Even as Syria claims the insurgency to topple Bashar al-Assad’s regime is over, the army continued shelling opposition areas on Saturday and rebel fighters said they would not cease fire until tanks, artillery and heavy weapons are withdrawn.

 

“The battle to topple the state is over,” Syrian Foreign Ministry spokesman Jihad al-Makdissi told Syria TV on Friday. “Our goal now is to ensure stability and create a perspective for reform and development in Syria while preventing others from sabotaging the path of reform.”

While nearly all parties – Assad’s regime, the Free Syrian Army, and foreign interventionist powers like the United States, Britain, and Russia – claim to have accepted the peace deal proposed by UN-envoy Kofi Annan, none have changed their actions accordingly.