Introduction to the evening news 17-04-2012

During the televised parliamentary session, MPs were expected to address voters. However, they were addressing each other, causing an intense verbal bout that fortunately maintained some minimal sense of decorum.         

However, the above-mentioned session did not divert attention from the accelerating developments in Syria; as violence continued today despite the arrival of observers, the following developments rocked both the Syrian and international scenes:       

French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe announced that any violation by the Syrian regime must be met with a swift and firm response by the U.N. Security Council. Juppe added that Syria’s foreign currency reserves were halved due to sanctions.     

Meanwhile, U.N.-Arab League envoy to Syria Kofi Annan headed to Doha to participate in the Arab League’s ministerial committee’s meeting on Syria.      

From Jordan, one of the Salafi movement leaders said that Jordanian authorities have recently arrested 8 Salafi members who tried to go on a Jihad in Syria on their own accord; they are now in prison, waiting to be charged.