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         Activists: Syrian Troops Kill 52 Civilians in Saturday Attacks

   Syrian activists say government forces killed at least 52 civilians in
   attacks across the country Saturday, as Syria's main exiled opposition
   group met in neighboring Turkey to pick a new leader to unify the
   movement.
   The London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Saturday's
   highest death toll was in Daraa, with 20 people killed in a pre-dawn
   bombardment of the southern town where a pro-democracy uprising began
   15 months ago.
   Activists said more people were killed in government shelling of the
   rebellious central city of Homs, and early-morning gunbattles between
   government and rebel forces in central Damascus. The casualties could
   not be independently confirmed.
   Members of the opposition Syrian National Council who were meeting in
   Istanbul said the front-runner to become their new leader is Abdulbaset
   Sieda, a Kurdish human rights activist. The exiled group was expected
   to meet again Sunday to try to name the successor to Burhan Ghalioun,
   who agreed step down last month under criticism of his leadership.
   The SNC has been plagued by infighting since it was formed last year to
   try to present a credible alternative to the autocratic government of
   Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Ghalioun's critics complained that he
   gave Syrian Islamists too powerful a role in the SNC and did not do
   enough to coordinate with committees of youth activists organizing
   protests inside Syria.
   Speaking at Saturday's meeting, Sieda said the SNC should continue to
   reform itself to better connect with the domestic opposition and serve
   as the "real representative" of the Syrian people.
   In other developments, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said
   Saturday that Moscow would support Mr. Assad's departure from power if
   the Syrian people agree on it. Russia has been a longtime ally of Mr.
   Assad and has repeatedly blocked Western and Arab efforts to impose
   U.N. sanctions on his government.
   It was not clear if Lavrov's comment marked a softening of Russia's
   support for the Assad government. Speaking at a Moscow news conference,
   Lavrov also reiterated Russia's rejection of any foreign military
   intervention in the Syrian conflict. He also repeated his call for
   nations supporting and opposing Mr. Assad to join an international
   conference to salvage a Syria peace plan drafted by U.N.-Arab League
   envoy Kofi Annan.
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   [1]http://www.voanews.com/content/syria/1205519.html

References

   1. http://www.voanews.com/content/syria/1205519.html