Syria: War with Turkey looms as border clashes continue

The Arab League has refused to accept Syria's conditions for signing the peace plan Beirut – Ahmed Hajj In one of the most serious clashes to date, the Syrian authorities said they had repelled an incursion by 35 ''armed terrorists'' in the province of Idlib. They said some were wounded, and ferried away fromthe battle by military vehicles to Turkish army aid stations.
Turkey has provided a base and diplomatic cover to the Free Syrian Army, a growing band of defectors, and it is unlikely an attack with such a large group of men could have been planned without the country's knowledge.
That alone is enough to draw the former allies closer to open war, although both are likely to try to avoid it. Turkey's Foreign Minister, Ahmet Davutoglu, has said a buffer zone inside Syria for refugees from the fighting might have to be considered, with outside military intervention if necessary.
In a rare interview since the uprisings began in Syria, Assad denied being behind the brutal crack- down and attributed the acts of violence to rogue elements within his security apparatus.
However dissidents insist that despite the peaceful nature of the protest the Syrian president has offered nothing but violence where he promised change and reforms.
"Nine months into this crisis the government has nothing to offer except a military, security solution," said Syrian dissident Hassan Abdel Azim, 79.
Critics also said Assad has yet to fulfill his repeated pledges to make political changes since he inherited the presidency from his father in 2000. A national dialogue, promised since March, has stalled, with the opposition demanding the violence end first.
While the government said it lifted the state of emergency that negated human rights since it was put in place in 1963, the government still shoots and kills protesters, critics told the Times.
Assad's government said it is protecting its citizens from thugs who have the backing of outside forces.
"We are making all the steps that need to be made for our people and for our country," said Buthaina Shaaban, one of Assad's advisers.
The United Nations has put the death toll at at least 4,000 civilians. Government opponents estimate the number of political prisoners ranges from 15,000 to more than 40,000.
Most of the bloodshed was on Monday, when the central Syrian city was convulsed by kidnappings, random shootings and tit-for-tat killings, activists said. In the worst atrocity, 36 bodies were dumped in a square in a neighbourhood along a fault line between the city's Sunni Muslim majority and its Alawite minority, said Mohammed Saleh, a 54-year-old activist who has tried to staunch the growing sectarian tension.
''What happened yesterday is a massive crime,'' Assad told ABC news. ''I am in pain, so much pain. I was getting a call every minute telling me that someone new got killed.''
ABC News planned to air the Assad interview last night, but a reporter for the network, seeking US reaction at a State Department briefing, quoted Dr Assad as saying: ''I'm President. I don't own the country, so they're not my forces. There's a difference between having a policy to crack down and between having some mistakes committed by some officials. There is a big difference.''
State Department spokesman Mark Toner criticised Dr Assad, saying he had multiple opportunities to end the violence.
''I find it ludicrous that he is attempting to hide behind some sort of shell game [and] claim he doesn't exercise authority in his own country,'' he said. ''There's just no indication he's doing anything other than cracking down in the most brutal fashion on a peaceful opposition movement.''
Syrian state media pointed to the involvement of Turkish forces in armed clashes on Syria's northern border on Tuesday.
Secretary Clinton met with the Syrian National Council and encouraged its members to counter the Syrian government's efforts to divide the country along ethnic and religious lines. Members should assure all Syrians that their rights will be protected in a country that will be governed by the rule of law, she said.
Clinton said she is especially interested in the council's plans for a democratic transition in the country, and she welcomed their "many very constructive ideas."
"Obviously, a democratic transition includes more than removing the Assad regime. It means setting Syria on the path of the rule of law and protecting the universal rights of all citizens regardless of sect or ethnicity or gender," she said. She encouraged the opposition to reach out to Syrian minorities who have "legitimate questions and concerns about their future."
All Syrians "need to be assured that Syria will be better off under a regime of tolerance and freedom that provides opportunity and respect and dignity on the basis of the consent rather than on the whims of a dictator," she said.
Despite mounting pressure from the international community including other Arab states, the Syrian head of state still enjoys support amongst his people.  Syrian star Sulaf Fawakherji stated that the conspiracy the Syrian regime and president Assad adding “We are strong and we will end this crisis despite all pressures imposed on us.”
Fawakherji said in an interview on Al-Jadeed TV, on the sidelines of the festival held in the Lebanese capital, last Sunday, “I am with the Syrian regime and pro President Bashar Assad, as he was the basic reason behind the success of Syrian drama, and not just drama, but also behind the development of Syria in all levels.”
Regarding her opinion on musical artist Asala, Fawakherji said “I no longer listen to Asala,” adding “When she’s on the radio, I turn it off. She doesn’t concern me anymore.”
She stressed that her words do not just come from her personally, but that her talk of Asala “Expresses the opinions of millions in Syria.”
Fawakherji called on Asala, whom she “loves a lot”, to reconsider her position, as she – like all Syrians – have Assad to thank for everything.