Syrian President Bashar al-Assad had vowed to defeat the opposition, which he said was part of an international conspiracy against his country. (AFP PHOTO / HO / SYRIAN TV)
Russian ambassador to France Aleksandr Orlov has said that Syrian president Bashar al-Assad is ready to step down but ‘in civilized manner,’ day after opposition fighters controlled the country’s border posts with Turkey and Iraq and following brazen killing of three top security officials in the capital.
The diplomat said that during a meeting in Geneva by the Syria Action Group on June 30, a final communiqué provided for a transition to a more democratic regime was “accepted by Assad.” ‘He agreed to leave. But from a civilized way,” Orlov said.
But the ongoing bloody crackdown on the opposition appears to contradict the regime’s claims of search for ‘civilized’ solution to the crisis.
The army had also pulled out of the towns of Tel and Dumair north of Damascus after taking heavy losses, they said. But they mentioned troops were hitting the western district of Mezzeh with heavy machineguns and anti-aircraft guns overnight.
Sources and more information:
• Syrian borders in rebel hands, battles in Damascus – Jerusalem Post
Syrian borders in rebel hands, battles in Damascus By REUTERS Rebels seize control of parts of Syria’s borders, torch police headquarters in heart of old Damascus, advancing relentlessly. Photo: REUTERS AMMAN CILVEGOZU, Turkey – Rebels seized control of sections of Syria’s international borders and torched the main police headquarters in the heart…
• Syria’s Bashar Assad wounded – media