Another Last Eid Under Assad!

People are signing in Homs and elsewhere in Syria, despite the daily killing and misery. But while some sing for freedom and dignity, others sing for oblivion, and the continued bliss of ignorance, even if feigned: the old song of serfdom.

Sunday November 6, 2011

22 people were killed in the continuing crackdown by pro-Assad militias against pro-democracy protesters, including 16 in Homs City, 3 in Idlib Province and 2 in Hama Province including a little girl. 4 explosions rocked the city of Lattakia at night – the causes and impact remain unknown.

On Monday morning, and according to eyewitnesses, the situation in Baba Amr Neighborhood took a dramatic when new defections reportedly took place in the units sent to storm the neighborhood leading to violent clashes between defectors and loyalists leaving dozens of dead on both sides. The fighting reportedly spilled into other neighborhoods in the city, including Bab Al-Sibaa, Bab Dreib, Karm Al-Zeitun, Jib Al-Jandali, Bayadah, Tawzei Ijbari, Ghoutah and Deir Baalbah.

Links

Syria crackdown continues prompting urgent Arab League talks

ICG: Conflict Risk Alert: Syria’s Tipping Point

The Sacrificial Lion Takes Cover

For the first time since he became President, Bashar Al-Assad refrained from performing Eid prayers in Damascus or Aleppo, and went instead to pray, not in Deraa, Deir Ezzor, Lattkia, Tartous, Hama, Homs, Idlib Or Hassakeh, but in the city of Raqqah where despite occasional demonstrations, loyalist security forces have been able to keep the situation under control. This is pretty telling indication of how secure Assad feels at this stage and of his inner circle’s reading of the security situation on the ground. Not even coastal towns, their alleged strongholds, feel safe for them anymore. That’s how popular they know they are.

Burhan Ghalioun Speech

Beyond sentimentalities, the speech was very much a dud, and its emotional tug won’t last more than days, because it came too late, and it avoided dealing with any of the current problems and challenges facing the country: there was no mention of what is going on in Homs City, and no mention of the Free Syrian Army and the role of defectors. Instead, we heard a foolish admonition to soldiers to refuse obeying orders to shoot at civilians, but hundreds have been killed because they did exactly that, and thousands have defected to avoid having to do that, but then, as defectors, they came under a de facto death sentence. When caught, they are immediately killed, without even the formalities of a court martial, no matter no hastily arrange. What choice do such defectors have but defend themselves and the communities that harbored them. Still, Ghalioun skirts over the issue as though it were an illusion, and as though there were no war taking place in Homs, and no daily defections and clashes between defectors and loyalists.

Despite the heart-felt assertions that rights will be respected, irrespective of national and religious background, and even the rights of the silent block, no practical vision was offered as to how this can be done.

Indeed, the speech was nothing more than a testament to the continued utter irrelevance and uselessness of traditional intellectuals and opposition figures as to what is currently taking place on the ground throughout the country. It is a pity. And a crying shame.

The War in Homs City

Baba Amr – A War Zone – A Disaster Area http://youtu.be/2FMA-PcV1So Bodies of the wounded are strewn in the streets http://youtu.be/ZxIjsmREp84 The fighting spill to other neighborhoods: Insha’aat http://youtu.be/uKm8SGvJyRg At night the pounding spread to other parts of the city: Jub Al-Jandali http://youtu.be/CwyKVE0lZUQ 

A woman who escaped from Baba Amr Neighborhood in Homs City speaks of food shortages, dead and wounded and the streets, while we hear the pounding in the background. She blames the league and wonders how can the “bastard” Assad go make the Eid prayers in Raqqah when the children of Homs are being killed http://youtu.be/sVBGl-A6Xdw

Meanwhile, tanks continue to pound the neighborhood http://youtu.be/VzYEwqzK9jc , http://youtu.be/Jobu0MLjoY4 , http://youtu.be/v-z-jaoL2X8

A stroll through the quitter parts of the neighborhood of Baba Amr http://youtu.be/zTlaTHCOt5k , http://youtu.be/rUvUX0BmZl4 , http://youtu.be/7AF1Vwms0ks , http://youtu.be/JRs0BuJwRMQ , http://youtu.be/j6Io9cFculo , http://youtu.be/Ukg4IlELwKM Impact of the pounding on homes http://youtu.be/165amEbJPJk Houses that have been stormed by loyalist militias http://youtu.be/ByqZftNBTjc

FUNERALS: Wa’er http://youtu.be/-PGdgxr_YwI Another http://youtu.be/gRV2YpiHkOE , http://youtu.be/0raOTPh7Q0M Insha’aat http://youtu.be/kXhAKIwmjNs

MARTYRS: Bab Dreib http://youtu.be/YFubUDJXtNs , http://youtu.be/TAR9Iba5RPE Baba Amr http://youtu.be/cAfLAAKRyKY Insha’aat http://youtu.be/zb6ui3jIR_Q Jobar these bodies were brought in from the neighborhood of Baba Amr http://youtu.be/EPpCd8BRrzI , http://youtu.be/OIP3ahFZspc , http://youtu.be/WXYvaUXncIA

HOMS:

Daytime demonstrations in the city: Bab Al-Sibaa protesters carry banners saluting the Free Syrian Army http://youtu.be/tW0hse5PGYU Deir Baalbah http://youtu.be/cMFfER6hBHo , http://youtu.be/nIcnDlandvU “Today’ Homs is Yesterday’s Bosnia” http://youtu.be/tdI5LNVtb7w  Protesters come under fire http://youtu.be/UF7AXsogdJg Bab Houd http://youtu.be/NDvqpUd1xaU Khaldiyeh http://youtu.be/QShTkSRAexs , http://youtu.be/qlI889OrJyM Stadium http://youtu.be/RvXZGO8u8dY Bab Dreib http://youtu.be/htOR8cMVDSw , http://youtu.be/yJerLAUqYak Jub Al-Jandali http://youtu.be/4ONyuGURcWY Cairo Street http://youtu.be/WneY06V8vOI Bayadah http://youtu.be/e70ks1uRKzY Fakhourah http://youtu.be/xJT7cvCT-Sw Qarabees http://youtu.be/cjk-7RCqHLg Qoussour http://youtu.be/Aw8OMlF5mII Hamrah http://youtu.be/1VcsnQgx8H8 Ghoutah http://youtu.be/o79RZ3bewRw Wa’er http://youtu.be/6yE8wwIMZr0

Nighttime: Qarabees http://youtu.be/NPoBop9tZVE Khaldiyeh http://youtu.be/aKnEZlF81_g Bab Dreib http://youtu.be/HAUc7oWIffk Bab Houd http://youtu.be/unK7KrdBNfU Wa’er http://youtu.be/PWSRFnedKlA

Demonstrations in the larger province:

Talbisseh http://youtu.be/N6nIQbRm3uc But protester quickly come under fire, and though they try to remain defiant at first, they are soon forced to disperse http://youtu.be/knZJ35q5J7k 

Tadmor (Palmyra) sign celebrates the coming birth of the military transitional council to be led by Riyad Al-Assad, leader of the Free Syrian Army http://youtu.be/eV4unvBg2-g , http://youtu.be/4HBKzobMozA , http://youtu.be/NwIONgwmTEU , http://youtu.be/TQbw7uk-0Qg nighttime http://youtu.be/P-D6s3rQpkY

Houleh http://youtu.be/mIb6fnw7MP0 Rastan http://youtu.be/i69i5pOMFDc Kafar Aya http://youtu.be/sCx6pFGXGXE Sukhnah http://youtu.be/BSF5nFgjKXc Qaryatein http://youtu.be/-cgr2pvHTDs Tal Kalakh http://youtu.be/h2QxZrZl8_E Mheen http://youtu.be/_s7tNaQ0ldY Qseir http://youtu.be/Sn4dfJp1Glk Ghanto http://youtu.be/HVN-S8kerIY Izzidine http://youtu.be/M-jm7z4f89Y Hassya http://youtu.be/HLoV0Vw-or0

The rural areas in Damascus continue to boil

In Damascene Neighborhood of Kafar Sousseh, security forces use tear gas to disperse protesters http://youtu.be/TodLAEL5i5c  In Qaboun http://youtu.be/yJLno58v3NE Protesters come under fire http://youtu.be/0jx_HcdiVzc , http://youtu.be/yDK9V8tJgaY , http://youtu.be/EnlcCpsTnSc , http://youtu.be/Z__4v28pYxw In Zabadani, protesters throw stones at a poster of Bashar Al-Assad covering a big garbage container, thus mimicking how worshippers cast stones at Satan during the pilgrimage in Makkah http://youtu.be/DCQg-tmjH1k

In the town of Dmeir in Rural Damascus, the city comes under fire at night http://youtu.be/GAiVxa1bQzs But, it’s the town of Kanaker in Rural Damascus that witnesses the most serious crackdown at this stage with a tank shooting its way through the narrow streets and pro-Assad militias making arrests and terrorizing the local population http://youtu.be/PbHpV29_Yic

IDLIB: Idlib City funeral http://youtu.be/yxbU_tXzfW0  Idlib City protesters mock Assad’s recent threats chanting “prepare yourself for the earthquake” http://youtu.be/IWzmNSM90gI , http://youtu.be/9wKbWnbfBJ4 nighttime http://youtu.be/bT34NZg-QkQ Binnish http://youtu.be/__zVyduHgvQ Kafar Nabbel http://youtu.be/B2batPliYkQ , http://youtu.be/_9ZrqbhMWKQ Kafroumah http://youtu.be/X-3hCRx1ABY Jarjanaz http://youtu.be/wf45ZDeuk0Y , http://youtu.be/v79-GaDvRbA , http://youtu.be/KglgmYveUko Corine http://youtu.be/AVvxZnOCijg Hbeit http://youtu.be/4c2PpOQusRg Taftanaz http://youtu.be/XJF0KaExDLk Eltman’ah http://youtu.be/KumAGmk2zxs Sarmeen http://youtu.be/eV-VIS5v7Q8 Ghadfah http://youtu.be/2pI-LTGbs1Y Kafar Yahmoul http://youtu.be/cr_QUWhxFEQ

HAMA: Sahel Al-Ghab funeral http://youtu.be/atiaGKuBD5I Hilfaya http://youtu.be/FA81lH2XAAk Kafar Nabboudeh http://youtu.be/cF7B1KdTTNQ Kafar Zita http://youtu.be/5t9ub6aQBe4 Khattab http://youtu.be/sc_SYi19FHM Taybat Al-Imam http://youtu.be/qqubucpq5WU Ellatamneh http://youtu.be/40_sHAHYu2M Karnaz http://youtu.be/siuN28E59NE Breedej http://youtu.be/WP8bkIicc44 Hama City (Bab Qibly) http://youtu.be/RHIYXmhfqPQ Sauran http://youtu.be/py6xgOBuBnM Treimseh http://youtu.be/a2vp63Iob2k

DERAA/HAURAN: Harrah protesters come under fire http://youtu.be/ld9jHi-9yqc Sanamein http://youtu.be/mN4HxYI2P8M nighttime http://youtu.be/EjBiPKp_1GE Hraak http://youtu.be/5rD1Q2AKfqI Mleihah Sharqiyeh http://youtu.be/_sVsDRMCoj0 Jizah http://youtu.be/z2Hg3KC-Y8M Ankhel http://youtu.be/HjCODCdUUQg nighttime http://youtu.be/cyl6lWyJbL4 Kafar Shams http://youtu.be/e3uPgjLDNsY Jassem http://youtu.be/YOJ0Y-EO-lk Deraa City http://youtu.be/JhN9xMkbaio Khirbet Ghazaleh http://youtu.be/Z6OXJGAlsn0 Nawa http://youtu.be/13On1LDEElM Da’el http://youtu.be/5nEZRfmLiV8 Izraa http://youtu.be/B5_HlTlkcWw Bosra http://youtu.be/nxQE4qNCfIs Tseel http://youtu.be/HElNxSK8rYI Ma’arabah http://youtu.be/79XX88GSK60 Mseifrah http://youtu.be/dDFL2YDhaxs Nasseeb http://youtu.be/gqwX4trbCNI

DAMASCUS: Zabadani http://youtu.be/Ro5kZRdgmlM Madaya http://youtu.be/sQwz9iCQTMg Eltal http://youtu.be/Zbch8Ueg_JQ Douma http://youtu.be/RzGcEfmF_dU Midan District http://youtu.be/LkPkdn5M0nM Qoudsayah http://youtu.be/vhMcQSWOL0s Zakiyah http://youtu.be/WTZ4FHHWzlM Qatana http://youtu.be/0_wNypUnymY Dmeir http://youtu.be/4GOWzxRlc_k Barzeh http://youtu.be/owRt78FSG1w Saqba http://youtu.be/n9xwLabnrRU Troops storm suburb http://youtu.be/L5J5jOv2jYY Hamouriyeh http://youtu.be/gNFeJ8DWDJE Zamalka http://youtu.be/UuZh7HqS7HM

DEIR EZZOR: Shawakh http://youtu.be/uZvUvOvfH0U Jbeileh http://youtu.be/9X9p4J90DZw Qrayah http://youtu.be/zWW6WlNa7FY

HASSAKEH: Qamishly http://youtu.be/nNXybgsL3JU , http://youtu.be/cLsAMSSWsKo Amoudeh http://youtu.be/ESCu-f4aSG8

ALEPPO: Tal Rif’aat http://youtu.be/NvWrGC91nRw , http://youtu.be/MNexc4i6NIg Bayanoun http://youtu.be/hFXaOB9seSI Anadan http://youtu.be/ifYBqrV6Rw8 Marei http://youtu.be/PWhBqSQgQ8Q

LATTAKIA: Hiffeh http://youtu.be/g6d7UW42J_s

TARTOUS: Baniyas/Baydah http://youtu.be/MqDCAfj-cJ0