Iranian parliamentary delegation departs for Syria

A delegation of Iranian parliamentarians left Tehran for Syria on Saturday to meet with high-ranking Damascus officials on the latest developments in Syria."The Iran-Syria Parliamentary Friendship Group headed by Alaeddin Boroujerdi (who is also the Chairman of the parliament's National Security and Foreign Policy Commission) departed for Damascus at midday today for a three-day visit," Iranian Parliament Speaker's top advisor for international affairs Hossein Sheikholeslam told the Parliament's website today."Strengthening the parliamentary relations between Iran and Syria and conferring on regional issues, specially the situation in Syria, are high on the agenda of the group in their meetings with the Syrian parliamentary and government officials," he added.Sheikholeslam said that four other Iranian MPs also accompany Boroujerdi in the trip.Syria has been experiencing unrest since March 2011 with organized attacks by well-armed gangs against Syrian police forces and border guards being reported across the country.Hundreds of people, including members of the security forces, have been killed, when some protest rallies turned into armed clashes.The government blames outlaws, saboteurs, and armed terrorist groups for the deaths, stressing that the unrest is being orchestrated from abroad.In October 2011, calm was eventually restored in the Arab state after President Assad started a reform initiative in the country, but Israel, the US and its Arab allies are seeking hard to bring the country into chaos through any possible means. Tel Aviv, Washington and some Arab capitals have been staging various plots in the hope of increasing unrests in Syria.