Cairo\Syria- Syrian opposition groups tried to forge a common vision for a transition in Syria as they met in Cairo as the Syrian crisis has grown more militarized with armed opposition fighters attacking, kidnapping and ambushing government troops.
The Syrian forces and the armed opposition on ground have been at each other's throats recently with armed fighters undertaking guerrilla-style attacks on army and security bases, while the Syrian administration has decided to flush the existence of those armed elements once and for all and unleashed a large-scale military "cleansing" campaign in the rebellious areas.

Press reports indicated that Syrian troop’s military operation started 10 days ago in the restive suburbs of the Syrian capital of Damascus. Sounds of shelling and gunshots have become daily occurrences, particularly in the early morning and at night.

Meanwhile, members of Syria's opposition met behind closed doors in Cairo to chart a common vision after criticising a blueprint for transition agreed by the major powers at the weekend.

Arab League chief Nabil al-Arabi, who chaired the two-day meeting attended by around 250 opposition figures, urged the factions "not to waste this opportunity" and to "unite".

Arabi also stressed the need for "a pluralist democratic system that does not discriminate between Syrians".

Meanwhile, members of Syria's opposition met behind closed doors in Cairo to chart a common vision after criticising a blueprint for transition agreed by the major powers at the weekend.

In New York, The UN high commissioner for human rights has called on the Security Council to strengthen the suspended UN observer mission in Syria and renewed her call for the country's conflict to be referred to the International Criminal Court in The Hague.

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay also charged that weapons supplied to the government and opposition were escalating the conflict, warning that "further militarisation" must be avoided.

"Any further militarisation of the conflict must be avoided at all costs," she said.

Navi Pillay says the mission's presence in Syria remains vital. "Ending the conflict is what we all seek, and any solution to the conflict must adequately address the root cause of the conflict, namely the human rights grievances," she said.

With the United Nations considering the future of its observers in Syria, Pillay says she told the council it must "support and strengthen" the UN Supervision Mission in Syria so that it can "effectively" monitor events.

The 300-member UN mission in Syria repeatedly came under fire before the UN suspended it last month, and its future is not clear. The council is awaiting a report from Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon on options for the mission.

Pillay told the council that the violence, now in its 16th month, is becoming "increasingly sectarian", while hundreds of people remain trapped in Deir Ezzor, in the east, and in the Old City district of Homs "because of the increasing use of heavy weaponry, shelling and ongoing armed clashes".

Both sides of the conflict have harmed civilians, she says.





Syrian regime defends its crackdown, saying that foreign-backed extremists are fighting on its soil. The government has provided names of foreign fighters that have recently been arrested, mainly Tunisians with affiliations to al-Qaida.

More than 16,500 people have been killed in violence since the uprising against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's regime broke out in March last year, according to the Britain-based watchdog.

World powers meeting in Geneva at the weekend agreed a transition plan for Syria, in a compromise with Russia and China that was branded a failure by both the opposition and Syrian state media.

The plan did not make any explicit call for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to cede power, as urged by Western governments, after Russia and China insisted Syrians themselves must decide how the transition unfolds.

Source: (DP-News - agencies)