Newsgroup: it.politica.internazionale
Titolo: Student massacre due to Libyan and Turkish infiltrators, says apostolic vicar in Alep

05/04/2012 16:15
SYRIA
Student massacre due to Libyan and Turkish infiltrators, says apostolic 
vicar in Alep
 
Mgr Giuseppe Nazaro provides background details to the army assault 
against the university, which left four people dead. For months, foreign 
militants have been trying to influence students at Alep university in 
order to bring violence to the city; the only one spared so far from the 
fight between rebels and the regime. In his view, the media are manipulated.
 
Alep (AsiaNews) - "Alep University is full of Libyan and Turkish 
infiltrators who have been trying to sway young Syrians to their cause. 
These people are armed and they provoked the army, which responded with 
force," said Mgr Giuseppe Nazaro, apostolic vicar in Alep, who spoke to 
AsiaNews about the assault by security forces against the university 
residences that claimed the lives of four students.
 
The Franciscan prelate lives only 150 metres from the university and saw 
Wednesday's assault with his own eyes after more than 1,500 students 
demonstrated against the regime. According to eyewitness accounts, 
soldiers chased the students into the university residences and arrested 
more than 200 people. To avoid further incidents, the authorities shut 
down the university until the end of the academic year.
 
"Alep is the only city that did not rise against Assad," the bishop 
said. "There have been some demonstrations in the past few months, but 
people do not want violence."
 
"Islamic militants have tried to push young people to engage in 
inconsiderate and dangerous behaviour in order to create a climate of 
violence and chaos in our city. This threatens everyone," Mgr Nazaro 
explained.
 
Since the clashes two days ago, Alep has lived in an atmosphere of 
tension and violence.
 
More than 40,000 students from around the country attend the city's 
university. Many of them cannot go home because of the war.
 
Convents and parish churches have opened their doors to hundreds of 
them. "Our residence has given shelter to 20 women, both Christian and 
Muslim, who fled the university residences after the army's raid. They 
joined another 40 female students who live in our dormitory."
 
Sadly, the situation is getting out of hand, according to the apostolic 
vicar. Turkey, Libya and other Muslim countries are sending militants 
and weapons to sustain the war against Assad. This has created an 
impossible situation for a ceasefire and reconciliation.
 
"Ordinary people are paying the price. Sooner or later, they will not be 
able to stand this climate of violence and the economic crisis," the 
prelate added.
 
Most reports on Western media are false or fabricated, he contends. 
"Newspapers and news agencies rely only on reports from al Jazeera and 
other Arab media funded by Qatar and Saudi Arabia who are the main 
backers of Syrian rebels. Their only interest is to create chaos until 
the Assad regime falls."
 
After a year of fighting, the death toll from the war between the Syrian 
regime and the Free Syrian Army now stands at 9,000 with tens of 
thousands of people displaced, UN sources report.
 
Instead, Syrian authorities say that 3,838 people are dead as a result 
of the violence, 2,493 civilians and 1,345 soldiers and security forces 
personnel.
 
Meanwhile, the UN observer mission in Syria continues its work after a 
ceasefire between the regime and the rebels came into effect on 12 April.
 
Yesterday, as violence continues across the country despite the truce, 
Gen Mood Robert, head of the UN mission, called on Syrian forces to be 
the first to cease their fire.
 
Still, the presence of observers is having a positive effect, this 
according to Neeraj Singh, UN mission spokesman in Damascus. The 
government, he said, is in fact giving the 50 UN monitors a certain 
leeway to move around.
 
http://www.asianews.it/news-en/Student-massacre-due-to-Libyan-and-Turkish-infiltrators,-says-apostolic-vicar-in-Alep-24665.html
 
-- 
Sostieni Rete ECO
 
http://rete-eco.it/it/sostienici.html
 

 vicar in Alep
 
un personagg verament liber di parlar con chi vuol