Intense clashes continue in Syria, opposition criticises NATO

Local Coordination Committees say 44 Syrians were killed on Wednesday Damascus  - George Al Shami The Syrian regime has been accused of using chemical weapons, as intense clashes continue on the outskirts of capital city Damascus. Syrian warplanes launched two strikes on Qaboon in northeastern Damascus on Wednesday, as rebel fighters seized three army posts near the ceasefire line with Israel.
Meanwhile, Syrian opposition leader Moaz al-Khatib has attacked the intergovernmental military alliance NATO for refusing to supply weapons to opposition forces, accusing it of supporting the Syrian regime.
The opposition Free Syrian Army (FSA) fighters claimed victory in battles with government soldiers in outlying neighbourhoods of the capital, and said that there had been an escalation in the violence in Yarmouk refugee camp on Wednesday afternoon.
Public Authority of the Syrian Revolution accused the regime of using chemical weapons in their shelling of Damascus neighbourhoods.
According to reports, 200 military personnel defected from the government to the opposition, as regime troops targeted several residential areas in Tadamun, Assali, Yarmuk, Qadam and Qaboon districts.
Syrian's Local Coordination Committees announced that over 44 Syrians had been killed, including four children.
Meanwhile, Syrian opposition leader al-Khatib has criticised NATO for refusing to militarily support the FSA, adding that the stance is a clear message of support for the Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.  
Earlier on Wednesday, NATO chief Anders Fogh Rasmussen called for a political solution to the Syrian crisis, ruling out Western military intervention.
In a related development, President Assad's regime lashed out against the Arab League for giving the opposition Syria's seat at the Arab League Summit in Doha, and said the group could no longer play a role in solving the crisis.
The attack came as the opposition group opened its first embassy in Doha after explicit recognition by the Arab League as the sole representative of the Syrian people.
The Syrian government described the pan-Arab bloc's move as an unprecedented violation in the history of the Arab League, to the charter of the Arab League and its organisations.
"The decision taken by the Arab League on Tuesday has permanently eliminated it from playing a role in a solution for the crisis in Syria, because it has become part of the problem rather than its solution," a government statement said.
The regime added that the body's support for Syrian opposition would only increase the bloodshed of the Syrian people.
"The countries that are playing with fire by arming, financing, training and hosting terrorists should know that they will not be untouched by the spreading flames," the statement continued.
Assad's government accused the Arab League of impeding efforts to find a political solution to the current crisis, and emphasised that the organisation cannot interfere in Syria's internal affairs.
The ruling regime described the opposition as an "illegal party."
Aside from Syria, Iran and Russia also condemned the Arab League for backing the Syrian National Coalition.
Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi told reporters: "Handing Syria's seat to the so-called provisional government is a dangerous precedent by the members of the Arab League." He warned that the step could undermine the role of the Arab organisation in the region.
Russian foreign ministry spokesman Aleksandr Lukashevich claimed that the bloc's decision could hinder a potential political solution to the Syrian crisis.
He added that the move reflects the Arab League’s desire not to resolve the current crisis.