The UN-backed peace plan for Syria could be in deadlock, just days ahead of a ceasefire deadline. The rebels have refused to give Damascus any guarantees they will lay down arms before the government troops pull back. RT's Middle East correspondent Paula Slier reports. Also, RT talks to Dr Needal KAbalan, a former Syrian ambassador to Turkey. RT on Twitter: twitter.com RT on Facebook: www.facebook.com

RT Syria Damascus Paula Slier government Bashar Al-Assad opposition UN Kofi Annan disarmament

The British Guardian newspaper has released thousands of messages reportedly downloaded from the private email accounts of President Bashar al-Assad and his wife. Al Jazeera's Nisreen el Shamayleh reports.

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Russia and China have stood side by side on their stance with the Syrian crisis, saying the conflict should only be resolved through diplomatic means. RT talks to Professor He Wenping from the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences fo find out more on why the two world powers stand so closely together. RT on Twitter twitter.com RT on Facebook www.facebook.com

RT Sophie Shevardnadze He Wenping al-jazeera al jazeera scandal journalists Ali Hashem Qatar resign news channel Homs Syria Syria Iran Homs free siege Syria sanctions Syria intervention UNSC syria syria resolution free syrian army arms weapons US NATO UN Israel Russia China Arab League syria rebels syria opposition syria civil war Bashar Assad terror Al-Qaeda

Syria has a long history of peaceful coexistence among diverse religious and ethnic communities. But with ongoing violence in the country, more and more people fear this pillar of secularist regimes might end up crumbling. RT's Maria Finoshina traveled to one of the last resorts of peace and stability in the country -- the village of Maaloula. It is the only place in the world where Aramaic -- the language believed to have been spoken by Christ -- is still used as a living language. RT on Twitter twitter.com RT on Facebook www.facebook.com

RT Maria Finoshina Maaloula christians Homs Aramaic ethnic religious Syria Syria Iran Homs free siege Syria sanctions Syria intervention UNSC syria syria resolution free syrian army arms weapons US NATO UN Israel Russia China Arab League syria rebels syria opposition syria civil war Bashar Assad terror Al-Qaeda

With the US labeling the Syrian President as a "war criminal" and France calling for his prosecution in the International Criminal Court, the West appears to be ratcheting up its rhetoric against the Syrian government. On Tuesday, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton testified before a Senate subcommittee on the State Department's budget. Pressured by Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) into answering whether she thinks Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad fits the definition of a war criminal, Clinton said: "Based on definitions of war criminal and crimes against humanity, there would be an argument to be made that he would fit into that category." Lode Vanoost, international consultant and former Belgian MP says the aggressive rhetoric coming from the West would only make Assad want to stay in power for as long as possible, and by any means necessary. RT on Twitter twitter.com RT on Facebook www.facebook.com

RT Lode Vanoost Syria USA US Assad Hillary Clinton Lindsey Graham Obama Syria intervention syria civil war syria regime homs damascus syria friends free syrian army clinton war criminal war crimes criminal war

Damascus has accepted Kofi Annan's six-point plan to stop bloodshed in the country, a spokesman for the UN envoy to Syria announced. Kofi Annan has praised Damascus's acceptance of the plan as "an important initial step" towards ending violence in the country and creating an environment to start a dialogue between the regime and the Syrian opposition. To talk more about Syria RT is joined by James Corbett, an independent journalist who's written extensively on the Middle East. RT on Twitter twitter.com RT on Facebook www.facebook.com

RT James Corbett Bashar Al-Assad humanitarian effort peace Russia Moscow fights rebels Lebanon Syria Damascus arm smuggling Qatar Kofi Annan

Syria's opposition have made a chilling pledge to the country's leader. They have vowed President Bashar Al Assad and his family will be killed like Libyan leader Colonel Gaddafi, saying he's lost the chance of a peaceful exit. Fierce battles between government forces and rebel fighters are raging on the outskirts of the capital Damascus. RT's Sara Firth is in the city now. RT on Twitter twitter.com RT on Facebook www.facebook.com

RT Sara Firth Syria Damascus Syria civil war 'Syria fighting Syria violence Syria intervention Sergey Lavrov Syria observers Syria Arab League UN Syria Bashar al-Assad UN action Syria violence conflict army civilian death

A ceasefire has been in place in Syria for several hours already, with no reports of major violence received so far. But mutual distrust and the rebels' refusal to guarantee the end of hostilities, means there's no concrete guarantee either side will avoid firing the first shot. RT on Twitter: twitter.com RT on Facebook: www.facebook.com

RT Bashar al-Assad Kofi Annan violence civil war death toll Damascus ceasefire rebels NSC National Syrian Council Free Syrian Army war Iran US West Turkey Syria deadline ceasefire العنف سورية العنف بشار الاسد سورية الأزمة حرب اليمن الجيش السوري الحر سورية الحرب الاهلية قطر إيران جامعة الدول العربية الرعب

The Syrian President remains in power, a year since protest against his rule and violence gripped the country. And according to leaked emails - allegedly from his account - Bashar Al-Assad is under Iranian guidance, and ridicules his own reforms. But as RT's Laura Smith reports, there's considerable doubt about the credibility of the claims, which come from splintered opposition groups. In Syria, protesters are marking the anniversary of the mass uprising with anti-Assad demonstrations across the country. But thousands are also rallying in the capital, in support of the President. RT discusses the latest developments with Ahmed Badawi, of the Berlin-based Centre for Conflict Analysis. RT on Twitter twitter.com RT on Facebook www.facebook.com

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Two Syrian Doctors explain to us the situation, and there is some footage of the demo and just one of its speakers

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Syrian state TV show footage purported to be of Bashar al-Assad touring the Babr Amr district of Homs.

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The exiled uncle of Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad tells his views on the uprising. CNN's Atika Shubert reports.

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Moscow has accused the west of stirring up tensions in the Arab world by calling for the overthrow of the Syrian regime. Russia says calls from certain states for the Syrian opposition to avoid dialogue with the government, are only provoking further violence. Author and journalist Webster Tarpley, who's in Damascus, says, it's very simple, western powers are behind the violence in Syria. RT on Twitter twitter.com RT on Facebook www.facebook.com

RT Sergey Lavrov Webster Tarpley Russian foreign minister sanctions Syria Bashar al-Assad Arab League direct military action Damascus Ugarit news buffer zone West NATO special forces crackdown syria opposition assad opposition Baath Party Syria deadline Syria pressure Protest Middle East Army Freedom CIA MI6 Mossad Tehran Lebanon Revolution Television Western World

Watch more: www.youtube.com Assad continues to refute claims that his government is waging a brutal crackdown. Yet through exclusive interviews, this report exposes the routine and sadistic torture the Syrian military has used on prisoners. Despite the UN accusing the Syrian government forces of crimes against humanity, Assad defiantly refuses to acknowledge the torture and killings taking place under his command. The testimonies of those involved tell a different story. One man who served for a decade in Syria's much-feared Military Intelligence gives a terrifying account of the torture that he and Assad's other enforcers would use on children as well as adults. A 13-year-old speaks boy speaks about how he was electrocuted and the "ultimate pain" of having his big toe nail ripped out with pliers by Assad's thugs. In another account, an illiterate farmer speaks eloquently about how he endured a month of torture and Kafka-esque interrogation,leaving him with permanent damage.

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As the violence continues to escalate in Syria, President Bashar al-Assad is sending a clear message that he has no intention of giving up power. So far, international mediation efforts have failed. But it seems Assad's government has tried to exploit the deep sectarian divisions in the country to their advantage by pitting minorities such as Christians and Alawites against the Sunnis. In order to have tight control of the regime, close family members have been placed to positions of power and officials and commanders belong to the Alawite sect. Al Jazeera's Jonah Hull reports.

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Members of the Syrian opposition say they would welcome Russia mediating talks with the Syrian authorities. The reaction came after Russia's Foreign Minister's talks with President Bashar Assad in Damascus. Following the meeting, Sergey Lavrov said Moscow will continue its efforts to settle the crisis in the Middle Eastern country. RT on Twitter twitter.com RT on Facebook www.facebook.com

RT Lavrov Syria Lavrov Assad Lavrov Damascus UN resolution consent Syria Security Council Russia China Syria arms embargo Syria Damascus Syria civil war Syria fighting Syria violence Sergey Lavrov Syria Arab League UN Syria Bashar al-Assad UN action Syria Syria Iran US Iran Сирия Лавров ООН Сирия резолюция Лавров Фрадков Лавров в Сирии Лавров Асад

Arab League officials have decided their team of monitors will continue to work inside Syria for another month. The group also intends to increase the number of observers and they'll receive training by the UN. The mission expired this week, but violence is still flaring up in the country. In one of the latest outbreaks, 14 people were killed when a police car, transporting prisoners, was ambushed in the north-west. And RT's Sara Firth's been to the town of Zabadani, which has seen some of the fiercest battles between security forces and armed opposition groups. And for more on the situation around Syria - RT talks to Alastair Crooke, a Former EU Middle East Mediator and Director of the Conflicts Forum in Beirut. RT on Twitter twitter.com RT on Facebook www.facebook.com

RT Sara Firth Bashar Assad Zabadani violence Damascus foreign intervention Arab League divided isolation UN Security Council Qatar

President Bashar al-Assad and his wife cast ballots on Sunday during a referendum on a new constitution that could keep him in power until 2028.

President Assad Bashar-al Assad Asma al-Assad Syria referendum constitution Homs Damascus Middle East ballot vote

The Arab League has frozen its monitoring mission in Syria, because of the escalation of violence there. More than a hundred people are thought to have been killed in clashes between Syrian security forces and opposition groups in the past two days. The UN Security Council remains split on how to end the crisis. Russia has given a resound "no" to a new resolution on Syria, drafted by the EU and Arab states, that warns of further action if Damascus fails to comply. The text called for President Assad to transfer power to a deputy. Moscow says the resolution should not contain any threat of sanctions or imply any outside intervention. RT talks to political analyst Stephen Lendman, from the Center for Research on Globalisation. Amid intensifying fighting between the Syrian army and opposition groups, RT's Sara Firth has been to an area near the capital, which was recently taken over by rebel fighters. As she reports, although the opposition is united against the regime, they're poles apart on their methods. RT on Facebook: www.facebook.com RT on Twitter: twitter.com

RT Anissa Naouai Stephen Lendman US reports violence imperial operation Libya NATO new resolution draft Bashar Al-Assad mission Sara Firth Qatar interview Russia China opposition Saudi Arabia constitution Saqba blood Syria freedom weapon arms Hussein Al-Odat foreign military intervention George Jabour Damascus demonstrations divisions

The draft resolution on Syria under discussion at the UN Security Council is reportedly being softened to take into account Russian concerns. It's likely to have references to President Assad stepping down, and an arms embargo removed from the text. RT's Marina Portnaya reports from New York. RT also talks to Michel Chossudovsky, Director at the Center for Research on Globalization. RT on Twitter twitter.com RT on Facebook www.facebook.com

RT Marina Portnaya NYC West China regime change Bashar Assad Syria sanctions interview

President Bashar al-Assad and Mrs. Asma al-Assad on Sunday voted on the draft of the new constitution for the Syrian Arab Republic at the TV and Radio Center in Damascus. President al-Assad hailed, in a statement following the voting, the great efforts exerted by the Syrian media, highlighting the progress made by the Syrian television and the Syrian media in general. "However, comparisons always come up in which the Syrian media, which is mainly the official media, is being compared to the non-official media in other countries," said the President, dismissing this comparison as "inaccurate, non-objective and not possible." President al-Assad said official media should be compared to official media in other countries since the goals and tasks of official media are different from those of private media. "If we compare the Syrian official media now to its counterparts in the region, I believe it is the best," the President stressed, adding that "nonetheless, we are not interested in comparing ourselves to those who are less, and we will keep comparing ourselves to those who are better." President al-Assad emphasized that the attack Syria is facing is a media attack. "However," the President continued, "media, notwithstanding its importance, doesn't outdo the reality. They may be stronger in space, but we are stronger on the ground. Still, we want to win on the ground and in the space." www.sana.sy

Bashar Al-Assad Syria referendum new constitution RT Maria Finoshina for Syrian Arab Republic Homs Al-Rastan Peaceful Protesters Revolution Syrians Anissa Naouai Sara Firth tensions uprising death Assad army civil war zone street cleaner Terrorist Damascus Al-Assad rally protest demo demonstration syrien damaskus Siria Syrie Arabic libya libyen nato eu usa america United States Europe Nations Germany China Russia Egypt league

Syria accepted a UN peace plan but bloodshed persisted in the country even as President Assad paid a visit to Homs. (March 27) Subscribe to the Associated Press: bit.ly Download AP Mobile: www.ap.org Associated Press on Facebook: apne.ws Associated Press on Twitter: apne.ws Associated Press on Google+: bit.ly

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Please share this video and help get the word out. Multiple sources have confirmed a ground invasion of Syria. Also, Christopher expects crude oil prices to skyrocket in the coming months. www.greenewave.com twitter.com SOURCES: UN condemns Syria, calls for Assad to step down www.foxnews.com UN votes against Assad as Syrian troops attack Deraa thestar.com.my UN Symbolically Censures Syria's Assad as Forces Shell Homs www.businessweek.com

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President orders referendum on new draft constitution that could allow for a multi-party elections.

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www.euronews.net Syrian opposition groups have rejected President al-Assad's proposed referendum later this month on a new constitution. The draft allows for multiple parties and limits the presidency to two terms. It's not clear whether that means Assad, who's ruled since 2000, would step down in 2014. Abdel Bari Atwan, the editor of the London-based pan-Arab paper Al-Quds Al-Arabi doesn't believe Assad will last and is seeking a way out.

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46 Minutes Full Interview President Bashar al-Assad with Barbara Walters from ABC News

ABC News Barbara Walters Interview (magazine)Full President Bashar al-Assad with Barbara Walters from ABC News

A Syrian activist says the fighting will not stop until either Assad is gone or the activists are all dead.

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President Assad accuses "foreign conspirators" of efforts to destabilize the situation in Syria. Addressing the nation, he claimed that the international community's aim to cause "psychological collapse" has failed and the victory is near. Lode Vanoost, international consultant and former Belgian MP, told RT that the international community, and the Arab League in particular, should focus on forcing the sides of the Syrian conflict to sit down and negotiate, instead of exacerbating the situation. RT on Twitter twitter.com RT on Facebook www.facebook.com

RT Syria Assad Arab League new year clashes violence soldier crying Syria blast Damascus blast Syria blast video Damascus bomb Syria violence suicide blast Syria explosion explosives terror police assault terrorism Syria civil war Syria opposition Syria Arab League Syria observers Syria sanctions Syria revolution Bashar Assad

Lyric video for Audrey Assad's single "Sparrow"

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Syrian troops have battled opposition fighters on the outskirts of Damascus and in Homs. Activists say at least 100 people were killed across the country on Monday. Al Jazeera's Imran Khan reports.

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www.euronews.net Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has warned the West that it risks another Afghanistan if it intervenes against his regime. In his first interview with Western media since a seven-month uprising against his rule began, Assad told Britain's Sunday Telegraph that Western intervention would cause "an earthquake" and destabilise the whole region. The Arab League is set to hold talks with Syrian diplomats later on Sunday Its members want to forge a dialogue between Assad and the opposition.

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Foreign Secretary William Hague admits he is powerless to prevent the Syrian First Lady from entering the UK because she holds a British passport.

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UN-Arab League envoy Kofi Annan emerged optimistic on Sunday from a second round of talks with President Bashar al-Assad, but warned that ending the bloodshed in Syria would be "tough." Annan told reporters in Damascus he had discussed with Assad ways to halt unrest, which monitors say has claimed more than 8500 lives since March last year. Duration: 01:43

WEB SYRIA POLITICS UNREST ANNAN

Al Jazeera Report on the ongoing Slaughter in Syria by Dictator Bashar Assad as he kills thousands of civilians nationwide in an attempt to preserve his family's 42 year long police state dictatorship. ---------- 18+ Adults Only - Warning - Contains Graphic Images - Not for Shock - Documentary Evidence of Crimes Against Humanity Committed by Syria Dictator Bashar Assad as he orders his Army to attack the city of Homs with Rockets, Missiles, Howitzers, Mortars and Tank fire and to slaughter the civilian population. Assad has even been using jet warplanes to bomb Baba Amr District in the last few days as has been reported by now deceased youtube Baba Amr photographer and uploader Rami AlSayeed. ------------ cbs news report: "Two Western journalists, including veteran American reporter Marie Colvin, were killed in intense shelling by President Bashar Assad's regime in the central town of Homs on Wednesday, according to Syrian activists and the French government. Activists said both were killed in the shelling of a makeshift media center in the hard-hit neighborhood of Baba Amr early Wednesday morning. The journalists were identified as veteran American reporter Marie Colvin, who works for The Sunday Times of Britain, and French photojournalist Remi Ochlik. Both had been working on the front lines of uprisings in the Arab world for months. Their identities were confirmed by the French government Wednesday morning, but CBS News has not independently confirmed Colvin's death <b>...</b>

Rastan FSA Idlib defector army nwo iran syria libya israel Turkey Lebanon Jordan Shiite Sunni Arab Arabic news BBC cbs Press tv russia today RT alex jones damascus bashar maher assad united nations arab league torture war revolution protest alawite hezbollah nasrallah souria rally democracy sniper golan palestine gaza middle east hama homs

Audrey Assad performs Blessed Are the Ones from her 2012 album Heart. www.smarturl.it

Blessed Audrey Assad Live performance video

European Union states have imposed sanctions on Asma al-Assad, the wife of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, as officials seek to increase pressure on Damascus to end its violent assault on anti-government strongholds. Foreign ministers meeting in Brussels on Friday also imposed asset freezes and bans on travel to the EU on several other family members including the Syrian leader's mother, and banned European companies from doing business with two additional Syrian entities, EU officials said. A full list of sanctions targets will be made public on Saturday when the decision comes into force. EU diplomats said the list included the Syrian president's wife Asma and family. "She is on the list. It's the whole clan," one EU diplomat said. Al Jazeera's Charlie Angela reports from London.

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MORE/PLUS D'/MEER INFO BELOW/DESSOUS/BENEDEN The Dutch and Belgian Syrian community, together with pro-Syrian sympathizers, held a protest in front of the Syrian embassy in Brussels on March 3rd 2012. This video was made by the organizers of the pro-Syrian protest on Sunday, March 11th 2012. Video from that protest here: youtu.be MORE INFO: mediawerkgroepsyrie.wordpress.com Contact +32 (0)485 29 29 26 - ghandour_agsb@hotmail.com (FR & AR) +32 (0)498 76 41 36 - vrij_syrie@telenet.be (NL & EN)

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Syria's President Bashar al-Assad says foreign powers risk damaging the whole region if they intervene in his country. Speaking to a British journalist, he said any interference would cause an "earthquake", and could create another Afghanistan. Al Jazeera's Dorsa Jabbari reports.

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Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad made a surprise appearance at a rally in Damascus hoping to show the world he is a leader in charge. But in the opposition stronghold of Homs eight people were killed in an attack on a government-organised media trip. Al Jazeera's Hashem Ahelbarra reports from neighbouring Turkey.

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As ministers from around the world meet in Tunis to discuss how to end Assad's rule in Syria, protesters attempt to force their way into the event to voice their support for the president.

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Audrey Assad tracks O My Soul live at Echo Mountain for her 2012 Album "Heart." www.smarturl.it The vast majority of the songs on Audrey's new album "Heart" were tracked live— several of the vocal and piano takes are unedited altogether. This is one such example: piano, vocal and (off camera) a casio keyboard (played thru guitar pedals) were tracked together and taken as a performance. This video was taken at the time of recording and mixed with the final mastered audio.

O My Soul Audrey Assad Heart Music Echo Mountain Live Oh My Soul Audrey Assad

Press TV: Since you have been in Syria for a while and you've been on the ground covering the unrest there, tell us what you know about the identity of those who are still killing people in Homs. The government is calling them members of foreign-backed armed gangs; the opposition says they're security forces. Phelan: I think it's quite clear what is happening in Syria to anybody who turns off Al-Jazeera for five minutes, really. And the events that are portrayed by global media, which are controlled by the Western nations and the (P)GCC (Persian Gulf Cooperation Council) nations overwhelmingly is in fact the opposite of the reality of what is happening on the ground. And this is because the Western powers, whose policies only benefit a tiny minority of the global population are trying to portray through their global media that their interests are the same as the global population when in fact the opposite is of course true. So we have a situation whereby a Western-backed illegal insurrection in Syria is being portrayed as a revolution being carried out by freedom fighters, meanwhile as your report correctly said, genuine popular uprisings in Bahrain and Yemen are being suppressed by those very same Western forces and Saudi Arabia and Qatar and others. In the former case in Syria as in the case of Libya the insurrections were supported by the West because they were insurrections against anti-Zionist and anti-imperialist states whereas in Bahrain and Yemen the popular <b>...</b>

syria 2012 war media west iran rt russiatoday US UN homs lebanon Saudi Arabia syrian people league russia china lizzie phelan aleppo qatar Middle East NATO damascus turkey terrorist youtube.com/user/neverneboysia europe United Nations oil Arab report on flawed israel Bahrain Yemen

The Arab League announced on Sunday that it had agreed to a new plan whereby Syrian President Bashar al-Assad would give up power, allowing a unity government to form and put an end to 10 months of bloody uprising. The resolution came after Saudi Arabia announced that it would withdraw its observers from the League's monitoring mission, which was dispatched in December to observe the fighting between the government and the armed opposition. The League said it would ask the United Nations Security Council to support its new resolution. Al Jazeera's Mike Hanna reports from Cairo.

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Three people have reportedly been killed by security forces across Syria on Wednesday. Bashar Al-Assad has spoken to supporters in Damascus for the second time in the last 24 hours, reiterating his dismissal of calls to step down. He's blaming the ten-month-long unrest in the country on foreign-funded terrorists, promising to crush them with extreme prejudice. The UN says Damascus has stepped up its crackdown on protesters, but Assad claims no order was ever given to fire on civilians. The President's pledged commitment to Democratic reform, promising a referendum on a new constitution by March, and free elections soon after. RT talks to independent news editor James Corbett. RT on Twitter twitter.com RT on Facebook www.facebook.com

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