Syria: US presses for opposition dialogue with Assad - Guardian UK

Details emerge of a controversial 'roadmap' for reforms that would leave him in power despite demands for his overthrow

The US is pushing the Syrian opposition to maintain dialogue with Bashar al-Assad's regime as details emerge of a controversial "roadmap" for reforms that would leave him in power for now despite demands for his overthrow during the country's bloody three-month uprising.

Syria's president Bashar al-Assad has mentioned proposed changes in public,
but some fear he is trying to buy time and brush up his image. Photograph: AP

Syrian opposition sources say US state department officials have been discreetly encouraging discussion of the unpublished draft document, which circulated at an unprecedented opposition conference held on Monday in Damascus. But Washington denies backing it.

Assad would oversee what the roadmap calls "a secure and peaceful transition to civil democracy". It calls for tighter control over the security forces, the disbanding of "shabiha" gangs accused of atrocities, the legal right to peaceful demonstrations, extensive media freedoms, and the appointment of a transitional assembly.

The carefully phrased 3,000-word document demands a "clear and frank apology" and accountability for organisations and individuals who "failed to accommodate legitimate protests", and compensation for the families of victims. The opposition says 1,400 people have been killed since mid-March. The government says 500 members of the security forces have died.

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Israel delegation condemns Germany decision to host Iran politicians - Haaretz

(Haaretz) - A delegation of the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee visiting in Germany sent an angry letter to German officials protesting the host country’s decision to invite an official delegation from the Iranian Majlis Parliament to meet with Germany’s Bundestag Parliament.

“We, the chairman and other members of the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, in Berlin on an official visit, seriously protest the visit of Iranian Majlis members in Berlin,” the members of the delegation, headed by MK Shaul Mofaz wrote in their letter upon discovering the Iranian parliament members were in Berlin as well.

The letter, addressed to German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Germany’s Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle, the chairman of the Bundestag and its foreign committee, continued, saying that the delegation members were “deeply disappointed by their [Iranian parliament members’] reception by officials in Germany, including the German parliament.”

The committee members called the Majlis a “parliamentary façade for a murderous regime that oppresses its people, torturing and murdering young students who dare protest.” The letter accused the Iranian government of “supporting and exporting terror, assisting [Syrian President Bashar] Assad in stifling the protests against him and denying the Holocaust, all while producing nuclear weapons and missiles to commit genocide against the Jewish people.”

The delegation expressed deep disappointment in Germany’s decision to invite the Iranian parliamentarians, saying “it cannot stand that while Germany calls for harsh sanctions against the Iranian regime, official representatives of Germany and its citizens undermine this policy."

The letter cautioned that “by meeting with Iranian Majlis members they are sending a dangerous message that the sanctions against Iran are being leveled without sincerity.”

The committee members stressed that they “could not stand by as German representatives conduct a dialogue with a regime that calls for the extermination of a nation.”

They continued, expressing concern about the “dangerous ties between German representatives and their Iranian counterparts.” The delegation said it was hopeful that the ties would desist, concluding that they “cannot remain silent while representatives of a murderous regime are being received in the heart of democratic Europe.”

Syria: 'Let her go': Support grows for lesbian blogger's release

Online campaigns to free a Syrian-American lesbian blogger gained momentum Tuesday as thousands of people worldwide demanded her release.

The disappearance of Amina Arraf, a 36-year-old writer known for her frank posts about her sexuality and open criticism of Syrian President Bashar Assad's autocratic rule, prompted an outpouring of support from social network users.

Arraf wrote a blog called "A Gay Girl in Damascus," a mixture of erotic prose and updates about Syria's violent uprising, including her participation in anti-regime protests. She was detained after weeks on the run in the Syrian capital, family members said Tuesday.

As soon as Arraf's partner, Sandra Bagaria of Montreal, learned of her disappearance, she quickly turned to Twitter and Facebook for help, The New York Times reported.

By 6 p.m. ET Tuesday, The Free Amina page on Facebook had gained 8,066 followers, up from 150 followers Monday evening. Online support poured in from South America, North America, Europe, Africa and Australia.

"God Bless you, wherever you are may your courage be an example to others. Support and solidarity against repression in any form from Darjeeling, India," posted Kundan Rai on Tuesday. Minutes later, Rim Toum shared this Facebook post: "Support from Tunisia! We think about the Syrian people and wish them to gain their freedom soon."

On Petitionbuzz.com, at least 1,418 people signed an online petition calling for Arraf's release on Tuesday. "Let her go!" wrote Anabelle Vo on the site.

Attempts by msnbc.com to contact Bagaria or family members were unsuccessful Tuesday evening.

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