Syrian opposition near Damascus Airport, violence continues

Assad: We will not budge from the articles of the Geneva Convention Damascus – George Shami The Free Syrian Army [FSA] has bombed Damascus International Airport and clashed with an army battalion there, as 63 people were killed in the capital, Rif Dimashq, Aleppo and Idlib on Monday .
By the end of the day, FSA forces had managed to secure a 22nd Battalion signal corps building near the airport, in battles raging between regime forces and armed resistance groups.
The FSA is also believed to be on the verge of taking total control of Yacoubiyeh after regime forces withdrew from the town following pitched battles between the two sides.
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad meanwhile claimed his forces “have regained the initiative on the ground.”
Elsewhere, activists posted videos on government websites showing Ossoud al-Islam [Lions of Islam] militants firing rockets at regime strongholds in the al-Maidan neighbourhood of Damascus.
British-based watchdog the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights [SOHR] has reported violent clashes between rebel groups and regime forces in the capital’s al-Qaddam neighbourhood. More clashes took place in Yalda in the south of Damascus, while 10 militants were killed in Hasaka.
In Deir Ezzor, a blast was heard in the Hawiqeh neighbourhood as fierce fighting centred on a secret police building in the area.
Government forces also bombarded Zamalka in Rid Dimashq with mortar shells and rocket launchers.
Shelling of Damascus' Yarmouk camp for Palestinian refugees also continues unabated amid heavy regime bombardments.
The city of Daryya, scene of more heavy fighting in recent days, also experienced a level of bombardment described by some as the most intensive in 72 days of conflict.
The SOHR has estimated 63 people died in Syria on Monday, the majority of whom were killed in Damascuus, Rif Dimashq and Homs. 11 of the deceased were reportedly from the FSA.
Lebanese newspaper Al Akhbar has meanwhile quoted Syrian President Bashar al-Assad as saying that his forces have "regained the initiative on the ground and achieved important results, which will come to light soon."
"Damascus is in a better situation,” he said. “Its strategic points -- despite all the militants’ attempts -- remain safe, especially the airport road." Assad also claimed that “closing Syria’s borders against weapons and smugglers could resolve the issue in two weeks.”
The remarks, relayed to the newspaper by "visitors" to al-Assad, also addressed the ongoing inaction by the international community.
"The US is not ready for a solution, for the time being," Assad is reported to have said. Referring to Russia’s meandering support for the regime, the President said: “Russia is defending itself, not the regime in Syria.”
Assad reportedly added: "We will not budge from the articles of the Geneva agreement,” despite international condemnation of war crimes committed on both sides of the Syrian conflict.
Syria’s Foreign Ministry meanwhile sent diplomatic messages to the United Nations Security Council, as well as the UN’s Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, detailing steps towards the “national reconciliation” programme proposed by President Assad during a rare public appearance in Damascus this month.
According to the Ministry, members of the opposition who have fled Syria will be welcomed back in order to take part in national dialogue talks.
The country’s Justice Ministry has also taken steps to fast-track political prisoners’ cases, or those who are not facing any charge. Syria’s High Judicial Council would also suspend all legal cases against opposition politicians willing to take part in dialogue, the message claimed.
The Ministry also hinted at the possibility of an amnesty for rebels who agree to hand in their arms.
Meanwhile the Syrian National Coalition [SNC], meeting in Paris on Monday, urged the international community to provide it with "tangible" political and financial support, as the conflict enters its 22nd month.
Speaking at a Friends of Syria group meeting, Vice President of the SNC Riad Seif, said: "The Syrian people are angry at the world’s dubious silence." The SNC “can’t keep coming back empty-handed,” he added.
French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius, also at the meeting, claimed: "Facing the collapse of a state and a society, it is Islamist groups that risk gaining ground if we do not act as we should."
"We cannot let a revolution that started as a peaceful and democratic protest degenerate into a conflict of militias," Fabius said. "We have to give the Syrian people a clear signal: we are on your side."
Lebanese progressive and National Struggle Front [NSF] chief Walid Jumblatt said at the meeting: "The Syrian regime is setting once again an example of its ongoing attempts to provoke a civil war between Syrians by inciting neighboring areas and sects against each other."
The Druze leader also called on Syria's Druze population to "reaffirm their national and historical stance in confronting injustice and protecting the unity of Syria with all other liberals in their struggle."
In interviews with US magazine The New Republic and TV programme 60 Minutes, US President Barack Obama has said he is currently assessing whether a US intervention in the country would be a “help or a hindrance.”
"Syria's a classic example. We want to make sure that not only does it enhance US security, but also that it is doing right by the people of Syria and neighbours like Israel that are going to be profoundly affected by it,” the President said. "It's true that sometimes we don't just shoot from the hip."
Obama's remarks comes at a time when world leaders convening in Davos, Switzerland have expressed their wishes for more extensive US presence in contemporary geopolitical issues, such as the conflicts in Syria and Mali.