By declaring their support of the Syrian National
Council and now of the Free Syrian Army, the protesters are urging unity and
the development of an overarching political platform that goes beyond rhetoric
of violence and nonviolence and into a discussion of realities and necessities.
The people want international protection, even if it led to military
intervention, and they want both their political and military leaders to work
together to garner support for it. Will they get the message?
Friday October 14, 2011
21 killed as pro-Assad
militias continue their violent crackdown against unarmed protesters on a day
dedicated to calling on the army to stand by the people. The dead include 18 in
Deraa/Hauran (10 in Da’el and 8 in Ankhel), 2 in Damascus in the
suburbs of Qadam (a child) and a Saqba, and 1 in Andan, a
suburb of Aleppo.
Meanwhile, eyewitnesses
reported defections in the Damascene Suburbs of Saqba and Kafar Batna
leading to clashes with loyalists.
UN High Commissioner for
Human Rights
declared that the official death toll in Syria has now exceeded 3,000.
Links
The Free Syrian Army
“Our
army is the Free Syrian Army” says this banner from Insha’aat
Neighborhood in Homs City http://youtu.be/FUPUEyk_y5Q.
On
a day dedicated to call on the army to protect the people and join the ranks of
the Free Syria Army, it seems important to review what we so far know about
this rising institution:
The
formation of the FSA was announced on July 29, 2011 by Colonel Riyad
Al-Ass’aad shortly after his defection http://youtu.be/SZcCbIPM37w
With this announcement, the FSA became the second military wing appear on the
scene, having been proceeded by the Free Officers Movement.
On
September 23, shortly after the disappearance of Lieutenant Colonel Hussain
Harmoush, leader and founder of the Free Officers Movement, the two
military wings announced their unification under the banner of the FSA http://youtu.be/w8fCuS-beZc
On
October 12, Colonel Ahmad Hijazi, the FSA’s Deputy Commander-in-chief,
announced the formal structure of the FSA http://youtu.be/L4CoItIFtcM
According to this announcement, the FSA is made up of the following brigades:
Brigade Name
|
Region
|
Commander’s Name
|
|
1
|
Hamzah
Al-Khateeb
|
Idlib
City and Suburbs
|
Abdul-Sattar
Yuso
|
2
|
Moawiyah
Bin Abi Sufian
|
Damascus
City
|
Maher
Al-Rahmoun
|
3
|
Al-Ababeel
|
Aleppo
|
Ammar
Al-Wawi
|
4
|
Al
Harmoush
|
Jabal
Al-Zawiyeh (Idlib Province)
|
Youssef
Yahya
|
5
|
Alhouriyeh
|
Aleppo
|
Rami
(?) Majbour
|
6
|
Al-Suqur
|
Lattakia
|
Muhammad
Tayseer Ousso
|
7
|
Salaheddine
Al-Ayoubi
|
Jisr
Ashoughour
|
Alaaddin
|
8
|
Abu
Obeidah bin Al-Jarrah
|
Damascus
Province
|
Wassim
Al-Khalid
|
9
|
Al-Omari
|
Deraa/Hauran
|
Qais
Qata’neh
|
10
|
Sultan
Pasha Al-Atrash
|
Suweidah
|
Unnamed
|
11
|
Khalid
Bin Al-Walid
|
Homs
City
|
Abdurrahman
Sheir
|
12
|
Omar
bin Al-Khattab
|
Qseir
|
Unnamed
|
13
|
Al-Qashoush
|
Hama
|
Ayham
Al-Kurdi
|
14
|
Saad
Bin Moaz
|
Sahel
Al-Ghab (Hama Province)
|
Unnamed
|
15
|
Aboul
Fidaa
|
Hama
|
Unnamed
|
16
|
Al-Qassam
|
Jableh
|
Mazen
Ezzein
|
17
|
Samer
Nunu (?)
|
Baniyas
|
Riyad
Ahmad
|
18
|
Mishaal
Tammo
|
Qamishly
|
Unnamed
|
19
|
Odai
Al-Tayi
|
Hassakeh
|
Unnamed
|
20
|
Moaz
Al-Raqad
|
Deir
Ezzor
|
Unnamed
|
21
|
Allahu
Akbar
|
Albou
Kamal
|
Unnamed
|
22
|
Ahmad
Nayif Al-Sukhni
|
Al-Raqqah
|
Unnamed
|
We
should bear in mind here, that when it was first announced 2 months ago the FSA
was a mere project, but it soon acquired a reality, aided by the increasing
number of defectors and of civilian joining its ranks. The civilian component
seems to make the bulk of the army at this stage, but the civilians are either
retired members of the army, or young people who have performed their
obligatory military service, hence, they have already received some military
training and know how to operate within the command structure of an army. They
have also been receiving some training by defectors over the last few weeks.
The figures for the FSA membership range between 8 and 15,000, weapons are more
often acquired locally from attacks on loyalist army posts and convoys.
The
FSA includes as well as number of navy defectors http://youtu.be/0OrrP22djuA
While
most operations conducted in the name of the Free Syrian Army have been mostly
focused in Idlib and Homs provinces, and around the town of Albou Kamal ear the
Iraqi border, eyewitness accounts indicate that over the last couple of weeks a
number of operations against loyalists have taken place in the rural areas around
Damascus, including Saqba, Kafar Batna and Arbeen.
As
the militarization of the revolution continues, couple of with rising despair
and anger on part of the protesters, be it with world leaders, or opposition
groups. As this banner from the town of Kafar nabbel in the Idlib Province,
clearly shows:
Down with the Regime
and the Opposition, Down the Arab and Islamic Nation, Down with the Security
Council, Down with the World, Down with Everything… Occupied Kafar Nabbel,
October 14, 2011
But,
clinging to some hope, protesters carry as well a banner addressed to the
American people http://youtu.be/kyLsZXivFXY
“If you don’t topple Al-Assad now, don’t boast about democracy again”
Featured Videos
In Deraa/Hauran, in Da’el protesters come
under fire, 10 are killed http://youtu.be/n_Loo3U_kUQ
, http://youtu.be/3hte05THNGY A
martyr http://youtu.be/KdurbRMnUtw In,
Ankhel locals face tanks with stones as they get under fire. 8 were
reported killed http://youtu.be/_RubiII6iVA
A martyr from Ankhel http://youtu.be/gie43Q-4L7s
Still, locals chase the tanks with their stones http://youtu.be/Q3NDAZDs_F0
In Qamishly, more than 20,000 Kurds took
part in today’s demonstration http://youtu.be/8fktAlyszLY
and carrying banners saying “we won’t serve in an army that kills us.” Many
wore T-shirts commemorating the assassinated Kurdish rights activist Mishaal
Tammo http://youtu.be/6WpmtaqUGXc
In Damascus, a child, Ibrahim Shaiban,
was killed as he took part in a protest in the neighborhood of Al-Qadam http://youtu.be/GCKzK8cuYTY
In Bab Al-Sibaa Neighborhood in Homs
City, leaving the local mosque has become an art of dodging snipers’ bullets http://youtu.be/9h_yUpO4O4c
Despite weeks of violent crackdown, including random
shelling from tanks and sniper activities that left hundreds dead, and
detention campaigns that touched thousands, tens of thousands of local
residents in Homs City took to the streets to show their support to the Free
Syrian Army.
Homs City: Baba Amr http://youtu.be/NaMfu-83_f4 (night) http://youtu.be/mNJ2YKLSRbU Insha’aat
http://youtu.be/lfBeyRVLWnY (night) http://youtu.be/hZXP-sX9bOs Bayadeh
http://youtu.be/g9ZnlD31NpE (night) http://youtu.be/Zss44e4pGgw Deir
Baalbah http://youtu.be/XaFOo3e1Cfg
Wa’er http://youtu.be/sxNOPR5dm6I
Shammas http://youtu.be/ImXP8Spfhuw
Midan http://youtu.be/mLfgcLsCAhU
Qarabees http://youtu.be/jHd9DL_HaUQ
Qoussour http://youtu.be/h2OfThaIVbA
Bab Al-Sibaa http://youtu.be/prKst-wwhZU
Jobar http://youtu.be/ILBsCoy3XxA
Jib Al-Jandali http://youtu.be/hAepbEqT_Dk
Al-Dar Al-Kabirah http://youtu.be/z9FXvQg-6xo
Bab Houd http://youtu.be/v4pceJe-5Bs
Ghoutah http://youtu.be/XStRViKMk90
Asheerah http://youtu.be/Hs-3z-ofpIw Khaldiyeh
candlelight vigil http://youtu.be/xdGP4wIste0
Karm Al-Zaitun http://youtu.be/sRROyvuUhY8
Homs Province: Despite the occupation, the people of Talbisseh
take to the streets http://youtu.be/BqIWt-mDjLA
Tadmor (Palmyra) http://youtu.be/tZoBhOUD1E4
(night) http://youtu.be/PPMUe05ek80 Ghantoo
http://youtu.be/R-x3TO3fE_U Qseir
http://youtu.be/7ti0gbB-UhM Bouaydah
http://youtu.be/Kv-YOm2GTBY Wadi
Al-Arab http://youtu.be/Az2W4wTG2ag
Sukhnah http://youtu.be/9mwJp28N0_s
Idlib: Deir Al-Sharqi http://youtu.be/tgdDuLBvd0Y Kafroumah
http://youtu.be/GSfQKhkGSj4 Jarjanaz
http://youtu.be/sM9cpbkyyxI Idlib
City http://youtu.be/zPuRxYbok_Y
(night) http://youtu.be/GbVUAIDN1XU Jabal
Al-Zawiyeh http://youtu.be/dJ3tMStgxjE
Kafar Sajnah http://youtu.be/JYVxLizZ1B0
Hbeit http://youtu.be/ZpMS9GwZH3I
Sarmeen http://youtu.be/R6sBQDIQnWM
Saraqib http://youtu.be/6tneyhpD_oU
Ma’arrat Al-Nouman http://youtu.be/cedvPC7qrQk
Annaqir http://youtu.be/NMGxZIzjaII
Heesh http://youtu.be/xPsHP4UbtBQ
Maasaraan http://youtu.be/n9FpavFkreU
Taftanaz http://youtu.be/R0qBDuSoE6c
Kafar Takhareem http://youtu.be/IbeMov4p02g
Hama: Hilfaya http://youtu.be/4ujMYrrvaeo Morek
http://youtu.be/ztL3XWNVLs8 Kafar Nabboudeh
http://youtu.be/PPE3rVqjoyc Karnaz
http://youtu.be/sW5iWFLqMms Taybat
Al-Imam http://youtu.be/zNWstyJfjMc
Khattab http://youtu.be/rEEPJci-jgM
In Aleilaat, protesters come under fire http://youtu.be/RQ4YqLaFlKI Hama City
http://youtu.be/yexBKK7wGCw Madeeq
http://youtu.be/UQ_DlqBYhDA
Deraa/Hauran: Basr Al-Harir http://youtu.be/xnBfOx2OX6A Hraak
http://youtu.be/r9XCKKkD8Vo Abtaa
http://youtu.be/ZzCukOl887U Taybeh
http://youtu.be/-1OGWpqBAHk Sanamein
http://youtu.be/dL7IgtBffv0 Mseifrah
http://youtu.be/NRA5J6DM84U Bosra
http://youtu.be/3OlM0fJg0U8 Tseel
http://youtu.be/0eZvftjLpD0 Ataman
http://youtu.be/InOQqrIOui4 Kafar
Shams http://youtu.be/rU3U0BKfMzs
Khirbet Ghazaleh http://youtu.be/gRf_j9xI7S8
Maarabah http://youtu.be/U08aBtlGkrE
Damascus: Zamalka http://youtu.be/elBvm_d7yOo Arbeen
http://youtu.be/eY72HMUmb7w Douma
http://youtu.be/TGxMdawd_VY Rankous
http://youtu.be/QYuVfFROZqY Madaya
http://youtu.be/YUJuDrqtay0 Saqba
http://youtu.be/qtuN-122vlQ Zabadani
http://youtu.be/Hy-U1HISvyI Sayyidah
Zainab http://youtu.be/4kZNqPD2QIY
Kafar Batna http://youtu.be/TQgvXAuwJDY
Hassakeh: Ras Al-Ain http://youtu.be/Pz2vndK5lqA Amoudeh
http://youtu.be/A76cTAhlafQ
Deir Ezzor: Qarayah http://youtu.be/mQ56mjcv4CY
Aleppo: A protester was shot dead in Andan http://youtu.be/-Wra0l1AY9U protesters
come under fire http://youtu.be/P_PRjQtKbdM
A hasty funeral is arranged http://youtu.be/aGu4-iUHEbI
Tal Rif’aat http://youtu.be/b6dfd2GgZUA
Marei http://youtu.be/hKxqdu3rQ6E
Elbaab security forces attack demonstrators http://youtu.be/hpfiUhVHn7Y Efreen
http://youtu.be/AiQlKnuB7IQ
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