Muslim extremists who are gaining power among rebel groups. Seif, 66, was a member of the so-called "Damascus Declaration" group a coalition of pro-democracy activists that came into existence after Assad came to power in 2000. Seif is one of the country's most prominent opposition figures. He was released from prison in July 2010 after years in jail for anti-government activities. He was arrested for the first time in 2001 for criticizing Assad and sentenced to five years in prison. He was re-arrested in January 2008 and sentenced to two and a half more years on charges of "weakening national sentiment," a term usually used to mean carrying out anti-regime activities. Syria had previously banned Seif from travel, a measure regularly taken against dissidents. In 2007, the U.S. State Department urged Syrian authorities to allow him to leave the country to receive medical treatment. Seif told The Associated Press in 2007 that refusing to allow him to seek treatment abroad for prostate cancer was "like being sentenced to a slow death." Atassi comes from an influential family from the central city of Homs. She has been an outspoken critic of Assad for years and was arrested days after the uprising began while taking part in an anti-government protest in central Damascus. An insider's guide to politics and policy, available on the iPad or as a PDF download,toms shoe store.[标签:标题]
By ALI ZERDIN, Associated Press LJUBLJANA,cheap toms shoes sale, Slovenia (AP) No candidate appeared to win an outright majority in Sunday's presidential election in Slovenia, and a runoff is expected next month between the incumbent and a former prime minister. Former Prime Minister Borut Pahor was first with 40 percent of the vote, followed by President Danilo Turk,toms shoes on sale, with 36.2 percent and center-right candidate Milan Zver at 24 percent, the state election commission said after 99.9 percent of the ballots were counted. If that outcome holds when the commission announces the official results in the coming days, a runoff between the top two candidates will be held on Dec. 2. Pahor's lead was viewed as a surprise since Turk had been tipped to be the frontrunner in Sunday's election. But a runoff had been widely expected in the race for the presidential office a largely ceremonial post in Slovenia but one that commands political authority. When the initial result started coming in, Pahor said the "confidence of the people is much higher than I had expected." "But I can promise that my activities and achievements if I am elected president will be much higher than expected," he added. Political analyst Tone Jerovsek said Pahor was finishing first because "his statements were never radical," convincing the voters that he could bring together Slovenia's divided political scene. A disappointed Turk said he looks forward to a runoff. The election comes as Slovenia a small, economically struggling country of 2 million faces risks of needing an international economic bailout. Chosen for a five-year term, the president heads the army and proposes the national bank chief. The latter is Related articles:

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