Pope Benedict XVI donates $100,000 to victims in Syria

Pope Benedict XVI has donated $ 100,000 to victims of armed conflict in Syria. This was reported by Vatican news website.

Aid will be distributed through existing in Syria Catholic Charities, which during the conflict continued to provide assistance to victims, regardless of their religion or political views.

In order to ensure the delivery of the aid, meetings have been planned with president of the Assembly of the Catholic Hierarchy in Syria and with representatives of the local Church.

Meanwhile, the Syrian government has informed Moscow that it has begun to implement the peace plan of U.N. and the Arab League envoy Kofi Annan to end the conflict that has lasted for more than one year, announced the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. On Tuesday, the Syrian ambassador to Moscow told Russian Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Mikhail Bogdanov that Damascus had begun to fulfill its obligations under the plan.

The statement said, Mr. Bogdanov expressed the satisfaction of Russia vis-à-vis the Syrian government's decision.

For his part, Rifaat al-Assad, 74, on Tuesday said that, the days of his nephew Bashar al-Assad are counted. According to him, the violence reached such a level that he can't stay in power.

Rifaat al-Assad is responsible for the massacre at Hama in 1982, in which 10,000 to 40,000 Syrians were killed. He explained: "All Syria is prey to disorders, no place was hidden from the violence."

It should be noted that the uncle of Bashar Al-Assad is considered a pariah by the opposition and since 1984 he has been in exile for plotting against his brother.

On the ground, clashes erupted Tuesday as Syria’s regime sent reinforcements into rebel areas. 65 people have been killed in the violent crackdown by Syrian forces across the country, Syrian activists said.

According RIA Novosti news, Prime Minister of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan said, by not making any decisions U.N. Security Council indirectly supports repressions. Just to watch how Syrian citizens are dying every day and do nothing about it, means to support repressions.

He added that Turkey will keep helping Syrian people to fight for their rights and won’t leave them facing this violence by themselves.