Syrian President al-Assad makes another amnesty offer

 

 

A member of Syrian opposition shouts slogans under a former Syrian flag to protest against President Bashar al-Assad.

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• NEW: U.S. ambassador was among those who visited northern Syria
• A human rights official says dozens of peaceful protesters are arrested in Aleppo
• The Turkish government says 10,718 Syrian refugees have crossed the border
• The developments come a day after President Bashar al-Assad's speech

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad offered another general amnesty Tuesday for those accused of crimes, Syrian state TV reported.
It's the second known amnesty overture from the embattled Syrian leader since protests erupted in the Middle Eastern country and it concerns any alleged unlawful acts that occurred before Monday.
The president issued a similar amnesty on May 31 that included the arrests of people belonging to various political groups.
But that offer and mentions of reform in a rare public speech on Monday to the Syrian people have done little to quell widespread anger toward al-Assad's regime.
More than three months of protests have left more than 1,100 dead and thousands more jailed, according to human rights activists, but the extent of the carnage is not clear.
Ammar Qurabi, chairman of the National Organization for Human Rights in Syria, said Tuesday that dozens of protesters were arrested Monday during peaceful anti-government demonstrations in the city of Aleppo.
Meanwhile, state TV showed images Tuesday of thousands joining pro-regime rallies in cities such as Daraa, Aleppo and Homs. Some in the crowds chanted, "With our blood, with our souls, we will sacrifice for you, Bashar" and "God, Syria and Bashar only."
The world's attention has been focused on the plight of Syrians displaced from their homes by violence.

 

At least 10,718 Syrian refugees, many of whom fled a military advance in and around the city of Jisr al-Shugur, have crossed the border into Turkey.
The U.N. refugee agency Tuesday said it participated in a government-sponsored mission to Jisr al-Shugur the day before, a trip that included diplomats, reporters and U.N. agencies.
The group "approached Jisr al Shugur from Idlib to the east" and "villages were increasingly empty from around 40 kilometers away from Jisr al-Shugur."
"There was no evidence of people working in the fields. Jisr al-Shugur itself was almost deserted, with most shops shuttered and closed."
Displaced populations weren't seen, but the fact that Jisr al-Shugur and nearby villages were "empty indicates significant displacement."
The agency, the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees, said 500 to 1,000 people have been crossing from Syria into Turkey daily since June 7. It also praised Turkey and the Turkish Red Crescent whose efforts "to provide protection and shelter and cater for the needs of Syrian refugees were commendable."
The agency said many people are "severely traumatized" by the ordeal and many vulnerable people need help, particularly women alone with children.
"Syrian refugees spoke to our team about their fears and trauma. Many had lost family members, who they said were either killed, missing or in hiding. Our team heard accounts of murders, targeted assassinations, assaults, civilians getting killed in crossfire, torture and humiliation by the military. Most of these people had lost virtually all their belongings and property. In many cases their livestock were shot, fields were torched, and homes and businesses destroyed or confiscated," the agency said.
Robert Ford, the U.S. ambassador to Syria, traveled north with ambassadors and members of the media, all of whom appeared to be local, an American diplomat told CNN.
Two sites said to be mass graves were shown to the group. It was not possible to tell how many bodies were present but the stench was strong.
Ford mentioned the predicament of refugees and a Syrian officer told him they could "return at any time without fear of retribution." He visited Jisr al-Shugur, largely empty with evidence of fighting.
The International Committee of the Red Cross said it has been asking for "unrestricted access to areas and people affected by the unrest."
ICRC President Jakob Kellenberger ended talks with Prime Minister Adel Safar and Foreign Minister Walid Muallem in Damascus on the issue, ICRC said on Tuesday.
"The Syrian officials were receptive, and agreed to give the ICRC and the Syrian Arab Red Crescent wider access to areas of unrest. I will closely monitor how this understanding is put into practice," Kellenberger said.
He also asked that ICRC delegates be permitted to visit detainees.
"The Syrian government has expressed its readiness to discuss terms and conditions relating to ICRC visits," said Kellenberger. "This is a first step forward."
On Monday, al-Assad offered vague promises of reform and called for refugees to go back home.
Al-Assad said he was "working on getting the military back to their barracks as soon as possible," but also warned the government would "work on tracking down everyone who shed blood or plotted in shedding the blood of the Syrian people, and we will hold them accountable."
In his third speech to the country in three months, he raised the possibility of amending the country's constitution and referred to the need for a "national dialogue," but made clear his government would not engage in one-on-one talks with the opposition.
Al-Assad blamed armed gangs and conspiracies for the violence that has gripped the country, saying the unrest has tarnished the country's image and weakened its security.
"There are those who are killing in the name of religion and want to spread chaos under the pretext of religion," he said, referring to conspiracies as "germs" that cannot be "exterminated."
The speech was met with demonstrations in a number of Syrian towns and cities, opponents of the government said.

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