Long ago someone
saw God, today freedom fighters are seeing the Devil. Indeed, there has always
been a rather epic quality to encounters taking place on the Road to Damascus.
Sunday 29, 2012
Today’s death toll: 80, including 9 defectors
affiliated with the Free Syrian Army. The Breakdown: 25 in Shaizar in
Hama Province killed in loyalist pounding, 6 in Damascus City, 12 in different
communities in Rural Damascus, 8 in Homs City, 4 in Hama City, 4 in Idlib
Province,
26 loyalist troops were killed in clashes with rebels in Rural
Damascus and Idlib province. 5 more were killed in clashes near Zabadani, and
an addition 6 when a roadside bobm hit their bus along the road to Damascus
International Airport.
The pounding of Rankous and Eastern Ghoutah in Rural Damascus
continues, with more than 50 tanks taking part in the operations.
While Damascus International Airport remains open, traffic has
declined to a trickle.
Links
Damascus
The
situation in Damascus has become increasingly tense today as evidenced by the
proliferating rumors concerning the escape of Assad from the country or the
foiled attempt by his wife, mother and cousin to do the same. Sifting through
these rumors is not easy, but several reports of explosions and heavy gunfire
exchange in Central Damascus can be confirmed.
Some
reports claim that a major attack on the General Headquarters of Air Force
Security near Damascus’ own Tahrir Square in Central Damascus did take place.
Others speak of an attack on the local police station of Naher Eisheh in Old
Damascus. There have also been reports of clashes between loyalists and rebels
in Rabweh Region to the northwest of Damascus. Security forces did open fire on
protesters in Jobar neighborhood in the eastern parts of Damascus. The
neighborhood is practically an in-city extension of Eastern Ghoutah Region.
Still Assad
loyalist troops have managed reestablished their presence in various
communities in Eastern Ghoutah and Qalamoun, but this is far from
reestablishing control. Rebels simply don’t have enough arms and ammunition for
direct head-on combat at this stage. Mounting Guerrilla Warfare, on the other
hand, is a different matter. Indeed, and for the foreseeable future, attacks on
loyalist troops and security headquarters, checkpoints and convoys will become
part of daily life in Damascus and its suburbs in tandem with loyalist
crackdown, killings and detentions.
But the
Assads, buoyed over by the support of their Russian and Iranian backers, will
keep fighting on holding fast to the illusion of victory, while analysts will
keep recommending a course of action that has never been tenable when dealing
with the likes of Assads. The protesters and rebels will soldier on on their
own and victory will be theirs down the road, but the price will be very heavy,
as it has always been in our part of the world.
Peter Harling of
International Crisis Group makes a cogent analysis here, his best, and perhaps
only of the situation so far. He gives the protest leaders on the ground their just
due, rightfully rails against the disunited opposition abroad and corrects
misperceptions of the situation on ground, refuting regime propaganda in this
regard. The problem in the article, however, lies with the recommendation Harling
ended up making:
“A
Security Council resolution is the one available lever that could be brought to
bear on a Syrian leadership that feels sheltered by the prevailing divisions on
the international scene, and would rather take the country down the road to
civil war than negotiate in order to obtain what still can be achieved (not
least guarantees for the Alawite community, a phased hand-over of power, and
the assurance of institutional continuity) at the cost of giving up on the hope
that hunkering down and making reforms that only satisfy its supporters somehow
will enable it to stay in power.”
Basically, Harling
believes that a UN resolution would reflect a united stand by the international
community which would compel the Assads into entering a serious dialogue over a
phased transition. This is, of course, a pipedream. The very fact that Russia
is doing its very best to ensure that only the most watered down resolution is
passed, one that does not single out the Assads for blame or call for their
departure, comes as a clear indication that such a resolution would not represent
a solution.
In reality, a UN
resolution is no longer necessary, and might even be counter-productive if it
was phrased in such a way as to equate Assads’ mindless crackdown with the
legitimate rebellion it succeeded in instigating. What is needed at this stage
is the ability and willingness to provide the necessary material and logistical
support to the rebels and to provide protest leaders with the training and
advice necessary to lead the transitional period themselves, something that can
be done in any number of ways despite the ongoing mayhem.
Yes, this is quite
the treacherous path, especially considering the growing sectarian divides in
the country and the willingness of the Assads to push it to the brinks and
beyond. But thanks to prolonged dithering of the international community, it is
the only one path left at this stage. So, optimal or not, treacherous or not,
here we come.
An officer from the
FSA shows off a sample of the bullets that the regime itself is peddling on the
black market: extra explosive materials will make rifles and guns using these
bullets blow up in the hands of the shooters http://youtu.be/-THpt4jODtE
Homs
|
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The City
|
||||||
Baba
Amr:
T-72 tanks pounding the neighborhood http://youtu.be/UmiKWafqQ5s Pounding by a
passing BMP http://youtu.be/y9L6p86usR4 The pounding
continues http://youtu.be/5IeRWYCkU1A and intensifies http://youtu.be/S_98gUi1phQ More houses are
demolished http://youtu.be/swjCIJFT56E , http://youtu.be/uJgqVqioR_g A martyr http://youtu.be/niLL_Dyy9XU Wounded http://youtu.be/7zZGnnaN3P8 , http://youtu.be/GWX8THNt0Ik , http://youtu.be/esrsUwiPJ9A , http://youtu.be/m3Rb7-FmxuE , http://youtu.be/OSHcHmROFLQ , http://youtu.be/BnRTgNiHBbM A doctor
from the local field hospital tells us that some of the wounded he is
currently treating are victims of attacks with nail bombs used against people
standing in line to buy bread http://youtu.be/Nef8rZfmUg8 A child that was
just pulled from under the rubble http://youtu.be/sWGlk_u6AbE Treating to revive
a patient http://youtu.be/Q0pV2NhmSNI
Martyrs http://youtu.be/cA38F61uoFc
At dawn of January 30, the neighborhood comes under renewed assault http://youtu.be/FNcq80gp0gM
Wadi
Al-Arab: a
child falls victim to a sniper attack http://youtu.be/oWe7kApaGms More sniper
victims http://youtu.be/lTIvgOaEPDY
, http://youtu.be/juXoe-zIezI , http://youtu.be/EY68iRi9CxA , http://youtu.be/9KG02KJMtzU Snipers in
action http://youtu.be/mV3uhveBIiw Local
Activist Abdebassit Sarout eulogizes two martyrs http://youtu.be/fCJBvxncx0M Both were
victims of torture http://youtu.be/HAcN_Odnwp0
, http://youtu.be/h4DwLl6XWO0
Another martyr http://youtu.be/Oal8s0OW13E
And another http://youtu.be/01M05rOEeJc
And another http://youtu.be/bObIA1Z1Zbg
Jub
Al-Jandali:
victim of sniper attack http://youtu.be/UCbYOY36Ndk
Another http://youtu.be/SBCyR47Goks
Karm
Al-Zeitun:
The neighborhood is pounded in the morning http://youtu.be/qy4upuTKSrU Victim of sniper
attack http://youtu.be/1OZDqqrn3Zc This young man
died of kidney failure, locals were unable to take him to the hospital die to
the siege of their neighborhood http://youtu.be/7vpeFMQVgeU An injured girl http://youtu.be/zh7SZgRH4-g A little girl
tells the cameraman that they had to leave because their home was bombed, she
says that they will be going to her aunt’s house taking only their
clothes http://youtu.be/IJ2fD3_NXJE
Deir
Baalbah:
a funeral http://youtu.be/YztrMVSFQ-Q for this martyr http://youtu.be/bOc3Wfn9YA8 Three
wounded children http://youtu.be/gqSQR1HrbqY
Al-Rifai: The neighborhood is pounded http://youtu.be/WOjo4sfd42k sample of the shells used http://youtu.be/9dfbbzy9S_s More demolished homes http://youtu.be/q-e423s51mc Snipers take up positions http://youtu.be/yNF9s8DgLaU and go to work http://youtu.be/X7u73qdCQRM
Bab
Tadmor:
a funeral http://youtu.be/evw7Rouyn3E
for this local http://youtu.be/hfVf6W2Fgnw
At night, the neighborhood comes under attack http://youtu.be/6I9KYhWfUDA
Malaab: protesters burn
the Russian flag http://youtu.be/CQ4PPjdRowk
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Nighttime
Rallies Bab
Houd
http://youtu.be/sJeuM2qA72Y Wa’er
http://youtu.be/4ZaxYWKbE0s Jub
Al-Jandali http://youtu.be/Uwq4BpGMWAk
Insha’aat http://youtu.be/fU80jWTHik0
Qoussour http://youtu.be/x_apGLuoUns , http://youtu.be/H0dOLIxtpas Sifsafeh
http://youtu.be/m-bEMv_KJ5A Bab
Dreib http://youtu.be/NCNh4IRWE2c
Jouret Al-Shayah http://youtu.be/x5RgFlB3QyQ
Khaldiyeh http://youtu.be/Xgs6t4bQNrE
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The Province
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Rastan: Local members of
the FSA declare the western parts of the city liberated, and promise to
liberate the rest http://youtu.be/IWbSzINVul8
People rally under the protection of the FSA http://youtu.be/c9DHeLuGZT8
Talbisseh: a sniper victim http://youtu.be/biOIXGn6KZE , http://youtu.be/lGplN9sIK6s a funeral http://youtu.be/IbDFYJ_0wis
Houleh: Protesters come
under heavy gunfire from loyalists http://youtu.be/WpiN8kfhwYM
an injured little girl http://youtu.be/688n3QWUyFM
Qseir: impact of
shelling http://youtu.be/uR9VtgQQT14
Tadmor: loyalist troops
stand on the outskirts of the historic city and begin shooting http://youtu.be/jWqejK4tOqU
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Daytime
Rallies
Qseir http://youtu.be/e0uV7nSWvpU
, http://youtu.be/3Ttz3_fImVA Jandar
http://youtu.be/YeOmUwFdbqU Hassya
http://youtu.be/IXYHNWx_Vxo
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Nighttime
Rallies
Qseir http://youtu.be/WP6FhgYPfQg
Tadmor http://youtu.be/g4WROO_SUHs
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Damascus
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The City
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Jobar: protesters taking
part in this funeral http://youtu.be/zEpRl5e9JXM
come under fire leaving several more dead and wounded http://youtu.be/NT2TW5nDXNY , http://youtu.be/QLKQroiER9w The blood
of the dead and wounded covers the streets http://youtu.be/o62cyq_zehA A
nighttime funeral http://youtu.be/PmDrLR1coIE
Al-Hajar
Al-Aswad:
nighttime protesters http://youtu.be/0ky7lEyrHtE
come under fire http://youtu.be/AvAdhcb4zPo
Daraya: nighttime rally http://youtu.be/N-InIQ5zejk comes
under fire http://youtu.be/vYlvbk9q5Kg
|
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Daytime
Rallies
Daraya http://youtu.be/Awoc06dsRWA
Qadam http://youtu.be/0uaf0P7JuUc
|
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Nighttime
Rallies
Barzeh http://youtu.be/NPLuhiXoCQk
, http://youtu.be/RBC1u9vi_M8 Old
Mazzeh http://youtu.be/mdimKrHLNuc
Sitti Zeinab http://youtu.be/slI22p2wJ8o
Qaboun http://youtu.be/OFUQib0JJwQ
Midan http://youtu.be/iiI8RxPIe5o
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Eastern Ghoutah
|
||||||
Arbeen: the town gets
pounded again http://youtu.be/ScOA1NsXzM4 , http://youtu.be/CMSp19MC2Zg , http://youtu.be/PjE4zxVsuzI Samples of
the shells used http://youtu.be/5kDXNlO8fNg
Assessing the damage http://youtu.be/4ydGwbEiWxc
A plume of black smoke rises in the
air after a home was hit http://youtu.be/YJrq8umc9aI
, http://youtu.be/5Wv1vhyNt9M A
home catches fire http://youtu.be/SOltkC9WU-A
Treating the wounded http://youtu.be/Y-n0y7NwXoQ
A martyr http://youtu.be/SN3KKCCtiOg
At night, locals hold a funeral http://youtu.be/_zMjOIUnpqU
Ain
Terma:
tanks and loyalist troops pour into the restive suburb http://youtu.be/EG0cpEAxkHM , http://youtu.be/Hb8MVPuMTlE
Saqba: impact of pounding http://youtu.be/KUXSm6Xl6bw , http://youtu.be/S0uvO1OmtHs , http://youtu.be/w423ps_st54 Sample of
shells used http://youtu.be/4VJTxHYJfjo
Two martyrs http://youtu.be/l_vNk112KHA
Kafar
Batna:
a 7-year old girl is killed http://youtu.be/llhqZo-p2hw
Treating the wounded http://youtu.be/z2QpKoQrT2Q
Zamalka: black smoke and the
independence flag hovers over the skies of the suburb http://youtu.be/4efXUzyl-Y8
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Daytime
Rallies
Douma http://youtu.be/NAiIctT58Ss
, http://youtu.be/wUDghQTrEHM Saqba
http://youtu.be/TbcOEc2n03s
|
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Nighttime
Rallies
Zamalka http://youtu.be/TyYilGdUNRE , http://youtu.be/twvZnsXf4QQ Mleihah
http://youtu.be/bVXorUOkcRc Douma
http://youtu.be/BqZcUmq-u-w , http://youtu.be/va7mfcWE2Uc
|
||||||
Damascus South
|
||||||
Moadamiyeh: local high school
girls stage an after school rally http://youtu.be/XfmD7iuHDfE , http://youtu.be/9cREwnjIHOA
|
||||||
Daytime
Rallies
Moadamiyeh http://youtu.be/rPz4CmNFaa8
|
||||||
Nighttime
Rallies
Artouz http://youtu.be/CKgJKM19R28
|
||||||
West (Zabadani and Wadi Barada)
|
||||||
Zabadani: funerals for a local killed
in skirmishes at the outskirts of the town http://youtu.be/BjeGjZhLJcg , http://youtu.be/SP78u_h_K0Y
|
||||||
Nighttime
Rallies
Qudsaya http://youtu.be/r5gcqNaCH74
, http://youtu.be/5IZlO2T-HzQ Zabadani
http://youtu.be/7FGthj-Hj1k
|
||||||
North (The Qalamoun Region )
|
||||||
Dmeir comes under heavy
pounding at night http://youtu.be/Ufiq7qkLL8I
Rheibeh: A tank patrol
streets http://youtu.be/Yra8NPTmxMQ
Yabroud: loyalist pour into town http://youtu.be/h16IMBBlL9E
|
||||||
Hama
|
||||||
The City
|
||||||
Hamidiyeh: the aftermath of
pounding http://youtu.be/U3caYqatdAg , http://youtu.be/zp1Xlw-43pE , http://youtu.be/DTR7HpMitec , http://youtu.be/G5R793e8YR4 , http://youtu.be/xNve5Qf9_8o A funeral http://youtu.be/Q5EMIfQW_Vc , http://youtu.be/VFY4j_LA5oY
The
minaret of the Sirjawi Mosque all but completely destroyed http://youtu.be/g443Su7D2rE
|
||||||
Nighttime
Rallies
Qoussour http://youtu.be/jJ-34pOubl4
Bab Qibli http://youtu.be/mb-jcokdkec
Aleppo Road http://youtu.be/JR9Afu2-zOQ
|
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The Province
|
||||||
Shaizar: the town is
pounded http://youtu.be/53F5sgI16ok
, http://youtu.be/m4KU0Ixl0I0 Locals
say 25 people were killed http://youtu.be/-Fy2_84v36s
Kafar
Zeiteh:
burning the Russian flag http://youtu.be/tWKmn3hJqWM
Treimseh: funeral http://youtu.be/X_GySDxYzeQ
Khattab: locals in this
predominantly Sunni community say that they are being pounded from position
inside the nearby community of Arzeh, an Alawite community http://youtu.be/hYGq_h9qE5M
|
||||||
Daytime
Rallies
Karnaz http://youtu.be/r-Rd76CPWts Kafrenboudeh
http://youtu.be/YMmaPw9bKzA Hilfaya
http://youtu.be/2XixpcuKLEk , http://youtu.be/Bfw0_3GDLH0 Taybat
Al-Imam http://youtu.be/owSjYq-KXWg
|
||||||
Idlib
|
||||||
Loyalists
opened dams and flooded the agricultural lands as a form of collective
punishment http://youtu.be/SotLM0jRqnU
Mastoumeh: A funeral http://youtu.be/-VoS2EE-CRc , http://youtu.be/o8Se0lKCrWk Idlib City:
A funeral http://youtu.be/Q8v4IKeTImY
Khan
Shaikhoon:
a martyr http://youtu.be/vqrDecdi2QI
A martyred child http://youtu.be/Lq-8FSNFrgE
Treating the wounded of yesterday’s pounding http://youtu.be/50YO4oom3xY , http://youtu.be/z24ZkWCfncg A funeral http://youtu.be/PCLstswehTk , http://youtu.be/VmWeGLMaXHU
More
defections http://youtu.be/ov1qVDatDLs
Kafrenbel: a rally with
participation from local members of the FSA http://youtu.be/iuXTZozO2os
|
||||||
Nighttime
Rallies Binnish http://youtu.be/bCXCFwXOz-w Idlib
City http://youtu.be/-_FEeR5W-wk
Taoum http://youtu.be/waaNrh_nXPw
Jarjanaz http://youtu.be/WAKTVHLX2Mc
Ariha http://youtu.be/NPfrDA1wWPU
|
||||||
Deraa/Hauran
|
||||||
Deraa City
|
||||||
At
night, the sounds of battle between
loyalists and rebels can be heard in the distance http://youtu.be/ecF4HAIE6lo And a
little closer things heat up http://youtu.be/E4HpGhLxP-w
|
||||||
Nighttime
Rallies Al-Kashif http://youtu.be/8wiOxqVTmaY Mahatah
http://youtu.be/O5koy7Upegk Al-Balad
http://youtu.be/GHzc8qju9V0 Sadd
http://youtu.be/UnZ5HLAQ_ZA
|
||||||
Hauran Province
|
||||||
Jassem: even student
rallies get shot at. Locals say that one student was killed when this
students rally came under fire http://youtu.be/of3j_y5qveU
Elsewhere in town, a funeral http://youtu.be/8SfmaEmTiQs
for a victim of torture http://youtu.be/6OfKS8J08TM
Harrah: a funeral http://youtu.be/6c1ZNsxOaZg for this
martyr http://youtu.be/8o5L1Kl235E
Mseifrah: the town is
pounded at dawn http://youtu.be/ZATyb1iY-g4
, http://youtu.be/f4IPJHRVIoE so is
Khirbet Ghazaleh http://youtu.be/qpLm7j4U_eI
|
||||||
Daytime
Rallies
Namar http://youtu.be/ML8wj1ySPcc Nasseeb http://youtu.be/CVswc9s_LAs Tseel http://youtu.be/9T_BUkX-UrI
|
||||||
Aleppo
|
||||||
The City
|
||||||
Aleppo
University:
Medical students couldn’t school today courtesy of Assad loyalists http://youtu.be/eXQX-YXuNKc Elsewhere
on campus, a rally http://youtu.be/2amu9_cuLeQ
, http://youtu.be/01hOkcdsDd4 Soon,
they come under fire (near end of clip) http://youtu.be/MsJApTfU0Bg
|
||||||
Nighttime
Rallies Rawdah
http://youtu.be/LS5mmledN30 Salaheddine
http://youtu.be/LONekf1nbB8 Taqwa
Mosque http://youtu.be/icaAbWAcjCQ
|
||||||
Aleppo Province
|
||||||
Dar
Azzah:
a convoy of tanks and armored vehicles enter the town http://youtu.be/bCk5DoWjH7Q , http://youtu.be/xS0vUU7EkM0
|
||||||
Nighttime Dar Azzah http://youtu.be/r7As68HdCGI , http://youtu.be/M9_3ldHI8tI
|
||||||
Deir Ezzor
|
||||||
Deir
Ezzor City:
The city comes under heavy gunfire at night just as Orient TV was life
streaming a rally http://youtu.be/komy_L6qOvQ
a martyr http://youtu.be/y3kpC9GSNBk
|
||||||
Daytime
Rallies
Deir Ezzor City (Takaya St.) http://youtu.be/HDP4eVLWhMo
|
||||||
Nighttime
Rallies
Albou-Kamal http://youtu.be/ulzWhcfQ2r8
Deir Ezzor City (Takaya St.) http://youtu.be/JG6pbjoQD44 (Jbeileh) http://youtu.be/tCZWtjXYxsA
|
||||||
Hassakeh
|
||||||
Nighttime
Rallies
Amoudeh http://youtu.be/FOP2Bn4cePs
|
||||||
Lattakia
|
||||||
Alouaineh: protesters come
under fire (3:20) http://youtu.be/3WvbVi2UwnU Elsewhere in town,
high school girls conduct their rally http://youtu.be/PZXujht3Lew
|
||||||
Daytime
Rallies
Sleibeh http://youtu.be/WmjW42wveuE
, http://youtu.be/drlvd_A6Uwg
|
||||||
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