Introduction to the evening news 17-02-2012

To conduct the referendum, the Syrian regime is looking for “safe routes” that it was unable to reach until now. Meanwhile, the opposition is trying to reach “safe routes” while being aware of their difficulty.          

Between these two edges, Syria witnessed today important military developments in Homs, throwing the Syrian situation between the unknown and the deadlock. Today, President Assad linked between reform and stability, meaning that stability must precede the referendum. This condition seems out of reach in the absence of an internal opposition and foreign objection - mainly American - to the referendum.         

For the opposition, it seems that solutions are difficult to reach, mainly for the issue of safe routes. Moreover, NATO Secretary General said that the NATO does not intend to intervene in Syria even if a U.N. mandate is issued to protect civilians.       

In Lebanon, after returning from Syria, MP Walid Jumblatt said, following his meeting with Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, that the political solution is the only alternative for the regime’s ongoing violence that only exacerbates the situation.         

On the domestic scene, General Michel Aoun visited House Speaker Nabih Berri in Ain el Tineh. This visit takes place days before the general parliamentary session and in light of ongoing discussions to resolve the transportation allowance issue.