Syrian Revolution Digest: Assad the Terrorist!

Today’s attack targeting a bus-load of detained protesters makes clear that the real terrorists in Syria are the pro-Assad militias, and the real masters of terror in the country, and the region, are the Assads themselves.

Saturday 21, 2012

Today’s death toll: 95.

17 were killed on the road connecting Ariha and Idlib City when roadside bombs exploded near a bus carrying political prisoners. Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) blamed the attack on terrorists and said that ambulances attempting to transport the wounded were also targeted. Locals blame the attack on regime loyalists, and speak of ongoing clashes between local defectors and loyalist troops in Jabal Al-Zawiyeh region, the town of Kafar Takhareem and near the cities of Jisr Ashoughour and Ma’arrat Al-Nouman. The clashes are said to have killed at least 23 loyalists, and enabled the FSA to take complete control of the town of Kafar Takhareem.

Meanwhile, 60 bodies, including 10 women, were discovered in refrigerators in Idlib City’s public hospital. Loyalist troops opened fire on protesters shortly thereafter to prevent them from taking the bodies away for burial. Locals believe the bodies belong to protesters who died in detention and that the bodies were brought in to be mixed with those belonging to victims of today’s attacks. The discovery of the refrigerated bodies lends credence to the assertion of so many activists that the real death toll in the country since the onset of the Revolution on March 15, 2011, far exceeds the current accepted figures of 7,500.

6 protesters were killed as well in the Damascene suburb of Douma when loyalist security forces opened fire on a mourners taking part in a funeral for a local activists. The attacks prompted intervention from local members of the Free Syrian Army who succeeded in driving out all loyalist forces from town, effectively taking control of it. It’s not clear, however, whether FSA members are interested in keeping control of the town as their colleagues did in Zabadani. FSA members in Zabadani were better equipped and they benefited from Zabadani’s mountainous position. Holding a town like Douma, on the other hand, requires a larger and better equipped force than that fielded by local FSA unit, for the time being. Even in Zabadani, the current stand-off is not expected to last long, and loyalist troops are expected to try to take over the town again in the coming days. Meanwhile, the battle around Douma is still raging.

6 were killed in loyalist pounding of protest strongholds in Homs City. 2 more were killed in Aleppo Province, 1 in Lattakia, 1 in Deir Ezzor City and 1 in Hama City.

Links

Bashar falls back on father's brutal methods

Ambush of police truck in Syria kills 14

Syrian blasts kill 14, Arab monitors may stay

U.S. mulls closing Damascus embassy as security worsens

Security forces, dissidents clash in Damascus suburb

At a time when so many are speculating about the possibility of Al-Qaeda network carving a presence for itself inside Syria, today’s explosion in Idlib targeting a bus-load of detained anti-Assad protesters make clear that the real terrorist networks operating inside Syria are actually the pro-Assad militias formed by the security apparatuses whose activities were condoned by Assad in his latest speech.

Terror and chaos is what the Assads are now actively seeking to promote in order to discourage intervention. The more chaos they create the less the likelihood of foreign intervention. Of course, pro-Assad foreign intervention is already taking place, with Iran and Russia as the main protagonists.

Improvised graves for the martyrs of Homs City neighborhood of Baba Amr

Idlib

Idlib City: The martyred victims of today’s attack on the bus carrying political prisoners http://youtu.be/j8k8vTmokUc , http://youtu.be/UZL5wOOAn54 , http://youtu.be/7CfA5f1PU_4 As locals brought in the bodies of the victims, they ended up discovering older bodies hidden in the morgue’s refrigerator http://youtu.be/qjuKQYIgYGc , http://youtu.be/nj_Owj3YFxA , http://youtu.be/wo8dDg3NAlI some of which, they say, bear evidence of torture http://youtu.be/4R_LESF0Wms Later clashes took place between defectors and loyalists http://youtu.be/_2t2vzpknbE A victim for one of the victims of the bus attack http://youtu.be/DIn9dud2zOQ Before the massacres and the mayhem, a large peaceful rally took place in the town’s center http://youtu.be/faqwZKf1YdA , http://youtu.be/RW31JbZMnwE , http://youtu.be/WvxN1RJTwwU

New fighting unit formed in Idlib, The Omar Mokhtar Brigade http://youtu.be/MFkJizsAHmg New defections in Kafrenbel http://youtu.be/HXmvAZC5Bn4

Ma’arrat Al-Nouman: Funeral http://youtu.be/kqosflifMRU , http://youtu.be/pvf3SBxr-4g A new martyr http://youtu.be/bdNf3pgGIFM Ariha: a funeral http://youtu.be/suIs7F-6m2c for this martyr http://youtu.be/hLZ7y-26u74 Hzano: a martyr http://youtu.be/KZd6MdaZZYM Binnish a martyr http://youtu.be/4IXof8hBqxA and a funeral http://youtu.be/rzPb1Lp7qA4 Khan Shaikhoon: A funeral http://youtu.be/Hy4EeFYyZ3M for this local http://youtu.be/BwzJSVXvDF4 A wounded http://youtu.be/guPUeBf6am4

Kafar Takhareem: loyalist troops were still stationed in town in the morning http://youtu.be/L8hwWngBrjM some threatened the local population from a distance http://youtu.be/BvSvdlrVjqA But after few hours, loyalists were forced out and FSA units took control complete of the town. This is snipers were stationed http://youtu.be/J1skbUeTfDg This is where tanks and armored vehicles were kept http://youtu.be/_Gon7ZhV6RE The aftermath of battle http://youtu.be/AjKJx5isjWw One of the homes that were taken over by loyalists http://youtu.be/Fsf3hUVNX-o Loyalist troops prepare to leave town http://youtu.be/WccDc7BIrt4

Rallies Taftanaz http://youtu.be/8aX1uuPJiy0 Heesh http://youtu.be/AmEi_rXj7mU Binnish http://youtu.be/BwhIp3w93Og Ma’arrat Masreen http://youtu.be/Hb_wvnsMYVo Kafroumah http://youtu.be/yv_mcGdlLj8 , http://youtu.be/M-GDPEREFc0

Damascus – East

Douma: A funeral http://youtu.be/Ro0qvgpPg7s , http://youtu.be/6c-1iAuKkUs Children as always present http://youtu.be/frQeBmkedmg Butas mourners tried to take the body out of the Mosque they came under fire http://youtu.be/hDDu7Ytzzj0 but many remain defiant http://youtu.be/JDB66pdmvH8 , http://youtu.be/D5KfJfQsRgE , http://youtu.be/97tQOyH5Sc4 , http://youtu.be/eqbSvpq_OYM , http://youtu.be/K_DqEjmA1Nw The body of the martyr is returned to the Mosque http://youtu.be/3wkGZngxKhI Close-ups of loyalists in action http://youtu.be/KPMc720GtDc , http://youtu.be/GTv7XYcAZW4 , http://youtu.be/FGnUV0h1x7g

Rescuing and treating the wounded http://youtu.be/Ep9_PK0qwMI , http://youtu.be/8jarimamRvA , http://youtu.be/M070X6MDmcw The martyrs http://youtu.be/D2aC6K_QjBw , http://youtu.be/fMvDY9Ivmz8 , http://youtu.be/UnwGvD8fjJ0 , http://youtu.be/MUwnpEgaxf4 , http://youtu.be/omkz9xXOlwc

Rallies Hammouriyeh http://youtu.be/VbSiXYK9lKs , http://youtu.be/vuQP7StMa9Q Harasta night http://youtu.be/cH3AjUNKloo Zamalka night http://youtu.be/IESwk_kzKww Ain Terma night http://youtu.be/aYVEMZ43CDI

Damascus – West

Zabadani: TV crew for loyalist Addounia TV pays a visit to the city but refuses to shoot the anti-Assad rallies, activist making clip comments: had there really been armed gangs here, they would have killed them http://youtu.be/SoOBxKwCsU0 But the crew finally films a local mother asking about the whereabouts of her husband and saying: the people of Zabadani don’t want Assad as their leader. Naturally, the interview was never aired http://youtu.be/XbP-6La8-RU Other Arab media outlets also pay a visit to the town http://youtu.be/OrxUrpXqlUk In this interview, one of the resident makes local demands clear: we want to topple the regime http://youtu.be/u6WisSToB9Q The media came to accompany a delegation of AL monitors. Here one of the monitors explains to the locals how they are preparing their report http://youtu.be/OGqXEWaOljg This is the anti-Assad rally that Addounia TV crew refused to film http://youtu.be/exM6-YWBldc , http://youtu.be/8QUsGImcj1w

Damascus City

Daraya: During the day, the suburb witnesses rallies organized by the local men http://youtu.be/NBTDV_77ZBM and women http://youtu.be/u-J0DhwYsdc At night, local members of the Free Syrian Army roam the streets in their cars waiving the independence flag and brandishing their weapons, promising to protect the neighborhood from loyalists incursions http://youtu.be/Qy-7MKDGGBg

Rallies Kafar Sousseh night http://youtu.be/sg-bJjJv4hA Midan http://youtu.be/xiHG-PRPzEw , http://youtu.be/5rYQurRwbYI , http://youtu.be/sYGw29CmFM0 Barzeh night http://youtu.be/GO8vNziKkdo , http://youtu.be/Zn_6kqkp7QI , http://youtu.be/5FdK_fxbE5U , http://youtu.be/7LdILjrGnQw

Damascus – South Rallies Aqraba http://youtu.be/26xU7DluuaU Artouz http://youtu.be/hSs2Hi7Z-wY Damascus – North Rallies from Jan 20: Qarrah day http://youtu.be/sAJ7w1nM3lo , http://youtu.be/pK90fz9pmWc night http://youtu.be/2B4Xi1crPiw Dmeir http://youtu.be/SdCj2DKPwaw Yabroud http://youtu.be/e6wDuHyXLnE

Homs City

Bab Al-Sibaa: snipers stations on the walls of the ancient citadel fire at the neighborhood below http://youtu.be/cCHXcBypBrw AL monitors were in the neighborhood and were forced to take refuge in the dwelling of a local activist http://youtu.be/U0JaMMADXSs