This morning's key headlines from
GenerationalDynamics.com:
- Egyptians approve the controversial Islamist constitution
- Russia says that Syria's chemical weapons are under control
Egyptians approve the controversial Islamist constitution
The official results won't be available until Monday, but the Muslim
Brotherhood and others are saying that Egyptians voted "YES" in the
referendum to approve the new draft constitution, by a landslide vote
of over 64%. The vote was conducted on two consecutive Saturdays,
last Saturday in the urban areas, and yesterday in the rural areas.
The draft constitution is considered controversial because it was
drafted by the Muslim Brotherhood itself, and contains many clauses
that reflect strict Islamic Sharia law. Al-Ahram (Cairo)
Russia says that Syria's chemical weapons are under control
Two weeks ago, intelligence reports were indicating that the
regime of Syria's president Bashar al-Assad was moving its stockpile
of chemical and biological weapons, giving rise to fear in the
West that al-Assad was repositioning them in order to use them
against Syrian rebel forces. However, Russia's Foreign Minister
Sergei Lavrov says that they were moved in order to bring them
under stricter control:
So far according to our information, which correlates
with Western data, the weapons are under control. The Syrian
authorities have concentrated these stockpiles in one or two
centers. Previously they were scattered around the country.
Our American colleagues acknowledge that the main threat is if
(the chemical weapons) are seized by the insurgents. For us this
is very serious. We check every rumor that concerns chemical
weapons.
Lavrov also referred to "Russian military advisers training Syria's
military." Debka connects the dots in these statements to conclude
that the Russians themselves have taken control of the chemical
weapons in Syria.
Lavrov also said that the Americans and Europeans are secretly
pleased that Russia and China have been blocking resolutions in
the United Nations Security Council.
"No one has any appetite for intervention. Behind the
scenes, I have a feeling they are praying that Russia and China go
on blocking intervention, as sanctioning it would mean they must
act – and they are not ready."
Lavrov is also denying that al-Assad is welcome to take refuge
in Russia, if he decides to step down.
AFP and Debka and Russia Today
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