Storm: Syrians Demand Turkish and NATO Invasion, Assad Vows Crackdown, Turkey Berates Syria as Arab League Rejects Amended Syria Peace Plan

“November 19, 2011: The Syrian National Council (SNC), an umbrella organization that claims to represent many Syrian rebel groups, is asking for international intervention in Syria. International is a euphemism for Turkey and NATO. The Turkish government has hardened its demands for change in Syria but so far has not committed to action beyond supporting calls for sanctions on the Assad regime. Turkey has reinforced its military units along the Turkey-Syria border, but that isn’t exactly news. The Turkish military began moving security units (including paramilitary gendarme units) during the Summer as Syrian refugees crossed the border. A group called the Free Syrian Army is claiming that it has conducted several small-scale attacks on Syrian military facilities. The Free Syrian Army (FSA) includes some defectors from the Syrian military. No one knows quite how large it is; though its spokesmen claim it has 15,000 fighters. At the moment Turkish military intervention is unlikely, but if the Syrian revolt escalates into a broader and even more violent civil war, a peace-keeping invasion may become a least-worst option for the Turkish government. A century ago Syria was a province of the Ottoman Empire so Turks are considered imperialists. Republican Turkey isn’t the Ottoman Empire and it is clear opposition to the Assad regime is wide-spread. A hard choice is looming.” Read more.

Explosions Reported Near Syrian Capitol as Assad Vows to Continue Military Crackdown – “Rocket-propelled grenades struck the headquarters of Syria’s ruling party Sunday, bringing the violence that has engulfed much of the country to the heart of its capital for the first time, activists said. The attack on the building in Syria’s capital of Damascus apparently caused no damage or casualties. But if true, it would mark a significant shift in the eight-month uprising against President Bashar Assad. Until now, the capital has remained relatively untouched.” Read more.

Turkey to Syria: No Place for ‘Authoritarian Regimes’ – “Turkish President Abdullah Gul said there was ‘no place for authoritarian regimes’ in the Mediterranean region, heaping more pressure on the embattled Syrian regime, in comments published Sunday. ‘I strongly believe that there is no place any more for authoritarian regimes — single party systems that do not have accountability or transparency — on the shores of the Mediterranean,’ he told Britain’s Sunday Telegraph newspaper. ‘As someone who has studied in the United Kingdom, lived in the United Kingdom, has this world view, President (Bashar) Assad should be able to understand this.'” Read more.

Arab League rejects proposed Syrian amendments to peace plan – “The Arab League has rejected a request by Damascus to amend plans to send a monitoring mission to Syria to stop a violent crackdown on protests. The 22-member body had given President Bashar al Assad until Saturday to abide by an Arab plan aiming to end the bloodshed or face economic sanctions… But a day after the deadline, and they are no closer to reaching a solution, as the League has said the “drastic changes” put forward by Damascus would not be approved because they alter the ‘essence’ of the plan.” Read more.