More violence, more pressure, but Syria remains obstinate

Phil Sands

$(document).ready(function() {$.get('/national/overrides/ajax/article_detail_date.jsp', {'vcmid':'fe8e8c0069bd3310VgnVCM200000e66411acRCRD'}, function(data) { $("#article_date").html(data);});});

Damascus // Syria's two main opposition blocs expect to launch a united political platform "soon", activists say, in what would be a further step towards unifying anti-regime forces.

The prospect of a new coalition between the Syrian National Council (SNC) and the National Coordination Committees (NCC) comes amid continued violence, fresh warnings from the United Nations of "serious massive violations of human rights" and growing pressure from the Arab League and Turkey.

Arab finance ministers, in coordination with Ankara, may announce economic sanctions today after the latest deadline for Syrian compliance with a peace plan appeared to have expired without response.

Under an Arab League initiative to steer Syria out of an eight-month crisis, the league had called on Damascus to give written authorisation by yesterday afternoon for a team of independent monitors to enter and freely examine the situation on the ground.

The deadline expired without formal reply from Syria but the Reuters news agency said Arab League officials would accept a response until the end of the day. By late last night, Syria still had not agreed. However, the state-run news service Sana had earlier called the Arab League plan a "flagrant interference" in domestic policy. It also attacked the proposed economic sanctions, saying they would "harm the interests of the Syrian people".

Turkish foreign minister Ahmet Davutoglu said the failure to agree heightened concerns about the humanitarian situation.

"Syria was expected to say yes to the observers ... unless there is a reality it hides about the situation in Syrian cities," he said.

Meanwhile, the United Arab Emirates has urged its nationals to leave Syrian territory and to postpone plans to travel to Syria because of the violence there, WAM reported.

"Emiratis who are already in Syria are advised to avoid large gatherings of people, exercise caution and leave Syrian territory," Director of Nationals' Affairs at the Ministry Ambassador Eissa Abdullah Al-Kalbani said.

The original Arab League plan, agreed with Damascus on November 2, required Syria to halt military operations against protest centres, stop all violence, free thousands of political prisoners and enter into talks with the opposition to map out a transition to democracy.

However, the Arab League suspended Syria on November 12, saying it had failed to implement any of the terms of the deal, despite Syrian claims it had made progress.

Economic sanctions under consideration today include freezing Syrian assets, halting trade and financial exchanges and stopping international flights from Arab states to Damascus. They would further tighten an economic blockade imposed by the United States, European Union, Canada and Switzerland.

The Arab League has taken an increasingly prominent role in the Syrian crisis after months of silence. Critics accused the league of giving Damascus a free hand to crush anti-regime protests violently. With the death toll rising above 3,500 by the most recent UN count, and with protests doggedly continuing despite widespread suppression, Arab capitals began to take a harder line.

They have also been urging Syria's notoriously divided opposition to unite on a single political platform, something Hasan Abdul Azeem, chairman of the NCC said was likely to happen "in days not weeks".

"We have been holding meetings with the SNC in Cairo and we are working on a joint position," he said in an interview in Damascus on Thursday, suggesting the coalition might call itself the "Syrian National Congress".

One of the key sticking points between the groups has been the issue of international military intervention. The NCC, which is based in Damascus, has unequivocally set itself against such moves while the overseas-based SNC had been ambivalent.

Now, however, they appear close to agreement that while there should be no foreign military intervention, some form of humanitarian intervention under UN and Arab League auspices would be acceptable.

"Unity between the SNC and the NCC will make the opposition stronger and more coherent, and that will only add to the growing pressure on the authorities," said an independent analyst in Damascus.

Amid growing alarm about the possibility Syria is sliding towards civil war, activists said at least three civilians were shot by security forces, in Homs, Deraa and Deir Ezzor yesterday. Next page

fe8e8c0069bd3310VgnVCM200000e66411acRCRD

The prospect of a new opposition coalition comes amid continued violence, fresh warnings from the United Nations and growing pressure from the Arab League and Turkey.

View the original article here

Internship remains a very public matter

Erin Conroy

Abu Dhabi // Maitha al Dinhani often runs out of things to do at her internship and wishes she had more opportunities outside of her responsibilities in translating economic and political documents.

But the UAE University student, 22, said although she believed she might get better work experience interning in the private sector than she does at a government-run research centre, it is not something she would consider.

"Each has positives and negatives, but I do not know anyone who is working for these companies," Ms al Dinhani said.

"Even though the work in the private sector can be more interesting, I know that in the public sector there are shorter hours, more holidays and higher salaries, and the jobs are secure. I want my internship to lead me to that kind of job."

As the latest series of measures to improve the representation of nationals in the private job market was announced this month, Ms al Dinhani and some of her peers are still looking for government positions.

After those announcements, the public relations firm Bell Pottinger organised a round table with a number of its interns to consider the progress made so far.

Khadija al Naklawi, one of those interns, admitted she was nervous about taking a placement outside the public sector and that she was the only one among her friends to do so.

"My work is very interesting and I think I am getting much better experience that will help me in my career - participating in meetings or writing memos and press releases - than my friends are getting at their internships," Ms al Naklawi said.

Robert Gardener, the director of Bell Pottinger's Middle East division, said he had faced some wariness from students while recruiting for internships.

But Mr Gardener said that was partly due to a lack of information from private companies about the benefits of looking beyond shorter hours and better pay.

"It is unfortunate because there is something to be offered on both sides," he said. "Khadija is confident going into meetings and has had exposure to solving problems; skills that I think will be useful for her whether she goes into a public sector job after this or not.

"For us, having someone with local insight and contacts is invaluable."

Budour Saleh Mubarak, an intern at the Abu Dhabi Education Council, said that when she was approached at her school by a private employer, she was wary of the unknown.

"I did not know the type of work and felt afraid that it might be a bad experience," Ms Mubarak said. "I did not know the company and did not want to be the first Emirati to go there."

She said she sometimes tired of her training: "I do not like the machine, every day, the same thing again and again."

But Ms Mubarak is confident her internship will lead to a permanent position that will carry her through her career.

"It is common for people and families I know to stay in one job for their career and not move around so much," she said. "It will be better to get into that position early on."

Ms al Dinhani and another intern at the research centre, Noura al Kendi, acknowledged they sacrifice some luxuries working for the government, such as work flexibility.

"Many documents are sensitive, so in many government jobs we are not allowed to work from home," said Ms al Kendi. "If our hours are from 8am until 3pm but the work levels are different, we are not allowed to leave early but just sit in front of our desk.

"In private companies maybe there is better flexibility to get things done, and if it is interesting work maybe you would not even notice the longer hours."

A recent report by the Ministry of Labour showed there are between 20,000 and 30,000 Emiratis in the private sector, out of 3.8 million employees. But 70 per cent of employees in the government sector are Emirati.

Three resolutions were issued this month to focus on encouraging the next generation to be active in the private job market. Next page

View the original article here