NBC’s Williams Prods Obama to Force Congress Into ‘Sudden Breakout of Sanity’
August 8, 2011 No Comment
NBC Nightly News anchor Brian Williams, who the week before last cited “the debt ceiling, which rational people agree needs to be raised,” on Monday evening again seemed to take a shot at Tea Party members of Congress as he urged President Barack Obama to fulfill a “leadership moment” in order “to force Congress into a sudden breakout of sanity.” Williams inquired of CNBC’s David Faber: I'm not a historian, but I think this is a leadership moment, potentially, for the President of the United States. He's getting pressure to force Congress into a sudden breakout of sanity. If that happens, how long until we could get our top credit rating back? In a story on the Monday, August 8 NBC Nightly News , CNBC’s Maria Bartiromo included this soundbite from Dan Arbess of Perella Weinberg Partners: “Some day we will thank S&P for the credit downgrade because it is a message to Washington that we must begin to address the long-term solvency of the United States of America.” Picking up on that assertion, Williams then had this exchange: BRIAN WILLIAMS: Let’s go over to CNBC’s global headquarters. David Faber is there for us tonight. David, let’s pick up on the point that last gentleman made. I'm not a historian, but I think this is a leadership moment, potentially, for the President of the United States. He's getting pressure to force Congress into a sudden breakout of sanity. If that happens, how long until we could get our top credit rating back? DAVID FABER, CNBC: It could still be some time until at least S&P comes back. These are long-term problems. They aren't solved overnight. Yet that certainly would be a positive. I think you saw the President today trying to engender confidence, Brian, in the press conference because confidence, it would seem over the last couple of weeks, has come in short supply given the debate over the debt ceiling, the downgrade by S&P and, of course, days like this when the market, all which of can become a self-fulfilling prophecy. You simply don't want to do much in terms of making an investment if you're a consumer or a CEO.
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Click here to view this media Prosecutors in Jackson, Mississippii say that Deryl Dedmon, Jr. and John Aaron Rice were looking for a black person to hurt when they left a party on June 26. “Let’s go fuck with some niggers,” Dedmon had reportedly said to friends. Dedmon, Rice and several other teens drove from a white suburb to a prominently black part of town where they came across James Craig Anderson, a 49-year-old black auto plant worker. Witnesses claimed that after beating and kicking Anderson, the teens yelled “White Power!” and other racial epithets. When the beating was over, security footage showed Dedmon’s Ford 250 truck driving over Anderson, killing him instantly. “I ran that nigger over,” Dedmon allegedly told the other teens in a phone call. “He was not remorseful,” Hinds County District Attorney Robert Shuler Smith told CNN’s Drew Griffin. “He was laughing, laughing about the killing.” “This was a crime of hate. Dedmon murdered this man because he was black,” Smith added. Anderson family attorney Winston Thompson agreed, saying, “It appears there is no doubt that this was a racially motivated killing.” Dedmon has been charged with murder and faces a double life sentence. In July, Judge William Barnett reduced the murder charges against Rice to aggravated assault. He was released on $5,000 bond. Other teens involved in the case have not been charged. “Life sentences?” The Root’s Nsenga Burton wondered . “Why not the death penalty? We’re also wondering why Rice and Dedmon, Jr. are the only people being charged in this senseless murder? If multiple teens participated in the beatings and were in the car during the murder, shouldn’t they also be charged?”
Continue reading …Fox News hires as many ex-Bushies as they can get and there’s a good reason for that. They all play a role. Like when they need someone to slam the UN, you can practically hear Roger Ailes scream, “Come on down, John Bolton!” Dana Perino went to bat for her ex-boss, George Bush, who under his watch damaged our society and economy so badly that you’re lucky if you can get a cup of tap water and bag of chips on four hour plane ride. Eric Bolling is not an ex-Bushie, but is trying to get more face time on Fox. He’s a very boring flame-thrower type if that makes sense to you. He says the most outrageous things – trying to be the next Beck, but lacks the delivery necessary to give it that Tabasco kick. Instead you get soggy Fritos. Anyway, the S&P downgrade has Bolling, Fox and Perino getting mad that George Bush’s name still gets mentioned since the markets and our economy collapsed under his leadership. Bolling:… A lot of finger pointing is going on in the Obama White House at your former boss, George Bush saying ‘we inherited that recession, we inherited that debt, that malaise,’ guess what they also inherited from you and your boss? An AAA credit rating. Weigh in on the first ever downgrade on American debt . OK, I’ll stop right there and say that Bolling is so stupid he made our points for us. While trying to find something positive to give Bush credit for in his eight year destructive career, he backed up the truth that Shrub screwed America’s financial markets and our budget surpluses, but by the time Wall Street collapsed, he was leaving office so we still had an AAA rating by S&P. Thanks for the help, Eric. Perino; The blaming Bush stuff is kinda expected, kind of annoying. If they think they’re going to go into the next election year and they could win… It was annoying that we had to live through the Bush years, Dana. Watching what we saw his administration do to America and all. It’s kind of annoying listening to you complain about the mention of Bush’s name, but I can always change the channel. By the way, where is Bush these days? He’s been excommunicated by the GOP from the political scene since the day he left office since the GOP worries when his face does pop up on a TV screen. His mug does tend to remind Americans about his presidency which is not a good thing for Republicans. That’s just a fact.
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Click here to view this media Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-UT) says that the tea party should not be blamed for the political brinkmanship that led to S&P’s downgrade of U.S. credit because they have bent over backwards to compromise. “We have actually done a lot of compromising,” Chaffetz told ABC’s Christiane Amanpour Sunday. “Remember, it was the tea party that really spurred — I was the primary sponsor of ‘Cut, Cap and Balance.’” “Wait a minute,” former Obama administration “Car Czar” Steve Rattner interrupted. “‘Cut, Cap and Balance’ was not a compromise.” “Yes, it was,” Chaffetz replied. “It was a raising of the debt ceiling by $2.4 trillion. And what is wrong in this country is that we aren’t willing to have the discussion about a balanced budget amendment.” CNN’s Jeanne Sahadi noted at the time that “Cut, Cap and Balance” exacerbated the problem. “For starters, since the bill isn’t expected to go anywhere in the Senate, lawmakers are wasting precious time needed to pass a debt ceiling increase before Aug. 2,” she wrote . In the end, Chaffetz did refused to compromise and vote for the final bipartisan compromise that raised the nation’s debt ceiling.
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Click here to view this media Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-UT) says that the tea party should not be blamed for the political brinkmanship that led to S&P’s downgrade of U.S. credit because they have bent over backwards to compromise. “We have actually done a lot of compromising,” Chaffetz told ABC’s Christiane Amanpour Sunday. “Remember, it was the tea party that really spurred — I was the primary sponsor of ‘Cut, Cap and Balance.’” “Wait a minute,” former Obama administration “Car Czar” Steve Rattner interrupted. “‘Cut, Cap and Balance’ was not a compromise.” “Yes, it was,” Chaffetz replied. “It was a raising of the debt ceiling by $2.4 trillion. And what is wrong in this country is that we aren’t willing to have the discussion about a balanced budget amendment.” CNN’s Jeanne Sahadi noted at the time that “Cut, Cap and Balance” exacerbated the problem. “For starters, since the bill isn’t expected to go anywhere in the Senate, lawmakers are wasting precious time needed to pass a debt ceiling increase before Aug. 2,” she wrote . In the end, Chaffetz did refused to compromise and vote for the final bipartisan compromise that raised the nation’s debt ceiling.
Continue reading …Fareed Zakaria Hosts Ground Zero Mosque Developer for Puff-Piece Interview
August 8, 2011 No CommentCNN's Fareed Zakaria made it quite clear last summer that he supported the construction of the Ground Zero mosque. He was much more neutral in an interview with the mosque's developer Sunday, but was content to let his guest tell his side of the story without any scrutiny from the CNN host. Although the once-proposed mosque is no longer making headlines, Zakaria decided anyway to feature the mosque's developer Sharif El-Gamal for a soft interview one year after the controversy ignited. El-Gamal received fawning coverage by CBS and NBC last summer for his work. [Video below the break.] El-Gamal related to Zakaria how his he and his wife were aghast at the “hate,” “fear,” and “ignorance” of the opponents of the planned “community center.” He bemoaned that “there's so much misconceptions about who we are as Muslims, what our faith, what our practice, what our belief system is.” Zakaria avoided any scrutiny over El-Gamal's arguments and asked simple questions to get him to tell his story and get his message out. Not once did he reference the arguments of families of 9/11 victims who opposed not the mosque itself, but its location. A transcript of the segment, which aired on August 7 at 1:48 p.m. EDT, is as follows: ZAKARIA: And we are back with Sharif El-Gamal, the man who was truly behind the Ground Zero mosque from the beginning and still behind it now. When did you realize that this was turning into a controversy? What was the first inkling? EL-GAMAL: Well, in May of last year, we voluntarily – at that point when we finished our road trip with all the local elected officials – decided voluntarily to go into the community board. And we went into the community board voluntarily and shared with them this idea of building a community center. And on that first meeting, 16 people voted unanimously in favor of this project and these are all non-Muslim people, and they were excited that Muslims were going to build a community center in Lower Manhattan to serve all – all New Yorkers and all of Lower Manhattan, which was the intention behind this project. We then followed that up with another full board meeting of 50. And when we went into that room, you know, at that next community board meeting, I invited my wife down to come. And I got there a few minutes after her and she was just in tears. And when I saw her in tears, I said what happened? And she goes, Sharif, you're not going to believe what's going on in that room. The people thought that I came here to protest against the Muslims, because they didn't realize that she was a Muslim because we don't fit whatever stereotype people have of Muslims. And when – ZAKARIA: What was going on in that room? EL-GAMAL: When I walked into that room, there was close to 700 people that were protesting what we were doing, and for the first time in my life – I – I had never seen, I'd never been discriminated against. I'd never seen that hate or that fear or – or – or – or that ignorance. I mean, I've never seen anything like that before in my life, and I was – I was scared. And at that point, we made a commitment – you know, personally, I made a commitment that I would do whatever it took as – as a businessman, as a human being, to make this project a reality. And, you know, this past year for me has really been about listening, has really been about listening and – and going back to basics and trying to understand that – that there's so much work ahead of us, that there's so much misconceptions about who we are as Muslims, what our faith, what our practice, what our belief system is. Criminals have stolen our identity almost in a way, and they've defaced our – our faith. ZAKARIA: So you got out – get out of that room with the 700 angry people. And at that point, it just snowballs and it gets latched on to by all kinds of political figures. By – were you – were you prepared for that kind of an onslaught? EL-GAMAL: No, no. I'm a New Yorker. This is my city, and all we wanted to do was we wanted to build a facility that is based on who we are as Muslims, as Americans, to give back to our city, to create jobs, to create hundreds of construction jobs, to create hundreds of full-time jobs once the facility is open, to create over 500 part-time jobs. We were thinking of a way of revitalizing our neighborhood, creating, stimulating our economy, and providing services to our neighbors. ZAKARIA: Did you get threatened? EL-GAMAL: I did. A lot of scary things happened in – in –
Continue reading …The Colbert Report Get More: Colbert Report Full Episodes , Political Humor & Satire Blog , Video Archive Most blog readers are well aware of what’s happening in Wisconsin tomorrow, where six tea party-friendly state senators face recall elections. These elections are vital for Wisconsin — particularly Wisconsin’s working families — because if Democrats win at least three of these seats, they will regain control of the state senate (Republicans currently hold a 19-14 majority) and can stop the extreme actions of Gov. Scott Walker and his conservative allies. Tomorrow’s elections have been the target of more than $20 million and trickery from groups like Americans for Prosperity . On the other side, a host of progressive groups have lent a hand to fight against Walker’s cronies in the state senate. But the importance of the election goes well beyond Wisconsin. As many have pointed out , success in Wisconsin would show not only the power of the grassroots, but could serve as a bellwether for 2012′s elections and could predict a “re-imagining of the Democratic Party.” The senators up for recall are all conservatives who were able to win in 2008 despite Barack Obama’s victory in the state and these victories would be a sign that the voters are fed up with right-wing assaults on working Americans. The elections could also set the stage for a recall of Walker himself next year and could play a big role in redistricting, where friendlier Democratic maps could help eliminate freshman Republicans Reid Ribble and Sean Duffy. It’s also important to note that the recall elections, if successful, would be a step in the right direction for achieving gender equality in office, particularly bringing progressive women into office : The recalls in Wisconsin have been unprecedented for numerous reasons, but one that hasn’t received much attention is the fact that women are running in five out of six of the recall races. The demographic population of Wisconsin shows men and women roughly evenly split, but in the State Senate only eight of the 33 Senators are women. In the recall races three progressive women are challenging three conservative men (with the other two challenging conservative women). If those seats are flipped that’ll make the count 11 women in the State Senate or 33 percent of the Senate. Combining both chambers of the Wisconsin state legislature women only make up less than 23 percent of members. Predictions range anywhere from Democrats sweeping all six seats tomorrow to only picking up one or two seats, which would not be enough to stop Walker’s agenda. Almost everyone believes that voter turnout will be the key and a massive effort has been made to get out the vote tomorrow. As of August 3, the Democratic field program had reported the following: As of this morning, over 11,700 volunteers and staff have knocked on 437,235 doors and made 716,339 phone calls for a grand total of 1,153,574 attempts! Our field team has been meeting and surpassing goals week in and week out and they are ready to move into GOTV. We now have 87% of our GOTV shifts filled for our August 9th elections and 83% of our shifts filled for the August 16th Democratic protects in SD 12 and SD 22. Statewide we have 6,228 shifts filled. With only six days until our next set of elections, time is short but, we’re ready. A quick preview of the six races that will be on the ballot tomorrow, in order of likelihood of a Democratic pick-up: 1. SD32: Most observers give this race to Jennifer Shilling over incumbent Dan Kapanke. Recent polling showed Shilling with a double digit lead. 2. SD18: Jessica King had a 8% lead over thug Hopper in a recent poll. In a just world, a guy like this would have no chance to hld this seat, and he only won it by 184 votes in 2008. Randy Hopper: “I’m going to ruin you for every F-ing thing you’ve done” 3. SD8: This race has been within the margin of error in recent polls, but it’s hard to see how an incompetent alleged criminal like Darling could hold a seat she only won by 1,007 votes in a district that went for Obama in 2008. Sandy Pasch would do both Wisconsin and the country a service by taking out Darling. Alberta Darling: Can’t name one job created in her district 4. SD14: Democrats believe they have a legitimate shot for Fred Clark to win here and take out Luther Olsen. Polling has shown the race to be within the margin of error and the party is excited about the paid media and GOTV efforts they’ve put forth in the district. 5. SD10: Shelly Moore has consistently trailed incumbent Sheila Harsdorf beyond the margin of error, but Democrats say the district is rabidly anti-Scott Walker and with GOTV efforts that are well beyond the goals they set, they think the race might still turn in Moore’s favor. 6. SD2: Nancy Nusbaum also trails the incumbent — Robert Cowles — by more than the margin of error. Nusbaum has more money for the final push and Democrats point to an enthusiasm gap in the district that could help them pull off the upset. It’s not too late to help out in Wisconsin. If you are in the Wisconsin area, sign up to help get out the vote . If you are anywhere else, you can participate in virtual phonebanking . Next week, two more senate recall elections will take place, so things are far from being settled in Wisconsin. To keep up with the up-to-the-minute details of the recall elections tomorrow, check out the following progressive Wisconsin blogs: * Blogging Blue * blue cheddar * Cognitive Dissidence * Dane 101 * illusory/tenant * Left on the Lake * Mal Contends * Uppity Wisconsin
Continue reading …The Colbert Report Get More: Colbert Report Full Episodes , Political Humor & Satire Blog , Video Archive Most blog readers are well aware of what’s happening in Wisconsin tomorrow, where six tea party-friendly state senators face recall elections. These elections are vital for Wisconsin — particularly Wisconsin’s working families — because if Democrats win at least three of these seats, they will regain control of the state senate (Republicans currently hold a 19-14 majority) and can stop the extreme actions of Gov. Scott Walker and his conservative allies. Tomorrow’s elections have been the target of more than $20 million and trickery from groups like Americans for Prosperity . On the other side, a host of progressive groups have lent a hand to fight against Walker’s cronies in the state senate. But the importance of the election goes well beyond Wisconsin. As many have pointed out , success in Wisconsin would show not only the power of the grassroots, but could serve as a bellwether for 2012′s elections and could predict a “re-imagining of the Democratic Party.” The senators up for recall are all conservatives who were able to win in 2008 despite Barack Obama’s victory in the state and these victories would be a sign that the voters are fed up with right-wing assaults on working Americans. The elections could also set the stage for a recall of Walker himself next year and could play a big role in redistricting, where friendlier Democratic maps could help eliminate freshman Republicans Reid Ribble and Sean Duffy. It’s also important to note that the recall elections, if successful, would be a step in the right direction for achieving gender equality in office, particularly bringing progressive women into office : The recalls in Wisconsin have been unprecedented for numerous reasons, but one that hasn’t received much attention is the fact that women are running in five out of six of the recall races. The demographic population of Wisconsin shows men and women roughly evenly split, but in the State Senate only eight of the 33 Senators are women. In the recall races three progressive women are challenging three conservative men (with the other two challenging conservative women). If those seats are flipped that’ll make the count 11 women in the State Senate or 33 percent of the Senate. Combining both chambers of the Wisconsin state legislature women only make up less than 23 percent of members. Predictions range anywhere from Democrats sweeping all six seats tomorrow to only picking up one or two seats, which would not be enough to stop Walker’s agenda. Almost everyone believes that voter turnout will be the key and a massive effort has been made to get out the vote tomorrow. As of August 3, the Democratic field program had reported the following: As of this morning, over 11,700 volunteers and staff have knocked on 437,235 doors and made 716,339 phone calls for a grand total of 1,153,574 attempts! Our field team has been meeting and surpassing goals week in and week out and they are ready to move into GOTV. We now have 87% of our GOTV shifts filled for our August 9th elections and 83% of our shifts filled for the August 16th Democratic protects in SD 12 and SD 22. Statewide we have 6,228 shifts filled. With only six days until our next set of elections, time is short but, we’re ready. A quick preview of the six races that will be on the ballot tomorrow, in order of likelihood of a Democratic pick-up: 1. SD32: Most observers give this race to Jennifer Shilling over incumbent Dan Kapanke. Recent polling showed Shilling with a double digit lead. 2. SD18: Jessica King had a 8% lead over thug Hopper in a recent poll. In a just world, a guy like this would have no chance to hld this seat, and he only won it by 184 votes in 2008. Randy Hopper: “I’m going to ruin you for every F-ing thing you’ve done” 3. SD8: This race has been within the margin of error in recent polls, but it’s hard to see how an incompetent alleged criminal like Darling could hold a seat she only won by 1,007 votes in a district that went for Obama in 2008. Sandy Pasch would do both Wisconsin and the country a service by taking out Darling. Alberta Darling: Can’t name one job created in her district 4. SD14: Democrats believe they have a legitimate shot for Fred Clark to win here and take out Luther Olsen. Polling has shown the race to be within the margin of error and the party is excited about the paid media and GOTV efforts they’ve put forth in the district. 5. SD10: Shelly Moore has consistently trailed incumbent Sheila Harsdorf beyond the margin of error, but Democrats say the district is rabidly anti-Scott Walker and with GOTV efforts that are well beyond the goals they set, they think the race might still turn in Moore’s favor. 6. SD2: Nancy Nusbaum also trails the incumbent — Robert Cowles — by more than the margin of error. Nusbaum has more money for the final push and Democrats point to an enthusiasm gap in the district that could help them pull off the upset. It’s not too late to help out in Wisconsin. If you are in the Wisconsin area, sign up to help get out the vote . If you are anywhere else, you can participate in virtual phonebanking . Next week, two more senate recall elections will take place, so things are far from being settled in Wisconsin. To keep up with the up-to-the-minute details of the recall elections tomorrow, check out the following progressive Wisconsin blogs: * Blogging Blue * blue cheddar * Cognitive Dissidence * Dane 101 * illusory/tenant * Left on the Lake * Mal Contends * Uppity Wisconsin
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Total killed during Syrian uprising passes 2,000 as President Bashar al-Assad defies international pressure Syria defied Arab isolation and mounting international anger on Monday as President Bashar al-Assad’s security forces continued attacks on pro-democracy protesters across the country. The US secretary of state, Hillary Clinton, urged al-Assad to return his troops to barracks and release all prisoners, one of the bluntest demands yet made of the Syrian leader, after regional powerhouse Saudi Arabia led a rare chorus of Arab states in condemning the repression. Reports from Deir al-Zor described artillery and heavy machinegun fire and snipers on roofs as troops and intelligence agents carried out mass arrests in the north-eastern city. On Sunday, 42 people were killed there, nudging the death total during five months of the uprising to more than 2,000. In Hama, security forces were reported to have deployed an anti-aircraft gun to fire on civilians, diplomats said. Videos from around the country purported to show gunfire, shelling and corpses from violence over the weekend. Three people were reported to have been shot during a funeral in Deraa. In a political development, al-Assad announced the replacement of his defence minister, Ali Habib, a member of the minority Alawite community, by the army chief of staff, Daoud Rajha, who is a Christian. Analysts said the move seemed intended to emphasise the regime’s claim to be defending all Syrian citizens against a sectarian conflict it says is being fomented by Islamic extremists. State TV described Habib as being in poor health and said the decision to replace him had been taken after consultations by the president. Syrian media scorned moves by Saudi Arabia and its Gulf allies to protest against the violence by withdrawing their ambassadors from Damascus. The Sana news agency quoted an unnamed official as expressing “regret” that Arab states had “completely ignored facts on the killing and sabotage committed by armed terrorist groups”. Kuwait and Bahrain followed the Saudis in recalling their envoys for consultations. On Sunday, King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia condemned the crackdown in a speech that was billed as historic but was largely prompted, western diplomats said, by US pressure. Britain has also been lobbying the Saudis and other Arab states, which rarely criticise each other in public, to get tough with Syria. Qatar, which pursues more independent policies, recalled its ambassdor from Damsacus last month. On Sunday the Arab League, which represents all Arab states, had spoken out for the first time and called on the Syrian authorities to stop acts of violence against civilians. Speaking on state TV, commentator Samir Shehadi warned that Syria would in future support Shia protestors in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain in retaliation for their stand. Neighbouring Jordan also expressed concern for the first time. British diplomats said they were alarmed by the arrest of a leading dissident, Walid al-Bunni, and his sons, who had been due to take part in an opposition conference. A leading human rights lawyer was also reportedly detained. Communications were patchy and details incomplete, but the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights quoted residents in Deir al-Zor as saying that security forces had shot dead a mother and her two children who were fleeing the assault. “The army opened up with heavy machine guns on al-Joura district. Security forces then launched a search sweep, terrorising residents,” an activist in the city told AFP. People were said to be too terrified to take the wounded to government hospitals, instead treating them at home or in makeshift hospitals. Troops also entered Maarat an-Numan in the northern province of Idlib at dawn on Monday, opposition activists said. Turkey’s foreign minister, Ahmet Davutoglu, is due to meet Assad in Damascus on Tuesday and will be carrying Clinton’s message to Assad to release all detained protesters, establish a new government and send his army back to barracks, Turkish media reported. Bouthaina Shaaban, Assad’s media adviser, said Davutoglu would hear a protest that his country had failed to “condemn the brutal killing and crimes committed by the armed terrorist groups”. William Hague, the foreign secretary, condemned the latest violence against Syrians. “This brutality exposes the regime’s claims to be committed to a reform process as an utter sham,” he said in a statement. On Sunday night reporters were taken on a tour of the government-run hospital in Hama, where more than 150 fatalities have been reported in recent days, and shown the remains of 16 people, some decomposing. Dr Mohammed al-Omar said most of the bodies were members of the security forces who were killed by armed groups. Condemnation of the Syrian government spread to the internet, where the hacking group known as Anonymous claimed credit for vandalising the Syrian military’s website. The site quickly became unavailable, but screenshots circulated online showed the group’s trademark headless suit and a message addressed to the Syrian people saying that “the world stands with you against the brutal regime.” Syria Middle East Bashar Al-Assad Ian Black guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …Total killed during Syrian uprising passes 2,000 as President Bashar al-Assad defies international pressure Syria defied Arab isolation and mounting international anger on Monday as President Bashar al-Assad’s security forces continued attacks on pro-democracy protesters across the country. The US secretary of state, Hillary Clinton, urged al-Assad to return his troops to barracks and release all prisoners, one of the bluntest demands yet made of the Syrian leader, after regional powerhouse Saudi Arabia led a rare chorus of Arab states in condemning the repression. Reports from Deir al-Zor described artillery and heavy machinegun fire and snipers on roofs as troops and intelligence agents carried out mass arrests in the north-eastern city. On Sunday, 42 people were killed there, nudging the death total during five months of the uprising to more than 2,000. In Hama, security forces were reported to have deployed an anti-aircraft gun to fire on civilians, diplomats said. Videos from around the country purported to show gunfire, shelling and corpses from violence over the weekend. Three people were reported to have been shot during a funeral in Deraa. In a political development, al-Assad announced the replacement of his defence minister, Ali Habib, a member of the minority Alawite community, by the army chief of staff, Daoud Rajha, who is a Christian. Analysts said the move seemed intended to emphasise the regime’s claim to be defending all Syrian citizens against a sectarian conflict it says is being fomented by Islamic extremists. State TV described Habib as being in poor health and said the decision to replace him had been taken after consultations by the president. Syrian media scorned moves by Saudi Arabia and its Gulf allies to protest against the violence by withdrawing their ambassadors from Damascus. The Sana news agency quoted an unnamed official as expressing “regret” that Arab states had “completely ignored facts on the killing and sabotage committed by armed terrorist groups”. Kuwait and Bahrain followed the Saudis in recalling their envoys for consultations. On Sunday, King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia condemned the crackdown in a speech that was billed as historic but was largely prompted, western diplomats said, by US pressure. Britain has also been lobbying the Saudis and other Arab states, which rarely criticise each other in public, to get tough with Syria. Qatar, which pursues more independent policies, recalled its ambassdor from Damsacus last month. On Sunday the Arab League, which represents all Arab states, had spoken out for the first time and called on the Syrian authorities to stop acts of violence against civilians. Speaking on state TV, commentator Samir Shehadi warned that Syria would in future support Shia protestors in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain in retaliation for their stand. Neighbouring Jordan also expressed concern for the first time. British diplomats said they were alarmed by the arrest of a leading dissident, Walid al-Bunni, and his sons, who had been due to take part in an opposition conference. A leading human rights lawyer was also reportedly detained. Communications were patchy and details incomplete, but the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights quoted residents in Deir al-Zor as saying that security forces had shot dead a mother and her two children who were fleeing the assault. “The army opened up with heavy machine guns on al-Joura district. Security forces then launched a search sweep, terrorising residents,” an activist in the city told AFP. People were said to be too terrified to take the wounded to government hospitals, instead treating them at home or in makeshift hospitals. Troops also entered Maarat an-Numan in the northern province of Idlib at dawn on Monday, opposition activists said. Turkey’s foreign minister, Ahmet Davutoglu, is due to meet Assad in Damascus on Tuesday and will be carrying Clinton’s message to Assad to release all detained protesters, establish a new government and send his army back to barracks, Turkish media reported. Bouthaina Shaaban, Assad’s media adviser, said Davutoglu would hear a protest that his country had failed to “condemn the brutal killing and crimes committed by the armed terrorist groups”. William Hague, the foreign secretary, condemned the latest violence against Syrians. “This brutality exposes the regime’s claims to be committed to a reform process as an utter sham,” he said in a statement. On Sunday night reporters were taken on a tour of the government-run hospital in Hama, where more than 150 fatalities have been reported in recent days, and shown the remains of 16 people, some decomposing. Dr Mohammed al-Omar said most of the bodies were members of the security forces who were killed by armed groups. Condemnation of the Syrian government spread to the internet, where the hacking group known as Anonymous claimed credit for vandalising the Syrian military’s website. The site quickly became unavailable, but screenshots circulated online showed the group’s trademark headless suit and a message addressed to the Syrian people saying that “the world stands with you against the brutal regime.” Syria Middle East Bashar Al-Assad Ian Black guardian.co.uk
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