11 die in Syrian clashes as opposition eyes United Nations seat

Opposition says Syrian regime forces are 'burning and looting homes' Syrian opposition groups said 11 people were killed in fighting between government forces and the rebel Free Syrian Army in neighbourhood south of Damascus, on Thursday .In Homs, helicopters bombed Jobar and Kvraia areas with TNT explosives. Syrian opposition reported that army forces stormed the city of Krnaz in Hama, "burning and looting homes."
On the diplomatic front, the United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, Hervé Ladsous, announced that the UN is studying the prospects of sending a mission to aid stability in Syria in the future.
Ladsous told reporters at UN headquarters: "Peace-keeping operations in Syria might not be possible in light of the inordinate level of violence in the country. We have to consider the possibility that in certain scenarios we will be called to help stabilise the country and support the political process. What we can do is to give a greater sense of security to some groups that may feel threatened."
On Wednesday, the Joint Special Representative of the United Nations on Syria, Lakhdar Brahimi held talks with Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika in Algiers. In a statement after the meeting, he said, "the situation in Syria is bad and getting worse," adding that he will continue his mission despite "great difficulties."
"I am now heading to Cairo, where our office is located, and we are in contact with various parties, including the opposition," he said.
In a related development, the representative of Syrian Opposition Council in the United States, Najib Ghadbian, said that the opposition "aspires" to get Syria a seat at the United Nations, with plans to open two offices in Washington and New York. "Assad's regime has lost its legitimacy, and therefore our goal is to take his seat at the United Nations, although it requires a long political and legal battle," he explained.
Ghadbian pointed out that leader of the coalition, Moaz al-Khatib, has been invited to the US for a meeting with senior UN officials, including Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, but he refused to outline any specific dates.
He added that the opposition coalition, which has offices in seven countries, including Britain, France, Qatar and Turkey, will open a new office in Washington next week, followed by another branch in New York.
Meanwhile, US State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said, "we are in discussion with the Syrian Opposition Council about opening an office in Washington. With regards to an office in New York, we're supportive of that too."
Al-Khatib has threatened to withdraw his dialogue initiative, after it was ignored by the government in Damascus. In an interview with BBC Arabic, he gave Assad's regime until next Sunday to release all women detained in Syrian prisons. "Even if one woman remains in a Syrian prison, it means that Damascus has rejected the initiative," he said.

Additional reporting: Agencies