Egypt Breaks Diplomatic Ties with Syria, Calls for No-Fly-Zone

Egyptian President Mohammad Mursi has announced the breaking of all diplomatic ties with the Syrian government, including the closing of its embassy in Damascus and the recall of  Egypt's charge d'affaires", as reported by AFP. Mursi also called on the international ‘community’ to declare a ‘no-fly-zone’ over Syria, echoed by Jordan’s king Abdullah’s pledge to take all “necessary measures” to protect his country after a Pentagon announcement that it will leave behind a squadron of F-16 fighters and a battery of Patriot missiles at the end of joint US-Jordan military drills. These actions have prompted “speculation that a no-fly zone [over Syria] is being prepared,” The Washington Post stated, indicating the possibility of an impending attack. The US has reiterated its claim, backed by France and Britain, that the Syrian government used ‘chemical weapons’ – the condition warranting the US to provide Syrian rebels with weapons – while ignoring  the UN special rapporteur’s conclusive findings that it was the rebels and not the Syrian government who used the toxic sarin gas.

Mursi also said he has encouraged other Wahhabi Arab states to follow his lead in a renewed political as well as military onslaught against the Assad regime.

Defected Syrian general Salim Idriss, who heads the Supreme Military Council of the anti-Damascus militants,  recently submitted his list of weapon requirements to US officials in Turkey, whom he told reporters had said ‘a no-fly-zone’ over Syria would be ‘difficult to enforce’.

Meanwhile, Syria's Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad recently stressed  his country's determination to reach a political solution to the  crisis and to combat "terrorism" on the ground, state-run SANA news agency reported.

While stressing his country's desire for a political solution, Mekdad underscored that combating "terrorism" is an international responsibility, affirming Syria’s determination to fight " terrorism" in order to restore stability and security to the country.