Damascus accuses arrivals from neighbors, denies the existence of a Kurdish problem
Syria-USA, Politics, 3/16/2004

Al-Jazeera area in Northern east Syria witnessed yesterday a notable calm after an atmosphere on strong tension prevailed on it on Sunday preceded by acts of riots and destruction that resulted in human casualties and material losses.

The Syrian TV held responsible these acts on " people that came from neighboring states to carry out acts of destruction," ruling out these behavior to have stemmed from the Kurds who "constitute part of the social fabrics in Syria."

The state of chaos was settled in two measures taken simultaneously. The first was reflected in negotiations that lasted for three days between high ranking Syrian officials said to be one of them was the brother of the Syrian President col. Maher al-Assad, who visited al-Qamishli yesterday on top of a large security delegation, while the second solution was reflected in " chopping the head of the sedition" through detentions that targeted hundreds in parts of the country, especially in the areas where the destruction took place and chanted slogans undermining " national security and national dignity."

Well-informed sources in Damascus said that the Syria's authorities will not deal easyly with anyone who " downed the Syrian flag from a government's establishment and insulted it and will not be hesitant towards those who chanted slogans with the US or raised a non- Syrian flag, besides the destruction operations which will cost the governments hundreds of millions will not pass unpunished."

The same sources expected that those who showed "a peaceful manifestation during the protest or proved not to have links to the incidents will be released," several days after the "self- control and avoidance of provocation by the security forces towards the recent incidents.

Meantime, the Syrian TV showed pictures for the city of al-Qamishli restoring its calmness and normal life and met with citizens who chanted slogans " long life for President al-Assad." The Syria TV said that "observers find that there is no Kurdish problem in Syria and that the Kurds are Syrian citizens who constitute an integral part of the social fabrics in Syria and have no connection to the riot acts which took place in al-Qamishli city, and those who made these acts of riots vame from the neighboring states in extraordinary conditions, moved by foreign hands taking no account for the warm hospitality they receive in the Syria," in remarks to huge number of Kurds who entered the Syrian lands from North Iraq in the 1950s and were not given the Syrian nationality on the ground they are not of a Syrian origin.

Concerning the security condition, the spokesman for the human rights committees in al-Hasaka, Nidal Darwish, said that two Kurdish citizens were killed by members of Arab tribes in Raas al-Ein city, 80 Km to northern west of Hassaka. Darwish also noted a tension taking place in Hasaka and the security forces asked the shop keepers to close their shops early yesterday evening.

In Washington, the US called on Syria to be considerate with the minorities. A spokesman for the Department Of State, Adam Early, said " we call on the Syrian government to be easy towards the ethnic minority in the country." Early also called on Damascus to " abstain from using oppressive means to isolate a minority which calls to be accepted and be better integrated in the country's life."

Previous Stories:
  Washington complains against detention of one American diplomat in Damascus   (3/9/2004)
  Bush administration intends to impose sanctions on Syria, soon   (3/6/2004)
  Al-Assad meets with Arab- American anti- discrimination committee   (3/1/2004)

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