Syria hit with increased sanctions as violence surges

European foreign ministers have extended sanctions on 12 additional people in Syria including imposing a travel ban and asset freeze on President Bashar al-Assad’s mother, sister, sister-in-law, and wife, Asma al-Assad. The decision came after this weeks’ leak of Assad emails, many of which show Asma shopping for expensive jewels, furniture, and other luxurious goods. The travel ban will prevent Asma from traveling in Europe except for Britain, where she retains citizenship. Meanwhile, the main opposition group, the Syrian National Council, criticized the United Nation’s statement adopted Wednesday supporting the implementation of the peace plan proposed by U.N. and Arab League envoy, Kofi Annan. Samir Nashar, a member of the council’s executive committee, said that "such statements, issued amid continued killings, offer the regime the opportunity to push ahead with its repression in order to crush the revolt by the Syrian people." Elsewhere 10 people, half of whom were women and children, were killed in an attack by the regime on a bus fleeing the violence. Severe fighting also raged in Damascus, Latakia, Homs, and Hama where death counts range between 40 and 63. Free Syrian Army forces also killed two Syria soldiers and captured 18 others near the border with Turkey.

Headlines

• Yemeni naval ships shelled positions in the southern Abyan province believed to be held by al Qaeda killing 29 people. Meanwhile, a senior security officer was reported killed by militants.
• The United States and Israel have condemned a U.N. Human Rights Council resolution calling for an investigation into the impact of Israeli settlements on the rights of Palestinians.
• Egypt has begun supplying fuel to the Gaza Strip to resume operations at a power station shut down in February to alleviate a fuel crisis that has impacted medical and transportation services.
• U.S. Secretary of State Clinton said the United States will resume the transfer of $1.3 billion in annual military aid to Egypt despite crackdown on nongovernmental organizations (NGOS).

Arguments & Analysis

‘Gas threatens the Levant’s stability’ (Nizar Abdel-Kader, The Daily Star)

"The discoveries of gas fields by Israel and Cyprus are stirring the pot of regional turmoil and provoking various reactions from the other players in the Eastern Mediterranean. It looks as if the region is on the verge of a very volatile and highly complicated situation. It is perhaps no surprise that the sudden interest of Hezbollah in the potential hydrocarbon wealth of the Israeli and Lebanese coastlines could turn the Mediterranean into a new theater of conflict along the lines of the dispute over the Shebaa Farms. It remains the responsibility of the Lebanese government to approach the gas fields in a practical (not political) way, as it did with the Shebaa Farms."

‘Assessing Al-Qaeda’s presence in the new Libya’ (Andrew Lebovich & Aaron Y. Zelin, Combating Terrorism Center)

"For the moment, though, armed jihadists-especially those sharing al-Qa`ida’s extreme ideology-do not appear to be in a position to contest the fragile Libyan state. Ultimately, while there are more than the "flickers" of al-Qa`ida in Libya first suggested by NATO commander Admiral James Stavridis in March 2011, there is not enough information to determine if the group has the means, or even the desire, to set up a durable presence in the country-especially when Western governments and special forces are keeping a keen eye on Libya, and opposing armed militias remain ready to protect their own power and influence." 

‘Bashar’s pyrrhic triumph’ (The Economist)

"Kofi Annan, the Arab League and UN envoy, for want of a better solution, hopes to coax the regime into opening talks with the opposition. Mr Assad has said he is willing, but lacks a recognisable partner to talk to. His claim is not entirely spurious. The SNC has burned up much of its energy trying to unite the myriad factions thrown up by an already sectarian society that has been further atomised by decades of authoritarian rule. Mr Assad’s opponents plan to meet on March 26th to try and heal rifts. "We’ve been waiting in the station for passengers to board, but the train must now move," warns an SNC spokesman." 

–Tom Kutsch & Mary Casey