Rather than being the closet reformer world leaders wanted him to be, Assad turns out to be a closet serial killer. Now what?
In Jableh
Earlier in the day, Nawa in the south as well as the Damascene suburbs of Douma, Mouaddamiyyah and Kisweh among others, were besieged with tanks and security forces conducted house-to-house raids in search of specific blacklisted individuals. Many fatalities had been reported, and hundreds of arrests.
As you read this, Assad is doing that
In Deraa Now
(Just to underscore the futility of this violence, listen to the defying statements made by the cameramen as they film this, in some of the videos below: “God is Greater than you Bashar”)
In Douma: The Shabbiha & Security one hand against protesters
In Damascus: Near Abbasid Square
Earlier in the day, Nawa in the south as well as the Damascene suburbs of Douma, Mouaddamiyyah and Kisweh among others, were besieged with tanks and security forces conducted house-to-house raids in search of specific blacklisted individuals. Many fatalities had been reported, and hundreds of arrests.
The Assad Gambit seems to be to present the world with fait accomplit, then haggle his way out of the corner. By persisting on calling him a reformer up to the last minute, the international community has played a key role in making Assad believe that he can actually follow such a script. Unless certain measures targeting the Assads and their inner circle are enacted by the United States, the European Union, and eventually the UN, the Assads will never get the message. The calls issued by Human Rights Watch and International Committee of Jurists to sanction the Assads and bring them to trial should also be heeded. The Syrian situation now warrants the consideration of the UN Security Council as well the International Criminal Court. The government of Turkey should also be approached to see if Erdogan can play a role in pressing the Assads to think of an exit strategy rather than of painting themselves and the rest of the country further and further into an ever narrowing corner.
No, we cannot say that the specter of civil war is looming, because no one but the Assads and their armies, security forces and militias have guns and access to guns, and no one but them wants to use force, what’s looming, therefore, is the specter of mass murder, a la Rwanda. Hope this clarifies the situation.
President Bashar al-Assad faces indictment by the International Criminal Court as Western leaders were told on Sunday that the Syrian leader could be held to account for the deaths of 120 anti-government protesters.
(New York) - The United Nations should set up an international inquiry into the fatal shootings by Syria's security forces of peaceful protesters, Human Rights Watch said today after the killing of protesters in 14 separate towns on April 22, 2011. The inquiry should also examine other human rights violations committed since anti-government protests began in mid-March.
U.S. senators of both major political parties are urging greater support for Syria’s embattled opposition short of direct military intervention.
Earlier in the Day
Deraa: earlier in the day, people were chanting in support of the Druze inhabitants of Suweida in response to attempts at stirring up sectarian hatreds
Homs: spontaneous demonstration in support Deraa and Douma
Banyas: women demonstrating in support of nearby Jableh
Damascus / Mouaddamiyyeh: city was observing a general strike before security forces invaded its streets
Damascus / Douma: protesters tore up a poster of Assad
Mouarrat Alnouman: city near Aleppo. Protesters chanted “the people want to topple the regime”
Damascus / Kisweh: city was in mourning before security crackdown
Damascus / Barzeh: funerals
Damascus / Mleihah: residents held their first major demonstration and chanted: “the people want to topple the regime”
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