Syria's Aleppo battered ahead of UN vote

Shells rained down on rebel positions in Aleppo on Friday ahead of a UN vote to deplore both the Syrian regime's use of heavy arms and world powers for failing to agree on steps to end the conflict.

The official SANA news agency said the army and police killed 17 "terrorists" in the commercial capital, where the regime and rebels have been battling for control since July 20.

There was also fighting in Damascus, where six civilians were killed as forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad moved on rebels a day after shelling killed 21 civilians at Yarmuk Palestinian refugee camp, a watchdog said.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported shelling of the Jdaidet Artuz district southwest of Damascus as fighting erupted around the Marj al-Sultan military airport.

It said another three civilians were killed in Houla, a central town where at least 108 people were massacred in May.

Despite the violence, new weekly anti-regime protests were held across Syria in solidarity with the eastern province of Deir Ezzor, which troops have pounded for weeks.

The day's slogan was "Deir Ezzor -- victory comes from the east," and the Observatory reported claims that 70 percent of the strategic oil-producing province is now in rebel hands.

In Aleppo, hundreds gathered in Al-Shaar neighbourhood chanting: "The people want the execution of Bashar!" and "The people want freedom and peace," an AFP reporter saw.

"We go down the street with a single objective: the liberation of the country," said one protester.

The Observatory reported demonstrations in several neighbourhoods and fierce clashes in the rebel-held Salaheddin district.

A Syrian security source said troops were "testing the terrorists' defence systems... before annihilating them by carrying out a surgical operation."

The Observatory also reported protests in the Kurdish Hasakeh region, southern Daraa province and the northwestern Idlib province, where one demonstrator was shot dead.

Also in Idlib, five rebels were killed in an army ambush, the Observatory said, adding that 15 people were killed nationwide.

Activists were still counting the toll from Thursday, one of the bloodiest days in the uprising, when Kofi Annan quit as international envoy for Syria, complaining his peace plan never received the backing it deserved.

The Observatory said more than 179 people were killed -- 110 civilians including 14 children, 43 soldiers and 26 rebels.

Dozens more civilians and rebels were killed in Al-Arbaeen in the besieged central city of Hama, it said, adding it was hard to establish what had happened as communications were cut.

"The number of martyrs and wounded is not known as bodies were left lying in the streets, regime forces preventing residents from helping the wounded and burying the dead," said the opposition Syrian National Council.

The bloodshed mounted ahead of a UN General Assembly vote on a Saudi-drafted resolution condemning Russia and China for blocking tougher UN Security Council action against Damascus.

But Arab nations have dropped an explicit demand for Assad to quit in an attempt to secure as large a majority as possible.

Explaining his decision to resign as UN and Arab League envoy, Annan voiced regret at the "increasing militarisation" of the nearly 17-month conflict.

He also hit out at "continuous finger-pointing and name-calling" at the Security Council, which he said had stalled coordinated action to stop the violence.

But Annan predicted Assad would go "sooner or later," and did not rule out his successor having more luck or success, despite warning there was "no Plan B."

Russia's foreign ministry said "a worthy candidate" to succeed Annan should be urgently found because "in the developing situation, keeping a UN presence in the country acquires special significance."

Writing in the Financial Times, Annan called on Moscow and Washington to shoulder responsibility for saving Syria from catastrophic civil war.

"Syria can still be saved from the worst calamity. But this requires courage and leadership, most of all from the permanent members of the Security Council, including from Presidents (Vladimir) Putin and (Barack) Obama," he wrote.

Annan's resignation sparked a new round of recriminations, with Washington blaming Moscow and Beijing for vetoing three separate UN resolutions on the conflict.

Germany also said Annan's decision was partly due to Chinese and Russian opposition to sanctions.

But Russia's UN envoy, Vitaly Churkin, insisted Moscow had supported Annan "very strongly," and Putin called his resignation a "great shame."

Beijing said it regretted Annan's resignation and wanted the UN to play an "important role" in trying to stop the conflict, which activists say has killed more than 20,000 people since it erupted in March 2011.

Syrian ally Iran blamed "interfering countries" for making Annan's mission fail.

In a sign of new tension with Syria's neighbour and former ally Turkey, the army there has begun manoeuvres along the border following warnings that it would follow Kurdish rebels across the frontier, the Anatolia news agency reported.

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said last week it was a "given" that Turkish troops would pursue Kurdistan Workers' Party militants inside Syria.

Another Syrian brigadier general has crossed the border to join opposition fighters, bringing the total number of rebel generals in Turkey to 29, a diplomat said.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/annan-quits-over-lack-support-syria-peace-plan-022413378.html

whitney cummings msnbc i will always love you maine caucus whitney houston has died blue ivy carter whitney houston death