LIBYA: Syria's embassy in Tripoli locks its doors and is not answering calls from Syrian nationals, while Libya's acting oil and finance minister tells reporters he is proud of the stance the NTC has taken to help Syrians 'in their struggle for freedom'

Record ID: 280066

  • Title: LIBYA: Syria's embassy in Tripoli locks its doors and is not answering calls from Syrian nationals, while Libya's acting oil and finance minister tells reporters he is proud of the stance the NTC has taken to help Syrians 'in their struggle for freedom'
  • Date: 12th October 2011
  • Summary: (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) UNIDENTIFIED SYRIAN NATIONAL IN LIBYA WHO DID NOT WANT TO GIVE NAME, SAYING: "We came here to sort our documents in order to travel. We found that the embassy is closed." SYRIAN FLAG ON ROOFTOP WOMEN AND CHILD WALKING AWAY FROM EMBASSY MEN MAKING FINAL KNOCK ON DOOR BEFORE WALKING AWAY WIDE VIEW OF NEWS CONFERENCE WITH LIBYAN NATIONAL TRANSITIONAL
  • Embargoed: 27th October 2011 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Libya
  • Country: Libya
  • Topics: Conflict
  • Reuters ID: LVA4LSKIYG15P9PQKC0L7H6QA440
  • Story Text: The doors of the Syrian embassy in Tripoli were locked on Tuesday (October 11).
    Syrian nationals knocked on the doors and windows of the building but received no response to their requests for assistance.
    "I have newborn babies and I want to register them. They told me 'No, we're not going to do anything'. We asked them why and they told us 'We are leaving'," said one man waiting outside with a Syrian passport.
    "We came here to sort our documents in order to travel. We found that the embassy is closed," added another man, who did not want to give his name.
    The move comes amid growing unrest in Syria where President Bashar al-Assad continues to crackdown on six months of street protests.
    It's unclear whether the decision to close the embassy was made in Syria or whether it was imposed by Libya's new leadership.
    At a news conference in the capital, the acting finance and oil minister of Libya's National Transitional Council told reporters he was proud of Libya's stance on the Syrian crisis.
    "I am proud that the National Transitional Council has taken a very clear stand regarding the Syrian crisis, which is the unconditional help to our brothers and sisters in Syria in their struggle for freedom," Ali Tarhouni told reporters in Tripoli.
    The United States and European Union have condemned the crackdown, imposing sanctions on Syrian oil exports and some businesses, and pushing the United Nations to pressure Damascus.
    But no country has suggested military intervention in Syria along the lines of the NATO action which helped Libyan rebels topple Muammar Gaddafi.
    The United Nations says 2,900 people have been killed in Assad's crackdown on the protests. Syria blames foreign-backed armed gangs for the violence and says 1,100 members of its army and security forces have been killed.
    Tarhouni also said committees would be established to investigate corrupt practices in the oil industry that existed under Gaddafi's leadership and that the results should be published.
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