Russia stands by Assad as pressure mounts on Syria

AMMAN, (Reuters) – Russia stood by President  Bashar al-Assad yesterday as Arab and Western countries sought  to pile pressure on the Syrian leader to halt a violent  crackdown on his opponents.

Bashar al-Assad

The Arab League has suspended Syria and given it until the  end of the week to comply with an Arab peace plan to end  bloodshed that has cost more than 3,500 lives, by a U.N. count.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, whose country is one  of Syria’s few remaining foreign friends, said demands for  Assad’s removal would destroy the initiative, which calls for  dialogue between the Syrian government and its foes.

“If some opposition representatives, with support from some  foreign countries, declare that dialogue can begin only after  President Assad goes, then the Arab League initiative becomes  worthless and meaningless,” Lavrov said.

He was speaking after talks with European Union foreign  policy chief Catherine Ashton, who said the world must bring all  the influence it could to bear on Syria to change course.

Lavrov said a raid on Wednesday by the Free Syrian Army on  an Airforce Intelligence complex on the outskirts of Damascus  was “already completely similar to real civil war”.

Opposition sources said Syrian army defectors had killed or  wounded 20 security police in the early-morning attack, the  first of its kind in an eight-month revolt against Assad.

It was not possible to verify the casualty toll. The  authorities have not mentioned the attack. Syria has barred most  foreign media since unrest began in March.

“The attack itself was significant because of the target and  the ability to pull it off. It’s much too soon to tell if this  is the beginning of a trend of armed opposition to the regime,”  a U.S. official said on condition of anonymity.

State Department spokesman Mark Toner said the United States  did not have any contact with the Syrian Free Army but did not  condone any use of violence.
He rejected the suggestion that Syria was virtually in civil  war, saying: “We believe it’s very much the Assad regime  carrying out a campaign of violence, intimidation, and  repression against innocent protesters.”

RETALIATORY RAIDS
Residents of Harasta, the suburb where the Airforce  Intelligence compound is located, said army deserters had fired  rocket-propelled grenades and machineguns for 10 minutes,  provoking a security sweep that netted about 70 people.