Syria Vetoes Foreign Troop Placement in Safe Zones

The Syrian government has rejected a proposal to introduce foreign troops or U.N. forces to the recently agreed “de-escalation zones” in the country, reports Al Jazeera.

Speaking at a press conference on Monday, Syrian foreign minister Walid Moallem insisted the Assad regime would not accept international forces acting as “buffer zones” between rebel fighters and government troops, a key part of the agreement signed by Russia, Iran and Turkey in Astana last week.

“We do not accept a role for the United Nations or international forces to monitor the agreement,” said Moallem, adding that “the Syrian army will be prepared to respond in a decisive manner” should there be violations of this decree.

The U.S. has already expressed skepticism over the deal, particularly Iran’s involvement, reports Reuters.

“We’ll look at the proposal and see if it can work,” said U.S. defense secretary Jim Mattis on Monday. “The devil’s always in the details, right? So we’ve got to look at the details.”

Trump Administration Faces Legal Challenge Over Airfield Attack

The U.S. government is facing a legal challenge over its decision to launch a missile strike on a Syrian airfield last month, reports the New York Times.

Project Democracy, a U.S. government watchdog, has filed a legal action under the Freedom of Information Act to force the Trump administration to disclose all emails, memos and other conversations discussing the legality of the strike.

The watchdog’s aim is to prove that the Trump administration acted without any legal authority when it ordered the missile attack on Shayrat airfield on April 6.

“Some countries may tolerate a head of state launching a new conflict without offering a clear legal justification, but we should not,” wrote Justin Florence, the group’s legal director, announcing the lawsuit.

ISIS Video Appears to Show Beheading of Russian Officer

A video purporting to show the beheading of a Russian intelligence officer by the so-called Islamic State was released on Monday, reports Reuters, citing the U.S.-based monitoring website SITE Intelligence Group.

It’s not clear when the 12-minute, Russian-language video was filmed – nor whether the video is authentic – but it is believed to have been released to coincide with Russia’s Victory Day, a day of military parades celebrating the former Soviet Union’s victory over Nazi Germany.

Russian authorities have yet to issue any comment on the video.

Recommended Reads:

• BBC: The Japanese Manga Comic Helping Syrian Refugee Children Dream
• The Star Online: Qatar Says Syria ‘De-escalation’ Plan Not an Alternative to Political Transition
• The Washington Post: Egypt and Syria Have Been ‘Disappearing’ Their Citizens. This Is Why Countries Do It.
• Asharq Al-Awsat: Case of Soldier Plotting Attack While Posing as Refugee Shocks Germany