Introduction to the evening news 29-05-2012

The harshest diplomatic blow since the beginning of the Syrian uprising began was dealt today on Assad’s regime. Washington and many European states took a significant step by expelling their respective Syrian ambassadors or charge d’affaires in response to the Houla massacre, a clear indication that these countries hold the regime solely responsible for the massacre without giving any credence to the regime pointing the finger of blame at opposition members.         

Along with the diplomatic blow came another diplomatic shock as doubts emerged over the fate of the UN observer mission in Syria who only counted the dead and took notes of the aftermath of the Houla massacre.       

Meanwhile, the Syrian National Council called for the issuance of a Security Council resolution allowing the use of force to prevent what it describes as “genocides and killings in Syria”.         

AFP also reported that a number of Saudi clerics announced across social media platforms that they were summoned by Saudi authorities yesterday and asked to stop their fundraising campaign for the Popular Committee for Syria’s Victory. AFP added that Saudi Arabia prohibited fundraising since the 9/11 attacks and increased their crackdown on collecting money after the al-Qaeda attacks of 2003-2006.            

As for the Lebanese abductees in Syria, there case is becoming even cloudier with little to no updates. The only major news that broke today on the subject was that the Turkish ambassador visited the Loyalty to the Resistance leader MP Muhammad Raab and briefed him on the efforts exerted by Turkey to free the Lebanese citizens, according to his statement given to LBCI.