U.S. Ambassador To Return To Syria

Press Secretary Jay Carney announced on Tuesday that US Ambassador to Syria Robert Ford will be returning to Damascus.

“His return demonstrates our continued solidarity with the Syrian people and the value we place on Ford’s efforts to engage Syrians on their efforts to achieve a peaceful and democratic transition,” Carney said in a statement. “We believe his presence in the country is among the most effective ways to send a message to the Syrian people that the United States stands in solidarity with them.”

Carney added his hope that the Syrian government will uphold their commitment to the US and other foreign nations under the Vienna Convention to protect diplomatic personnel and facilities so Ambassador Ford can conduct his work in Syria without fear.

Santorum Releases Plan To Halt Iran's Nuclear Development

In response to the International Atomic Energy Agency’s (IAEA) report detailing evidence of Iran’s development of nuclear weapons, presidential hopeful Rick Santorum outlined a multifaceted plan to deal with Iran’s alleged nuclear aggression.

The plan includes the development of a potential military strategy against Iran, reinstatement of funding provided under the Iran Freedom and Support Act to support pro-democracy groups within Iran, highlighting human rights violations of the Iranian regime and eliminating the position of U.S ambassador to Syria.

The full list of proposal can be seen on Santorum’s site.

Santorum, a former Senator, served on the Senate Armed Services Committee for 8 years. While in office, he authored the Iran Freedom and Support Act, which imposed substantial sanctions on the Iranian regime and granted $100 million in annual funding for pro-democracy movements within Iran.

Syria's Bid For Seat On UN Rights Council In Jeopardy

UN Watch, a Geneva based rights group that monitors UN activities hailed the most recent media report that Syria’s bid for a seat on the United Nations Human Rights Council could be undone by Kuwait’s newly announced candidacy.

“The defeat of Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad’s cynical candidacy is a welcome message to his brutalized population that the world is repulsed by the regimes ongoing massacres” UN Watch executive director Hillel Neuer said in a statement. 

Two weeks ago, UN Under Secretary General for Political Affairs Lynn Pascoe briefed the Security Council on Syria’s military crackdown against protesters. Rights groups estimate that over 600 people have been killed since protests broke out in mid-March. Security Council members have so far be unable to agree on a statement condemning the Syrian government’s actions.

Last year, pressure from the international community forced Iran to drop its bid for a seat on UN rights body, and this March, the Human Rights Council and the General Assembly moved unanimously to suspend Libya from its seat on the council after the Gaddafi regime escalated attacks on protesters. 

Syrian Government Hopes To Abate Protests With Promise Of Reform

As government protests in Syria continue, President Bashar al-Assad has agreed to lift the nation’s current state of emergency law, which has been in effect for 48 years, according to a variety of media reports.

Hoping to end more than a month of demonstrations, the Assad government has also granted its citizens civil liberties, diminished the power of the police, and outlawed certain courts. 

However, in a warning issued by the Interior Ministry, further protests of any nature have been forbidden.

The Assad government solidified its position by sending soldiers and security forces to quell demonstrations in Homs, Syria’s third-largest city, late Monday night.

According to the Syrian Human Rights Information Link, three protestors have been killed.

The New York Times has reported that, as of Tuesday, the square is empty and shops in the city are closed.

White House Strongly Condemns Violence In Syria

The White House released the followed statement on Syria.

“We are deeply concerned by reports that Syrians who have been wounded by their government are being denied access to medical care. The escalating repression by the Syrian government is outrageous, and the United States strongly condemns  the continued efforts to suppress peaceful protesters. President Assad and the Syrian government must respect the universal rights of the Syrian people, who are rightly demanding the basic freedoms that they have been denied.”