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    November 26, 2011

New Reports of Fierce Fighting in Syria, Sanctions Loom

   VOA News
   People stand in line waiting to exchange empty cooking gas cylinders in
   Homs November 25, 2011.
   Photo: Reuters
   People stand in line waiting to exchange empty cooking gas cylinders in
   Homs, November 25, 2011.

   Activists say Syrian army deserters have launched another attack
   against government troops, with deadly results.
   The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights released details of the
   fighting Saturday. It said army defectors killed 10 troops and security
   agents during the battle late Friday in the eastern part of the
   country. It also said several of the deserters were wounded.
   Word of the clash comes as members of the Arab League are preparing to
   meet to possibly slap Damascus with another rebuke and more sanctions
   for its violent crackdown on the anti-government movement.
   Arab League officials are set to discuss additional measures against
   the defiant government of Syrian President Basher al-Assad later
   Saturday.
   The Syrian government failed Friday to meet an Arab League deadline to
   accept international observers to oversee an end to the crackdown. Arab
   League Secretary General Nabil el-Araby said he did receive a letter
   from Damascus with questions about the proposed observer mission, but
   nothing more.
   Friday's deadline passed in Syria as more violence and killings were
   reported and protesters took to the streets again to demand Assad's
   immediate resignation.
   The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Friday security forces
   killed at least eight people across the country. Meanwhile, the Syrian
   military alleged "terrorists" killed six of its pilots and three other
   officers. The state-run SANA news agency said the incident took place
   in the Homs region on Thursday.
   The Arab League suspended Syria's membership two weeks ago because of
   the government's violent crackdown on dissent and Assad's failure to
   implement a league plan designed to end the unrest.
   Despite growing international condemnation of the Syrian government,
   state-run media said Friday that government loyalists waving Syrian
   flags and pictures of the president rallied to express their rejection
   of the Arab League measure.
   The United Nations says more than 3,500 people have been killed since
   March in connection with Syria's anti-government protests.
   On Friday, the U.N. Committee against Torture said it had received
   reports of widespread abuses in Syria, including the torture of
   children detained by security forces.

   Some information for this report was provided by AP and AFP.
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