Russia: Assad leaving power is suicide

Reuters reported that Syrian rebels killed 28 Assad soldiers in an attack on three checkpoints, Northof the country.

This after Syrian warplanes pounded opposition strongholds around Damascus, the Reef and several other areas.            

The Syrian State Television reported that “terrorists” exploded an oil pipeline in Deir al-Zour, eastern Syria, leading to a fire in the place.

Three raids were conducted in Idlib, as clashes between opposition fighters and regime forces continue around the Wadi Dayf military camp, 2 km east of Maarat Naaman.        
             
Military choppers fired at the Hajar Aswad area leading to several injuries in Reef Damascus.


International Positions:

Russian Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov said on Thursday that the Syrian Army is “perfectly capable” of facing the militants, stressing that Russia is not considering sending Russian peacekeepers to Syria.

Serdyukov added that President Bashar l Assad will not leave power because he is aware that such decision would be “suicidal”.

For its part, China said on Thursday it had proposed a new initiative to head off an escalation of violence in Syria, including a phased, region-by-region ceasefire and the establishment of a transitional governing body.   

The plan, proposed on Wednesday to Lakhdar Brahimi, the visiting United Nations-Arab League joint peace envoy on Syria, "is an extension of China's effort to push for a political resolution of the Syrian issue", a Foreign Ministry spokesman said.

China and Russia, both permanent members of the U.N. Security Council, have vetoed three Western-backed U.N. draft resolutions condemning Assad's government for the violence. But China has been keen to show it is not taking sides and has urged the Syrian government to talk to the opposition and take steps to meet demands for political change.


LBCI/REUTERS