death”.

Four US troops reported among 16 dead in north Syria attack

Syria’s chief opposition negotiator said on Sunday he was surprised by countries rebuilding ties with the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/2018-marked-another-bloody-year-in-syria-187022">Syrian</a> government and urged them to revisit their decision.

"We have no power to stop this reconciliation, we hope it is not for free," Nasr Hariri told reporters in Riyadh. "Bashar al-Assad will remain a war criminal even if thousands of leaders had a handshake with him."

The United Arab Emirates re-opened its embassy in Damascus last month and Bahrain said its embassy there and the Syrian diplomatic mission in Manama had been operating “without interruption”.

The brutal all-out war in Syria is now <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/with-arab-countries-embracing-syrian-again-is-countrys-isolation-over-188046">coming to an end</a>. Neighbouring countries have slowly started rebuilding ties with Syria, putting an end to its isolation in the region.&nbsp;

Syria fell into a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.wionews.com/opinions/international-community-has-failed-syria-167928&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=0ahUKEwjsnbKlvMLfAhUKsI8KHaviDoUQFggFMAA&amp;client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;usg=AOvVaw0LihMYnQQnV8TUmMHDGua-">civil war</a>&nbsp;in 2011 following the Arab Spring protest led by the civilians against the Bashar al-Assad government.

The protests turned violent and an armed revolt broke out after some of the protesters took up guns. Several groups were formed inside the country after the civilians faced brutal suppression from the government. A series of arrests and shootings followed the Arab Spring.

The government's brutal crackdown of peaceful protests resulted in an armed revolt against it.

Over the years the civil war in Syria resulted in the killing of over millions of civilians.

(With inputs from Reuters) 
&nbsp;

Syria’s chief opposition negotiator said on Sunday he was surprised by countries rebuilding ties with the Syrian government and urged them to revisit their decision.

Syria’s chief opposition negotiator said on Sunday he was surprised by countries rebuilding ties with the Syrian government and urged them to revisit their decision. "We have no power to stop this reconciliation, we hope it is not for free," Nasr Hariri told reporters in Riyadh. "Bashar al-Assad will remain a war criminal even if thousands of leaders had a handshake with him." The United Arab Emirates re-opened its embassy in Damascus last month and Bahrain said its embassy there and the Syrian diplomatic mission in Manama had been operating “without interruption”. The brutal all-out war in Syria is now coming to an end. Neighbouring countries have slowly started rebuilding ties with Syria, putting an end to its isolation in the region. Syria fell into a civil war in 2011 following the Arab Spring protest led by the civilians against the Bashar al-Assad government. The protests turned violent and an armed revolt broke out after some of the protesters took up guns. Several groups were formed inside the country after the civilians faced brutal suppression from the government. A series of arrests and shootings followed the Arab Spring. The government's brutal crackdown of peaceful protests resulted in an armed revolt against it. Over the years the civil war in Syria resulted in the killing of over millions of civilians. (With inputs from Reuters)

Syrian opposition says surprised by countries reconciling with Assad

The year 2018 saw the retreat of US troops from Syria and the decline of the jihadist militant group ISIS from the country.

President Donald Trump announced the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/opinions/syria-troop-withdrawal-is-donald-trump-burying-the-post-war-liberal-world-order-186963">withdrawal of the US troops from Syria</a> on December 19 stating that America had "defeated ISIS" in the war-ravaged country.&nbsp;

The first US troops were deployed in Syria during the Obama administration in 2015 when the militant group was at its peak. The US had set up about 2,000 troops in the country to support local forces fighting the Islamic State.

The troops had never been involved in a direct fight with the militant group unless it was for their self-defence. Since 2015 the forces had been assisting and advising the Kurdish led Syrian Democratic Force (SDF).

The SDF working alongside the US troops have reclaimed most of the territories that were lost to the ISIS.

After seven years of deadly war between the US-led SDF force and other foreign forces, the Islamic State has now been pushed back to the border of the Syrian territories and has lost control over the majority of the area that they once controlled.

The civil&nbsp;war in Syria

Syria fell into a <a href="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.wionews.com/opinions/international-community-has-failed-syria-167928&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=0ahUKEwjsnbKlvMLfAhUKsI8KHaviDoUQFggFMAA&amp;client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;usg=AOvVaw0LihMYnQQnV8TUmMHDGua-">civil war</a> in 2011 following the Arab Spring protest led by the civilians against the unfair government.

The protests turned violent and an armed revolt broke out after some of the protesters took up guns. Several groups were formed inside the country after the civilians faced brutal suppression from the government. A series of arrests and shootings followed the Arab Spring.

The government's brutal crackdown of peaceful protests resulted in an armed revolt against it. Syria was divided into several groups which received aid and support from different foreign groups.

The Bashar al-Assad regime backed by Russia, Iran and Turkey fought against the radical forces. While the US fought alongside the Kurds against them.&nbsp;

The Kurdish forces have been demanding a separate country for themselves. Though the US has never been in favour of the Bashar al-Assad government it did not make much effort to eliminate it from the country because the other alternative against the Assad regime was the Islamic State which the US knew would be even more dangerous.

The current situation

Over the years the civil war in Syria resulted in the killing of over millions of civilians. Syria became a battleground for not only the different internal groups but also global powers such as the US, Russia, Iran and Turkey.

The <a href="http://www.wionews.com/photos/in-pictures-children-become-victims-of-chemical-attack-in-syria-220">civilians were falling victim to the atrocities</a> and armed killing by the Islamic State and also the chemical attack by the Bashar al-Assad led government and the proxy war of the global powers.

Though the Islamic State has lost almost all the territories in the seventh year of the <a href="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.wionews.com/photos/syrias-aleppo-before-and-after-136&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=0ahUKEwjsnbKlvMLfAhUKsI8KHaviDoUQFggPMAQ&amp;client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;usg=AOvVaw0bUJpfs613iAsu-71IENpQ">deadly war</a>, the militant group still remains&nbsp;a threat. The IS has shown an ability to stage sudden guerrilla attacks despite losing its so-called caliphate.

The government now holds more than half of the country, including its most populous areas, the main cities, coast, the border with Lebanon, most of the border with Jordan, central Syrian desert and the main gas fields.

The US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) alliance of Kurdish and Arab militias now controls almost all the quarter of Syria east of the Euphrates, including the&nbsp;former&nbsp;IS capital of Raqqa and some of the country’s biggest oil fields.

(With input&nbsp;from agencies)

The year 2018 saw the retreat of US troops from Syria and the decline of the jihadist militant group ISIS from the country. President Donald Trump announced the withdrawal of the US troops from Syria on December 19 stating that America had "defeated ISIS" in the war-ravaged country.

The year 2018 saw the retreat of US troops from Syria and the decline of the jihadist militant group ISIS from the country. President Donald Trump announced the withdrawal of the US troops from Syria on December 19 stating that America had "defeated ISIS" in the war-ravaged country. The first US troops were deployed in Syria during the Obama administration in 2015 when the militant group was at its peak. The US had set up about 2,000 troops in the country to support local forces fighting the Islamic State. The troops had never been involved in a direct fight with the militant group unless it was for their self-defence. Since 2015 the forces had been assisting and advising the Kurdish led Syrian Democratic Force (SDF). The SDF working alongside the US troops have reclaimed most of the territories that were lost to the ISIS. After seven years of deadly war between the US-led SDF force and other foreign forces, the Islamic State has now been pushed back to the border of the Syrian territories and has lost control over the majority of the area that they once controlled. The civil war in Syria Syria fell into a civil war in 2011 following the Arab Spring protest led by the civilians against the unfair government. The protests turned violent and an armed revolt broke out after some of the protesters took up guns. Several groups were formed inside the country after the civilians faced brutal suppression from the government. A series of arrests and shootings followed the Arab Spring. The government's brutal crackdown of peaceful protests resulted in an armed revolt against it. Syria was divided into several groups which received aid and support from different foreign groups. The Bashar al-Assad regime backed by Russia, Iran and Turkey fought against the radical forces. While the US fought alongside the Kurds against them. The Kurdish forces have been demanding a separate country for themselves. Though the US has never been in favour of the Bashar al-Assad government it did not make much effort to eliminate it from the country because the other alternative against the Assad regime was the Islamic State which the US knew would be even more dangerous. The current situation Over the years the civil war in Syria resulted in the killing of over millions of civilians. Syria became a battleground for not only the different internal groups but also global powers such as the US, Russia, Iran and Turkey. The civilians were falling victim to the atrocities and armed killing by the Islamic State and also the chemical attack by the Bashar al-Assad led government and the proxy war of the global powers. Though the Islamic State has lost almost all the territories in the seventh year of the deadly war, the militant group still remains a threat. The IS has shown an ability to stage sudden guerrilla attacks despite losing its so-called caliphate. The government now holds more than half of the country, including its most populous areas, the main cities, coast, the border with Lebanon, most of the border with Jordan, central Syrian desert and the main gas fields. The US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) alliance of Kurdish and Arab militias now controls almost all the quarter of Syria east of the Euphrates, including the former IS capital of Raqqa and some of the country’s biggest oil fields. (With input from agencies)

2018 marked another bloody year in Syria 

Russia's defence minister said Saturday that almost 88,000 rebels had been killed in Syria in the three years since Moscow's intervention to back government forces.

"Over the course of the operation, a total of more than 87,500 rebels have been eliminated, 1,411 settlements have been liberated and more than 95 per cent of Syria's territory," Shoigu was quoted as saying at a forum in Singapore in a ministry statement.

"Most of the rebels have been liquidated," Shoigu said.

Britain-based war monitor the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says close to 365,000 people have been killed during the seven-year civil war.

Russia launched strikes in support of President Bashar al-Assad's regime in September 2015.

Russian air forces have carried out more than 40,000 bombing missions, hitting about 120,000 targets of "terrorist" infrastructure, Shoigu said.

The defence minister said that "Syrian armed forces currently control territory where more than 90 per cent of the population lives."

Russia's defence minister said Saturday that almost 88,000 rebels had been killed in Syria in the three years since Moscow's intervention to back government forces.

Russia's defence minister said Saturday that almost 88,000 rebels had been killed in Syria in the three years since Moscow's intervention to back government forces. "Over the course of the operation, a total of more than 87,500 rebels have been eliminated, 1,411 settlements have been liberated and more than 95 per cent of Syria's territory," Shoigu was quoted as saying at a forum in Singapore in a ministry statement. "Most of the rebels have been liquidated," Shoigu said. Britain-based war monitor the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says close to 365,000 people have been killed during the seven-year civil war. Russia launched strikes in support of President Bashar al-Assad's regime in September 2015. Russian air forces have carried out more than 40,000 bombing missions, hitting about 120,000 targets of "terrorist" infrastructure, Shoigu said. The defence minister said that "Syrian armed forces currently control territory where more than 90 per cent of the population lives."

Moscow's intervention has killed around 88,000 rebels in Syria: Russian defence ministry

Syria's President Bashar al-Assad denied Moscow is running the show in his war-torn country, saying in an interview released Sunday his government operates independently of its Russian and Iranian allies.

In a wide-ranging interview in Damascus with the Mail on Sunday, Assad slammed the United States and British military actions in Syria as "colonial" while praising supporter Russia.&nbsp

"We've had good relations with Russia for more than six decades now, nearly seven decades. They never, during our relation, try to dictate, even if there are differences," he told the British newspaper. &nbsp

Assad admitted his government has disagreed with Russia and Iran throughout the country's seven-year conflict.

"That's very natural, but at the end the only decision about what's going on in Syria and what's going to happen, it's a Syrian decision," he said.&nbsp

Moscow intervened militarily in Syria's conflict in 2015, when Assad's forces were struggling to hold territory against rebel fighters.&nbsp

Russian air strikes and military advisors have since helped regime troops seize back more than half the country.&nbsp

Tehran, too, has sent military advisors to Syria, but Assad has denied that Iranian troops are on the ground.&nbsp

Iran's regional foe, Israel, has repeatedly warned it will not accept an entrenched Iranian presence in Syria.

It is suspected of carrying out numerous raids on Syrian government positions over the years, and last month announced unprecedented strikes on what it said were Tehran-operated bases in Syria.&nbsp

In his interview, Assad denied Moscow had ever had prior knowledge of such strikes, despite close cooperation between Israel and Russia.&nbsp

"No, no, that's not true," he said.&nbsp

"Russia never coordinated with anyone against Syria, either politically or militarily, and that's (a) contradiction," he said.

"How could they help the Syrian army advancing and at the same time work with our enemies in order to destroy our army?"&nbsp

Syria's war has also drawn in many Western powers, who first backed rebel groups against Assad then shifted their focus to defeating the Islamic State jihadist group as part of a US-led coalition.

Assad lambasted the American and British interventions, saying they were "breaching the sovereignty of Syria".&nbsp

"This is colonial policy, that's how we see it, and this is not new," he said.

He also told the Mail on Sunday that his country had stopped intelligence sharing with European nations.&nbsp

"They want to exchange information despite their governments being politically against ours, so we said... When you change your political position, we're ready," he said.&nbsp

"Now, there's no cooperation with any European intelligence agencies including the British."&nbsp

The interview, according to the Mail on Sunday, was Assad's first with a British journalist since 2015. Its full transcript was published on Syrian state news agency SANA.

In a wide-ranging interview in Damascus with the Mail on Sunday, Assad slammed the United States and British military actions in Syria as 'colonial' while praising supporter Russia

Syria's President Bashar al-Assad denied Moscow is running the show in his war-torn country, saying in an interview released Sunday his government operates independently of its Russian and Iranian allies. In a wide-ranging interview in Damascus with the Mail on Sunday, Assad slammed the United States and British military actions in Syria as "colonial" while praising supporter Russia. "We've had good relations with Russia for more than six decades now, nearly seven decades. They never, during our relation, try to dictate, even if there are differences," he told the British newspaper. Assad admitted his government has disagreed with Russia and Iran throughout the country's seven-year conflict. "That's very natural, but at the end the only decision about what's going on in Syria and what's going to happen, it's a Syrian decision," he said. Moscow intervened militarily in Syria's conflict in 2015, when Assad's forces were struggling to hold territory against rebel fighters. Russian air strikes and military advisors have since helped regime troops seize back more than half the country. Tehran, too, has sent military advisors to Syria, but Assad has denied that Iranian troops are on the ground. Iran's regional foe, Israel, has repeatedly warned it will not accept an entrenched Iranian presence in Syria. It is suspected of carrying out numerous raids on Syrian government positions over the years, and last month announced unprecedented strikes on what it said were Tehran-operated bases in Syria. In his interview, Assad denied Moscow had ever had prior knowledge of such strikes, despite close cooperation between Israel and Russia. "No, no, that's not true," he said. "Russia never coordinated with anyone against Syria, either politically or militarily, and that's (a) contradiction," he said. "How could they help the Syrian army advancing and at the same time work with our enemies in order to destroy our army?" Syria's war has also drawn in many Western powers, who first backed rebel groups against Assad then shifted their focus to defeating the Islamic State jihadist group as part of a US-led coalition. Assad lambasted the American and British interventions, saying they were "breaching the sovereignty of Syria". "This is colonial policy, that's how we see it, and this is not new," he said. He also told the Mail on Sunday that his country had stopped intelligence sharing with European nations. "They want to exchange information despite their governments being politically against ours, so we said... When you change your political position, we're ready," he said. "Now, there's no cooperation with any European intelligence agencies including the British." The interview, according to the Mail on Sunday, was Assad's first with a British journalist since 2015. Its full transcript was published on Syrian state news agency SANA.

Assad denies Moscow running the show in Syria

German prosecutors have issued an international arrest warrant for a top Syrian intelligence officer accused of overseeing the torture and murder of hundreds of detainees, a media report said Friday.

German news weekly Der Spiegel said Jamil Hassan, the head of Syria's notorious airforce intelligence directorate and a close ally of President Bashar al-Assad, was wanted on charges of crimes against humanity.

The magazine described the warrant for Hassan's arrest as "the most serious effort yet by a Western country" to hold Assad's regime accountable for crimes committed against Syrians since a 2011 uprising sparked a brutal civil war.

The German federal prosecutor's office declined to comment when contacted by AFP.

Spiegel said prosecutors are alleging that 64-year-old Hassan authorised his officers to "beat, rape, torture and kill" hundreds of prisoners in Syrian government detention facilities between 2011 and 2013.

The charges against Hassan are reportedly based in part on witness reports and photographic evidence smuggled out of the country by a photographer who worked for the Syrian military police.

Known as "Caesar", the photographer fled his homeland in 2013 carrying 55,000 photographs showing the bodies of people who had been tortured.

Although the alleged abuses did not happen in Germany, the case has been filed under the legal principle of universal jurisdiction, meaning that any country can pursue perpetrators regardless of where the crime was committed.

Germany is one of the few countries in the world to apply the universal jurisdiction principle.

The European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights (ECCHR), a Berlin-based rights group, said the warrant for Hassan's arrest came after it filed a criminal complaint last year against 10 high-ranking Syrian officials accusing them of crimes against humanity and war crimes.

The ECCHR, which filed its complaint jointly with a group of Syrian torture survivors and activists, hailed the prosecutors' move as "great news".&nbsp

On its Twitter feed, it quoted torture survivor Munem Hilaneh as saying: "The silence of the world during 7 years of ongoing crimes in Syria made me doubt if justice still exists. What happened today gives hope to me and to thousands of Syrians".

Amnesty International also welcomed the arrest warrant.

"We demand his arrest in the name of every person whose tortured image burns in our minds," it tweeted.

More than 350,000 people have been killed in the Syrian seven-year war, which started with the brutal repression of anti-government protests.

German prosecutors have issued an international arrest warrant for a top Syrian intelligence officer accused of overseeing the torture and murder of hundreds of detainees, a media report said Friday

German prosecutors have issued an international arrest warrant for a top Syrian intelligence officer accused of overseeing the torture and murder of hundreds of detainees, a media report said Friday. German news weekly Der Spiegel said Jamil Hassan, the head of Syria's notorious airforce intelligence directorate and a close ally of President Bashar al-Assad, was wanted on charges of crimes against humanity. The magazine described the warrant for Hassan's arrest as "the most serious effort yet by a Western country" to hold Assad's regime accountable for crimes committed against Syrians since a 2011 uprising sparked a brutal civil war. The German federal prosecutor's office declined to comment when contacted by AFP. Spiegel said prosecutors are alleging that 64-year-old Hassan authorised his officers to "beat, rape, torture and kill" hundreds of prisoners in Syrian government detention facilities between 2011 and 2013. The charges against Hassan are reportedly based in part on witness reports and photographic evidence smuggled out of the country by a photographer who worked for the Syrian military police. Known as "Caesar", the photographer fled his homeland in 2013 carrying 55,000 photographs showing the bodies of people who had been tortured. Although the alleged abuses did not happen in Germany, the case has been filed under the legal principle of universal jurisdiction, meaning that any country can pursue perpetrators regardless of where the crime was committed. Germany is one of the few countries in the world to apply the universal jurisdiction principle. The European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights (ECCHR), a Berlin-based rights group, said the warrant for Hassan's arrest came after it filed a criminal complaint last year against 10 high-ranking Syrian officials accusing them of crimes against humanity and war crimes. The ECCHR, which filed its complaint jointly with a group of Syrian torture survivors and activists, hailed the prosecutors' move as "great news". On its Twitter feed, it quoted torture survivor Munem Hilaneh as saying: "The silence of the world during 7 years of ongoing crimes in Syria made me doubt if justice still exists. What happened today gives hope to me and to thousands of Syrians". Amnesty International also welcomed the arrest warrant. "We demand his arrest in the name of every person whose tortured image burns in our minds," it tweeted. More than 350,000 people have been killed in the Syrian seven-year war, which started with the brutal repression of anti-government protests.

Germany issues arrest warrant for top Assad ally: Report

President Bashar al-Assad said he would recover areas of Syria held by the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), and that US&nbspforces should learn the lesson of Iraq and leave the country.

In an interview with Russia Today, Assad also said the government had "started now opening doors for negotiations" with the SDF, a Kurdish dominated militia alliance that controls parts of northern and eastern Syria where US&nbspforces are stationed.

"This is the first option. If not, we`re going to resort to ... liberating those areas by force," he said, adding "the Americans should leave, somehow they`re going to leave".

Responding to US&nbspPresident Donald Trump`s description of him as "Animal Assad", the Syrian leader said: "What you say is what you are".

Assad also said the government had 'started now opening doors for negotiations' with the SDF

President Bashar al-Assad said he would recover areas of Syria held by the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), and that US&nbspforces should learn the lesson of Iraq and leave the country. In an interview with Russia Today, Assad also said the government had "started now opening doors for negotiations" with the SDF, a Kurdish dominated militia alliance that controls parts of northern and eastern Syria where US&nbspforces are stationed. "This is the first option. If not, we`re going to resort to ... liberating those areas by force," he said, adding "the Americans should leave, somehow they`re going to leave". Responding to US&nbspPresident Donald Trump`s description of him as "Animal Assad", the Syrian leader said: "What you say is what you are".

Assad says US will leave Syria, vows to retake SDF-held areas

Displaced from her home in Syria's Eastern Ghouta, Umaima al-Sheikh and her family sought refuge in an abandoned house across the country in Afrin.

The traditionally Kurdish town had been emptied of its residents just weeks earlier after a brutal Turkish-led offensive forced tens of thousands to flee.

"No one wants to live in a house that isn't theirs, or use other people's belongings," said Sheikh.

After staying briefly in rebel territory elsewhere in northern Syria, the 25-year-old moved to Afrin around a month ago with her husband Firas and two young children.

"We all want to be in our own homes, our own towns, but the situation forced us to settle in a house that isn't ours," Sheikh told&nbsp;in a leafy park in the town.

"The homes we left behind are now being lived in by other people, too. This is the case for everyone in Syria, not just us," she said.

Since war broke out in 2011, half of Syria's population has been displaced, including more than five million outside the country and another six million internally.

Among them are rebels and civilians transferred en masse from one bombed opposition area to another under "reconciliation" agreements.

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has used such deals to retake territory, prompting charges he is reshuffling the country's demographics.

His April capture of Ghouta was sealed with the transfer of thousands of people to the rebel-held north, with many going on to Afrin.

The offensive by Turkish-backed rebels sparked a wave of accusations that Ankara was guilty of ethnic engineering, by resettling Syrian Arabs into Afrin after pushing out Syrian Kurds.

As many as 35,000 people have taken refuge in the Afrin region, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

Some live in a pair of refugee camps in a rural area, but many have moved into the town's empty and ruined homes.

Mehdi Haymur and his young son picked through the rubble and debris at the entrance of one bombed-out apartment for anything salvageable.

They lifted a mismatched pair of torn, dust-covered cushions from the smashed cinderblocks and headed inside.

"We left Ghouta and lost our homes, land, and work. We were forced to leave Ghouta, and we also came here in a forced way," said Haymur.

With help from rebel military police, he and his family have squatted in several Afrin homes but their owners have arrived and asked them to leave.

The owner of the abandoned block where he lives now has allowed them to stay temporarily, Haymur told.

Ahmad al-Buri, 19, was displaced to Afrin from the outskirts of Ghouta's largest town of Douma.

"This is a Turkish zone, protected from Syrian regime bombardment. That's why I came here," said Buri.

Rebels also helped his family find an empty home in Afrin's Mahmudiyah district, and Buri has enlisted in the Turkish-backed police.

"If the owner of this house comes back and we have to leave, I don't know what we'll do. We'll have to find another home or go to a camp," he shrugged.

Those camps house an estimated 10,000 people, according to the United Nations' humanitarian coordination office (OCHA), which also confirmed the house-squatting.

"While some are paying rent, reports of internally displaced people residing in empty houses without obtaining the permission of their owners continue to emerge," it said.

Around 135,000 of Afrin's original residents stayed in the region as fighting continued, more than a third in the town itself, according to OCHA

Othman Khalil, a 57-year-old metal worker, refused to leave his home on Villa Street during the fight.

"There are families from Ghouta that come to our neighbourhood. We talk to each other," he said.

"They can come into Afrin but people originally from here cannot enter," said Khalil, whose friends escaped the town during clashes but have been unable to return.&nbsp;

A pair of Turkish-backed rebels guard one access route, checking the vehicles coming in and out.

OCHA has expressed increasing concern over "protracted displacement" from Afrin as security operations continue.

Syria's leading Kurdish Party, the People's Democratic Union (PYD), and the Observatory have both accused Ankara of seeking to change Afrin's ethnic makeup by resettling Arab families in Kurdish homes.

"There are strangers living in my nephew's house who won't leave," said Mahmoud Hassan, 58, a farmer in Afrin.&nbsp;

"People from Ghouta are good people, we can talk to them and there's peace between us," he told.&nbsp;

"But this isn't your house, you came and lived in it, and if the owner comes back, you need to get out before he complains."

On Saturday, hundreds of Syrian Kurds demonstrated in the northeastern city of Qamishli in protest at Turkey's military presence in Afrin.

The traditionally Kurdish town had been emptied of its residents just weeks earlier after a brutal Turkish-led offensive forced tens of thousands to flee

Displaced from her home in Syria's Eastern Ghouta, Umaima al-Sheikh and her family sought refuge in an abandoned house across the country in Afrin. The traditionally Kurdish town had been emptied of its residents just weeks earlier after a brutal Turkish-led offensive forced tens of thousands to flee. "No one wants to live in a house that isn't theirs, or use other people's belongings," said Sheikh. After staying briefly in rebel territory elsewhere in northern Syria, the 25-year-old moved to Afrin around a month ago with her husband Firas and two young children. "We all want to be in our own homes, our own towns, but the situation forced us to settle in a house that isn't ours," Sheikh told in a leafy park in the town. "The homes we left behind are now being lived in by other people, too. This is the case for everyone in Syria, not just us," she said. Since war broke out in 2011, half of Syria's population has been displaced, including more than five million outside the country and another six million internally. Among them are rebels and civilians transferred en masse from one bombed opposition area to another under "reconciliation" agreements. Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has used such deals to retake territory, prompting charges he is reshuffling the country's demographics. His April capture of Ghouta was sealed with the transfer of thousands of people to the rebel-held north, with many going on to Afrin. The offensive by Turkish-backed rebels sparked a wave of accusations that Ankara was guilty of ethnic engineering, by resettling Syrian Arabs into Afrin after pushing out Syrian Kurds. As many as 35,000 people have taken refuge in the Afrin region, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. Some live in a pair of refugee camps in a rural area, but many have moved into the town's empty and ruined homes. Mehdi Haymur and his young son picked through the rubble and debris at the entrance of one bombed-out apartment for anything salvageable. They lifted a mismatched pair of torn, dust-covered cushions from the smashed cinderblocks and headed inside. "We left Ghouta and lost our homes, land, and work. We were forced to leave Ghouta, and we also came here in a forced way," said Haymur. With help from rebel military police, he and his family have squatted in several Afrin homes but their owners have arrived and asked them to leave. The owner of the abandoned block where he lives now has allowed them to stay temporarily, Haymur told. Ahmad al-Buri, 19, was displaced to Afrin from the outskirts of Ghouta's largest town of Douma. "This is a Turkish zone, protected from Syrian regime bombardment. That's why I came here," said Buri. Rebels also helped his family find an empty home in Afrin's Mahmudiyah district, and Buri has enlisted in the Turkish-backed police. "If the owner of this house comes back and we have to leave, I don't know what we'll do. We'll have to find another home or go to a camp," he shrugged. Those camps house an estimated 10,000 people, according to the United Nations' humanitarian coordination office (OCHA), which also confirmed the house-squatting. "While some are paying rent, reports of internally displaced people residing in empty houses without obtaining the permission of their owners continue to emerge," it said. Around 135,000 of Afrin's original residents stayed in the region as fighting continued, more than a third in the town itself, according to OCHA Othman Khalil, a 57-year-old metal worker, refused to leave his home on Villa Street during the fight. "There are families from Ghouta that come to our neighbourhood. We talk to each other," he said. "They can come into Afrin but people originally from here cannot enter," said Khalil, whose friends escaped the town during clashes but have been unable to return. A pair of Turkish-backed rebels guard one access route, checking the vehicles coming in and out. OCHA has expressed increasing concern over "protracted displacement" from Afrin as security operations continue. Syria's leading Kurdish Party, the People's Democratic Union (PYD), and the Observatory have both accused Ankara of seeking to change Afrin's ethnic makeup by resettling Arab families in Kurdish homes. "There are strangers living in my nephew's house who won't leave," said Mahmoud Hassan, 58, a farmer in Afrin. "People from Ghouta are good people, we can talk to them and there's peace between us," he told. "But this isn't your house, you came and lived in it, and if the owner comes back, you need to get out before he complains." On Saturday, hundreds of Syrian Kurds demonstrated in the northeastern city of Qamishli in protest at Turkey's military presence in Afrin.

Displaced from Ghouta, Syrians seek refuge in emptied Afrin

Syria's army said Monday it was in full control of the capital Damascus and its outskirts after ousting the Islamic State group, marking a major milestone in the seven-year war.

"The Syrian army announces today that Damascus, its outskirts and surrounding towns are completely secure," it said in a statement carried on official media.

The development came after troops had captured a key southern portion of Damascus from IS, the statement said, including the Palestinian refugee camp of Yarmuk and the adjacent district of Hajar al-Aswad.

"The wheel of our progress on the battlefield will not stop until all Syrian land is purified," it added.

Syria's war erupted in 2011 with protests against President Bashar al-Assad, including in the capital.

The following year, the government began losing control of parts of Damascus and placed a crippling siege around Yarmuk, which lies in the capital's south.

The army's announcement came hours after a tenuous evacuation deal saw hundreds of IS fighters and their relatives quit Yarmuk, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

The government has denied reaching a deal with IS. It said a brief ceasefire had allowed one convoy of women and children to leave the pocket in southern Damascus.

Since last year, Syria's government has cleared swathes of territory around Damascus from its armed opponents through a blend of military pressure and evacuation deals.

Syria's army said Monday it was in full control of the capital Damascus and its outskirts after ousting the Islamic State group, marking a major milestone in the seven-year war

Syria's army said Monday it was in full control of the capital Damascus and its outskirts after ousting the Islamic State group, marking a major milestone in the seven-year war. "The Syrian army announces today that Damascus, its outskirts and surrounding towns are completely secure," it said in a statement carried on official media. The development came after troops had captured a key southern portion of Damascus from IS, the statement said, including the Palestinian refugee camp of Yarmuk and the adjacent district of Hajar al-Aswad. "The wheel of our progress on the battlefield will not stop until all Syrian land is purified," it added. Syria's war erupted in 2011 with protests against President Bashar al-Assad, including in the capital. The following year, the government began losing control of parts of Damascus and placed a crippling siege around Yarmuk, which lies in the capital's south. The army's announcement came hours after a tenuous evacuation deal saw hundreds of IS fighters and their relatives quit Yarmuk, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. The government has denied reaching a deal with IS. It said a brief ceasefire had allowed one convoy of women and children to leave the pocket in southern Damascus. Since last year, Syria's government has cleared swathes of territory around Damascus from its armed opponents through a blend of military pressure and evacuation deals.

Syria says capital 'completely secure', IS ousted

A war monitor said buses evacuated Islamic State fighters from an enclave south of Damascus on Sunday in a withdrawal deal, though state media denied the report and said the Syrian army was fighting to finish off the insurgents.

The recovery of the enclave south of Damascus will mark another milestone in President Bashar al-Assa's war effort, crushing the last besieged rebel enclave in western Syria.

Swathes of territory at the borders with Iraq, Turkey and Jordan, however, remain outside state control.

Syrian government forces and their allies have been battling to recover the enclave south of Damascus since defeating rebels in eastern Ghouta, also near the capital, in April.

The area is centred around the al-Hajar al-Aswad district and the adjoining Palestinian refugee camp of Yarmouk.

In a live broadcast, a reporter with Syrian state TV said the Syrian army operations in the Hajar al-Aswad area were nearing their end and insurgent lines were collapsing as columns of smoke rose from the area behind him.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights earlier said buses had entered the enclave after midnight to take out fighters and their families. They had left towards the Syrian Badia, a sparsely populated expanse of territory east of the capital that extends to the border with Jordan and Iraq, it said.&nbsp

Islamic State militants had torched their offices in the Yarmouk enclave, the Observatory said.

Negotiated withdrawals have been a common feature of the Syrian war in recent years as the government, aided by the Russian military and Iran-backed forces, has steadily clawed back territory.

The rebels have mostly been given safe passage to northwestern Syria. In the last two months alone, the United Nations says 110,000 people have been evacuated to northwestern Syria and rebel-held areas north of Aleppo.

The opposition has called it a policy of forced displacement amounting to demographic change to drive out Assad's opponents. The Syrian government has said nobody is forced to leave and those who stay must accept state rule.

While Assad has vowed to win back "every inch" of Syria, the map of the conflict suggests a more complicated time ahead from now on.&nbsp

The US&nbspmilitary is in much of the east and northeast, which is controlled by Kurdish groups that want autonomy from Damascus. It has used force to defend the territory from pro-Assad forces.

Turkey has sent forces into the northwest to counter those same Kurdish groups, carving out a buffer zone where anti-Assad rebels have regrouped.

In the southwest, where rebels hold territory at the Israeli and Jordanian border, Assad faces the risk of conflict with Israel, which wants his Iranian-backed allies kept well away from the frontier and has mounted air strikes in Syria.&nbsp

The recovery of the enclave south of Damascus will mark another milestone in President Bashar al-Assad's war effort, crushing the last besieged rebel enclave in western Syria

A war monitor said buses evacuated Islamic State fighters from an enclave south of Damascus on Sunday in a withdrawal deal, though state media denied the report and said the Syrian army was fighting to finish off the insurgents. The recovery of the enclave south of Damascus will mark another milestone in President Bashar al-Assa's war effort, crushing the last besieged rebel enclave in western Syria. Swathes of territory at the borders with Iraq, Turkey and Jordan, however, remain outside state control. Syrian government forces and their allies have been battling to recover the enclave south of Damascus since defeating rebels in eastern Ghouta, also near the capital, in April. The area is centred around the al-Hajar al-Aswad district and the adjoining Palestinian refugee camp of Yarmouk. In a live broadcast, a reporter with Syrian state TV said the Syrian army operations in the Hajar al-Aswad area were nearing their end and insurgent lines were collapsing as columns of smoke rose from the area behind him. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights earlier said buses had entered the enclave after midnight to take out fighters and their families. They had left towards the Syrian Badia, a sparsely populated expanse of territory east of the capital that extends to the border with Jordan and Iraq, it said. Islamic State militants had torched their offices in the Yarmouk enclave, the Observatory said. Negotiated withdrawals have been a common feature of the Syrian war in recent years as the government, aided by the Russian military and Iran-backed forces, has steadily clawed back territory. The rebels have mostly been given safe passage to northwestern Syria. In the last two months alone, the United Nations says 110,000 people have been evacuated to northwestern Syria and rebel-held areas north of Aleppo. The opposition has called it a policy of forced displacement amounting to demographic change to drive out Assad's opponents. The Syrian government has said nobody is forced to leave and those who stay must accept state rule. While Assad has vowed to win back "every inch" of Syria, the map of the conflict suggests a more complicated time ahead from now on. The US&nbspmilitary is in much of the east and northeast, which is controlled by Kurdish groups that want autonomy from Damascus. It has used force to defend the territory from pro-Assad forces. Turkey has sent forces into the northwest to counter those same Kurdish groups, carving out a buffer zone where anti-Assad rebels have regrouped. In the southwest, where rebels hold territory at the Israeli and Jordanian border, Assad faces the risk of conflict with Israel, which wants his Iranian-backed allies kept well away from the frontier and has mounted air strikes in Syria.

Syrian monitor says insurgents quit enclave, state media denies it

Syria's war rages unabated despite a fall in the number of besieged civilians, a senior UN&nbspofficial said on Thursday, warning of a potential worsening of the conflict in the rebel-controlled governorate of Idlib.

UN&nbsphumanitarian adviser Jan Egeland said millions of civilians were still caught up in the seven-year-old conflict and many who escaped battle zones had to seek shelter in overcrowded camps for the displaced in Idlib in the northwest.

Insurgent officials say they fear an offensive against Idlib by Syria's military and its allies Russia and Iran, something humanitarian agencies say could produce civilian suffering on a greater scale than during the siege of Aleppo last year.

"We cannot have a war in Idlib. I keep saying that now to Russia, to Iran, to Turkey, to the United States, to anyone that can have an influence," Egeland told reporters.

He called for negotiations to protect the civilians, and said recent air raids in Idlib were a bad omen.

The war has been going President Bashar al-Assad's way since Russia intervened on his side in 2015. From holding less than a fifth of Syria in 2015, Assad has recovered to control the largest chunk of the country with Russian and Iranian help.

The Idlib region remains the largest populated area of Syria in the hands of insurgents fighting the Damascus government. Syrians have poured into Idlib at an accelerating rate over the last two years from areas recaptured by the army.

Egeland said about 11,000 Syrians are still under siege and two million are hard to reach with humanitarian aid, compared to 625,000 under siege and 4.6 million who were hard to reach a year ago.

"Full to the brim"

"The notion that it is ebbing, this war, is completely wrong. This war is on and it's still in the midst of the civilian population," Egeland told reporters.

Egeland added there were reports of deals to evacuate people from some of the remaining sieges including from the former Palestinian refugee camp of Yarmouk south of Damascus.

Those evacuees were likely to go to Idlib, Egeland said, under what he said were deals done without UN&nbspor other humanitarian involvement. Under such agreements between rebels and the government, insurgents facing military defeat are permitted to withdraw to opposition-held areas.

It would have been better to protect them where they were, since Idlib was already "full to the brim" with displaced civilians living in the open and in congested camps, or crammed into collective centres, he said.

"They arrive at 2 a.m. every night now, just to find they can hardly get a bed," he said.

Not all siege survivors go to Idlib. In eastern Ghouta, 40,000 were still in camps, with reports that men aged 16-65 were barred from leaving, Egeland said, adding UN&nbspaid access was severely restricted.

A rare positive development was a system of "deconfliction" - providing the warring parties with information about the locations of hospitals and other humanitarian sites. This year 500 sites had been added to 160 already in the system.

But there had been four air raids on deconflicted sites this year. Russia had given the UN&nbspreports on air strikes on two hospitals in March, Egeland said, adding that he also wanted reports on strikes on hospitals in northern Homs last week.

"If there is no accountability, the system doesn’t work. I’m refusing to give up," he said.

Insurgent officials say they fear an offensive against Idlib by Syria's military and its allies Russia and Iran

Syria's war rages unabated despite a fall in the number of besieged civilians, a senior UN&nbspofficial said on Thursday, warning of a potential worsening of the conflict in the rebel-controlled governorate of Idlib. UN&nbsphumanitarian adviser Jan Egeland said millions of civilians were still caught up in the seven-year-old conflict and many who escaped battle zones had to seek shelter in overcrowded camps for the displaced in Idlib in the northwest. Insurgent officials say they fear an offensive against Idlib by Syria's military and its allies Russia and Iran, something humanitarian agencies say could produce civilian suffering on a greater scale than during the siege of Aleppo last year. "We cannot have a war in Idlib. I keep saying that now to Russia, to Iran, to Turkey, to the United States, to anyone that can have an influence," Egeland told reporters. He called for negotiations to protect the civilians, and said recent air raids in Idlib were a bad omen. The war has been going President Bashar al-Assad's way since Russia intervened on his side in 2015. From holding less than a fifth of Syria in 2015, Assad has recovered to control the largest chunk of the country with Russian and Iranian help. The Idlib region remains the largest populated area of Syria in the hands of insurgents fighting the Damascus government. Syrians have poured into Idlib at an accelerating rate over the last two years from areas recaptured by the army. Egeland said about 11,000 Syrians are still under siege and two million are hard to reach with humanitarian aid, compared to 625,000 under siege and 4.6 million who were hard to reach a year ago. "Full to the brim" "The notion that it is ebbing, this war, is completely wrong. This war is on and it's still in the midst of the civilian population," Egeland told reporters. Egeland added there were reports of deals to evacuate people from some of the remaining sieges including from the former Palestinian refugee camp of Yarmouk south of Damascus. Those evacuees were likely to go to Idlib, Egeland said, under what he said were deals done without UN&nbspor other humanitarian involvement. Under such agreements between rebels and the government, insurgents facing military defeat are permitted to withdraw to opposition-held areas. It would have been better to protect them where they were, since Idlib was already "full to the brim" with displaced civilians living in the open and in congested camps, or crammed into collective centres, he said. "They arrive at 2 a.m. every night now, just to find they can hardly get a bed," he said. Not all siege survivors go to Idlib. In eastern Ghouta, 40,000 were still in camps, with reports that men aged 16-65 were barred from leaving, Egeland said, adding UN&nbspaid access was severely restricted. A rare positive development was a system of "deconfliction" - providing the warring parties with information about the locations of hospitals and other humanitarian sites. This year 500 sites had been added to 160 already in the system. But there had been four air raids on deconflicted sites this year. Russia had given the UN&nbspreports on air strikes on two hospitals in March, Egeland said, adding that he also wanted reports on strikes on hospitals in northern Homs last week. "If there is no accountability, the system doesn’t work. I’m refusing to give up," he said.

Syria's war grinds on, no respite for civilians, UN says

Foreign ministers from Group of Seven leading industrialized nations on Monday united to condemn Russia for what they called "a pattern of irresponsible and destabilising" behaviour and urged Moscow to help resolve the conflict in Syria.

The ministers agreed to create a working group to study Russia's "malign behaviour" and said they were working on a plan to improve coordination to push back against foreign interference in elections.

"We call on Russia to cease this behaviour, which is highly detrimental to prospects for constructive cooperation," the G7 foreign ministers said in a joint statement.

The two-day meeting in Toronto was meant to prepare for a G7 leaders'&nbsp;summit in Charlevoix, Quebec on June 7-8.

US&nbsp;intelligence agencies have said Russia meddled in the 2016 US&nbsp;presidential election campaign, and Russia is also blamed for a nerve agent attack on a former Russian spy in Britain last month, which the G7 statement strongly condemned. Moscow has denied involvement in either event.

Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland said G7 ministers expressed deep concern about Russia's efforts to destabilise democracies by interfering in elections.

"The G7 countries are committed to preventing, stopping and responding to foreign interference," she told a news conference at the end of talks.

"There are consequences for those who seek to undermine our democracies," she said, adding there was clear unity among G7 allies on Russia.

Later, Freeland told reporters the G7 would soon detail a plan on improved coordination among member states when faced with foreign interference.

"Coordinated action and cooperation are needed to build resilience and reinforce our democratic institutions and process against foreign interference by state and non-state actors," Freeland told reporters.

"There is a concern within the G7 countries that authoritarian states are actively working to undermine democratic systems ... today we said `enough is enough`," she added.

The challenge for the G7 is that it also needs Moscow`s help to resolve the crisis in Syria, where Russia and Iran are backing Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

Acting US&nbsp;Secretary of State John Sullivan called on Moscow to stop creating impediments to peace in Syria and to play a role in ending the seven-year-long conflict.

"Russia must be a constructive partner in Syria or will be held accountable," he told reporters.

British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, speaking to reporters on the margins of the meeting, said G7 ministers had agreed on the need to be vigilant about Russia.&nbsp;

"What we decided ... was that we were going to set up a G7 group that would look at Russian malign behaviour in all its manifestations - whether it`s cyber warfare, whether it`s disinformation, assassination attempts, whatever it happens to be, and collectively try to call it out," he told reporters.

German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said the meeting established "again that there will be no political solution in Syria without Russia ... and that Russia has to contribute its share to such a solution."

The G7 meeting is the first high-level gathering of the allies since the United States, France and Britain launched 105 missiles targeting chemical weapons facilities in Syria in retaliation for a suspected poison gas attack on April 7.

The Western countries blame Assad for the attack that killed dozens of people. The Syrian government and its Russian ally deny involvement or using poison gas on April 7.

While supporting the air strikes, the G7 statement said they were "limited, proportionate and necessary - and taken only after exhausting every possible diplomatic option to uphold the international norm against the use of chemical weapons."&nbsp;

Maas also said the leaders of France and Germany would urge US&nbsp;President Donald Trump in separate meetings this week not to pull out of an Iran nuclear deal with major powers.&nbsp;

Trump has given the European signatories of the deal a May 12 deadline to "fix the terrible flaws" of the 2015 nuclear agreement, or he will refuse to extend US&nbsp;sanctions relief on Iran.

The agreement offered Tehran relief from sanctions in exchange for curbing its nuclear programme.

"We accept that Iranian behaviour has been disruptive in the region, we accept the president has some valid points that need to be addressed, but we believe they are capable of being addressed (inside the deal)," said Johnson.

The G7 meeting took place several miles from where the driver of a van killed at least nine people and injured 16 when he ploughed through a busy Toronto sidewalk on Monday, according to police, hospital officials and a Reuters witness.

G7 foreign ministers called it 'a pattern of irresponsible and destabilising' behaviour and urged Moscow to help resolve the conflict in Syria

Foreign ministers from Group of Seven leading industrialized nations on Monday united to condemn Russia for what they called "a pattern of irresponsible and destabilising" behaviour and urged Moscow to help resolve the conflict in Syria. The ministers agreed to create a working group to study Russia's "malign behaviour" and said they were working on a plan to improve coordination to push back against foreign interference in elections. "We call on Russia to cease this behaviour, which is highly detrimental to prospects for constructive cooperation," the G7 foreign ministers said in a joint statement. The two-day meeting in Toronto was meant to prepare for a G7 leaders' summit in Charlevoix, Quebec on June 7-8. US intelligence agencies have said Russia meddled in the 2016 US presidential election campaign, and Russia is also blamed for a nerve agent attack on a former Russian spy in Britain last month, which the G7 statement strongly condemned. Moscow has denied involvement in either event. Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland said G7 ministers expressed deep concern about Russia's efforts to destabilise democracies by interfering in elections. "The G7 countries are committed to preventing, stopping and responding to foreign interference," she told a news conference at the end of talks. "There are consequences for those who seek to undermine our democracies," she said, adding there was clear unity among G7 allies on Russia. Later, Freeland told reporters the G7 would soon detail a plan on improved coordination among member states when faced with foreign interference. "Coordinated action and cooperation are needed to build resilience and reinforce our democratic institutions and process against foreign interference by state and non-state actors," Freeland told reporters. "There is a concern within the G7 countries that authoritarian states are actively working to undermine democratic systems ... today we said `enough is enough`," she added. The challenge for the G7 is that it also needs Moscow`s help to resolve the crisis in Syria, where Russia and Iran are backing Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Acting US Secretary of State John Sullivan called on Moscow to stop creating impediments to peace in Syria and to play a role in ending the seven-year-long conflict. "Russia must be a constructive partner in Syria or will be held accountable," he told reporters. British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, speaking to reporters on the margins of the meeting, said G7 ministers had agreed on the need to be vigilant about Russia. "What we decided ... was that we were going to set up a G7 group that would look at Russian malign behaviour in all its manifestations - whether it`s cyber warfare, whether it`s disinformation, assassination attempts, whatever it happens to be, and collectively try to call it out," he told reporters. German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said the meeting established "again that there will be no political solution in Syria without Russia ... and that Russia has to contribute its share to such a solution." The G7 meeting is the first high-level gathering of the allies since the United States, France and Britain launched 105 missiles targeting chemical weapons facilities in Syria in retaliation for a suspected poison gas attack on April 7. The Western countries blame Assad for the attack that killed dozens of people. The Syrian government and its Russian ally deny involvement or using poison gas on April 7. While supporting the air strikes, the G7 statement said they were "limited, proportionate and necessary - and taken only after exhausting every possible diplomatic option to uphold the international norm against the use of chemical weapons." Maas also said the leaders of France and Germany would urge US President Donald Trump in separate meetings this week not to pull out of an Iran nuclear deal with major powers. Trump has given the European signatories of the deal a May 12 deadline to "fix the terrible flaws" of the 2015 nuclear agreement, or he will refuse to extend US sanctions relief on Iran. The agreement offered Tehran relief from sanctions in exchange for curbing its nuclear programme. "We accept that Iranian behaviour has been disruptive in the region, we accept the president has some valid points that need to be addressed, but we believe they are capable of being addressed (inside the deal)," said Johnson. The G7 meeting took place several miles from where the driver of a van killed at least nine people and injured 16 when he ploughed through a busy Toronto sidewalk on Monday, according to police, hospital officials and a Reuters witness.

G7 foreign ministers condemn Russia's 'irresponsible, destabilising' behaviour in Syria

German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas on Saturday urged Russia to help solve the Syria crisis as he set off for a meeting of foreign ministers from the Group of Seven (G7) major industrialised nations in Toronto.

The Syrian conflict has badly damaged already strained relations between the West and Russia, which backs President Bashar al-Assad.

The United States, France and Britain conducted missile strikes against Syrian targets this month after a suspected chemical weapons attack that Assad and Moscow deny carrying out.&nbsp

"We need constructive contributions from Russia to reach a peaceful solution," Maas told reporters before his flight, adding that this was equally true of the Ukraine conflict, which the G7 foreign ministers are also due to discuss.

Russia is not a member of the G7 and will not be taking part in the meeting.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel has been very critical of Russia`s involvement in both the Syrian and Ukraine conflicts and backs continued European Union sanctions against Moscow. But Maas hails from her junior coalition partner, the Social Democrats, which has traditionally sought good ties with Russia.

Germany did not take part in the air strikes, but Merkel backed them as a "necessary and appropriate" action to warn Syria against further use of chemical weapons.

German Defence Minister Ursula von der Leyen told Bild am Sonntag newspaper that the German armed forces would have been capable of taking part in the strikes but added: "We weren`t asked this time."

Since World War Two Germany has been reluctant to get involved in military missions abroad. Its limited engagements abroad have focussed mainly on training, surveillance, medical rescue and peacekeeping.

Syrian peace talks

Von der Leyen said the air strikes in Syria had reinvigorated peace initiatives, adding that it was crucial for the Syria peace talks in Geneva to get off the ground with all participants again.

She said it was necessary to negotiate with Assad`s government to achieve initial steps like a ceasefire and get humanitarian aid to suffering Syrians.

Von der Leyen, a member of Merkel`s conservatives, called for a tough stance against Russian President Vladimir Putin, saying: "President Putin doesn`t value weakness. Chumming up to him or being soft doesn`t make him any friendlier."

She said it was important to insist that Russia keeps its commitments in the Minsk peace agreement before loosening sanctions imposed against Moscow over the Ukraine conflict.

But she also stressed that it was important to remain willing to talk to Russia.

Next week Maas is due to take part in an international conference on Syria in Brussels. He said humanitarian aid for people in Syria would be the main focus of that meeting.

"I will again affirm our support for the peace process under the aegis of the United Nations. We urgently need a political solution for this conflict that has gone on for far too long," Maas said.

On Monday Maas will fly to New York, where he will call for Germany to get a non-permanent seat on the U.N. Security Council.

Von der Leyen said Germany needed to increase its defence budget by several billion euros by 2021 or it would not be able to meet its international commitments.

German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas on Saturday urged Russia to help solve the Syria crisis as he set off for a meeting of foreign ministers from the Group of Seven (G7) major industrialised nations in Toronto

German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas on Saturday urged Russia to help solve the Syria crisis as he set off for a meeting of foreign ministers from the Group of Seven (G7) major industrialised nations in Toronto. The Syrian conflict has badly damaged already strained relations between the West and Russia, which backs President Bashar al-Assad. The United States, France and Britain conducted missile strikes against Syrian targets this month after a suspected chemical weapons attack that Assad and Moscow deny carrying out. "We need constructive contributions from Russia to reach a peaceful solution," Maas told reporters before his flight, adding that this was equally true of the Ukraine conflict, which the G7 foreign ministers are also due to discuss. Russia is not a member of the G7 and will not be taking part in the meeting. German Chancellor Angela Merkel has been very critical of Russia`s involvement in both the Syrian and Ukraine conflicts and backs continued European Union sanctions against Moscow. But Maas hails from her junior coalition partner, the Social Democrats, which has traditionally sought good ties with Russia. Germany did not take part in the air strikes, but Merkel backed them as a "necessary and appropriate" action to warn Syria against further use of chemical weapons. German Defence Minister Ursula von der Leyen told Bild am Sonntag newspaper that the German armed forces would have been capable of taking part in the strikes but added: "We weren`t asked this time." Since World War Two Germany has been reluctant to get involved in military missions abroad. Its limited engagements abroad have focussed mainly on training, surveillance, medical rescue and peacekeeping. Syrian peace talks Von der Leyen said the air strikes in Syria had reinvigorated peace initiatives, adding that it was crucial for the Syria peace talks in Geneva to get off the ground with all participants again. She said it was necessary to negotiate with Assad`s government to achieve initial steps like a ceasefire and get humanitarian aid to suffering Syrians. Von der Leyen, a member of Merkel`s conservatives, called for a tough stance against Russian President Vladimir Putin, saying: "President Putin doesn`t value weakness. Chumming up to him or being soft doesn`t make him any friendlier." She said it was important to insist that Russia keeps its commitments in the Minsk peace agreement before loosening sanctions imposed against Moscow over the Ukraine conflict. But she also stressed that it was important to remain willing to talk to Russia. Next week Maas is due to take part in an international conference on Syria in Brussels. He said humanitarian aid for people in Syria would be the main focus of that meeting. "I will again affirm our support for the peace process under the aegis of the United Nations. We urgently need a political solution for this conflict that has gone on for far too long," Maas said. On Monday Maas will fly to New York, where he will call for Germany to get a non-permanent seat on the U.N. Security Council. Von der Leyen said Germany needed to increase its defence budget by several billion euros by 2021 or it would not be able to meet its international commitments.

German minister urges Russia to cooperate in solving Syria crisis

The Syrian government on Thursday stepped up its efforts to retake the opposition's last besieged enclaves, as rebels prepared to withdraw from one and a newspaper reported an ultimatum against another.&nbsp

President Bashar al-Assad scored a major victory this month by retaking eastern Ghouta, the biggest rebel stronghold near Damascus, putting his forces in by far their strongest position since the early months of the seven-year-old civil war.

The United States, Britain and France launched a volley of air strikes on Saturday against three Syrian targets in retaliation for a suspected chemical weapons strike during the Ghouta assault.

But the limited Western intervention, far from any contested battlefront, has shown no sign of having any impact on the ground, where Assad's forces have pressed on with his offensive.

The last rebels withdrew from eastern Ghouta hours after the Western bombing. Since then, the government has focused on regaining four less populous enclaves which have long been under siege.

Their capture would leave the opposition holding only its two main strongholds located in the northwest and southwest along Syria's international borders.

Diplomacy this week has focussed on the accusations of poison gas use in Douma, the last town to hold out against the government advance in eastern Ghouta.

Western countries say scores of people were gassed to death in the April 7 chemical attack. Syria and its ally Russia deny it. Now that the rebels have surrendered, the area is under government control, and a team of international inspectors have so far been unable to reach it.

The inspectors have delayed their visit to Douma after their security team were shot at during a reconnaissance trip on Tuesday, the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons said.

The Western countries say Moscow and Damascus are preventing the inspectors from reaching the site and may be destroying evidence. Russia and Assad's government deny this.

Meanwhile, the Western intervention has had no measurable impact on the wider war, with rebels continuing to surrender under deals that allow them to withdraw to the opposition pocket in the northwest in return for abandoning territory.

Surrender

State television showed live footage of buses entering the town of Dumayr, northeast of Damascus, to bring out fighters and their families, while soldiers stood by the roadside.&nbsp

Twenty buses would be used to transfer about 5,000 people, including 1,500 rebels of the Jaish al-Islam group, to north Syria, after they surrendered their heavy weapons, Syrian state TV said.

A war monitoring group, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, said there were also talks under way between Russia and rebels for the insurgents to withdraw from an enclave in central Syria around the town of Rastan.&nbsp

The army was also putting military pressure on rebels in the Eastern Qalamoun enclave, near Dumayr, to start negotiations to withdraw, the Observatory reported.&nbsp

Separately, the pro-government al-Watan newspaper reported on Thursday that Islamic State militants had been given 48 hours to agree to withdraw from an enclave centred around the Yarmouk camp for Palestinian refugee south of Damascus.

"If they refuse, the army and supporting forces are ready to launch a military operation to end the presence of the organisation in the area," al-Watan said.

Most residents have fled the camp, once Syria's largest for Palestinian refugees, but thousands of civilians are still inside. Christopher Gunness, a spokesman for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) which looks after Palestinian refugees said it was deeply concerned for their safety.

A commander in the regional military alliance that backs the Syrian government said the Syrian army had begun shelling the jihadist enclave on Tuesday in preparation for an assault.

The last rebels withdrew from eastern Ghouta hours after the Western bombing

The Syrian government on Thursday stepped up its efforts to retake the opposition's last besieged enclaves, as rebels prepared to withdraw from one and a newspaper reported an ultimatum against another. President Bashar al-Assad scored a major victory this month by retaking eastern Ghouta, the biggest rebel stronghold near Damascus, putting his forces in by far their strongest position since the early months of the seven-year-old civil war. The United States, Britain and France launched a volley of air strikes on Saturday against three Syrian targets in retaliation for a suspected chemical weapons strike during the Ghouta assault. But the limited Western intervention, far from any contested battlefront, has shown no sign of having any impact on the ground, where Assad's forces have pressed on with his offensive. The last rebels withdrew from eastern Ghouta hours after the Western bombing. Since then, the government has focused on regaining four less populous enclaves which have long been under siege. Their capture would leave the opposition holding only its two main strongholds located in the northwest and southwest along Syria's international borders. Diplomacy this week has focussed on the accusations of poison gas use in Douma, the last town to hold out against the government advance in eastern Ghouta. Western countries say scores of people were gassed to death in the April 7 chemical attack. Syria and its ally Russia deny it. Now that the rebels have surrendered, the area is under government control, and a team of international inspectors have so far been unable to reach it. The inspectors have delayed their visit to Douma after their security team were shot at during a reconnaissance trip on Tuesday, the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons said. The Western countries say Moscow and Damascus are preventing the inspectors from reaching the site and may be destroying evidence. Russia and Assad's government deny this. Meanwhile, the Western intervention has had no measurable impact on the wider war, with rebels continuing to surrender under deals that allow them to withdraw to the opposition pocket in the northwest in return for abandoning territory. Surrender State television showed live footage of buses entering the town of Dumayr, northeast of Damascus, to bring out fighters and their families, while soldiers stood by the roadside. Twenty buses would be used to transfer about 5,000 people, including 1,500 rebels of the Jaish al-Islam group, to north Syria, after they surrendered their heavy weapons, Syrian state TV said. A war monitoring group, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, said there were also talks under way between Russia and rebels for the insurgents to withdraw from an enclave in central Syria around the town of Rastan. The army was also putting military pressure on rebels in the Eastern Qalamoun enclave, near Dumayr, to start negotiations to withdraw, the Observatory reported. Separately, the pro-government al-Watan newspaper reported on Thursday that Islamic State militants had been given 48 hours to agree to withdraw from an enclave centred around the Yarmouk camp for Palestinian refugee south of Damascus. "If they refuse, the army and supporting forces are ready to launch a military operation to end the presence of the organisation in the area," al-Watan said. Most residents have fled the camp, once Syria's largest for Palestinian refugees, but thousands of civilians are still inside. Christopher Gunness, a spokesman for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) which looks after Palestinian refugees said it was deeply concerned for their safety. A commander in the regional military alliance that backs the Syrian government said the Syrian army had begun shelling the jihadist enclave on Tuesday in preparation for an assault.

Assad steps up efforts to crush last besieged enclaves

*by&nbsp;Mehmet Ozalp

A head-spinning series of events in the past few weeks have taken us from the United States pulling out of Syria, to analysts predicting the beginning of a third world war.

What has really happened in Syria, what are the ramifications of the joint strike from the US, France and Britain, and what can we expect from the key players?

Certainly, the mess in Syria and heightened tensions in the Middle East make us all fear an impending world war, especially when both the Russian and US presidents engage in a round of chest-thumping. Despite this, there is no certainty that a world war will be triggered from the Syrian conflict.

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So proud of our great Military which will soon be, after the spending of billions of fully approved dollars, the finest that our Country has ever had. There won’t be anything, or anyone, even close!
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The latest chemical attack, allegedly perpetrated by the Syrian government, followed by the US, British, French retaliation, is really about aligning an unpredictable Trump with the Syria policy of the state and military establishment in Washington.

Why the strikes?

A world power like the US is seldom reactive. It often uses events as key moments to implement new policies or shift policies. An apparent correlation of events with policy implementation justifies the policy in the eyes of internal constituents and the wider international community.

Since the beginning of the Syrian conflict in 2011, Russia has followed an open and consistent policy: declare Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s regime the legitimate government of Syria, always support his regime to ensure it doesn’t collapse, and morally justify its involvement as a struggle against terrorism. The unspoken policy is to build up a challenge to Western dominance over not only the Middle East but geopolitical world order.

Yet, the US, and by extension, Western policy on Syria, was tentative, unclear and seemed to change course over the seven-year conflict.

Under Barack Obama’s administration, the US consistently stayed out of direct involvement in the Syrian conflict. Busy with the Iraq exit, Obama missed the window of diplomatic opportunity in the crucial early months of the Syrian uprising in 2011. When violence started, Obama elected to provide limited military support to opposition groups, hoping they could muster enough power to dismantle Assad.

The Obama administration shifted its policy after a chemical attack in Eastern Ghouta in 2013 prompted it to push for a United Nations resolution demanding the destruction of chemical stockpiles. This, in turn, gave impetus to peace talks in Geneva. Apparently, the stockpiles were not destroyed, as we have seen more chemical attacks.

Obama admitted his strategy failed, as the "US was muscled out of Syria” by an increasingly bold Russian President Vladimir Putin. His support allowed Assad to gain the upper hand in Syria with the fall of Aleppo in December 2016. Efforts to make progress in the Geneva talks were continually stalled. The parties failed to make any meaningful progress even as late as 2017.

In the early months of his presidency, the expectation was that Trump would change the US policy on Syria. It was uncertain what trajectory it would take, and when it would come to pass.

Not much happened until yet another chemical-gas attack by Assad in April 2017. The US responded with a massive missile attack, taking out 20% of Assad’s air force. The result was that the Trump administration committed to a more active involvement in Syria and the complete dismantling of the Islamic State presence in the country, but not necessarily the removal of Assad.

It is now apparent there was a fundamental difference between Trump and the key people in his administration in their understanding of the US’ Syria policy.

For Trump, it was always about eliminating IS. On April 3, he announced that the US’ primary mission in Syria was “getting rid of ISIS”. Since this had now been completed, he could bring the troops home.

Yet, in December 2017, Defence Secretary James Mattis said the US would continue its presence in Syria as a “stabilising force” beyond IS.

In January 2018, former Secretary of State Rex Tillerson confirmed the US would stay in Syria beyond IS, adding that the continued US presence aimed to prevent Iranian and Assad forces regaining territory “liberated with help from the United States”.

So, Trump’s withdrawal intentions, or rather the public announcement, came as a surprise to his own administration as well as the international community. In response, the US special envoy for the global coalition against IS, Brett McGurk, said: "We are in Syria to fight ISIS. That is our mission, and our mission isn’t over, and we are going to complete that mission."

Other officials from the US administration and military made conflicting statements.

Trump’s withdrawal announcement opened the ground for other players to assert their plans. On April 4, Russia, Iran and Turkey held a summit in Turkey, at which Putin announced: "We have agreed to expand the entire range of our trilateral cooperation in Syria."

The trio’s plan included an intensified Turkish operation in northern Syria. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan vowed “to clear all terror groups from the Syrian border, including the YPG,” the Kurdish military force that was backed by the US in its bid to eradicate IS from Syria.

It seemed Syria would be left to Russia, Iran, Turkey and Assad. Until, of course, the most recent chemical attack in Douma, a suburb near Damascus, on April 7. The attack was blamed on the Assad government even though it vehemently denied it, and there were allegations of rebel involvement.

Importantly, the chemical attack conveniently served the faction in the US administration advocating for a greater involvement in Syria. Their arguments pushed Trump towards retaliation. In a matter of days, Trump went from vowing withdrawal from Syria to saying they have a “big price to pay”.

A military response in the form of a missile attack was inevitable, and so it took place on April 13, when the US and its allies, Britain and France, made “precision missile strikes against the Syrian government”. The six-day delay was really to gain international support for the attack so that it did not appear to be a showdown between Russia and the US.

Where to from here?

The most recent events in Syria were really about aligning Trump’s understanding of Syrian policy with that of the state and military establishment. The policy is to stay in Syria beyond IS, preventing its revival and preventing Iranian and Assad forces from regaining territory.

It is unlikely there will be any other military strikes by the US and its allies anytime soon. There are two possible wild cards though – Trump’s unpredictability and a possible Russian retaliation.

Elements within the US administration in favour of continued US involvement in Syria will have to keep Trump calm – give him reasons why he should continue committing to Syria while preventing a direct Russian-US confrontation. Building a coalition with France and Britain prior to the missile retaliation served this purpose. It gave Russia the impression that the matter was a concern with the international community, rather than just the US.

Trump’s exaggerating nature and bombastic language in his tweets run the risk of escalating the situation. But they also help contain Russia, which is always unsure what Trump may say and do next.

A Russian response beyond condemnation is unlikely. Putin recently won a landslide victory in the March presidential elections. He is in no hurry to thump his chest into an all-out brawl with the US due to internal politics.

Furthermore, Russia is already in a diplomatic crisis over the assassination attempt of a former spy and his daughter with a nerve agent in London.

The US, Britain and more than a dozen European countries expelled Russian diplomats in retaliation. Putin is already quite vulnerable in the international scene. He will not enter a fight he is not certain to win.

While the US and its allies may feel morally justified in attacking the Assad government targets, any such intervention is unlikely to help the people of Syria. They will continue to be collateral damage caught in the crossfire of geopolitics.

*Mehmet Ozalp, Associate Professor in Islamic Studies, Director of The Centre for Islamic Studies and Civilisation and Executive Member of Public and Contextual Theology, Charles Sturt University

(This article was originally published on <a href="http://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a>. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/further-strikes-on-syria-unlikely-but-trump-is-always-the-wild-card-94814">original article</a>.)

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the authors and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

A head-spinning series of events in the past few weeks have taken us from the United States pulling out of Syria, to analysts predicting the beginning of a third world war

*by Mehmet Ozalp A head-spinning series of events in the past few weeks have taken us from the United States pulling out of Syria, to analysts predicting the beginning of a third world war. What has really happened in Syria, what are the ramifications of the joint strike from the US, France and Britain, and what can we expect from the key players? Certainly, the mess in Syria and heightened tensions in the Middle East make us all fear an impending world war, especially when both the Russian and US presidents engage in a round of chest-thumping. Despite this, there is no certainty that a world war will be triggered from the Syrian conflict. So proud of our great Military which will soon be, after the spending of billions of fully approved dollars, the finest that our Country has ever had. There won’t be anything, or anyone, even close! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 14, 2018 × The latest chemical attack, allegedly perpetrated by the Syrian government, followed by the US, British, French retaliation, is really about aligning an unpredictable Trump with the Syria policy of the state and military establishment in Washington. Why the strikes? A world power like the US is seldom reactive. It often uses events as key moments to implement new policies or shift policies. An apparent correlation of events with policy implementation justifies the policy in the eyes of internal constituents and the wider international community. Since the beginning of the Syrian conflict in 2011, Russia has followed an open and consistent policy: declare Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s regime the legitimate government of Syria, always support his regime to ensure it doesn’t collapse, and morally justify its involvement as a struggle against terrorism. The unspoken policy is to build up a challenge to Western dominance over not only the Middle East but geopolitical world order. Yet, the US, and by extension, Western policy on Syria, was tentative, unclear and seemed to change course over the seven-year conflict. Under Barack Obama’s administration, the US consistently stayed out of direct involvement in the Syrian conflict. Busy with the Iraq exit, Obama missed the window of diplomatic opportunity in the crucial early months of the Syrian uprising in 2011. When violence started, Obama elected to provide limited military support to opposition groups, hoping they could muster enough power to dismantle Assad. The Obama administration shifted its policy after a chemical attack in Eastern Ghouta in 2013 prompted it to push for a United Nations resolution demanding the destruction of chemical stockpiles. This, in turn, gave impetus to peace talks in Geneva. Apparently, the stockpiles were not destroyed, as we have seen more chemical attacks. Obama admitted his strategy failed, as the "US was muscled out of Syria” by an increasingly bold Russian President Vladimir Putin. His support allowed Assad to gain the upper hand in Syria with the fall of Aleppo in December 2016. Efforts to make progress in the Geneva talks were continually stalled. The parties failed to make any meaningful progress even as late as 2017. In the early months of his presidency, the expectation was that Trump would change the US policy on Syria. It was uncertain what trajectory it would take, and when it would come to pass. Not much happened until yet another chemical-gas attack by Assad in April 2017. The US responded with a massive missile attack, taking out 20% of Assad’s air force. The result was that the Trump administration committed to a more active involvement in Syria and the complete dismantling of the Islamic State presence in the country, but not necessarily the removal of Assad. It is now apparent there was a fundamental difference between Trump and the key people in his administration in their understanding of the US’ Syria policy. For Trump, it was always about eliminating IS. On April 3, he announced that the US’ primary mission in Syria was “getting rid of ISIS”. Since this had now been completed, he could bring the troops home. Yet, in December 2017, Defence Secretary James Mattis said the US would continue its presence in Syria as a “stabilising force” beyond IS. In January 2018, former Secretary of State Rex Tillerson confirmed the US would stay in Syria beyond IS, adding that the continued US presence aimed to prevent Iranian and Assad forces regaining territory “liberated with help from the United States”. So, Trump’s withdrawal intentions, or rather the public announcement, came as a surprise to his own administration as well as the international community. In response, the US special envoy for the global coalition against IS, Brett McGurk, said: "We are in Syria to fight ISIS. That is our mission, and our mission isn’t over, and we are going to complete that mission." Other officials from the US administration and military made conflicting statements. Trump’s withdrawal announcement opened the ground for other players to assert their plans. On April 4, Russia, Iran and Turkey held a summit in Turkey, at which Putin announced: "We have agreed to expand the entire range of our trilateral cooperation in Syria." The trio’s plan included an intensified Turkish operation in northern Syria. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan vowed “to clear all terror groups from the Syrian border, including the YPG,” the Kurdish military force that was backed by the US in its bid to eradicate IS from Syria. It seemed Syria would be left to Russia, Iran, Turkey and Assad. Until, of course, the most recent chemical attack in Douma, a suburb near Damascus, on April 7. The attack was blamed on the Assad government even though it vehemently denied it, and there were allegations of rebel involvement. Importantly, the chemical attack conveniently served the faction in the US administration advocating for a greater involvement in Syria. Their arguments pushed Trump towards retaliation. In a matter of days, Trump went from vowing withdrawal from Syria to saying they have a “big price to pay”. A military response in the form of a missile attack was inevitable, and so it took place on April 13, when the US and its allies, Britain and France, made “precision missile strikes against the Syrian government”. The six-day delay was really to gain international support for the attack so that it did not appear to be a showdown between Russia and the US. Where to from here? The most recent events in Syria were really about aligning Trump’s understanding of Syrian policy with that of the state and military establishment. The policy is to stay in Syria beyond IS, preventing its revival and preventing Iranian and Assad forces from regaining territory. It is unlikely there will be any other military strikes by the US and its allies anytime soon. There are two possible wild cards though – Trump’s unpredictability and a possible Russian retaliation. Elements within the US administration in favour of continued US involvement in Syria will have to keep Trump calm – give him reasons why he should continue committing to Syria while preventing a direct Russian-US confrontation. Building a coalition with France and Britain prior to the missile retaliation served this purpose. It gave Russia the impression that the matter was a concern with the international community, rather than just the US. Trump’s exaggerating nature and bombastic language in his tweets run the risk of escalating the situation. But they also help contain Russia, which is always unsure what Trump may say and do next. A Russian response beyond condemnation is unlikely. Putin recently won a landslide victory in the March presidential elections. He is in no hurry to thump his chest into an all-out brawl with the US due to internal politics. Furthermore, Russia is already in a diplomatic crisis over the assassination attempt of a former spy and his daughter with a nerve agent in London. The US, Britain and more than a dozen European countries expelled Russian diplomats in retaliation. Putin is already quite vulnerable in the international scene. He will not enter a fight he is not certain to win. While the US and its allies may feel morally justified in attacking the Assad government targets, any such intervention is unlikely to help the people of Syria. They will continue to be collateral damage caught in the crossfire of geopolitics. *Mehmet Ozalp, Associate Professor in Islamic Studies, Director of The Centre for Islamic Studies and Civilisation and Executive Member of Public and Contextual Theology, Charles Sturt University (This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the authors and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: Further strikes on Syria unlikely - but Trump is always the wild card

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's children last year visited a holiday camp in Russian-annexed Crimea, the RIA news agency cited a Russian lawmaker as saying on Sunday.

Assad met a group of Russian lawmakers in Damascus on Sunday after the West launched missile strikes against Syria over a suspected poison gas attack.

Lawmaker Dmitry Sablin told RIA that Assad had said his children visited the Artek holiday camp in Crimea last year. Russia annexed the peninsula from Ukraine in 2014, a move that prompted US&nbspand European sanctions.

"My children were at Artek last year. After the trip they began to understand Russia better," Sablin quoted Assad as saying.&nbsp

Assad has two sons and a daughter, born between 2001 and 2004. Syria's ambassador to Moscow said last year that the children had started learning to speak Russian, according to Russian media reports.

Assad met a group of Russian lawmakers in Damascus on Sunday after the West launched missile strikes against Syria

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's children last year visited a holiday camp in Russian-annexed Crimea, the RIA news agency cited a Russian lawmaker as saying on Sunday. Assad met a group of Russian lawmakers in Damascus on Sunday after the West launched missile strikes against Syria over a suspected poison gas attack. Lawmaker Dmitry Sablin told RIA that Assad had said his children visited the Artek holiday camp in Crimea last year. Russia annexed the peninsula from Ukraine in 2014, a move that prompted US&nbspand European sanctions. "My children were at Artek last year. After the trip they began to understand Russia better," Sablin quoted Assad as saying. Assad has two sons and a daughter, born between 2001 and 2004. Syria's ambassador to Moscow said last year that the children had started learning to speak Russian, according to Russian media reports.

Assad's children visited Crimean holiday camp: Russian lawmaker

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Saturday backed air strikes by the United States and its allies on Syria's chemical weapons program but Argentina, Brazil and Peru voiced caution during a regional summit about the escalating military action.

Speaking at the Summit of the Americas in Peru, Trudeau and several other Western Hemisphere leaders forcefully condemned the use of chemical weapons, following a suspected poison gas attack last week in a Damascus suburb that killed up to 75 people and sparked international outcry.

Washington blamed Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's government for the attack and, together with Britain and France, launched missile strikes overnight on what it said were Syrian chemical weapons facilities.

"Canada stands with our friends in this necessary response and we condemn in the strongest possible terms the use of chemical weapons in last week's attack," Trudeau said in his speech. "Those responsible must be brought to justice."

But the retaliatory action drew pleas for caution from several Latin American countries.

"There's deep concern in Brazil with the escalation of military conflict in Syria," Brazilian President Michel Temer told the summit. "It's time to find permanent solutions based on international law to a war that has been going for far too long and ended too many lives."

Peru, a non-permanent member of the UN&nbsp;Security Council, called for moderation from all parties involved in Syria and said it was working to find a political solution, according to a foreign ministry statement.

Argentine President Mauricio Macri also appealed for greater coordination on Syria "in the framework of existing international commitments", remarks later echoed by Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto.

Outside the summit, the strikes drew swift condemnation from left-leaning governments in Bolivia and Cuba, outspoken critics of US&nbsp;influence.

But Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos, a close US&nbsp;ally in Latin America, appeared to back Washington as he condemned chemical weapons.

"We support actions to punish their use and seek their total elimination," Santos said.

The Pentagon said the missile strikes in Syria had hit every target. It said the military action was aimed at delivering an unambiguous signal to the Syrian government and deterring the future use of chemical weapons.

The official theme of the Summit of the Americas is the fight against corruption. Many countries in attendance are also expected to condemn a pending election in Venezuela.

But Syria, China and trade loomed over the talks on Saturday as Washington seeks to advance the agenda of U.S. President Donald Trump, which is widely unpopular in the region.

Trump canceled his attendance at the summit to focus on Syria. US Vice President Mike Pence, filling in for him, was expected to discuss Syria in his speech on Saturday and in meetings with heads of state.

Nafta talks

Pence met with Pena Nieto privately at the summit. The Mexican leader told reporters they would discuss not just the renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) but also maintaining a relationship of "mutual respect" between their two countries.

Pence and Pena Nieto kept their remarks to reporters extremely brief - in contrast to the more expansive and warmer tone struck by Pence and Trudeau during the public part of a meeting held minutes earlier.

Trudeau said there was "positive momentum" on reworking the NAFTA accord - which groups Canada, Mexico and the United States - while Pence said talks were encouraging.

"As the president said very recently, we think we're close," Pence said before starting the meeting with Pena Nieto. "We are hopeful that we can conclude a successful renegotiation of NAFTA."

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Saturday backed air strikes by the United States and its allies on Syria's chemical weapons program but Argentina, Brazil and Peru voiced caution during a regional summit about the escalating military action

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Saturday backed air strikes by the United States and its allies on Syria's chemical weapons program but Argentina, Brazil and Peru voiced caution during a regional summit about the escalating military action. Speaking at the Summit of the Americas in Peru, Trudeau and several other Western Hemisphere leaders forcefully condemned the use of chemical weapons, following a suspected poison gas attack last week in a Damascus suburb that killed up to 75 people and sparked international outcry. Washington blamed Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's government for the attack and, together with Britain and France, launched missile strikes overnight on what it said were Syrian chemical weapons facilities. "Canada stands with our friends in this necessary response and we condemn in the strongest possible terms the use of chemical weapons in last week's attack," Trudeau said in his speech. "Those responsible must be brought to justice." But the retaliatory action drew pleas for caution from several Latin American countries. "There's deep concern in Brazil with the escalation of military conflict in Syria," Brazilian President Michel Temer told the summit. "It's time to find permanent solutions based on international law to a war that has been going for far too long and ended too many lives." Peru, a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council, called for moderation from all parties involved in Syria and said it was working to find a political solution, according to a foreign ministry statement. Argentine President Mauricio Macri also appealed for greater coordination on Syria "in the framework of existing international commitments", remarks later echoed by Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto. Outside the summit, the strikes drew swift condemnation from left-leaning governments in Bolivia and Cuba, outspoken critics of US influence. But Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos, a close US ally in Latin America, appeared to back Washington as he condemned chemical weapons. "We support actions to punish their use and seek their total elimination," Santos said. The Pentagon said the missile strikes in Syria had hit every target. It said the military action was aimed at delivering an unambiguous signal to the Syrian government and deterring the future use of chemical weapons. The official theme of the Summit of the Americas is the fight against corruption. Many countries in attendance are also expected to condemn a pending election in Venezuela. But Syria, China and trade loomed over the talks on Saturday as Washington seeks to advance the agenda of U.S. President Donald Trump, which is widely unpopular in the region. Trump canceled his attendance at the summit to focus on Syria. US Vice President Mike Pence, filling in for him, was expected to discuss Syria in his speech on Saturday and in meetings with heads of state. Nafta talks Pence met with Pena Nieto privately at the summit. The Mexican leader told reporters they would discuss not just the renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) but also maintaining a relationship of "mutual respect" between their two countries. Pence and Pena Nieto kept their remarks to reporters extremely brief - in contrast to the more expansive and warmer tone struck by Pence and Trudeau during the public part of a meeting held minutes earlier. Trudeau said there was "positive momentum" on reworking the NAFTA accord - which groups Canada, Mexico and the United States - while Pence said talks were encouraging. "As the president said very recently, we think we're close," Pence said before starting the meeting with Pena Nieto. "We are hopeful that we can conclude a successful renegotiation of NAFTA."

Canada backs Syria strikes but others concerned at Americas summit

A day after France President Emmanuel Macron and the US president Donald Trump vow quick and forceful action in response to Syria over the chemical leak attack the government spokesperson Benjamin Griveaux said, France to retaliate against the regime of Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad.

"France will retaliate against the regime of Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad if evidence emerges that it was behind a recent suspected chlorine gas attack in a rebel-held enclave", Griveaux said on Tuesday.

Griveaux said to a Europe 1 radio station that, "If the red line has been crossed, there will be a response," he told Europe 1 radio while also adding that intelligence shared by President Emmanuel Macron and US President Donald Trump "in theory confirms the use of chemical weapons."

France has repeatedly warned that evidence of the use of chemical weapons in Syria is a "red line" that would prompt French strikes on Syrian government forces.

While condemning the use of chemical weapons against civilians&nbsp;in Douma, Emmanuel Macron discussed the attack with US president on call Monday.

Speaking at a meeting with military leaders and national security advisers, Trump also said that he would make a decision by Monday night "or very shortly thereafter" on a response, adding that the United States had "a lot of options militarily" on Syria.

At least 60 people&nbsp;were killed in the suspected chemical attack carried out on the rebel-held town in eastern Ghouta near the capital, Damascus. Over 1,000 people reportedly were injured.

In earlier reports rebel groups of Syria accused Damascus of carrying out the attack however, Syrian state media denied such reports saying that eastern Ghouta of Douma is in a state of collapse and spreading false news.

US State Department who is also monitoring the situation closely has so far been unable to determine conclusively what materials were used. However, Trump said that Washington is getting more clarity on who was responsible for the attack.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-says-big-price-to-pay-for-syria-chemical-attack-129188">Also read: Trump says 'big price to pay' for Syria chemical attack</a>

Also read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-vows-quick-action-in-response-to-suspected-chemical-attack-in-syria-129464">Trump vows quick action in response to </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-vows-quick-action-in-response-to-suspected-chemical-attack-in-syria-129464">suspected</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-vows-quick-action-in-response-to-suspected-chemical-attack-in-syria-129464"> chemical attack in Syria</a>

A day after France President Emmanuel Macron and the US president Donald Trump vow quick and forceful action in response to Syria over the chemical leak attack

A day after France President Emmanuel Macron and the US president Donald Trump vow quick and forceful action in response to Syria over the chemical leak attack the government spokesperson Benjamin Griveaux said, France to retaliate against the regime of Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad. "France will retaliate against the regime of Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad if evidence emerges that it was behind a recent suspected chlorine gas attack in a rebel-held enclave", Griveaux said on Tuesday. Griveaux said to a Europe 1 radio station that, "If the red line has been crossed, there will be a response," he told Europe 1 radio while also adding that intelligence shared by President Emmanuel Macron and US President Donald Trump "in theory confirms the use of chemical weapons." France has repeatedly warned that evidence of the use of chemical weapons in Syria is a "red line" that would prompt French strikes on Syrian government forces. While condemning the use of chemical weapons against civilians in Douma, Emmanuel Macron discussed the attack with US president on call Monday. Speaking at a meeting with military leaders and national security advisers, Trump also said that he would make a decision by Monday night "or very shortly thereafter" on a response, adding that the United States had "a lot of options militarily" on Syria. At least 60 people were killed in the suspected chemical attack carried out on the rebel-held town in eastern Ghouta near the capital, Damascus. Over 1,000 people reportedly were injured. In earlier reports rebel groups of Syria accused Damascus of carrying out the attack however, Syrian state media denied such reports saying that eastern Ghouta of Douma is in a state of collapse and spreading false news. US State Department who is also monitoring the situation closely has so far been unable to determine conclusively what materials were used. However, Trump said that Washington is getting more clarity on who was responsible for the attack. Also read: Trump says 'big price to pay' for Syria chemical attack Also read: Trump vows quick action in response to suspected chemical attack in Syria

France targets Assad over Syria chemical attack

Hundreds more Syrian rebels and civilians prepared Friday to leave Eastern Ghouta under a negotiated withdrawal, as Russia unilaterally announced a similar deal to empty the final pocket of the battered enclave.

The former rebel bastion on the outskirts of Damascus has been drained by a nearly six-week Syrian government assault and a pair of evacuation deals brokered by regime ally Moscow.

Under such agreements, rebels agree to hand over territory in exchange for safe passage for them and civilians to opposition zones in northwest Syria.

More than 36,000 people have already been bussed out of the enclave, and fresh evacuations were underway on Friday.

Around 1,000 people, a quarter of them fighters, were boarding buses in a pocket of Ghouta held by the Faylaq al-Rahman rebel faction, according to Syrian state media.

That agreement, reached last week, left the overpopulated, devastated town of Douma as the final rebel holdout in the region.

Russia's defence ministry on Friday said it had brokered a deal that would see rebels abandon Douma "shortly", but the fighters there quickly denied it.

"We categorically refuse leaving or being displaced," said Jaish al-Islam's spokesman Hamza Bayraqdar.&nbsp

"That's an essential demand of the negotiations. We have not reached an agreement yet," he told AFP, adding that talks were ongoing.&nbsp

Eastern Ghouta was the armed opposition's last stronghold around Damascus, which groups regularly targeted with rockets and mortar rounds.

Stalling talks&nbsp

To secure Damascus, President Bashar al-Assad launched a ferocious air and ground assault on February 18 to oust rebels from their perch in Ghouta.

More than 1,600 civilians have been killed in the onslaught, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group.

Troops pursued a divide-and-conquer strategy, seizing most of the enclave then breaking up what was left of it into three isolated pockets.

Moscow stepped in and swiftly announced two withdrawal agreements with rebels, the first of which saw more than 4,500 fighters and civilians bussed out of the town of Harasta.

The second deal, reached with Faylaq al-Rahman one week ago, has seen more than 31,000 people quit the towns of Arbin and Zamalka and the Jobar district.&nbsp

In the first two deals, rebels caved in to Russia's "leave or die" approach but negotiations for the Douma pocket, held by Jaish al-Islam, has looked more arduous.

Douma's population has swelled to an estimated 200,000 with people displaced from other bombed-out districts. &nbsp

Jaish al-Islam had been in talks with Russia to reach a settlement whereby they could stay, instead of being bused out like other rebels.&nbsp

But negotiations faltered over the group's demands of a general amnesty and safe passage for Douma residents to move freely across the country, a source with knowledge of the talks told AFP.&nbsp

Moscow threatened Jaish al-Islam with a renewed blitz on the town if they did not agree to withdraw, and Syrian troops have amassed around the holdout.&nbsp

'Nearly wiped out'

The rebel movement have also come under growing pressure from Douma's residents, hundreds of whom have organised demonstrations demanding a status update on the talks.

On Thursday, Russia's foreign minister said Syrian forces had ousted nearly all rebels from Ghouta.&nbsp

"As a result of this anti-terrorism operation in Eastern Ghouta, terrorist elements have nearly been wiped out of this suburb of the Syrian capital," Sergei Lavrov said.&nbsp

Syria's state news agency SANA said around 29,000 civilians had fled Douma in recent days, using a "corridor" opened up by advancing Syrian troops.

SANA said a total of 143,000 people in total had streamed out of Ghouta along such corridors and as part of the evacuation deals.

It did not confirm the agreement with Jaish al-Islam, but its correspondent said "preliminary information" indicated a deal was close to being reached.&nbsp

The rebels evacuated so far were bussed to the northwestern province of Idlib and one of the sticking points in the Douma talks appears to be the destination.

"The problem with Jaish al-Islam is that it's quite big, very cohesive, very organised, but it doesn't go well with anyone else," said Thomas Pierret, an analyst at the National Center for Scientific Research in Paris.

The former rebel bastion on the outskirts of Damascus has been drained by a nearly six-week Syrian government assault and a pair of evacuation deals brokered by regime ally Moscow

Hundreds more Syrian rebels and civilians prepared Friday to leave Eastern Ghouta under a negotiated withdrawal, as Russia unilaterally announced a similar deal to empty the final pocket of the battered enclave. The former rebel bastion on the outskirts of Damascus has been drained by a nearly six-week Syrian government assault and a pair of evacuation deals brokered by regime ally Moscow. Under such agreements, rebels agree to hand over territory in exchange for safe passage for them and civilians to opposition zones in northwest Syria. More than 36,000 people have already been bussed out of the enclave, and fresh evacuations were underway on Friday. Around 1,000 people, a quarter of them fighters, were boarding buses in a pocket of Ghouta held by the Faylaq al-Rahman rebel faction, according to Syrian state media. That agreement, reached last week, left the overpopulated, devastated town of Douma as the final rebel holdout in the region. Russia's defence ministry on Friday said it had brokered a deal that would see rebels abandon Douma "shortly", but the fighters there quickly denied it. "We categorically refuse leaving or being displaced," said Jaish al-Islam's spokesman Hamza Bayraqdar. "That's an essential demand of the negotiations. We have not reached an agreement yet," he told AFP, adding that talks were ongoing. Eastern Ghouta was the armed opposition's last stronghold around Damascus, which groups regularly targeted with rockets and mortar rounds. Stalling talks To secure Damascus, President Bashar al-Assad launched a ferocious air and ground assault on February 18 to oust rebels from their perch in Ghouta. More than 1,600 civilians have been killed in the onslaught, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group. Troops pursued a divide-and-conquer strategy, seizing most of the enclave then breaking up what was left of it into three isolated pockets. Moscow stepped in and swiftly announced two withdrawal agreements with rebels, the first of which saw more than 4,500 fighters and civilians bussed out of the town of Harasta. The second deal, reached with Faylaq al-Rahman one week ago, has seen more than 31,000 people quit the towns of Arbin and Zamalka and the Jobar district. In the first two deals, rebels caved in to Russia's "leave or die" approach but negotiations for the Douma pocket, held by Jaish al-Islam, has looked more arduous. Douma's population has swelled to an estimated 200,000 with people displaced from other bombed-out districts. Jaish al-Islam had been in talks with Russia to reach a settlement whereby they could stay, instead of being bused out like other rebels. But negotiations faltered over the group's demands of a general amnesty and safe passage for Douma residents to move freely across the country, a source with knowledge of the talks told AFP. Moscow threatened Jaish al-Islam with a renewed blitz on the town if they did not agree to withdraw, and Syrian troops have amassed around the holdout. 'Nearly wiped out' The rebel movement have also come under growing pressure from Douma's residents, hundreds of whom have organised demonstrations demanding a status update on the talks. On Thursday, Russia's foreign minister said Syrian forces had ousted nearly all rebels from Ghouta. "As a result of this anti-terrorism operation in Eastern Ghouta, terrorist elements have nearly been wiped out of this suburb of the Syrian capital," Sergei Lavrov said. Syria's state news agency SANA said around 29,000 civilians had fled Douma in recent days, using a "corridor" opened up by advancing Syrian troops. SANA said a total of 143,000 people in total had streamed out of Ghouta along such corridors and as part of the evacuation deals. It did not confirm the agreement with Jaish al-Islam, but its correspondent said "preliminary information" indicated a deal was close to being reached. The rebels evacuated so far were bussed to the northwestern province of Idlib and one of the sticking points in the Douma talks appears to be the destination. "The problem with Jaish al-Islam is that it's quite big, very cohesive, very organised, but it doesn't go well with anyone else," said Thomas Pierret, an analyst at the National Center for Scientific Research in Paris.

Syrians quit Ghouta as talks for last pocket stutter

Russia&#39;s Defence Ministry said more than 105,000 people have left Syria&#39;s Eastern Ghouta rebel enclave, including another 700 on Saturday since government forces began an assault to retake it a month ago, RIA news agency reported, citing the military.

RIA referred to evacuations taking place during &quot;humanitarian pauses&quot;. Russian President Vladimir Putin, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad&#39;s main ally in the conflict, ordered daily five-hour ceasefires and the creation of a &quot;humanitarian corridor&quot; to allow civilians to leave Eastern Ghouta.

In the event, the offensive - among the fiercest of the seven-year civil war - was largely carried out in defiance of international pleas to halt and honour a truce, and about 90 per cent of eastern Ghouta is back under government control.

Russia's Defence Ministry said more than 105,000 people have left Syria's Eastern Ghouta rebel enclave, including another 700 on Saturday since government forces began an assault to retake it a month ago

Russia's Defence Ministry said more than 105,000 people have left Syria's Eastern Ghouta rebel enclave, including another 700 on Saturday since government forces began an assault to retake it a month ago, RIA news agency reported, citing the military. RIA referred to evacuations taking place during "humanitarian pauses". Russian President Vladimir Putin, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's main ally in the conflict, ordered daily five-hour ceasefires and the creation of a "humanitarian corridor" to allow civilians to leave Eastern Ghouta. In the event, the offensive - among the fiercest of the seven-year civil war - was largely carried out in defiance of international pleas to halt and honour a truce, and about 90 per cent of eastern Ghouta is back under government control.

Russia says over 105,000 civilians have left Syria's Eastern Ghouta: RIA

A two-pronged US push for action on Syria at the UN Security Council could prompt Russia to again use its veto, a move some diplomats see as a possible trigger for American strikes in Syria.

Russia has used its veto power 11 times to block action against its Syrian ally, shielding President Bashar al-Assad&#39;s government from sanctions, war crimes investigations and an inquiry into chemical weapons attacks.&nbsp;

Speculation about a 12th Russian veto on Syria is again rife after the United States on Monday put forward a draft resolution on a 30-day ceasefire in Eastern Ghouta and Damascus.

The move was in response to the failure of a UN-approved humanitarian ceasefire to take hold despite backing from Russia, which is helping Syria&#39;s offensive in Eastern Ghouta, a rebel enclave on the outskirts of the capital.

The operation has reportedly killed more than 1,100 civilians since it was launched in mid-February.

A separate US-drafted measure to set up an inquiry into chemical weapons attacks is under negotiation, but diplomats said talks with Russia had hit a wall.

With two measures on the table, US Ambassador Nikki Haley has warned that the United States is ready to act in Syria &quot;if we must&quot; to address the use of chemical weapons and &quot;inhuman suffering.&quot;

&quot;When the international community consistently fails to act, there are times when states are compelled to take their own action,&quot; Haley said on Monday.

&quot;We also warn any nation that is determined to impose its will through chemical attacks and inhuman suffering, most especially the outlaw Syrian regime: the United States remains prepared to act if we must.&quot;

It remains unclear when the United States will put its draft resolutions up for a vote at the council, which is increasingly frustrated by its inability to change the course of the war in Syria.

- Deja vu - 
Haley&#39;s threat was a repeat of the warning delivered to the council in April last year, just before President Donald Trump ordered missile strikes on a Syrian air base over the sarin gas attack on the opposition-held village of Khan Sheikhun.

UN diplomats are openly talking about &quot;deja vu&quot; as the United States again signals that it is considering military action in Syria.

The threats are ratcheting up pressure on Russia.

&quot;The Russians are feeling the heat. They are afraid that the Americans might re-engage in Syria in a more robust way,&quot; a council diplomat said on condition of anonymity.

Another council diplomat pointed to the anniversary of the Khan Sheikhun attack on April 4 as a possible timeframe for US action.

&quot;The Trump administration is resorting to a naming-and-shaming strategy on Russia at the Security Council,&quot; said Nicholas Heras, Syria expert at the Washington-based Center for a New American Security.

&quot;This is the beginning of a larger discussion with Russia about what will happen with other areas in the country,&quot; in particular the southwest where a de-escalation zone has been set up by the United States, Jordan and Russia, said Heras.

&quot;What the Trump team is doing now is initial posturing: It&#39;s saying: &#39;What you are doing in Ghouta, don&#39;t do it anywhere else. If you try to do it anywhere else, there will be consequences.&#39;&quot;

Haley&#39;s warning drew a strong response from Moscow on Tuesday.

After last year&#39;s US strike on the Shayrat air base, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov warned that &quot;if a new strike of this kind takes place, the consequences will be very serious.&quot;

Russia&#39;s head of the general staff Valery Gerasimov warned of &quot;retaliatory measures&quot; if any Russian serviceman is hit in a US strike.

Russia has military staff on the ground helping the Syrian offensive in Eastern Ghouta, which lies near the capital of Damascus.

Russia has used its veto power 11 times to block action against its Syrian ally, shielding President Bashar al-Assad's government from sanctions

A two-pronged US push for action on Syria at the UN Security Council could prompt Russia to again use its veto, a move some diplomats see as a possible trigger for American strikes in Syria. Russia has used its veto power 11 times to block action against its Syrian ally, shielding President Bashar al-Assad's government from sanctions, war crimes investigations and an inquiry into chemical weapons attacks. Speculation about a 12th Russian veto on Syria is again rife after the United States on Monday put forward a draft resolution on a 30-day ceasefire in Eastern Ghouta and Damascus. The move was in response to the failure of a UN-approved humanitarian ceasefire to take hold despite backing from Russia, which is helping Syria's offensive in Eastern Ghouta, a rebel enclave on the outskirts of the capital. The operation has reportedly killed more than 1,100 civilians since it was launched in mid-February. A separate US-drafted measure to set up an inquiry into chemical weapons attacks is under negotiation, but diplomats said talks with Russia had hit a wall. With two measures on the table, US Ambassador Nikki Haley has warned that the United States is ready to act in Syria "if we must" to address the use of chemical weapons and "inhuman suffering." "When the international community consistently fails to act, there are times when states are compelled to take their own action," Haley said on Monday. "We also warn any nation that is determined to impose its will through chemical attacks and inhuman suffering, most especially the outlaw Syrian regime: the United States remains prepared to act if we must." It remains unclear when the United States will put its draft resolutions up for a vote at the council, which is increasingly frustrated by its inability to change the course of the war in Syria. - Deja vu - Haley's threat was a repeat of the warning delivered to the council in April last year, just before President Donald Trump ordered missile strikes on a Syrian air base over the sarin gas attack on the opposition-held village of Khan Sheikhun. UN diplomats are openly talking about "deja vu" as the United States again signals that it is considering military action in Syria. The threats are ratcheting up pressure on Russia. "The Russians are feeling the heat. They are afraid that the Americans might re-engage in Syria in a more robust way," a council diplomat said on condition of anonymity. Another council diplomat pointed to the anniversary of the Khan Sheikhun attack on April 4 as a possible timeframe for US action. "The Trump administration is resorting to a naming-and-shaming strategy on Russia at the Security Council," said Nicholas Heras, Syria expert at the Washington-based Center for a New American Security. "This is the beginning of a larger discussion with Russia about what will happen with other areas in the country," in particular the southwest where a de-escalation zone has been set up by the United States, Jordan and Russia, said Heras. "What the Trump team is doing now is initial posturing: It's saying: 'What you are doing in Ghouta, don't do it anywhere else. If you try to do it anywhere else, there will be consequences.'" Haley's warning drew a strong response from Moscow on Tuesday. After last year's US strike on the Shayrat air base, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov warned that "if a new strike of this kind takes place, the consequences will be very serious." Russia's head of the general staff Valery Gerasimov warned of "retaliatory measures" if any Russian serviceman is hit in a US strike. Russia has military staff on the ground helping the Syrian offensive in Eastern Ghouta, which lies near the capital of Damascus.

Would a Russian veto at the UN trigger US strikes on Syria?

&nbsp;Russia, the Syrian regime&#39;s main backer, plans to help Damascus relaunch its energy industry which has been devastated by years of conflict, Energy Minister Alexander Novak has said.

&quot;We have signed a roadmap, not only in the field of electricity, but also oil and gas, covering the restoration of oil fields and the development of new deposits,&quot; Kovak was quoted as saying by Russian news agencies yesterday.

He did not name any Russian companies that may be involved.

As the main international backer of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad&#39;s regime, Russia has committed itself to aiding in the country&#39;s reconstruction.

Last week an agreement was signed on the &quot;rehabilitation, modernisation and construction of new energy facilities in Syria&quot; Russia&#39;s energy ministry said on its website.

&quot;We attach great importance to restoring the Syrian economy, especially the oil and gas sectors which will certainly contribute to the normalisation of the economic and social situation in the country,&quot; said Novak.

In December a Russian business and political delegation visited Damascus to discuss investment and reconstruction with Assad, including oil and gas projects but also electricity, phosphates, transport and trade.

&quot;Syria is a land of unlimited riches,&quot; Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin, who led the delegation, said at the time.

&quot;Russian companies have the moral right to develop large-scale economic projects here,&quot; Rogozin said then.

Russia intervened in the Syrian conflict in September 2015 in support of Assad.

In December last year, President Vladimir Putin ordered the partial retreat of Russian troops from Syria.

'We have signed a roadmap, not only in the field of electricity but also oil and gas, covering the restoration of oil fields and the development of new deposits,' Alexander Novak

Russia, the Syrian regime's main backer, plans to help Damascus relaunch its energy industry which has been devastated by years of conflict, Energy Minister Alexander Novak has said. "We have signed a roadmap, not only in the field of electricity, but also oil and gas, covering the restoration of oil fields and the development of new deposits," Kovak was quoted as saying by Russian news agencies yesterday. He did not name any Russian companies that may be involved. As the main international backer of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's regime, Russia has committed itself to aiding in the country's reconstruction. Last week an agreement was signed on the "rehabilitation, modernisation and construction of new energy facilities in Syria" Russia's energy ministry said on its website. "We attach great importance to restoring the Syrian economy, especially the oil and gas sectors which will certainly contribute to the normalisation of the economic and social situation in the country," said Novak. In December a Russian business and political delegation visited Damascus to discuss investment and reconstruction with Assad, including oil and gas projects but also electricity, phosphates, transport and trade. "Syria is a land of unlimited riches," Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin, who led the delegation, said at the time. "Russian companies have the moral right to develop large-scale economic projects here," Rogozin said then. Russia intervened in the Syrian conflict in September 2015 in support of Assad. In December last year, President Vladimir Putin ordered the partial retreat of Russian troops from Syria.

Russia wants to help Syria relaunch oil production

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday that&nbsp;Iran&nbsp;is building sites to produce precision-guided missiles in Syria and Lebanon, with the aim of using them against Israel.

At the start of a meeting in Jerusalem with UN&nbsp;Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, Netanyahu accused&nbsp;Iran&nbsp;of turning Syria into a &quot;base of military entrenchment as part of its declared goal to eradicate Israel.&quot;

&quot;It is also building sites to produce precision-guided missiles towards that end, in both Syria and in Lebanon. This is something Israel cannot accept. This is something the UN&nbsp;should not accept,&quot; Netanyahu said.

Iran, Israel&#39;s arch-enemy, has been Syrian President Bashar al-Assad&#39;s staunchest backer and has provided militia fighters to help him in Syria&#39;s civil war.

There was no immediate comment from&nbsp;Iran.

Israel has pointed to Tehran&#39;s steadily increasing influence in the region during the six-year-old Syrian conflict, whether via its own Revolutionary Guard forces or Shi&#39;ite Muslim proxies, especially Hezbollah.

On Wednesday, Netanyahu, in a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, said Israel was prepared to act unilaterally to prevent an expanded&nbsp;Iranian military presence in Syria.

Russia, also an Assad ally, is seen as holding the balance of power in achieving a deal on Syria&#39;s future. Israel fears an eventual Assad victory could leave&nbsp;Iran&nbsp;with a permanent garrison in Syria, extending a threat posed from neighboring Lebanon by Hezbollah.

Netanyahu accused&nbsp;Iran&nbsp;of building the production sites two weeks after an Israeli television report showed satellite images it said were of a facility Tehran was constructing in northwest Syria to manufacture long-range rockets.

The Channel 2 News report said the images were of a site near the Mediterranean coastal town of Baniyas and were taken by an Israeli satellite.

In parallel to lobbying Moscow, Israel has been trying to persuade Washington that&nbsp;Iran&nbsp;and its guerrilla partners, not Islamic State, pose the greater common threat in the region.

&nbsp;

Netanyahu accused Iran of turning Syria into a 'base of military entrenchment as part of its declared goal to eradicate Israel'

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday that Iran is building sites to produce precision-guided missiles in Syria and Lebanon, with the aim of using them against Israel. At the start of a meeting in Jerusalem with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, Netanyahu accused Iran of turning Syria into a "base of military entrenchment as part of its declared goal to eradicate Israel." "It is also building sites to produce precision-guided missiles towards that end, in both Syria and in Lebanon. This is something Israel cannot accept. This is something the UN should not accept," Netanyahu said. Iran, Israel's arch-enemy, has been Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's staunchest backer and has provided militia fighters to help him in Syria's civil war. There was no immediate comment from Iran. Israel has pointed to Tehran's steadily increasing influence in the region during the six-year-old Syrian conflict, whether via its own Revolutionary Guard forces or Shi'ite Muslim proxies, especially Hezbollah. On Wednesday, Netanyahu, in a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, said Israel was prepared to act unilaterally to prevent an expanded Iranian military presence in Syria. Russia, also an Assad ally, is seen as holding the balance of power in achieving a deal on Syria's future. Israel fears an eventual Assad victory could leave Iran with a permanent garrison in Syria, extending a threat posed from neighboring Lebanon by Hezbollah. Netanyahu accused Iran of building the production sites two weeks after an Israeli television report showed satellite images it said were of a facility Tehran was constructing in northwest Syria to manufacture long-range rockets. The Channel 2 News report said the images were of a site near the Mediterranean coastal town of Baniyas and were taken by an Israeli satellite. In parallel to lobbying Moscow, Israel has been trying to persuade Washington that Iran and its guerrilla partners, not Islamic State, pose the greater common threat in the region.

Iran building missile production sites in Syria, Lebanon against Israel: PM Netanyahu

A US fighter jet shot down a Syrian regime plane Sunday after it dropped bombs on American-backed forces fighting the Islamic State group in northern Syria, the US-led coalition said.

The incident came as a monitoring group reported the first ground fighting between Syrian regime troops and the US-backed alliance of Kurdish and Arab fighters.

&quot;At 6:43 pm (1743 GMT), a Syrian regime SU-22 dropped bombs near SDF (Syrian Democratic Forces) fighters south of Tabqah and, in accordance with rules of engagement and in collective self-defense of Coalition partnered forces, was immediately shot down by a US F/A-18E Super Hornet,&quot; the Combined Joint Task Force said in a statement.

It said that two hours earlier, forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad attacked SDF fighters in the town of Ja&#39;Din south of Tabqah, &quot;wounding a number of SDF fighters and driving the SDF from the town.&quot;

Coalition aircraft then stopped the pro-regime forces&#39; initial advance with a &quot;show of force,&quot; the coalition added.

The Combined Joint Task Force stressed that the coalition&#39;s mission is to defeat IS.

&quot;The Coalition does not seek to fight Syrian regime, Russian, or pro-regime forces partnered with them, but will not hesitate to defend Coalition or partner forces from any threat,&quot; it said.

&quot;The demonstrated hostile intent and actions of pro-regime forces toward Coalition and partner forces in Syria conducting legitimate counter-ISIS operations will not be tolerated.&quot;

Following the downing of the Syrian plane, clashes between regime troops and coalition-backed fighters broke out in two villages some 25 miles (40 kilometers) south of the city of Raqa, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

The incident came as a monitoring group reported the first ground fighting between Syrian regime troops and the US-backed alliance of Kurdish and Arab fighters

A US fighter jet shot down a Syrian regime plane Sunday after it dropped bombs on American-backed forces fighting the Islamic State group in northern Syria, the US-led coalition said. The incident came as a monitoring group reported the first ground fighting between Syrian regime troops and the US-backed alliance of Kurdish and Arab fighters. "At 6:43 pm (1743 GMT), a Syrian regime SU-22 dropped bombs near SDF (Syrian Democratic Forces) fighters south of Tabqah and, in accordance with rules of engagement and in collective self-defense of Coalition partnered forces, was immediately shot down by a US F/A-18E Super Hornet," the Combined Joint Task Force said in a statement. It said that two hours earlier, forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad attacked SDF fighters in the town of Ja'Din south of Tabqah, "wounding a number of SDF fighters and driving the SDF from the town." Coalition aircraft then stopped the pro-regime forces' initial advance with a "show of force," the coalition added. The Combined Joint Task Force stressed that the coalition's mission is to defeat IS. "The Coalition does not seek to fight Syrian regime, Russian, or pro-regime forces partnered with them, but will not hesitate to defend Coalition or partner forces from any threat," it said. "The demonstrated hostile intent and actions of pro-regime forces toward Coalition and partner forces in Syria conducting legitimate counter-ISIS operations will not be tolerated." Following the downing of the Syrian plane, clashes between regime troops and coalition-backed fighters broke out in two villages some 25 miles (40 kilometers) south of the city of Raqa, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

US shot down Syrian plane that bombed coalition-backed fighters

The United States on Monday accused Syria of building a prison crematorium to destroy the remains of thousands of murdered detainees, putting pressure on Russia to rein in its ally.

Warning Moscow it should not turn a blind eye to Bashar al-Assad&#39;s crimes, the State Department released satellite images that it said backed up reports of mass killings at a Syrian jail.

&quot;The United States is on record, has stated many times, that we are appalled by the atrocities that have been carried out by the Syrian regime,&quot; said Stuart Jones, the top US diplomat for the Middle East.

&quot;And these atrocities have been carried out seemingly with the unconditional support from Russia and Iran.&quot;

And he added a message to President Vladimir Putin&#39;s government: &quot;Russia must now, with great urgency, exercise its influence over the Syrian regime to guarantee that horrific violations stop now.&quot;

Jones&#39; warning came as UN-mediated peace talks between Damascus and the Syrian opposition were about to resume in Geneva, and appeared aimed at maintaining pressure on Assad&#39;s backers.

The head of the opposition delegation to the talks welcomed the US statement, but complained it had come too late.

&quot;This is but a drop in the ocean. What happens in the regime&#39;s prisons is much uglier than this,&quot; Nasr al-Hariri said.

&quot;The time has come for the world -- chiefly the US -- to act to halt these human rights violations.&quot;

&nbsp;&#39;Cover up&#39;

One newly released image, a commercial satellite photograph dating back to January 2015, shows snow melting on the roof of a building attached to the Saydnaya military complex north of Damascus.

This, along with an earlier picture allegedly showing heavy-duty ventilation systems on the structure, appears to support earlier claims by rights groups that Saydnaya is an execution center.

&quot;Beginning in 2013, the Syrian regime modified a building within the Saydnaya complex to support what we believe is a crematorium&quot; built in &quot;an effort to cover up the extent of the mass murders taking place in Saydnaya,&quot; said Jones.

Jones, an acting assistant secretary of state, said Washington&#39;s information came from credible humanitarian agencies and from the US &quot;intelligence community&quot; -- implying that classified evidence beyond the commercial pictures exists.

At Saydnaya, Syria holds up to 70 prisoners in cells that are meant for five, Jones alleged.

&quot;And according to multiple sources, the regime is responsible for killing as many as 50 detainees per day at Saydnaya.&quot;

He did not give an official estimate for the total number killed, but cited an Amnesty International report that between 5,000 and 11,000 had died in the prison between 2011 and 2015.

Assad&#39;s regime, he alleged, has detained between 65,000 and 117,000 people over the same period -- the first five years of a civil war that has left hundreds of thousands dead.&nbsp;

It was not immediately clear why the United States waited more than two years to present its evidence.&nbsp;

Jones said: &quot;I would say that this information has been developing.&quot;

He also said Secretary of State Rex Tillerson had raised concerns about Assad&#39;s brutality with Russia&#39;s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov during his visit to Washington last week.

Sarin attack

Moscow, along with Iran, is Syria&#39;s main foreign backer and Washington believes Russian pressure is the only thing that will compel Assad to negotiate a peace deal.

President Donald Trump came to office vowing to focus US efforts in Syria on defeating the Islamic State group, a jihadist force that exploited the civil war to seize the east of the country.

He also said he hoped to work with Putin towards this goal.

But relations with Moscow, already dire under Trump&#39;s predecessor Barack Obama, have not improved and Assad has continued to bombard civilian areas in his battle with opposition rebels.

Last month, when Assad was again accused of using the banned nerve agent sarin in a strike on his own people,

Trump ordered a retaliatory US cruise missile strike on a Syrian air base.

When asked whether the Saydnaya deaths could trigger action, White House spokesman Sean Spicer said Trump would never &quot;telegraph the actions he takes.&quot;

&quot;When he&#39;s ready to act, he will let everyone know,&quot; he said.

(AFP)

The State Department released satellite images that it said backed up reports of mass killings at a Syrian jail

The United States on Monday accused Syria of building a prison crematorium to destroy the remains of thousands of murdered detainees, putting pressure on Russia to rein in its ally. Warning Moscow it should not turn a blind eye to Bashar al-Assad's crimes, the State Department released satellite images that it said backed up reports of mass killings at a Syrian jail. "The United States is on record, has stated many times, that we are appalled by the atrocities that have been carried out by the Syrian regime," said Stuart Jones, the top US diplomat for the Middle East. "And these atrocities have been carried out seemingly with the unconditional support from Russia and Iran." And he added a message to President Vladimir Putin's government: "Russia must now, with great urgency, exercise its influence over the Syrian regime to guarantee that horrific violations stop now." Jones' warning came as UN-mediated peace talks between Damascus and the Syrian opposition were about to resume in Geneva, and appeared aimed at maintaining pressure on Assad's backers. The head of the opposition delegation to the talks welcomed the US statement, but complained it had come too late. "This is but a drop in the ocean. What happens in the regime's prisons is much uglier than this," Nasr al-Hariri said. "The time has come for the world -- chiefly the US -- to act to halt these human rights violations." 'Cover up' One newly released image, a commercial satellite photograph dating back to January 2015, shows snow melting on the roof of a building attached to the Saydnaya military complex north of Damascus. This, along with an earlier picture allegedly showing heavy-duty ventilation systems on the structure, appears to support earlier claims by rights groups that Saydnaya is an execution center. "Beginning in 2013, the Syrian regime modified a building within the Saydnaya complex to support what we believe is a crematorium" built in "an effort to cover up the extent of the mass murders taking place in Saydnaya," said Jones. Jones, an acting assistant secretary of state, said Washington's information came from credible humanitarian agencies and from the US "intelligence community" -- implying that classified evidence beyond the commercial pictures exists. At Saydnaya, Syria holds up to 70 prisoners in cells that are meant for five, Jones alleged. "And according to multiple sources, the regime is responsible for killing as many as 50 detainees per day at Saydnaya." He did not give an official estimate for the total number killed, but cited an Amnesty International report that between 5,000 and 11,000 had died in the prison between 2011 and 2015. Assad's regime, he alleged, has detained between 65,000 and 117,000 people over the same period -- the first five years of a civil war that has left hundreds of thousands dead. It was not immediately clear why the United States waited more than two years to present its evidence. Jones said: "I would say that this information has been developing." He also said Secretary of State Rex Tillerson had raised concerns about Assad's brutality with Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov during his visit to Washington last week. Sarin attack Moscow, along with Iran, is Syria's main foreign backer and Washington believes Russian pressure is the only thing that will compel Assad to negotiate a peace deal. President Donald Trump came to office vowing to focus US efforts in Syria on defeating the Islamic State group, a jihadist force that exploited the civil war to seize the east of the country. He also said he hoped to work with Putin towards this goal. But relations with Moscow, already dire under Trump's predecessor Barack Obama, have not improved and Assad has continued to bombard civilian areas in his battle with opposition rebels. Last month, when Assad was again accused of using the banned nerve agent sarin in a strike on his own people, Trump ordered a retaliatory US cruise missile strike on a Syrian air base. When asked whether the Saydnaya deaths could trigger action, White House spokesman Sean Spicer said Trump would never "telegraph the actions he takes." "When he's ready to act, he will let everyone know," he said. (AFP)

US accuses Syria of building 'crematorium' in prison to hide mass murders

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said that de-escalation zones proposed by his ally Russia were a chance for rebels to &quot;reconcile&quot; with Damascus and drive out Islamist militants, but vowed to fight on calling U.N.-led peace talks fruitless.

Assad pledged, in an interview with Belarusian TV Channel ONT aired on Thursday, to defend the zones and to crush, with the support of Iran and Hezbollah, those who try to breach them.

Efforts over the past year to halt the six-year&nbsp;Syrian war have fallen flat, and a ceasefire agreed to by the government side and rebels in December was violated early on.

Russia&#39;s proposal for zones took effect last week, covering areas in the west of the country and Damascus has suggested there could be a role for Russian military police.

Assad said the primary aim was to protect civilians.

&quot;The second goal is to give the militants who want reconciliation with the state a chance ... to settle their cases, hand over their weapons in return for amnesty,&quot; he said.

Damascus has said rebels should help drive jihadist groups out of the de-escalation zones, and sees so-called reconciliation agreements, which have involved the evacuation of rebels from besieged areas, as an alternative to peace talks.

Violence reduced somewhat after the de-escalation zones were announced last week, but heavy fighting persists in some areas.

Syria&#39;s opposition rejected the Russian plan, calling it a threat to the country&#39;s territorial integrity and refusing to recognise Iran as a guarantor of any ceasefire plan.

Assad said he was &quot;not tired&quot; and would continue to fight terrorists - the government&#39;s term for all insurgents.&nbsp;

He also said U.S. President Donald Trump had ordered strikes against a&nbsp;Syrian air base last month - a response to an alleged chemical attack against civilians - in order to &quot;present his credentials&quot; to U.S. political and lobby groups.

Trump said at the time that Assad&#39;s government had gone &quot;beyond a red line&quot; with a poison gas attack on civilians and said his attitude toward&nbsp;Syria&nbsp;and Assad had changed.

Syria&nbsp;denies carrying out the attack.

(Reuters)

Russia's proposal for zones took effect last week, covering areas in the west of the country and Damascus has suggested there could be a role for Russian military police.

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said that de-escalation zones proposed by his ally Russia were a chance for rebels to "reconcile" with Damascus and drive out Islamist militants, but vowed to fight on calling U.N.-led peace talks fruitless. Assad pledged, in an interview with Belarusian TV Channel ONT aired on Thursday, to defend the zones and to crush, with the support of Iran and Hezbollah, those who try to breach them. Efforts over the past year to halt the six-year Syrian war have fallen flat, and a ceasefire agreed to by the government side and rebels in December was violated early on. Russia's proposal for zones took effect last week, covering areas in the west of the country and Damascus has suggested there could be a role for Russian military police. Assad said the primary aim was to protect civilians. "The second goal is to give the militants who want reconciliation with the state a chance ... to settle their cases, hand over their weapons in return for amnesty," he said. Damascus has said rebels should help drive jihadist groups out of the de-escalation zones, and sees so-called reconciliation agreements, which have involved the evacuation of rebels from besieged areas, as an alternative to peace talks. Violence reduced somewhat after the de-escalation zones were announced last week, but heavy fighting persists in some areas. Syria's opposition rejected the Russian plan, calling it a threat to the country's territorial integrity and refusing to recognise Iran as a guarantor of any ceasefire plan. Assad said he was "not tired" and would continue to fight terrorists - the government's term for all insurgents. He also said U.S. President Donald Trump had ordered strikes against a Syrian air base last month - a response to an alleged chemical attack against civilians - in order to "present his credentials" to U.S. political and lobby groups. Trump said at the time that Assad's government had gone "beyond a red line" with a poison gas attack on civilians and said his attitude toward Syria and Assad had changed. Syria denies carrying out the attack. (Reuters)

De-escalation zones chance for rebels to 'reconcile': Syrian President Bashar al-Assad

For nearly four years, food, fuel and medicine have travelled across frontlines into the besieged eastern suburbs of Damascus through a network of underground tunnels.&nbsp;

But an army offensive near the Syrian capital has shut the routes into the rebel enclave of Eastern Ghouta, causing supplies to dwindle and prices to rocket, residents say.&nbsp;

&quot;The price of fuel went up like crazy,&quot; said Adnan, 30, the head of a local aid group that distributes food.

A cooking gas canister now costs 50,000 Syrian pounds, nearly four times its price before the attack and almost 20 times the state-regulated price in nearby Damascus.&nbsp;

Adnan, whose aid group buys rice, lentils and other goods that arrive via the tunnels, said the shutdown and steep price hikes had triggered rising despair in the suburbs.&nbsp;

As the army tightens the noose, fighters and civilians are bracing for a full-blown assault and bitter shortages that could last through the winter.

&quot;The operation aims to strangle the Ghouta ... by closing off the crossings and tunnels,&quot; Hamza Birqdar, military spokesman for the Jaish al-Islam rebel group, told Reuters.

&quot;Trade through the tunnels has completely stopped.&quot;&nbsp;

Government forces have blockaded Eastern Ghouta, a densely populated pocket of satellite towns and farms, since 2013. It remains the only major rebel bastion near Damascus, though it has shrunk by almost half over the past year.&nbsp;

President Bashar al-Assad&#39;s government has been steadily defeating pockets of armed rebellion near the capital, with the help of Russian air power and Iranian-backed militias.

It ultimately aims to seize the Ghouta, pushing fighters to accept state rule or leave for rebel territory in the north, in a type of negotiated withdrawal that has helped shore up its rule over Syria&#39;s main urban centres.

Tunnel crackdown

Heavy fighting and air strikes have rocked the districts that stand between Damascus and Eastern Ghouta, severing smuggling routes that provided a lifeline for around 300,000 people in the besieged suburbs.

The army assault entered a higher gear in recent months in the districts of Barzeh and Qaboun, at the capital&#39;s eastern edges, which abruptly ended a local truce that had been in place with rebels there since 2014.&nbsp;

Their relative calm and location had turned them into a transit point where traders brought supplies from the capital and shuttled them underground into the opposition enclave. Government forces have now swept into most of the two districts.&nbsp;

The siege generated a black market economy and profiteers who traded across frontlines, says an activist who has smuggled medicine through one of the tunnels.

Goods prices were ramped up by payments to checkpoints in government-held areas and rebels that control the tunnels, the activist and other residents said.&nbsp;

Syrian officials were not available for comment on such allegations.&nbsp;

Syrian state media says Ghouta militants dug tunnels hundreds of metres long to move weapons and ambush army positions. The tunnels have been a target of army operations, with several blown up in recent months, it has said.&nbsp;

The wide array of rebels - including hardline jihadists and other groups supported by Turkey, the United States and Gulf monarchies - have been on the back-foot across Syria.&nbsp;

In Eastern Ghouta, a bout of renewed rebel infighting, after a rebel attack at the fringes of Damascus quickly fizzled out in March, could play into the government&#39;s hands.&nbsp;

Birqdar said rebels faced &quot;heavy shelling, air strikes, and incoming tanks&quot; every day. &quot;We must prepare for every scenario that could happen on the battlefield,&quot; he said.

&quot;We are fully ready to negotiate over stopping the bloodshed by the regime, but will not accept any talks that lead to surrender.&quot; He ruled out a local evacuation deal.

The government says such deals have succeeded where UN-based peace talks failed. The opposition describes it as a strategy of forced displacement after years of siege - a method of warfare the United Nations has condemned as a war crime.

When winter comes

The UN&nbsp;has warned of impending starvation if aid does not reach Eastern Ghouta, where international deliveries have long been erratic and obstructed. A convoy that entered last week, for the first time in months, carried food and supplies for just about 10 per cent of the estimated population.&nbsp;

&quot;People have rushed to the markets to stock up,&quot; said Adnan. &quot;Because they have bitter memories of 2013,&quot; when their towns first came under siege.&nbsp;

Merchants inside the Ghouta had filled up large warehouses that would last months, and residents would harvest crops in the area&#39;s remaining farmland in the summer, he said. &quot;Things will get worse when winter comes.&quot;&nbsp;

The Wafideen crossing at the outskirts, where checkpoints allowed food to enter, has also been restricted since February, Adnan and others said.&nbsp;

One resident said rebel fighters also ran their own hidden routes through which they had moved unnoticed or smuggled arms.

Medics relied on the tunnels for antibiotics, anaesthetics, and other supplies, said Abu Ibrahim Baker, a surgeon in Eastern Ghouta. Hospitals would be &quot;able to hold out, God willing, but not for very long,&quot; he said.

(Reuters)

Heavy fighting and air strikes have rocked the districts that stand between Damascus and Eastern Ghouta, severing smuggling routes that provided a lifeline for around 300,000 people in the besieged suburbs.

For nearly four years, food, fuel and medicine have travelled across frontlines into the besieged eastern suburbs of Damascus through a network of underground tunnels. But an army offensive near the Syrian capital has shut the routes into the rebel enclave of Eastern Ghouta, causing supplies to dwindle and prices to rocket, residents say. "The price of fuel went up like crazy," said Adnan, 30, the head of a local aid group that distributes food. A cooking gas canister now costs 50,000 Syrian pounds, nearly four times its price before the attack and almost 20 times the state-regulated price in nearby Damascus. Adnan, whose aid group buys rice, lentils and other goods that arrive via the tunnels, said the shutdown and steep price hikes had triggered rising despair in the suburbs. As the army tightens the noose, fighters and civilians are bracing for a full-blown assault and bitter shortages that could last through the winter. "The operation aims to strangle the Ghouta ... by closing off the crossings and tunnels," Hamza Birqdar, military spokesman for the Jaish al-Islam rebel group, told Reuters. "Trade through the tunnels has completely stopped." Government forces have blockaded Eastern Ghouta, a densely populated pocket of satellite towns and farms, since 2013. It remains the only major rebel bastion near Damascus, though it has shrunk by almost half over the past year. President Bashar al-Assad's government has been steadily defeating pockets of armed rebellion near the capital, with the help of Russian air power and Iranian-backed militias. It ultimately aims to seize the Ghouta, pushing fighters to accept state rule or leave for rebel territory in the north, in a type of negotiated withdrawal that has helped shore up its rule over Syria's main urban centres. Tunnel crackdown Heavy fighting and air strikes have rocked the districts that stand between Damascus and Eastern Ghouta, severing smuggling routes that provided a lifeline for around 300,000 people in the besieged suburbs. The army assault entered a higher gear in recent months in the districts of Barzeh and Qaboun, at the capital's eastern edges, which abruptly ended a local truce that had been in place with rebels there since 2014. Their relative calm and location had turned them into a transit point where traders brought supplies from the capital and shuttled them underground into the opposition enclave. Government forces have now swept into most of the two districts. The siege generated a black market economy and profiteers who traded across frontlines, says an activist who has smuggled medicine through one of the tunnels. Goods prices were ramped up by payments to checkpoints in government-held areas and rebels that control the tunnels, the activist and other residents said. Syrian officials were not available for comment on such allegations. Syrian state media says Ghouta militants dug tunnels hundreds of metres long to move weapons and ambush army positions. The tunnels have been a target of army operations, with several blown up in recent months, it has said. The wide array of rebels - including hardline jihadists and other groups supported by Turkey, the United States and Gulf monarchies - have been on the back-foot across Syria. In Eastern Ghouta, a bout of renewed rebel infighting, after a rebel attack at the fringes of Damascus quickly fizzled out in March, could play into the government's hands. Birqdar said rebels faced "heavy shelling, air strikes, and incoming tanks" every day. "We must prepare for every scenario that could happen on the battlefield," he said. "We are fully ready to negotiate over stopping the bloodshed by the regime, but will not accept any talks that lead to surrender." He ruled out a local evacuation deal. The government says such deals have succeeded where UN-based peace talks failed. The opposition describes it as a strategy of forced displacement after years of siege - a method of warfare the United Nations has condemned as a war crime. When winter comes The UN has warned of impending starvation if aid does not reach Eastern Ghouta, where international deliveries have long been erratic and obstructed. A convoy that entered last week, for the first time in months, carried food and supplies for just about 10 per cent of the estimated population. "People have rushed to the markets to stock up," said Adnan. "Because they have bitter memories of 2013," when their towns first came under siege. Merchants inside the Ghouta had filled up large warehouses that would last months, and residents would harvest crops in the area's remaining farmland in the summer, he said. "Things will get worse when winter comes." The Wafideen crossing at the outskirts, where checkpoints allowed food to enter, has also been restricted since February, Adnan and others said. One resident said rebel fighters also ran their own hidden routes through which they had moved unnoticed or smuggled arms. Medics relied on the tunnels for antibiotics, anaesthetics, and other supplies, said Abu Ibrahim Baker, a surgeon in Eastern Ghouta. Hospitals would be "able to hold out, God willing, but not for very long," he said. (Reuters)

With tunnel lifeline cut, pressure mounts on Syrian rebel enclave

Syrian rebels and their families began evacuating from a district of Damascus for the first time on Monday, bringing the government closer to recapturing all of the capital.

The evacuation began days after regime backers Russia and Iran and rebel supporter Turkey signed a deal to implement &quot;de-escalation zones&quot; where the government and opposition will halt hostilities.

Foreign Minister Walid Muallem on Monday rejected any role for the United Nations or international forces in monitoring the zones.

The deal to evacuate Barzeh district mirrors similar agreements for opposition-held territory elsewhere, allowing fighters safe passage in exchange for surrender.

State television cited the Damascus provincial governor as saying a first wave of 1,022 people, including 568 fighters, had left Barzeh on Monday.

The channel said the evacuation would take five days, but that rebels who chose to stay could do so if they registered with the government.

Those leaving will head to the rebel-held province of Idlib, in Syria&#39;s northwest.

The evacuation deal was struck late Sunday night, and dozens of people gathered in Barzeh from Monday morning.

An AFP photographer saw rebel fighters carrying light weapons looking on as children and women in brightly-coloured headscarves pulled shabby suitcases and duffel bags.

A source from the pro-government National Defence Forces said rebel fighters would be allowed to take their &quot;personal weapons&quot; with them.

Negotiations were ongoing for a similar deal in the district of Qabun, in Damascus&#39;s northeast, which forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad have been shelling heavily for weeks.

&#39;De-escalation&#39; zones

&quot;We are working on Qabun and there is the Yarmuk camp, where talks are underway for the evacuation of armed groups,&quot; said Muallem.

Assad&#39;s government controls all but six districts of Damascus: Barzeh, Qabun, Jobar, Tishreen, Tadamun, and Yarmuk camp.

The evacuation is a first in the capital, but the Barzeh agreement follows a model of &quot;reconciliation deals&quot; implemented across the country.

The government touts such deals as the best way to end the six-year conflict, which erupted in March 2011 with anti-regime protests and has killed more than 320,000 people.

But the opposition says it is forced into them by heavy government bombardment and siege tactics.

Monday&#39;s evacuation began as battlefronts quietened in Syrian territory included in four &quot;de-escalation zones&quot; agreed by Russia, Iran and Turkey.

The agreement, inked in the Kazakh capital Astana, excludes Damascus city.

It mandates an end to hostilities, including air strikes, in specified zones for six months.

The deal came into effect on midnight Friday, with fighting subsiding, but the co-sponsors have until June 4 to submit maps finalising the borders of the zones.

It calls for continued fighting against the Islamic State group, which is largely absent from the areas where the zones will be implemented, as well as former Al-Qaeda affiliate Fateh al-Sham Front.

Fateh al-Sham has a powerful presence particularly in Idlib province, which is included in the zones, where it is allied with other opposition groups.

Russian draft resolution

The deal says the &quot;de-escalation zones&quot; would be bordered by security areas with checkpoints and observation centres &quot;ensured by the forces of the guarantors by consensus&quot;, but that &quot;third-party&quot; monitors could also be deployed.

But on Monday, Muallem rejected UN or international monitors.

&quot;We do not accept a role for the United Nations or international forces to monitor the agreement,&quot; he said.

He added there could be a role &quot;as the Russian guarantor has said, for military police&quot;, but it was unclear if he was referring to Syrian or foreign units.

Russia meanwhile said it had tabled a draft UN Security Council resolution backing the safe zone deal.

A source at the UN told Russia&#39;s Interfax news agency that &quot;a vote on the draft will take place possibly this week&quot;.

Western diplomats expressed reservations, saying it was premature to endorse the Astana deal until final arrangements for the proposed &quot;de-escalation zones&quot; were agreed.

The agreement has been received with caution by Washington, with US Defence Secretary Jim Mattis saying it was being studied.

&quot;Does this proposal have a hope for ending this war? We&#39;ll have to look at it. The devil is always in the details, so we are going to have to look at the details,&quot; he said.

Russia has said warplanes belonging to the US-led coalition fighting IS will be barred from operating in the four &quot;de-escalation zones&quot;.

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov are set to discuss the agreement when they meet on Wednesday in Washington.

(AFP)

A first wave of 1,022 people, including 568 fighters, reportedly left Damascus' Barzeh on Monday.

Syrian rebels and their families began evacuating from a district of Damascus for the first time on Monday, bringing the government closer to recapturing all of the capital. The evacuation began days after regime backers Russia and Iran and rebel supporter Turkey signed a deal to implement "de-escalation zones" where the government and opposition will halt hostilities. Foreign Minister Walid Muallem on Monday rejected any role for the United Nations or international forces in monitoring the zones. The deal to evacuate Barzeh district mirrors similar agreements for opposition-held territory elsewhere, allowing fighters safe passage in exchange for surrender. State television cited the Damascus provincial governor as saying a first wave of 1,022 people, including 568 fighters, had left Barzeh on Monday. The channel said the evacuation would take five days, but that rebels who chose to stay could do so if they registered with the government. Those leaving will head to the rebel-held province of Idlib, in Syria's northwest. The evacuation deal was struck late Sunday night, and dozens of people gathered in Barzeh from Monday morning. An AFP photographer saw rebel fighters carrying light weapons looking on as children and women in brightly-coloured headscarves pulled shabby suitcases and duffel bags. A source from the pro-government National Defence Forces said rebel fighters would be allowed to take their "personal weapons" with them. Negotiations were ongoing for a similar deal in the district of Qabun, in Damascus's northeast, which forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad have been shelling heavily for weeks. 'De-escalation' zones "We are working on Qabun and there is the Yarmuk camp, where talks are underway for the evacuation of armed groups," said Muallem. Assad's government controls all but six districts of Damascus: Barzeh, Qabun, Jobar, Tishreen, Tadamun, and Yarmuk camp. The evacuation is a first in the capital, but the Barzeh agreement follows a model of "reconciliation deals" implemented across the country. The government touts such deals as the best way to end the six-year conflict, which erupted in March 2011 with anti-regime protests and has killed more than 320,000 people. But the opposition says it is forced into them by heavy government bombardment and siege tactics. Monday's evacuation began as battlefronts quietened in Syrian territory included in four "de-escalation zones" agreed by Russia, Iran and Turkey. The agreement, inked in the Kazakh capital Astana, excludes Damascus city. It mandates an end to hostilities, including air strikes, in specified zones for six months. The deal came into effect on midnight Friday, with fighting subsiding, but the co-sponsors have until June 4 to submit maps finalising the borders of the zones. It calls for continued fighting against the Islamic State group, which is largely absent from the areas where the zones will be implemented, as well as former Al-Qaeda affiliate Fateh al-Sham Front. Fateh al-Sham has a powerful presence particularly in Idlib province, which is included in the zones, where it is allied with other opposition groups. Russian draft resolution The deal says the "de-escalation zones" would be bordered by security areas with checkpoints and observation centres "ensured by the forces of the guarantors by consensus", but that "third-party" monitors could also be deployed. But on Monday, Muallem rejected UN or international monitors. "We do not accept a role for the United Nations or international forces to monitor the agreement," he said. He added there could be a role "as the Russian guarantor has said, for military police", but it was unclear if he was referring to Syrian or foreign units. Russia meanwhile said it had tabled a draft UN Security Council resolution backing the safe zone deal. A source at the UN told Russia's Interfax news agency that "a vote on the draft will take place possibly this week". Western diplomats expressed reservations, saying it was premature to endorse the Astana deal until final arrangements for the proposed "de-escalation zones" were agreed. The agreement has been received with caution by Washington, with US Defence Secretary Jim Mattis saying it was being studied. "Does this proposal have a hope for ending this war? We'll have to look at it. The devil is always in the details, so we are going to have to look at the details," he said. Russia has said warplanes belonging to the US-led coalition fighting IS will be barred from operating in the four "de-escalation zones". US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov are set to discuss the agreement when they meet on Wednesday in Washington. (AFP)

Syria: First evacuations from Damascus rebel district

UK lawmakers are calling on the government to strip Syrian President Bashar al-Assad&#39;s wife of her British citizenship, for supporting her husband&#39;s regime during the country&#39;s ongoing war.

The Liberal Democrats&#39; foreign affairs spokesman, MP Tom Brake, today accused Assad of using her international profile to defend &quot;a barbarous regime&quot;.

&quot;(Foreign Secretary) Boris Johnson has urged other countries to do more about Syria, but the British government could say to Asma Al-Assad -- either stop using your position to defend barbaric acts, or be stripped of your citizenship,&quot; Brake said.

His remarks follow Johnson branding the Syrian president an &quot;arch-terrorist&quot;, in a Sunday Telegraph newspaper article calling on Syria ally Russia to end its support for Bashar al-Assad.

Brake&#39;s comments echoed those of MP Nadhim Zahawi, from the ruling Conservative Party.

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<h5>Brake&#39;s comments echoed those of MP Nadhim Zahawi, from the ruling Conservative Party. &#39;The time has come where we go after (Bashar) Assad in every which way, including people like Mrs Assad, who is very much part of the propaganda machine that is committing war crimes,&#39; he was quoted in the Sunday Times newspaper as saying</h5>
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&quot;The time has come where we go after (Bashar) Assad in every which way, including people like Mrs Assad, who is very much part of the propaganda machine that is committing war crimes,&quot; he was quoted in the Sunday Times newspaper as saying.

Once hailed as a progressive rights advocate, Assad has fallen from international grace during Syria&#39;s ongoing war which has killed more than 320,000 people since erupting in 2011.

The 41-year-old, who is believed to hold joint British-Syrian nationality, has stood by her husband&#39;s side in his rare public appearances, posing for selfies with supporters in photos posted to the presidency&#39;s Instagram account.

The couple&#39;s marriage was announced six months after he assumed the country&#39;s leadership in July 2000. They had met at a party hosted by the British Syrian community in London.

Assad&#39;s ongoing support for her husband allows Britain to deprive her of her UK citizenship, according to the Liberal Democrats, which served in an uneasy five-year coalition government with the Conservative Party until 2015.

&quot;If Asma continues defending the Assad regime&#39;s murderous actions, the onus will be on the UK Government to deprive her of her citizenship or demonstrate that her actions are not seriously prejudicial to the vital interests of the United Kingdom,&quot; said Brake.

He is due to write to Home Secretary Amber Rudd outlining the view of the Liberal Democrats, which holds nine seats in British parliament.

The home office would not comment on whether the government would take action against Assad, who previously worked as an analyst for Deutsche Bank and JP Morgan.

&quot;The Government takes its duty to protect the British public exceptionally seriously.

&quot;We cannot discuss individual cases but the Home Secretary can deprive individuals of their citizenship where it is conducive to the public good to do so,&quot; a spokesman told AFP.

(AFP)

The Liberal Democrats MP Tom Brake accused Assad of using her international profile to defend 'a barbarous regime'

UK lawmakers are calling on the government to strip Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's wife of her British citizenship, for supporting her husband's regime during the country's ongoing war. The Liberal Democrats' foreign affairs spokesman, MP Tom Brake, today accused Assad of using her international profile to defend "a barbarous regime". "(Foreign Secretary) Boris Johnson has urged other countries to do more about Syria, but the British government could say to Asma Al-Assad -- either stop using your position to defend barbaric acts, or be stripped of your citizenship," Brake said. His remarks follow Johnson branding the Syrian president an "arch-terrorist", in a Sunday Telegraph newspaper article calling on Syria ally Russia to end its support for Bashar al-Assad. Brake's comments echoed those of MP Nadhim Zahawi, from the ruling Conservative Party. Brake's comments echoed those of MP Nadhim Zahawi, from the ruling Conservative Party. 'The time has come where we go after (Bashar) Assad in every which way, including people like Mrs Assad, who is very much part of the propaganda machine that is committing war crimes,' he was quoted in the Sunday Times newspaper as saying × "The time has come where we go after (Bashar) Assad in every which way, including people like Mrs Assad, who is very much part of the propaganda machine that is committing war crimes," he was quoted in the Sunday Times newspaper as saying. Once hailed as a progressive rights advocate, Assad has fallen from international grace during Syria's ongoing war which has killed more than 320,000 people since erupting in 2011. The 41-year-old, who is believed to hold joint British-Syrian nationality, has stood by her husband's side in his rare public appearances, posing for selfies with supporters in photos posted to the presidency's Instagram account. The couple's marriage was announced six months after he assumed the country's leadership in July 2000. They had met at a party hosted by the British Syrian community in London. Assad's ongoing support for her husband allows Britain to deprive her of her UK citizenship, according to the Liberal Democrats, which served in an uneasy five-year coalition government with the Conservative Party until 2015. "If Asma continues defending the Assad regime's murderous actions, the onus will be on the UK Government to deprive her of her citizenship or demonstrate that her actions are not seriously prejudicial to the vital interests of the United Kingdom," said Brake. He is due to write to Home Secretary Amber Rudd outlining the view of the Liberal Democrats, which holds nine seats in British parliament. The home office would not comment on whether the government would take action against Assad, who previously worked as an analyst for Deutsche Bank and JP Morgan. "The Government takes its duty to protect the British public exceptionally seriously. "We cannot discuss individual cases but the Home Secretary can deprive individuals of their citizenship where it is conducive to the public good to do so," a spokesman told AFP. (AFP)

UK lawmakers call on govt to strip Assad's wife of British citizenship

Nearly 70 children were among those killed when a suicide car bombing tore through buses carrying evacuees from besieged government-held towns in Syria, a monitor said on Sunday.

Saturday&#39;s blast hit a convoy carrying residents from the northern towns of Fuaa and Kafraya as they waited at a transit point in rebel-held Rashidin, west of Aleppo.

At least 68 children were among the 126 people killed in the attack, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said, updating a previous toll of 112 dead.

At least 109 of the dead were evacuees, the Britain-based monitoring group said, while the rest were aid workers and rebels guarding the convoy.

The evacuations were taking place under a deal between Syria&#39;s regime and rebels that is also seeing residents and rebels transported out of Madaya and Zabadani, towns near Damascus that are surrounded by pro-government forces.

The agreement is the latest in a string of evacuation deals, which the government of President Bashar al-Assad says are the best way to end the violence after more than six years of civil war.&nbsp;

Rebels say they amount to forced relocations after years of bombardment and crippling sieges.

Body parts and the belongings of evacuees -- including clothes, dishes and even televisions -- were still strewn at the scene of the attack Sunday, an AFP correspondent said.

The shattered buses were nearby as was the shell of a pick-up truck -- with little left but its engine block -- that was apparently used to carry out the bombing.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the bombing, though the key Ahrar al-Sham rebel group denied any involvement. The government blamed &quot;terrorists&quot; -- a catch-all term for its opponents.

The Observatory, which relies on a network of sources inside Syria to monitor the conflict, said hundreds of people were also wounded in the blast.

People crying and shouting

It said a petrol station at the transit point was caught up in the explosion, adding to the number of victims.

The Syrian Red Crescent said three of its workers were among the wounded.

Maysa al-Aswad, a 30-year-old evacuee from Kafraya, said she was sitting on one bus with her six-month-old son Hadi and 10-year-old daughter Narjis when the blast shook the parked convoy.

&quot;Hadi was on my lap and Narjis on a chair next to me. When the explosion happened I hugged them both and we fell to the floor,&quot; she told AFP by telephone from near Aleppo.

&quot;I didn&#39;t know what was happening, all I could hear was people crying and shouting,&quot; she said.

&quot;All I can think about is how we survived all the death during the last few years and then could have died just after we finally escaped.&quot;

More than 5,000 people left Fuaa and Kafraya and about 2,200 left Madaya and Zabadani on Friday.

The evacuation process resumed after the bombing, the Observatory said, with the residents of Fuaa and Kafraya eventually arriving in Aleppo, Syria&#39;s second city which the government gained full control of last year.

Wounded survivors, including many children, were taken for treatment at an Aleppo hospital.

Monstrous, cowardly attack

UN aid chief Stephen O&#39;Brien condemned the bombing, saying: &quot;The perpetrators of such a monstrous and cowardly attack displayed a shameless disregard for human life.&quot;

Pope Francis also urged an end to the war in Syria as he presided over the traditional Easter mass in Rome.

The residents and rebels from Madaya and Zabadani arrived late Saturday in rebel-held territory in Idlib province, where they were greeted with embraces and shots fired into the air.

It was not immediately clear whether further evacuations were taking place on Sunday.

The evacuation deal was brokered by Qatar, a longtime supporter of Syrian opposition forces, and Iran, a key regime ally. &nbsp;

Another 3,000 civilians and fighters should be evacuated from Fuaa and Kafraya, and 150 rebels from Zabadani, to complete a first wave of evacuations under the deal, the Observatory said.

A second phase of evacuations from the government-held towns is expected in a few months&#39; time, it said.

Syria&#39;s war has killed more than 320,000 people since erupting in 2011, with more than half the population forced from their homes and hundreds of thousands trapped under siege.

On Sunday, regime troops retook the town of Suran in central Syria, thus regaining all territory they had lost to rebels and their jihadist allies in Hama province in an assault on March 21.

(AFP)

Saturday's blast hit a convoy carrying residents from the northern towns of Fuaa and Kafraya

Nearly 70 children were among those killed when a suicide car bombing tore through buses carrying evacuees from besieged government-held towns in Syria, a monitor said on Sunday. Saturday's blast hit a convoy carrying residents from the northern towns of Fuaa and Kafraya as they waited at a transit point in rebel-held Rashidin, west of Aleppo. At least 68 children were among the 126 people killed in the attack, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said, updating a previous toll of 112 dead. At least 109 of the dead were evacuees, the Britain-based monitoring group said, while the rest were aid workers and rebels guarding the convoy. The evacuations were taking place under a deal between Syria's regime and rebels that is also seeing residents and rebels transported out of Madaya and Zabadani, towns near Damascus that are surrounded by pro-government forces. The agreement is the latest in a string of evacuation deals, which the government of President Bashar al-Assad says are the best way to end the violence after more than six years of civil war. Rebels say they amount to forced relocations after years of bombardment and crippling sieges. Body parts and the belongings of evacuees -- including clothes, dishes and even televisions -- were still strewn at the scene of the attack Sunday, an AFP correspondent said. The shattered buses were nearby as was the shell of a pick-up truck -- with little left but its engine block -- that was apparently used to carry out the bombing. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the bombing, though the key Ahrar al-Sham rebel group denied any involvement. The government blamed "terrorists" -- a catch-all term for its opponents. The Observatory, which relies on a network of sources inside Syria to monitor the conflict, said hundreds of people were also wounded in the blast. People crying and shouting It said a petrol station at the transit point was caught up in the explosion, adding to the number of victims. The Syrian Red Crescent said three of its workers were among the wounded. Maysa al-Aswad, a 30-year-old evacuee from Kafraya, said she was sitting on one bus with her six-month-old son Hadi and 10-year-old daughter Narjis when the blast shook the parked convoy. "Hadi was on my lap and Narjis on a chair next to me. When the explosion happened I hugged them both and we fell to the floor," she told AFP by telephone from near Aleppo. "I didn't know what was happening, all I could hear was people crying and shouting," she said. "All I can think about is how we survived all the death during the last few years and then could have died just after we finally escaped." More than 5,000 people left Fuaa and Kafraya and about 2,200 left Madaya and Zabadani on Friday. The evacuation process resumed after the bombing, the Observatory said, with the residents of Fuaa and Kafraya eventually arriving in Aleppo, Syria's second city which the government gained full control of last year. Wounded survivors, including many children, were taken for treatment at an Aleppo hospital. Monstrous, cowardly attack UN aid chief Stephen O'Brien condemned the bombing, saying: "The perpetrators of such a monstrous and cowardly attack displayed a shameless disregard for human life." Pope Francis also urged an end to the war in Syria as he presided over the traditional Easter mass in Rome. The residents and rebels from Madaya and Zabadani arrived late Saturday in rebel-held territory in Idlib province, where they were greeted with embraces and shots fired into the air. It was not immediately clear whether further evacuations were taking place on Sunday. The evacuation deal was brokered by Qatar, a longtime supporter of Syrian opposition forces, and Iran, a key regime ally. Another 3,000 civilians and fighters should be evacuated from Fuaa and Kafraya, and 150 rebels from Zabadani, to complete a first wave of evacuations under the deal, the Observatory said. A second phase of evacuations from the government-held towns is expected in a few months' time, it said. Syria's war has killed more than 320,000 people since erupting in 2011, with more than half the population forced from their homes and hundreds of thousands trapped under siege. On Sunday, regime troops retook the town of Suran in central Syria, thus regaining all territory they had lost to rebels and their jihadist allies in Hama province in an assault on March 21. (AFP)

Nearly 70 children killed in Syria bomb attack on convoy: Monitor

US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley said in an interview that she sees regime change in Syria as one of the Trump administration&#39;s priorities in the country wracked by civil war. 
&nbsp; 
Defeating Islamic State, pushing Iranian influence out of Syria, and the ouster of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad are priorities for Washington, Haley said in an interview on CNN&rsquo;s &ldquo;State of the Union&rdquo; which will air in full on Sunday.

&quot;We don&rsquo;t see a peaceful Syria with Assad in there,&quot; Haley said.

The comments represented a departure from what Haley had said before the United States hit a Syrian air base with 59 Tomahawk missiles on Thursday in retaliation for what it said was a chemical weapons attack by Assad&#39;s forces on Syrian civilians.

President Donald Trump ordered the missile strike after watching television images of infants suffering from chemical weapons injuries.

&quot;You pick and choose your battles and when we&#39;re looking at this, it&#39;s about changing up priorities and our priority is no longer to sit there and focus on getting Assad out,&quot; Haley had told reporters on March 30, just days before dozens of Syrian civilians died from chemical weapons injuries.

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson seemed to take a more patient stance in regard to Assad, saying on Saturday that Washington&#39;s first priority is the defeat of Islamic State. 
&nbsp; 
Once the threat from Islamic State has been reduced or eliminated, &ldquo;I think we can turn our attention directly to stabilizing the situation in Syria,&rdquo; Tillerson said in excerpts from an interview on CBS&rsquo;s &ldquo;Face the Nation,&rdquo; that will air in full on Sunday. 
&nbsp; 
Tillerson said the United States is hopeful it can help bring parties together to begin the process of hammering out a political solution.

&quot;If we can achieve ceasefires in zones of stabilization in Syria, then I believe - we hope we will have the conditions to begin a useful political process,&rdquo; Tillerson said.

Syrian forces launched further airstrikes on Saturday that killed 18 people including five children in rebel-controlled Idlib province, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and the civil defense rescue service reported.

(Reuters)

'We don?t see a peaceful Syria with Assad in there,' Haley said

US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley said in an interview that she sees regime change in Syria as one of the Trump administration's priorities in the country wracked by civil war. Defeating Islamic State, pushing Iranian influence out of Syria, and the ouster of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad are priorities for Washington, Haley said in an interview on CNN’s “State of the Union” which will air in full on Sunday. "We don’t see a peaceful Syria with Assad in there," Haley said. The comments represented a departure from what Haley had said before the United States hit a Syrian air base with 59 Tomahawk missiles on Thursday in retaliation for what it said was a chemical weapons attack by Assad's forces on Syrian civilians. President Donald Trump ordered the missile strike after watching television images of infants suffering from chemical weapons injuries. "You pick and choose your battles and when we're looking at this, it's about changing up priorities and our priority is no longer to sit there and focus on getting Assad out," Haley had told reporters on March 30, just days before dozens of Syrian civilians died from chemical weapons injuries. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson seemed to take a more patient stance in regard to Assad, saying on Saturday that Washington's first priority is the defeat of Islamic State. Once the threat from Islamic State has been reduced or eliminated, “I think we can turn our attention directly to stabilizing the situation in Syria,” Tillerson said in excerpts from an interview on CBS’s “Face the Nation,” that will air in full on Sunday. Tillerson said the United States is hopeful it can help bring parties together to begin the process of hammering out a political solution. "If we can achieve ceasefires in zones of stabilization in Syria, then I believe - we hope we will have the conditions to begin a useful political process,” Tillerson said. Syrian forces launched further airstrikes on Saturday that killed 18 people including five children in rebel-controlled Idlib province, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and the civil defense rescue service reported. (Reuters)

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's ouster a priority for US: Nikki Haley

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