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The UN human rights office says a soaring number of executions in northern Syria could amount to war crimes. In a statement released on Thursday, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay has warned militants and armed opposition groups that such executions violate international humanitarian law. Pillay said her office has received reports of a series of mass executions of civilians and soldiers in Aleppo, Idlib and Raqqah by militants, especially by al-Qaeda affiliates, fighting the Syrian government. Pillay says exact numbers are hard to verify, but many civilians and soldiers in the custody of militants have been executed since the beginning of this year.

The UN human rights office says a soaring number of executions in northern Syria could amount to war crimes. In a statement released on Thursday, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay has warned militants and armed opposition groups that such executions violate international humanitarian law. Pillay said her office has received reports of a series of mass executions of civilians and soldiers in Aleppo, Idlib and Raqqah by militants, especially by al-Qaeda affiliates, fighting the Syrian government. Pillay says exact numbers are hard to verify, but many civilians and soldiers in the custody of militants have been executed since the beginning of this year.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki moon withdraws his invitation to Iran to join the upcoming Geneva two peace conferences on Syria. The UN was under intense pressure from the U-S to rescind the invite. Ban invited Iran to the conference on Monday saying Iran needs to be part of the solution to the Syrian crisis. Tehran also said it was ready to play a constructive role at the talks. But the US, Britain, Saudi Arabia and the foreign backed opposition were strongly opposed to Iran\'s participation. The U-S State Department said the UN must take back its invitation unless Tehran publicly backs the 2012 agreement on a transition government in Syria. And the so-called Syrian National Coalition threatened to withdraw from the Geneva Two conference. However, Russia said it would be an unforgivable mistake to exclude Iran from the talks. Tehran repeated that it would take part without any preconditions.

Leaders of Syria\'s internal opposition are in Moscow ahead of the Geneva-2 peace talks. Representatives from the so-called People\'s Front for Change and Liberation say they want to discuss the upcoming conference with Russia\'s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.

As both sides try and thrash out an agreement on the future of Syria, in the UK, the country\'s Foreign Secretary has announced plans to host refugees from the conflict area. Whilst William Hague has yet to set out how many refugees or the qualifying criteria, critics argue the UK\'s role in the issue should not be understated. Chris Bambery has recently returned from a visit to a refugee camp in Lebanon. UK Prime Minister David Cameron has previously stated that Britain has already taken in around 1000 Syrians fleeing the crisis in the region.

The catastrophe of al-Yarmouk refugee camp in Damascus is growing with each hour. Militants occupying the camp since months blocked the delivery of food and medical aid causing the death of many civilians because of starvation. She is a mother picking up grass as food for her children. And this is where people hunted, killed and ate a dog to survive. Civilians have dozens of horrific stories to tell. This woman cries for her old and sick husband. People here told Press TV that militants have all the food they need but have refused to give them. After several failing initiatives, Syria based Palestinian factions were able to coordinate with some of the militants to bring in some UN aid into the camp. Several hundreds of food boxes were distributed.The urgent need of food assistance is clearly visible here is al-Yarmouk refugee camp in Damascus, as hundreds of people have marched hoping to get a parcel of food aid. People say the distributed aid is not enough in comparison with the number of the needy inside as there are thousands trapped. Though the aid delivered isn\'t sufficient, but the fact that food started flowing in is optimistic. According to Palestinian factions, the Syrian government provided all facilitations for the success of the process. Al-Yarmouk is the largest Palestinian camp in Syria. The factions continue their efforts to clear the camp of foreign fighters and end the violence there.

The US administration is stepping up criticism of the Syrian government over the removal of its chemical weapons. Secretary of State John Kerry says all options are still on the table and that Syria could face consequences for failing to get rid of its stockpile of chemical weapons. Over the past two days, the US administration has repeatedly accused Damascus of deliberately stalling the international disarmament deal to remove its chemical weapons. But Russia has rejected Washington\'s charges that the Syrian government is dragging its feet in the effort to eliminate its chemical weapons stockpile. Moscow says a June 30 deadline to destroy Syria\'s arsenal of toxic agents remains viable, despite delays. The Kremlin says the delays are due to security problems on the road to the port of Latakia and insufficient technical support from the outside world.

The number of Western extremists fighting alongside militants in Syria has gone up three times in the past two years. This comes as Western intelligence services are seeking cooperation from their Syrian counterparts to find out who these insurgents are. Most of them are said to be from poor neighborhoods in Western cities.

Syria\'s deputy foreign minister says the priority to reach a solution to the crisis there, is to stand against terrorism. Meqdad made the comments at a news conference in Geneva, ahead of the second round of negotiations with foreign-backed opposition there. He also warned that terrorist attacks could spread to the whole region if not countered. Meqdad also said that Western states must stop funding Takfiri terrorists in his country. Regarding the issue of transition, he said Damascus will discuss this whenever appropriate. The Syrian official stressed that his government is serious in pursuing peace and ending the conflict.

Russia and China have skipped a UN Security Council meeting called to discuss a draft resolution that would impose more sanctions on Syria unless the government gives unrestricted access to deliver aid. The resolution was drafted by Australia, Jordan, and Luxembourg. Russia\'s UN envoy, Vitaly Churkin, vowed to veto the proposed measure if necessary, saying that the resolution would increase tension in Syria and disrupt the current humanitarian efforts. The Russian ambassador added that the measure would endanger the Geneva-two negotiations being held in Switzerland.

Syria has demanded a stern and urgent UN condemnation of the massacre of Alawite villagers committed on Sunday by foreign-backed insurgents. The Syrian Foreign Ministry has written a letter to the UN secretary general and the chairman of the Security Council detailing the bloodshed. Officials say more than 50 people --including women and children -- were killed in the attack on the village of Ma\'an in Hama province. Damascus has called for the condemnation of both the militants and their international backers. The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights has also acknowledged that the massacre happened. The tragedy occurred hours before the launch of the second round of peace talks in Geneva. On Monday, the government delegation began the talks with a draft statement on the massacre. Syrian Information Minister Omran al-Zoubi said that the foreign-backed opposition should have condemned the incident out of patriotic and moral duty.

Syria\'s Deputy Foreign Minister says no agenda has been agreed on for the so-called peace talks in Geneva, blaming the opposition party of refusing to discuss the issue of terrorism. Meqdad added that the opposition is only trying to waste time. He made the remarks after holding the second round of negotiations with the foreign-backed opposition in Geneva. The first round of talks last month produced no tangible results, with each side blaming the other for the ongoing violence. But according to U-N envoy, Lakhdar Brahimi, some common ground was reached.

\"As talks continue in Geneva, we\'ll continue to strengthen the moderate opposition\" that was what President Barak Obama said while hosting France in a lavish ceremony in Washington, a stance that was shared by France as well. Why does the US continue to think that arming the opposition will lead to a positive outcome, never mind what they call the moderate opposition? In this edition of the debate, we\'ll discuss the prospects of the Geneva conference, which the Syrian delegation says the focus should be terrorism, not the transitional governing body, and why the prospects of parallel talks between Russia, US and int. mediator Lakhdar Brahimi also look to lead no-where. Guests: - Journalist & Political Commentator, Richard Millet (LONDON). - Author & Historian, Webster Griffin Tarpley (WASHINGTON). Subjects: 1. The US is adamant in its arming of the opposition, the moderate one: Does the US even know who the moderate opposition is, why this persistence, again, making this announcement again during Geneva talks? 2. Another repeated announcement, by the US: the threat of foreign fighters 7,000 of them from some 50 countries, including Europe, with some American, tied to al-Qaeda, the al-Nusra Front, who aspire to attack the United States 3. This piece of news did not make it to major for a variety of reasons: that the intel. Western intelligence agencies have visited Damascus for talks on combating terrorist groups: Faisal Mekdad told state TV BBC that there was a schism between Western security officials and politicians who are pressing President Bashar al-Assad to step down; the growing numbers of foreign terrorists from Europe means there are common concerns 4. On the Geneva negotiations: the divided SNC: today we presented our main document which includes the steps and principles in transitional process: 22 points: formation of transitional governing body, made by the 2 parties...and some other points. The Syrian delegation response: comprehensive document detailing the horrendous deaths by the hands of these foreign backed insurgents: Why such resistance against first rooting out terrorism inside Syria/ 5. Parallel talks seemed like a good idea: Originally a Russian proposal, floated again, to originally include Turkey Saudi Arabia and IRan, along with the US and Russia: now narrowed to the US and Russia, with int. mediator Lakhdar Brahimi, slated for Friday? 6. Get Iran involved in the peace talks: Increase chances for a solution: Geneva track record obviously proves these talks have failed, except for the evacuation of some civilians trapped in Homs: What\'s the hold-up? 7. Reaction: Syria Media advisor: Botheina Sha\'aban: The West and Israel wanted to change regional balance and power to their own benefit: the outcome of the conflict: a proxy war, with Turkey Qatar and Saudi Arabia as the main supporters of the war under western and US influence: Has this failed, or is that still the goal?

\"As talks continue in Geneva, we\'ll continue to strengthen the moderate opposition\" that was what President Barak Obama said while hosting France in a lavish ceremony in Washington, a stance that was shared by France as well. Why does the US continue to think that arming the opposition will lead to a positive outcome, never mind what they call the moderate opposition? In this edition of the debate, we\'ll discuss the prospects of the Geneva conference, which the Syrian delegation says the focus should be terrorism, not the transitional governing body, and why the prospects of parallel talks between Russia, US and int. mediator Lakhdar Brahimi also look to lead no-where. Guests: - Journalist & Political Commentator, Richard Millet (LONDON). - Author & Historian, Webster Griffin Tarpley (WASHINGTON). Subjects: 1. The US is adamant in its arming of the opposition, the moderate one: Does the US even know who the moderate opposition is, why this persistence, again, making this announcement again during Geneva talks? 2. Another repeated announcement, by the US: the threat of foreign fighters 7,000 of them from some 50 countries, including Europe, with some American, tied to al-Qaeda, the al-Nusra Front, who aspire to attack the United States 3. This piece of news did not make it to major for a variety of reasons: that the intel. Western intelligence agencies have visited Damascus for talks on combating terrorist groups: Faisal Mekdad told state TV BBC that there was a schism between Western security officials and politicians who are pressing President Bashar al-Assad to step down; the growing numbers of foreign terrorists from Europe means there are common concerns 4. On the Geneva negotiations: the divided SNC: today we presented our main document which includes the steps and principles in transitional process: 22 points: formation of transitional governing body, made by the 2 parties...and some other points. The Syrian delegation response: comprehensive document detailing the horrendous deaths by the hands of these foreign backed insurgents: Why such resistance against first rooting out terrorism inside Syria/ 5. Parallel talks seemed like a good idea: Originally a Russian proposal, floated again, to originally include Turkey Saudi Arabia and IRan, along with the US and Russia: now narrowed to the US and Russia, with int. mediator Lakhdar Brahimi, slated for Friday? 6. Get Iran involved in the peace talks: Increase chances for a solution: Geneva track record obviously proves these talks have failed, except for the evacuation of some civilians trapped in Homs: What\'s the hold-up? 7. Reaction: Syria Media advisor: Botheina Sha\'aban: The West and Israel wanted to change regional balance and power to their own benefit: the outcome of the conflict: a proxy war, with Turkey Qatar and Saudi Arabia as the main supporters of the war under western and US influence: Has this failed, or is that still the goal?

Saudi Crown Prince Salman bin Abdul Aziz al Saud is in Pakistan to discuss important regional issues including the Syrian crises.Salman, who is also Saudi deputy Prime Minister as well as minister of defense, is the second highest-ranking official to travel to Islamabad following a trip by Saudi Arabia\'s Foreign Minister last month.The flurry of visits by top Saudi officials has led to speculations that Riyadh is seeking Pakistan\'s help on Syria. Some US media reports claim that Saudi Arabia after having lost faith in the Obama Administration to oust Syrian President Bashar al Assad\'s government, is now looking to Pakistan for training the insurgents in Syria.

On the war on Syria: is there a policy shift from the US? Take for example, what US national security advisor, Susan Rice has said: The White House is currently revisiting both old and new options on how best to approach the Syrian crisis, saying it could become a breeding ground for terrorists, fearing its fragmentation, with the ouster of Bashar al-Assad no longer the number one priority. In this edition of the debate, we\'ll discuss why this policy shift, whether it has any connection to Saudi Arabia\'s new appointment of the Syrian file, Prince Nayef, and how reverting to fighting terrorism as a priority sounds a lot like what the Syrian govt. delegation said at the failed Geneva 2 talks. Or is this a possible sign of US military intervention?

On the war on Syria: is there a policy shift from the US? Take for example, what US national security advisor, Susan Rice has said: The White House is currently revisiting both old and new options on how best to approach the Syrian crisis, saying it could become a breeding ground for terrorists, fearing its fragmentation, with the ouster of Bashar al-Assad no longer the number one priority. In this edition of the debate, we\'ll discuss why this policy shift, whether it has any connection to Saudi Arabia\'s new appointment of the Syrian file, Prince Nayef, and how reverting to fighting terrorism as a priority sounds a lot like what the Syrian govt. delegation said at the failed Geneva 2 talks. Or is this a possible sign of US military intervention?

[12 Mar 2014] Friends of Syria unanimously condemn terrorism - English

[13 Mar 2014] Syria insurgents behind kidnapping of Alawite women & kids last year - English

[16 Mar 2014] Iraqi PM says Syria crisis will lead to Saudi regime ouster - English

[17 Mar 2014] Cultural event in Syria aims to promote women role - English

[18 Mar 2014] Conference held in Rome against foreign interference in Syria - English

[24 Mar 2014] Syria to enhance impoverished national health care system - English

[26 Mar 2014] The Debate - War on Syria (P.1) - English

[26 Mar 2014] The Debate - War on Syria (P.2) - English

[26 Mar 2014] Larijani: Terrorists in Syria, not Syrian nationals (Part 1) - English

[26 Mar 2014] Larijani: Terrorists in Syria, not Syrian nationals (Part 2) - English

[27 Mar 2014] Turkish FM calls Syria operation leak a declaration of war - English