Syrian Revolution Digest: The Next Step!

Now that world leaders have enunciated the magic words, it’s time they backed them up with a serious sanctions regime.

Thursday August 18, 2011

President Obama joins world leaders from Germany, France, UK and Canada in calling on Assad to step down … UNCHR demands referral of Syria to ICC, saying crime against humanity seem to have been committed … Meanwhile, in Syria, and despite Assad’s assertion to Ban Ki-Mun that all military and police operations have ceased, shelling and gunfire was reported in Al-Ramel Neighborhoods in Lattakia, Al-Insha’aat and Bab Al-Sibaa neighborhoods in Homs, Suq Al-Jubaileh Neighborhood in Deir Ezzor, and Jabal Al-Zawiyeh in Idlib, among others. No word yet on casualties.

Links

President Obama: "The future of Syria must be determined by its people, but President Bashar al-Assad is standing in their way."

Today, President Obama called for the President of Syria, Bashar al-Assad, to step aside and took the strongest financial action action against the Syrian regime thus far.

Obama, European allies say Syria's Assad must go

"The future of Syria must be determined by its people, but President Bashar al Assad is standing in their way," the president's statement said. "His calls for dialogue and reform have rung hollow while he is imprisoning, torturing and slaughtering his own people."

UN Security Council urged to act on Syria

UN rights chief asks council to refer Syria to the International Criminal Court after Obama urges Assad to step down.

Iraq’s ‘Soft Line’ on Syria Snubs Obama Policy in Nod to Iran

“I hope that demonstrations in Syria will not be quelled by force,” Maliki told the Iraqi television al-Sumaria on Aug. 13, in his first public response to Syrian President Bashar al- Assad’s five-month crackdown on dissidents. Assad should “respond to the people’s demands and quicken the implementation of reforms.”

SYRIA: Latakia doctor says crackdown aims to divide and conquer

"Since Saturday, Syrian armored vehicles began to take the district of Ramel from the two main entry points, supported by a naval force composed of three ships stationed off the shore," he said. "Their policy was to divide Latakia into two parts, one pro-government and one opposition, which is mainly Sunni."

Syria's Most Wanted: A Glimpse of Life on the Run with Army Defectors

The defectors say they are being hunted down by a regime that won't forgive disloyalty. They insist they are only protecting their townsfolk, but it seems like they themselves are in need of protection.

Former ally compares Syria’s crackdown to Libya’s

“We made our calls [to Khadafy] but unfortunately we got no result,’’ Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said yesterday. “The same thing is happening with Syria at the moment.’’

Rosoboronexport to Sell Arms to Syria

Russia, the world's second largest arms exporter, wants to make up for $4 billion of contracts lost when the United Nations placed an arms embargo on Libya this year and is also looking to Africa, South America and Southeast Asia to compensate.

Now that President Obama has called on Bashar Al-Assad to step down, the next step is to tighten the sanctions against certain state institutions and certain members of the regime and their financial partners. We need to drain the regime’s resources, so it can ill-afford to maintain its killing machine.

This is just what happens on way to the detention camps, can you imagine what actually happens at the detention camps? Still people come out in droves to the protests and celebrate life and freedom. They show us their worst, we show them our best. We will not be intimidated http://youtu.be/9p47EP15UgQ , http://youtu.be/puNQjDUj_xQ

Another instance of body snatching by Assad thugs: Pro-Assad militiamen dug out the graves of 4 protesters and took out their bodies. The bodies will likely end up dressed in military attire and exhibited on TV as soldiers killed by “armed gangs” http://youtu.be/D25L64M-SZg

Colonel Hussain Harmoush of the Free Officers Movement announces defection by army troops in Lattakia http://youtu.be/ycjMD125uOwA An officer announces that he is joining the Free Syrian Army http://youtu.be/ThCTtXVlG4g

HOMS

“Freedom forever, in spite of you Assad” http://youtu.be/P24kJPUtqNM (Talbisseh)