Syrian Revolution Digest: Councilmania!

A new day – a new massacre, new council, new disappointment, and a renewed sense of defiance. As the world flaunts its worst, the protesters do their best.

Thursday September 15, 2011

17 people were killed in the ongoing crackdown against dissent in Syria, including 10 laborers on a farm near Basr Al-Harir in Deraa/Hauran Province, and 5 protesters in different communities in Idlib Province, 2 protesters in Homs City and 1 protester in the Damascene Suburb of Madaya.

Syrian opposition groups in Istanbul announce the formation of a new National Council. Meanwhile, members of the Muslim Brotherhood and other Islamic figures issued in Cairo a statement addressed to the Alawite Community in Syria calling on them to join the revolution against the oppressive regime, and assuring them of their safety in future Syria, stating that no one will be accused or judged on the basis of his/her sectarian affiliation.

Links

Effort to create Syria opposition council announced

Syria security forces storm Daraa farm, killing 10

Activists say reason for attack unknown; heavy gunfire also heart inside military airport near Damascus.

Death of ‘Little Gandhi’ deepens despair as Syrian activists go into hiding

U.S. wants American citizens out of Syria ASAP

The Harmoush Affair

Harmoush on Syrian TV: the main point reiterated in the interview with Lt. Col. Hussain Harmoush, leader of the Free Officers Movement, is that the opposition had for 10 weeks contacted him and promised material support, but nothing was eventually delivered. Mr. Harmoush seems genuinely disheartened by this and, at the end of the interview, he offers a new version for how he ended up back in Syria: disillusionment drove him to return of his own free will so he can be back again in his own homeland and with his family.

Throughout the interview, Harmoush refused to refer the groups he contacted in Syria, especially in Homs City, as terrorist, but he said that the plan was to provide them with weapons when the opposition provided the material support needed for that. But, he noted, no such support was indeed provided except for a $1,000 sent by Zuhair Al-Siddiq, the infamous witness associated with Al-Hariri Assassination Investigation. He also said that Al-Siddiq told him that weapons were being delivered by MB to Syria, especially to Homs, Hama, Idlib Al-Ramel Camp in Lattakia, in other words, all the places where Assad officials needed to justify their violent tactics. As he spoke about this, viewers were shown clips of pro-Assad militias brandishing their weapons!!! And that was all http://youtu.be/3m6ti6NRsyE

So, if anything, these “confessions” by Harmoush prove that the opposition in Syria has not waivered on its commitment to nonviolence. Neither weapons nor funds were handed to Harmoush, and he has only hard from a very dubious source that the Muslim Brotherhood was sending weapons to Syria. As such, Harmoush’s own testimony serves as a rebuttal of the armed gangs theory. Harmoush spoke of plans to provide weapons to groups that might use them, but attested that nothing actually materialized for more than 10 weeks and that this was the main reason why he decided to give himself up. The only people who would think of this interview as damning are the very people who keep seeing armed gangs where none existed, that is, the Great Brainwashed Classes that fear change and still cling to Assad as Nazis to Hitler.

For his part, Col. Riyad Al-Asaad, leader of the Free Syrian Army, issued a statement demanding the release of his colleague and assured the Syrian people that Turkish authorities had nothing to do with his capture http://youtu.be/J3J6i8cHeHk

A similar call for freeing Harmoush was made by one of his colleagues in the Free Officers Movement, namely Captain Ammar Abdallah Al-Wawi, who pledged that should Harmoush be killed, like his brother, high ranking officers in the Syrian army and security apparatuses will become legitimate target for retaliation http://youtu.be/FKbJx26c6gI Another clip in support of Harmoush comes from members in Hamza Al-Khateeb Division and their leader, Abdelsattar Younso who pledged to keep fighting until the regime is toppled http://youtu.be/dl3o_V-vr7c

Meanwhile, many protests in Idlib Province today featured chants in support of Harmoush as was the case in Jarjanaz http://youtu.be/DRZR22yYYB4 Idlib City http://youtu.be/-CawLJfBR2g But sympathy came also from other communities across Syria, such Talbisseh in Homs Province http://youtu.be/AHzejelrjB0 and the Damascene suburb of Zamalka http://youtu.be/_K0n3nmITmQ

Here we go again

For those keeping track, Syrian opposition groups announced from Istanbul today the formation of a new National Council, the Council to end all Councils, yes, the One Council to rule them all. Again an assortment of Islamists and leftists are behind the initiative, but they did invite a few token liberal elements who, if they did not withdraw their names at the last moment, will serve as decorative ornaments meant to adorn the firmament of our growing despair, disillusionment and disgruntlement and serve as the necessary hook to obtain legitimacy in certain “squeamish” quarters.

Still, we can indeed expect this new Grand Council to be endorsed by Friday’s demonstrators, who simply need any straw at this stage. But this will not be a love fest, and will only last until the next announcement is made, as our revolution against the incompetent criminal lot who rule us expands to include their criminally incompetent opponents.

FEATURE VIDEOS

Basr Al-Harir the aftermath of a raid that left 10 people dead, no one knows the reasons for the raid http://youtu.be/1DBSjLnadVY

A clip showing the martyr of nonviolence, AKA “Little Gandhi” during a demonstration in Daraya http://youtu.be/Dgty6JLfLeY

The torture of a detainee whereabouts unknown http://youtu.be/xnZ8p-nWtJ0 And in this leaked clip from Houleh community in Homs Province, three teenagers are being abused. Their torturers pour water on them and threaten them with electrocution and accuse them of selling weapons. But the boys remain quiet http://youtu.be/9SbakUM6Xqs

Clips from troops movement in Deraa/Hauran http://youtu.be/1nErdCWGt40 And from Karnaz in Hama Province http://youtu.be/4nMDl1ZTVsM And from Rastan in Homs Province http://youtu.be/KMuwEM8ZqAA Army troops conducting arrests in Albou Kamal http://youtu.be/tTTKkW8fAPM

HOMS

Insha’att an all women protest http://youtu.be/psx4XSZVnnU Dablan protesters carry signs praising Christianity http://youtu.be/sEZBdo1YDO0 Bayadeh tanks and checkpoints http://youtu.be/5BOxYr-gS9Q More tanks in Khaldiyeh http://youtu.be/5hgwcufVaAI , http://youtu.be/WeUMaeazW8w , http://youtu.be/C_lfWwvxMEY Deir Ballbah army takeover of the petrochemical college http://youtu.be/HcoWjNNNLjA

Homs City – Nighttime

Khaldiyeh http://youtu.be/noYyqJY9m2Y , http://youtu.be/Wm90lWATkas Baba Amr http://youtu.be/ZJAT4mXMyt0 Wa’er http://youtu.be/SuU4gxyPZvU Bayadeh http://youtu.be/kFOrSKOcm0c , http://youtu.be/oEth6jHBBHs Qoussour http://youtu.be/oSXJ1fmvWM4 , http://youtu.be/4K_JW1QDsPA Insha’aat burning the Russian flag http://youtu.be/Qz4-hlhEkpc , http://youtu.be/XmnDedzGWa4 Ghoutah http://youtu.be/52t0XwJBUeQ Qarabees http://youtu.be/1fKI0wLsk7I Karm Al-Shami http://youtu.be/H-GIaHTpaZw

Homs Province

Rastan http://youtu.be/doXmt083R7I , http://youtu.be/CArFEtcpv5M Talbisseh http://youtu.be/wZN-apD3O3Y , http://youtu.be/tYGQlEc440s Qseir http://youtu.be/EpfC0YAhawg , http://youtu.be/-oeS1R_2qJQ Tadmor (Palmyra) http://youtu.be/elMRrAm68fE , http://youtu.be/D_34L3UhUtY Houleh http://youtu.be/yGl-dAJ42wo

IDLIB

Daytime

Idlib City protesters burn Russian and Chinese flags http://youtu.be/F_vjXH_SRmo , http://youtu.be/ALEFNviM3Kk , http://youtu.be/eWpydd2A2C0

Nighttime

Binnish http://youtu.be/Hj9qLrqZfiY Idlib City http://youtu.be/rtFzw1QDOfY Jarjanaz http://youtu.be/KQWSP6EKCeY Sarmeen http://youtu.be/rCI2egdWGk4 Gilli http://youtu.be/xRsDs4E6ZWs Kafroumah http://youtu.be/dl3o_V-vr7c

DAMASCUS

Daytime

Assaly funeral for a defected soldier http://youtu.be/arA2ubW8AQY Barzeh busloads of security forces in the streets http://youtu.be/o7Wmq7yk0pM Al-Hajar Al-Aswad http://youtu.be/EHMH-u8hdP4 Daraya http://youtu.be/f4SkKKa8u5I

Qaboun this just obtained clip dates back to March 25 and shows the first demonstration that took place in the suburb in support of Deraa http://youtu.be/DDiHyELWeHA

Nighttime