Published on 27 Jun 2012 by RussiaToday
One of Syria’s pro-government news stations has come under attack, leaving several employees dead. That’s after President Bashar Assad addressed his cabinet on national TV saying the country was in a state of war. RT’s Maria Finoshina is at the scene. An international conference of countries which has some influence on events in Syria is due to take place on Saturday in Geneva. It aims to try to find a solution to the crisis. Author and historian Gerald Horne believes peace can be achieved if diplomacy — not military action — is put to work.
Syrian TV broadcasts from the scene of the massacre
People’s Assembly Denounces Attack against al-Ikhbariya TV as Attempt to Silence the Voice of Right
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DAMASCUS, (SANA) – Members of the Peoples’ Assembly condemned the barbarian massacre against the Syria media and journalists which aim at silencing the voice of Syria.
In a People’s Assembly session on Wednesday, the Assembly members asserted that terrorism against the Syrian journalists will not dissuade them from continuing their media message to convey the truth. The MPs stressed that the U.S. and Isreali agents in the region and the oil monarchies are behind this terrorist act which targeted the Syrian media because of its role in exposing terrorists who are destroying Syria and those who back them up with funds and arms.
Speaker of the People’s Assembly, Mohammad Jihad al-Laham stressed that the massacre aimed at replacing the stability and security in Syria with terrorism to silence the free voice of the right.
In turn, MP Fayez al-Sayeigh said that targeting journalists leave no room for doubt that what is taking place in Syria has nothing to do with freedom or the ‘Other Opinion’, calling upon Arab and international humanitarian and media organizations to shoulder their responsibilities towards this crime.
For his part, MP Faisal Azzouz stressed that the attack against the Syrian al-Ikhbariya TV is an attack against every Syrian and every journalist in the world, adding that they want Syria to bow down not to change the regime.
MP Omar Ossi stressed that the crime came in line with their theory of ‘creative chaos’ to implement a geopolitical scheme in the region with Israel as its center.
MP Sharif Shhadeh said that the conspirers are angry with Syria because of their failure in misleading others and the success of Syrian media in exposing their crimes.
MP Adnan Suleiman said that the attack against the Syrian al-Ikhbariya TV is a violation of the principles of human rights and part of the conspiracy to prevent conveying the reality and mislead the international public opinion.
In turn, MP Mohammad Ali al-Khabi stressed that Syria will come out stronger thanks to its army, people and leadership and the criminals will be punished for their crimes.
MP Khalil Mashhadiyeh said that those who committed the crime and those who support them do not believe in the freedom of expression, stressing that the Syrian blood is sacrosanct just as the Syrian territories.
The MPs concluded that this terrorist act is rejected and condemned as it aims at concealing the voice of right and truth.
The People’s Assembly approved reports submitted by the permanent committees on electing its offices’ staffs.
The Assembly referred draft laws forwarded by the President on combating terrorism and amending Article 556 of Penalties Law to the constitutional and legislative committee for studying.
The session also tackled establishing new faculties in the Syrian universities and opening a branch for Agriculture Bank in Deir Ezzor in addition to establishing al-Dmeir National Hospital.
The comments dealt with investing transfer plants in Banias and means of distributing essential food materials to villages and towns.
R. Raslan/ M. Ismael
Syrian Journalists Stage Sit-in in Condemnation of Terrorist Attack against al-Ikhbariya TV
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DAMASCUS, (SANA) – The Syrian journalists staged a sit-in in front of the General Organization of Radio & Television building, with the participation of Minister of Information Omran al-Zoubi in condemnation of the terrorist attack against al-Ikhbariya TV Channel.
Minister of Information Omran al-Zoubi, in a statement to the journalists, said that the massacre committed against the journalists and a free Syrian TV channel is a literal implementation of the Arab League Council’s decision on stopping the broadcast of Syrian TV channels by force.
He added that the package of sanctions issued by the European Union on Tuesday has been implemented today at the expense of civilians and journalists.
He added that the EU, the UN Security Council, the UN observer team in Syria, the UN Secretary General, the President of the Human Rights Council, the AL Secretary General, Council and foreign ministers are partners in this crime and they should shoulder their responsibilities.
The Minister said that the Ministry of Information and the Syrian state and journalists will not keep silent about what happened, expressing hope that the site of the crime would be available for all those who want to go there and met the locals to closely inspect the reality of what happened and who committed the massacre.
Minister Omran offered condolences to all journalists, adding that the incident requires calmness and review and there is team for this purpose.
Director of al-Ikhbariya TV Channel, Imad Sarah, said that targeting al-Ikhbariya means targeting the national media, the word of right and the other opinion.
A number of journalists, cultural and political figures who participated in the sit-in condemned this terrorist act, expressing confidence that the national media will continue to shoulder its responsibilities now and in the future.
Chairman of Journalist Union Elias Murad said that the AL decisions and the EU sanctions could not silence the Syrian voice.
Director of the Syrian TV , Ma’an Saleh said that targeting media aimed at targeting Syria in all its capabilities, adding that this terrorist act is a message of their failure in political violence so that they turned to terrorism and destruction.
Political analyst Afif Della said that his participation in the sit-in came to express rejection of all attempts to silence the voice of truth.
The participants prayed for the souls of the martyrs of the terrorist attack to rest in peace.
They stressed that terrorism will make them more determined in the face of terrorist acts and the media campaign launched against Syria.
Al- Ikhbariya Journalists: We’ll Continue Conveying Reality of Events
Number of al- Ikhbariya channel journalists stressed that the massacre committed against the channel will not dissuade them from conveying the reality of the events, adding that they are more resolved to defend Syria’s dignity.
Editor-in-Chief of the channel, Abdo al-Assadi, said that this massacre targeted not only al- Ikhbaryia channel, but also all the Syrian media.
Al-Assadi added that the workers who were martyred in the attack were armed only with their words and views.
For his part, Chief Editor Adham al-Taweel, said that this terrorist attack targeted the Syrian media as it managed to confront the misleading and provocative media campaign against the country.
Yara Saleh, al-Ikhbariya correspondent, said that this terrorist attack will motivate all journalists and workers at the channel to unmask these terrorists and their actions.
Sit-in in Tartous to Denounce Massacre Committed against al-Ikhbariya Journalists and Workers
Journalists in Tartous also gathered in front of the headquarters of al-Thawra Newspaper to denounce the massacre committed against al-Ikhbariya TV Channel and all other terrorist acts targeting the Syrian people.
The participants stressed that this criminal acts will push journalists to exert more efforts to expose facts and divulge the lies of the misleading channels.
The participants raised national flags and banners that stress national unity in the face of all instigative campaigns which aimed at spreading chaos.
Journalists in Lattakia pointed out that the attack against al-Ikhbariya TV proved the success of national media in confronting the lies and fabrications of instigative media.
English Bulletin
Wide Condemnations of Attack against al-Ikhbariya TV
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DAMASCUS, (SANA) – The Syrian Journalists Union and National Media Council mourned the martyrdom of three journalists.
They condemned the heinous terrorist attack targeted the Syrian al-Ikhbariya Satellite channel causing the martyrdom of three of its staff.
Chairman of Journalist Union Elias Murad said “We pray for the mercy for the souls of the martyrs of the terrorist attack against al-Ikhbariya Channel and those who failed in facing all kinds of aggression against Syria,” expressing the ability and determination of the Syrian journalists to foil the schemes targeting the Syrian media.
Murad added that the attack against al-Ikhabariya Channel comes in the framework of the continued aggression against the Syrian media and journalists.
In a statement, the National Media council offered sincere condolences for the families of the martyrs, expressing condemnation of all forms of terrorism which targets Syria’s security and stability.
The statement stressed that the Syrian national media will remain one of the most important basis of Syria’s resistance to protect its role and position in the region and the world.
Chairman of the National Media Council, Taleb Qadi Amin, stressed that the terrorist attack against the Syrian al-Ikhbariya channel is a “coward Terrorist act” which aims at silencing the voice of the truth of the Syrian media.
Amin condemned this coward act expressing support of all Syrian media figures to their mates in al-Ikhbariya channel.
He denounced the European Countries’ sanctions on the Syrian TV and the General Board of the Radio and TV, asserting that they completed this issue through this coward act against a Syrian national media institution which represents the voice of truth.
Former Information Minister Adnan Mahmoud stressed that the brutal terrorist crime against the Syrian al-Ikhbariya Channel is a part of the scheme which targets the Syrian media as it conveys the reality of the terrorist acts perpetrated against the Syrian people.
In a phone call with the Syrian TV, Mahmoud called on all the journalists to shoulder their ethical and legal responsibilities towards this crime.
Several Ambassadors accredited in Damascus expressed complete solidarity with the Syrian media and offered, on behalf of their countries, condolences for the families of the martyrs.
Arab Journalists Condemn Massacre against al-Ikhbariya TV as Criminal Act
Chairman of Iraqi Media Council, Hassan Selman, described the attack as a criminal act, adding that the Syrian people is facing a foreign-backed attack carried out by takfiri and terrorist tools.
Tunisian journalist Kawthar al-Beshrawi expressed shock over the silence of the Arab media towards the death of Syrian journalists, holding the instigators accountable for this crime.
“Today we are not taking about media, rather we are talking about camps in which journalists became reserve soldiers despite the fact that these journalists are not convinced with what they are doing,” she added.
Inspecting the site of the terrorist attack, Head of Iranian Radio & TV office in Damascus, Hassan Shemashdi, said that targeting al-Ikhbariya TV Channel aimed at taking revenge on its role in conveying the reality and revealing the conspiracy that Syria have been facing for 15 months.
Shemshadi said that some satellite channels did not broadcast the news on attacking al-Ikhbariya TV Channel which indicate the work mechanism of these channels in ignoring the massacres committed by the armed terrorist groups since these groups receive regional and Arab support.
Amnesty International condemns the attack
Amnesty International condemned the attack which targeted the Syrian al-Ikhbariya TV that claimed the lives of several press martyrs.
“Al-Ikhbariya TV is an independent entity.. its staff is civilian who should be protected against any aggression,” UPI quoted the International organization as saying in a statement today.
For her part, Ann Harrison, Deputy Director of the Organization’s Middle East and North Africa Program, said that all sides should condemn this attack.
Lebanese Amal Movement Condemns Terrorist Attack Against Syrian al-Ikhbariya TV
For its part, Lebanese Amal Movement condemned the terrorist attack against the Syrian al-Ikhbariya Channel and the massacre perpetrated by the armed terrorist group against its staff.
In a statement issued by the Movement’s Central Information Bureau, it said that the attack constitutes an aggression against journalism, media and the freedom of press by the armed terrorist groups.
The Movement expressed solidarity with the Syrian Channel and all free mass media which defend the Arab nation’s legitimate issues , offering sincere condolences for the families of the martyrs.
Golan People Condemn Terrorist Attack against al-Ikhbariya Channel
Citizens in the occupied Syrian Golan condemned the terrorist attack which targeted al-Ikhbariya channel that comes in the framework of the EU sanctions and other Arab-League sanctions against the national media as it conveys the reality of events on the ground and uncovers the western and Arab media fabrications aimed at destabilizing Syria.
In a statement, the Golan people stressed that terrorism will never silence the free Syrian voice from conveying the reality of events to the whole world.
United States Denounce Attack on al-Ikhbariya Channel
The United States denounced the attack which targeted al-Ikhbariya Channel, with White House Press Secretary Jay Carney reiterating his country’s condemnation of the violence in Syria.
English Bulletin
SYRIA 360° INTERNATIONALIST 