US and Turkey may create 'no-fly' zone over Syria

After holding Saturday talks in Istanbul, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu are considering implementing no-fly zones for Syria as conditions deteriorate even further.

“We have been closely coordinating over the course of this conflict, but now we need to get into the real details of such operational planning. It needs to be across both of our governments," Clinton said.

Clinton told reporters that Washington will hasten the end of the Assad regime.

Clinton also said a working group will be set up in Turkey to respond to the Syrian crisis whether now or after the departure of the Assad regime, according to AP.

Clinton also met with Syrian activists and refugees, who she said were committed to "a free, inclusive and democratic Syria" but need support from the international community to be ready for the eventual fall of the Assad regime.

"The U.S. will allocate an extra $5 million dollars to buy aid for Syrian refugees in Turkey," she said.

For his part, the Turkish foreign minister stated that in his meeting with the U.S. secretary of state that the two sides discussed the ways of assisting the opposition inside Syria.

However, the meeting comes as Washington on Friday announced sanctions against Syrian state oil company "Sytrol" for trading with Iran.

The U.S. Treasury also said it was adding the Lebanese Shiite militant group Hezbollah, which has close ties with Iran and Syria, to a blacklist of organisations targeted under Syria-related sanctions.

Meanwhile, Arab foreign ministers will meet on Sunday in Jeddah to discuss developments in Syria and selecting a replacement for Kofi Annan, the United Nations-Arab League envoy, Egyptian state TV said on Saturday.

The meeting comes before Muslim leaders meet in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday for an Organization of Islamic Cooperation summit.

"Arab foreign ministers will hold a meeting tomorrow in Jeddah to discuss who will be appointed as a successor to Annan," deputy Arab League chief Ahmed Ben Helli told reporters.

On the ground, violent clashes between regime forces and the Free Syrian Army fighters were reported in the Damascus district of Tadamoun and gunfire and explosions were heard in other sectors of the Syrian capital, said an NGO and opposition activists.

In the province of Damascus, the army shelled Deir al-Assafir where three people were killed, as well as the towns of Harasta and Al-Tal where civilians began to flee, according to SOHR.

Gunfire and explosions were also heard in the district of Al-Qaboun, said the SOHR Activists also mentioned automatic gunfire in the neighborhood of Joubeir (of Damascus) where rockets landed.

The Syrian observatory for human rights said that Saturday violence came after another bloody day in Syria during which at least 187 people were killed (111 civilians, 52 regime soldiers, 24 Free Syrian Army fighters).

Pro-Syrian regime media reported that Syria’s government troops have forced the armed terrorists out of Aleppo’s southern outskirts and are now advancing towards the district of Saif al-Dawla.

Furthermore, SANA news reported that Syrian forces have killed several outlaws, saboteurs, and armed terrorists during clashes in the city of Deir al-Zour as fighting continues between government troops and armed groups.

Sources: http://english.alarabiya.net/articles/2012/08/11/231559.html

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