Assad's Forces Battle To Tighten Control Of Central Syria

[Purveyor]

Source: REUTERS

AMMAN | Sun Jun 30, 2013 12:02pm EDT
(Reuters) - President Bashar al-Assad's forces pounded Sunni Muslim rebels in the city of Homs with artillery and from the air on Sunday, the second day of an offensive to expand loyalist control over Syria's strategic centre, activists said.

They said rebels defending the old centre of Homs and five adjacent Sunni districts had largely repelled a ground attack on Saturday by Assad's forces but reported fresh clashes and deaths within the city on Sunday.

The offensive follows steady military gains by Assad's forces, backed by Lebanese Hezbollah militants, in villages in Homs province and towns close to the Lebanese border.

British Foreign Secretary William Hague said Assad must halt his "brutal assault" on Homs. Gulf countries, which back the rebels, urged Lebanon to stop "parties" interfering in the Syria conflict, a reference to Iranian-backed Hezbollah.


Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/06/30/us-syria-crisis-idUSBRE95T0AN20130630

[Comrade Grumpy]

1. Those Gulf countries have a lot of chutzpah.

They want outside parties to stop interfering? After they've spent about $4 billion ginning up this civil war? Maybe they should concentrate on repressing their own Shiites. They're pretty good at that.

[John2]

2. What pisses

me off more is this Haque guy pretending to be innocent of what is going on in Syria. Why don't he just Shut up and mind his own business or tend to his own country. Why did the British people put these rightwing jerks in office. He still thinks this is the British Empire or something. If he wants to command somebody, he has plenty stoolies in Saudi Arabia,Qatar and Jordan.

[Sand Wind]

3. Partition Looms.

In a few weeks to go, we will see more and more the differences in geographic's priorities of the two sides.

[John2]

4. It is no secret the side you are cheering for wants to partition

Syria. It had nothing to do about human rights but the control of resources and land. That is why I'm cheering for the other side. I think the monarchs and Muslim Brotherhood needs to go. Everyone of the Monarchs was installed and propped up by the British Empire. It was the same as the Shah of Iran. The Muslim Brotherhood are just religious tyrants. And if you think, I mean regime change in Saudia Arabia or your other proxies, that is exactly what I mean. And I'm not on face book in Saudia Arabia. Why don't they release their political prisoners?

[Sand Wind]

5. One step at a time. Nt