Arab satellites block Syrian channels

Although no international intervention is taking place on the ground in Syria, regional leaders are adopting a harsher tone toward President Bashar Assad.

“Morsi mourns the Assad regime and Erdogan accuses it of becoming a ‘terror state,'” reads the headline of London-based daily Al-Hayat.

“Do not listen to the voices that tell you to remain,” the Egyptian president appealed to Assad in a speech delivered in Cairo Wednesday. “You will not remain for long. If you do not act, the march of history will continue.”

Iraq has pledged to examine reports that Iranian weapons are being sent to Syria through Iraq, Saudi-owned daily A-Sharq Al-Awsat reports. An adviser to Prime Minister Maliki tells the daily that Iraq is committed to neutrality on Syria, and Iran has pledged not to send weapons through Iraq.

‘Blocking the Syrian channels, at a time when Arab Spring revolutions demand democracy and freedom of expression, creates a major contradiction to these revolutions and their goals’

The commander of the National Syrian Army, the new umbrella organization uniting all Syrian opposition factions, tells the daily that the new central command was formed “to avert civil war.”

Major General Mohammed Hussein Haj Ali tells the daily that one of the main goals of the new body is to control the distribution of arms, which have so far been given out “arbitrarily.”

Al-Quds Al-Arabi reports that Syrian government TV stations have been blocked by both major Arab satellites: Nilesat and Arabsat. Syria’s information ministry says the move represents “direct bias towards the project hostile to Syria.”

Editor-in-chief Abd Al-Bari Atwan concurs that blocking the channels is the implementation of a decision taken by Arab foreign ministers two months ago, in an attempt to further isolate the regime of Bashar Assad.

Atwan goes on to attack the decision.

“Blocking the Syrian channels, at a time when Arab Spring revolutions demand democracy and freedom of expression, creates a major contradiction to these revolutions and their goals.”

“While recognizing all the arguments about the bloody nature of the Syrian regime… we do not defend the Syrian regime here … but oppose the principle of blocking the opposing opinion, as much as we disagree with it, as long as it abides by moral and legal standards.”

‘It is strange that the Arab position cannot convince China to stop supporting Assad in defense of its interests in the region as a whole.’

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A-Sharq Al-Awsat editor-in-chief Tareq Homayed focuses his op-ed Thursday on the “diplomatic failure” to solve the Syrian crisis. He begins by bashing China’s intransigence in the Security Council, then turns to the Arab States.

“It is strange that the Arab position cannot convince China to stop supporting Assad in defense of its interests in the region as a whole. Beijing has great interests in the region, which surpass its interests with Syria,” writes Homayed.

He contends that China does not need to support decisions against Assad in the UN Security Council, only abstain from blocking such decisions.

Gaddafi’s right-hand man extradited to Tripoli

The extradition Wednesday of Abdullah Senussi, chief of intelligence in the regime of deposed Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, is making major headlines Thursday.

“Senussi’s extradition exposes Gaddafi’s ‘black box,'” reads the headline of Al-Hayat, which explains that Senussi’s questioning will shed new light on major events which Libya was complicit in, such as the bombing of a Pan Am jet over Scotland in 1988.

“However, trying Senussi publicly — if such a decision is taken — runs the risk of exposing secret deals signed by Gaddafi with Western regimes which are considered today to be supportive of the new regime,” reads the article.

‘Trying Senussi publicly — if such a decision is taken — runs the risk of exposing secret deals signed by Gaddafi with Western regimes which are considered today to be supportive of the new regime’

Senussi was extradited from Mauritania, following a secret deal between Mauritania and Libya. Senior Libyan sources tell A-Sharq Al-Awsat that the deal was shrouded in secrecy for fear of its failure. The sources denied that Libya paid off Mauritania for the extradition.

Mohammed Al-Alaqi, head of Libya’s National Council for General Rights, told Al-Arabiya Wednesday that Senussi will receive a fair trial in Libya, although he will be tried in a military court, considering he is a former army officer.

Alaqi said that Libya will not turn Senussi over to the International Criminal Court (ICC) in the Hague, despite an international warrant for his arrest issued in June 2011.