BICOM

Syrian oppositionists are planning a day of intensified demonstrations to take place today, on what is being dubbed the ‘Friday of Martyrs.’ The move to increase protests comes after a speech given by Syrian President Bashar Assad earlier this week in which he rejected demands to lift the state of emergency in place in Syria since 1963, which provides the regime extensive powers to limit freedoms and basic civil rights. Protest organisers issued calls for renewed demonstrations minutes after the conclusion of Assad’s speech, via the ‘Syria Revolution against Bashar Assad 2011’ Facebook page. They are hoping to see increased numbers taking part in the protests, in particular in the capital city of Damascus, which has remained relatively quiet throughout the current period of unrest. Assad, meanwhile, announced yesterday the formation of a panel to study moves toward lifting the state of emergency. This move is evidently intended to reduce the momentum for further protest, though few observers expect it to succeed. The US State Department yesterday issued a statement advising US citizens to avoid all non-essential travel to Syria.

In other news, Turkish officials yesterday reported to the UN Security Council’s Iran Sanctions Committee that Turkey has seized a cache of weapons that Iran was attempting to export in violation of UN sanctions. The seizure was made from an Iranian plane en route to the Syrian city of Aleppo.