Syrian Army - Live Updates World News - Iran Takes Nine - Point Plan To Damascus

Welcome to Middle East Live. Here's a summary of the latest developments:

Syria

Salehi is due to hold talks with President Bashar al Assad this morning, according to reports.

It appeared to be the first attempt by insurgents to assert their grip over a border zone in al-Raqqa province, most of which has remained solidly pro-Assad. Rebels hold two other crossings on the northern border with . A third border point would help strengthen their control in the north and put more pressure on the army as they battle for control of Syria's largest city Aleppo not far away.

"The FSA has no affiliation with a Syrian opposition group in Egypt calling itself 'the Free Syrian Army to protect the Revolution' and their $25 million bounty on Bashar Assad's head," Louai Miqdad, spokesman of the Higher Revolutionary Council of the Free Syrian Army , said from Turkey.

In an attempt to project calm in the midst of relentless violence, Syria s Education Ministry ordered schools to open this week. Instead of calm, however, the schools reflected what had happened in the rest of the country during the summer: the fighting had grown worse, the routines of daily life more dangerous and education had become one more casualty of the unrest.

Many Christians and Alawite have fled to the port of Tartus, according to Syria watcher Joshua Landis citing his contacts in the area. Yes, the city has a Sunni majority, but the town of 120,00 has not seen communal violence and remains stable. Many Tartusis claim that in their town, one can almost pretend that the country is not at war.

It said hundreds of civilians have been killed or injured in recent weeks, many of them children, in attacks that struck people in their homes, in the street or while trying to shelter from the bombings.

Egypt

Since the accused are not believed to live in Egypt and probably hold US citizenship, it is seen as a public relations exercise to absorb domestic anger over the film.

Libya

Mohammad Ali al-Zahawi, the commander of Ansar al-Sharia, the Islamist brigade thought to be behind last week's deadly attack on the US consulate in Benghazi, has refused to condemn the killings.

In an interview with the BBC he reiterated that Ansar al-Sharia was not to blame for the killings, but he added:

Do you think that the killing of the US ambassador is more heinous than the several insults made about the Prophet, peace be upon him .

Make no mistake, there is a massive American onslaught on Muslim countries. The crusaders want to occupy our countries and act as our guardians. They do not respect our sovereignty.

Israel and the Palestinian territories

Mitt Romney told donors that if elected president he will not work for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict because the Palestinians don't want peace, according to the latest leaked video clip to hit his presidential campaign. In the recording leaked by Mother Jones, Romney says: "I look at the Palestinians not wanting to see peace anyway, for political purposes, committed to the destruction and elimination of Israel, and these thorny issues, and I say, 'There's just no way.'"