Assad appears in public again

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on Sunday made one of his few public appearances to participate in a mosque in Damascus in the prayer of Eid ul-Fitr, the feast at the end of Ramadan, on a day when the mandate expires observers International UN Syria. The state media announced that Assad prayed in the mosque of Al Hamd, located in Al Muhajerin neighborhood, in Damascus, along with several senior state offices and Al Baath party. In that event, also attended by the Syrian Prime Minister, Wael al Halqi, the speaker of parliament, Mohammed Jihad al Laham, and Assistant Secretary of Al Baath ruling party, Abdullah al Ahmar. The images broadcast by state television showed the Syrian leader on the front row of tens responsible and listening Syrian citizens by the country's mufti, Ahmed Hasun, the imam's sermon. 

Change in command of the peace plan

The new international mediator for Syria, Lakhdar Brahimi, 78, replaces Kofi Annan in office, who resigned at the failure of his peace plan. This appointment was made one day after the Security Council ordered, on Thursday, the end of the UN observer mission in Syria, given the lack of agreement of the countries to end a conflict that continues to worsen. But the new United Nations envoy to the Arab League and Syria said they had little confidence that we can end the civil war in the Arab country. "I think I will put all my efforts, I will do as much as possible," he told France 24 television network. The UN secretary general, Ban Ki-moon urged international support "strong, clear and unified" the Brahimi. In China, an ally of Damascus, and the United States, calling for the resignation of Bashar al-Assad also promised to support Brahimi. The head of European diplomacy, Catherine Ashton, did the same, given the "huge task that awaits." Russia has welcomed the appointment of Brahimi, hoping to resume the peace plan of Annan and the Geneva Accord, which proposed a political transition in the country. The rebels continue to demand, in addition to weapons, a no-fly zone as implemented in Libya, but the Russian Foreign Minister, Sergei Lavrov, said he was against the idea, in an interview to be published this Saturday on Sky News Arabia . Moscow is the strongest ally of the Syrian regime and used its veto power on three occasions, along with Beijing, against Security Council resolutions that included threats of sanctions against Damascus.