U.S. and European attitude towards the Syrian Revolution leave much to be desired, so perhaps, it is about time Syrian activists and dissidents stopped desiring much from the U.S. and Europe.
Tuesday August 2, 2011
24 dead on Monday (including 3 in Albou Kamal, 5 in Hama, 2 in Lattakia, 1 in Sermeen in the Idlib province, 3 in Homs City, 1 in the Damascene suburb of Zabadani, and 6 in the Damascene suburb of Arbeen) ... On Tuesday, 12 people died in all, including 5 in Hama City, 1 in the Damascene suburb of Kisweh, 3 in Rastan and 3 in Deir Ezzor City … More reinforcements, including tanks, armored vehicles and troops were sent to Deir Ezzor Province, with units storming into the border town of Alkbou Kamal, and others shelling parts of Deir Ezzor City killing at least 3 people … Meanwhile, hundreds were arrested in a mass detention campaign throughout the country, with special focus on Damascene suburbs and neighborhoods …
Links
Tens of people were reportedly wounded when they came under fire on Tuesday in the western Damascus suburb of Muadhamiya, the northeastern city of Hasaka, and the port city of Latakia.
Assad over the past 48 hours has demonstrated that whatever the outcome of this debate, the role of the tank as an instrument of war against civilians remains highly relevant in the Middle East.
(Reuters) - The Syrian army, a vital pillar of President Bashar al-Assad's power, is showing little sign of the serious splits and defections the opposition seeks in its ranks, despite strains caused by his military repression of unrest.
Violent fringe elements have appeared during the Syrian tumult. One study last month from the International Crisis Group said some anti-government elements have taken up arms. However, that report said, "the vast majority of casualties have been peaceful protesters, and the vast majority of the violence has been perpetrated by the security services."
Washington and NATO rationalized its bombing of Libya on humanitarian grounds. Then why can’t anyone muster a threat against Syria?
“The important thing is to remain committed to the peaceful nature of the movement, despite ongoing provocation by the regime and the moral cowardice of the international leaders,” says Ammar Abdulhamid, a leading Syrian activist based in Washington. “Admittedly, this will get more difficult from now onward.”
Western leaders, including American officials, may claim that the reason they don’t get tough on the Assads is the lack of cohesion among Syrian opposition groups, but that is simply put hogwash meant to justify their inability and/or unwillingness to formulate a clear policy at this stage. Forming a dysfunctional behemoth made up of individual and groups that are ideologically and philosophically at odds is the not the right way to successfully manage the transitional process. What you need for that is the ability to attract pragmatic elements from all different political, social and religious backgrounds in order to support whatever makeshift council protest leaders on the ground will eventually field once they are given then opportunity to do so, that is, once the violence is brought to a halt.
The meeting that Secretary Clinton held with Syrian activists earlier on Tuesday was largely a symbolic affair, a mere pat on the collective back of a people who have expected and yearned for much, much more from the elected officials of a country that still boasts a AAA rating by Moody’s, albeit with a negative future outlook. I dread to think what rating will be assigned to America if Moody’s launched a new system based on a country’s foreign policy.
Be that as it may, the Revolution goes on, in the face of crackdown, lies, attempts at hijacking the cause by fringe elements, and the cowardice of world leaders. The Revolution is still AAA in my book, with a positive future outlook!
Saying “goodbye” (All died in the last 24 hours)
A Hamwi widow mourns her husband http://youtu.be/cUdFDqGKVJg
A Hamwi father thanks people for showing up to his son’s “wedding,” and begs them to forgive his son who was a bit “reckless” if he did anything wrong to anyone http://youtu.be/BcFFUdmO6wY
A father from the Damascene neighborhood of Moadamiya kisses the feet of his dead son, “because he is a martyr” http://youtu.be/o5y1e664W9U , he addresses his son and reminds him that he had a haircut on the previous day http://youtu.be/Z3-jo5tnzgY
A Homsi father saying goodbye to his son http://youtu.be/0Gs_fNZEI3I
Funerals
A funeral for an activist in the Damascene suburb of Moadamiya http://youtu.be/hr-kW2Vsvdg , http://youtu.be/cfOcqt3C-Cc , http://youtu.be/TtRKE22Ewqg
A funeral for an activist in Idlib province’s Saraqib http://youtu.be/g346P237wz4
Mass funeral for a number of activists in the Damascene suburb of Arbeen http://youtu.be/8yuyhDkFbgk , http://youtu.be/WvofpqOtPZY , http://youtu.be/WfJpWpJYJV4
A funeral for an activist in Homs City http://youtu.be/ZlRPz8VTsJM
A funeral for an activist in Lattakia http://youtu.be/bPMfyx-2CTI , http://youtu.be/fjDxbbeQ6Vo , kissing and laying the martyr in his final resting place http://youtu.be/S5juLFG4lTA
A funeral for an activist in Nayrab http://youtu.be/UHxeW5XxmQE
A funeral for an activist in Idlib City http://youtu.be/-iMR9DR8kjo
Two snipers in Action in Hama City http://youtu.be/A_aD_RXd_jc , One of their victims http://youtu.be/rlzmiFILfGg Another of their victims http://youtu.be/2xdG64GIpKM
Shelling Around the Clock http://youtu.be/wfb_MLJrkZo
Damascus
Midan: thousands take to the streets after the Night Prayers http://youtu.be/CWzJDQR1UZE , http://youtu.be/NINglvX3lG8 , http://youtu.be/4JjxrXT32s0 . Eventually tear gas gets used against the protesters http://youtu.be/KCqqVvt2qKg . Then bullets begin to rain http://youtu.be/66P5-VR49lU
Moadamiya: Loyalist Militia raid the neighborhood at night http://youtu.be/Wxr3IkBJNPc , sounds of gunfire can be heard throughout the neighborhood http://youtu.be/1XexdfKG-Gg . Earlier, protesters burnt their utility bills as sign of defiance http://youtu.be/J7JC8QiVOHM
Old Mazzeh: small but vociferous crowd in an area on the edge of one of the plushest neighborhoods in Damascus http://youtu.be/EvY-9ojeNSk
Kisweh: pro-Assad militias attack and set the mourning tents on fire http://youtu.be/BojxYD_eHwA , earlier, protesters mocked the security by staging a quiet protest in which they chanted “the people want to topple the regime” very quietly and deliberately http://youtu.be/QMW2bfBjyaw
Zamalka: thousands take to the streets after the Night Prayers http://youtu.be/tuQW-qm7HXU
Arbeen: protesters come under fire in the aftermath of a protest at noontime http://youtu.be/vjU08o29A1c , one of the martyrs http://youtu.be/jc83e4TcPnc . The protest before the crackdown began as a funeral http://youtu.be/c7mopF2GLtI , http://youtu.be/EpBuTW9W-O0
Zabadani: despite the siege and the crackdown and the tanks http://youtu.be/y3JlUAlD8GI
Madaya: Living under the same conditions as Zabadani, and equally defiant http://youtu.be/6SzW0XSToqc
Al-Tall http://youtu.be/lm30ZZPBkTI
Mohajreen Neighborhood http://youtu.be/fHQa0_MUyLI
Daraya http://youtu.be/Zujzk3zoyIw
Al-Qalamoun /al-Qarrah http://youtu.be/jV2fxwyt6tE , http://youtu.be/f0c8A4JtJ2I
Hama
Kafar Zita http://youtu.be/-zrkzMdBVfw
Hama City / Alamein Street http://youtu.be/CP3DrUIvzSE Tanks at Al-Sibahee Square http://youtu.be/wuvcY6cj05M , http://youtu.be/nXr3PmeOAjg
Hilfaya: http://youtu.be/b40EAn9F89M
Homs
Protesters come under fire at night http://youtu.be/N5JvoMh818E
Khaldiyyeh http://youtu.be/UjQJLauqekA
Rastan yesterday http://youtu.be/5URKGw2O7tQ today http://youtu.be/GzZgGPDqcco
Al-Wa’er http://youtu.be/DWcC80H9Cjg
Bab Houd http://youtu.be/7zEIUg6mWs0
Al-Qousour http://youtu.be/_8PZ8HoSgRM
Holeh: gunfire and shelling http://youtu.be/u6H1scPxvbg
Bab Amr: sniper http://youtu.be/xHyIOyOmamI
Talbisseh: tanks and barricaded in the streets http://youtu.be/SO-qD_6JKoQ
Idlib
Binnish http://youtu.be/pTZsm4-iVng
Sermeen http://youtu.be/h58LeVO7XEw two demonstrations merge http://youtu.be/9yhnDfxgNjQ
Idlib City http://youtu.be/WAzG9MeUkLY
Ma’arrat Al-Nouman: protesters go “hi tech” in documenting their movement http://youtu.be/RTehBDjrVNQ
Kafar Nabbol http://youtu.be/2VzC1wnyPoo
Lattakia
Al-Ramel: protest in the morning http://youtu.be/FFM_2FDcre0 , protest in the evening http://youtu.be/fLgtd37u7gQ , http://youtu.be/JN5zEBU0VI4
Tabiyat / Rahman Mosque http://youtu.be/puG8yswF88A
Sleibeh http://youtu.be/WPb_OIufgHw
Aleppo
Maysaloon http://youtu.be/cKgAF-Oh8o8
Al-Bab: people carry out a vigil demanding release for all detainees http://youtu.be/T-Rd98yiwr8
Houthaifa Mosque: http://youtu.be/wZASUbAm-QU
Tal Rifa’at http://youtu.be/_CVRtVH2iho
Deir Ezzor
Al-Qouriyeh http://youtu.be/kwS9fZrIFIY
Mayadeen http://youtu.be/QZZRXaq-Lxk
Deir Ezzor City http://youtu.be/Y3QFKrMdsSk , http://youtu.be/VVzfxT9fzN4
Al-Qamishly: protesters dispersed by tear gas http://youtu.be/Kye0j1_xaIk
Hauran / Tafas http://youtu.be/Okj69Mufbk4
Hauran / Deraa City http://youtu.be/jQaGEE9JChY
Dear Ammar,
ReplyDeleteNo need for me to tell you this but the Americans are waiting for the kind of leadership that is going to promise to "bend " on the Israeli/Palestinian question. If that is the price we have to pay for their support then I tell you we can, and will, do without.
Amar, I told you YEARS ago (Pork Rinds for Allah) that the Assad's need to be executed.
ReplyDeleteHow many civilians need to be murdered til you folks get it?
ANd dont wait for the Americans, (Obama? you can have him) you must do this for yourself...
PS got concerned for your safety after not seeing you post for 2 weeks...
ReplyDeleteI cannot call for executions and assassinations. But thanks for your concern for my safety, I was just traveling :)
ReplyDeletemgb, no, it's not the Palestinian issue. There are larger regional implications for a change of regime in Syria that go beyond the Arab-Israeli conflict, this is about the stability of the Gulf and the oil supplies.