Shame & Defiance!

The increased wanton violence on part of the Assads and their loyalists continues to backfire, as rates of defections increase and previously quietist communities deciding to join the protest movement: Rural Aleppo and Raqqah City being the latest major additions. Even coastal communities are beginning to show signs of renewed agitation. Russia and China can ignore reality all they want, but they can’t veto it.

Saturday 04, 2012

Today’s death toll:  93. The Breakdown: 61 in Homs City, 10 in Idlib Province, 19 in Rural Damascus (16 in Daraya, 2 in Dmeir and 1 Moadamiyeh), 3 in Deraa/Hauran Province.

Local activists are still trying to sort out the number of the dead in Homs City as a result of Friday night pounding, a task complicated by the fact that many bodies of the dead have been stolen by loyalists and transported to whereabouts unknown. A more direct complication stems from the resumption of shelling at night of all major neighborhoods in Old Homs, including Khaldieyh.

News

U.N. resolution fails as violence in Syria worsens

France, partners planning Syria crisis group: Sarkozy

Syria releases the 7/7 'mastermind’

Op-Eds & Special Reports

'UN inaction on Syria reaffirms it's unreliability'

Childhood Interrupted: Portraits of a revolution in Syria

Social Media Reaction to UNSC failure to pass a resolution

* Supplies of National Shame and Dishonor must be running low in China, hence the rush to join Russia in vetoing the UNSC Resolution.

* The USC has just voted to refer the Syria File to the Free Syrian Army.

* And you thought only resolutions against Israel are impossible to get!  

What gives us hope, despite the increasing violence on part of the Assads and their loyalists, is the ability of protest and rebel leaders to refrain from falling back on tactics of sectarian violence and communal vendettas, despite all the massacres perpetrated by Assad loyalists and the continuous stoking of sectarian sentiments by their propagandists.

Indeede in 24 hours that followed the most horrific and bloody episodes witnessed since the beginning of the revolution, members of the Farouq Brigade of the Free Syrian Army, carried out a number of raids on loyalist checkpoints throughout the neighborhoods of Old Homs and arrested dozens of loyalists, including the 19 that were arrested yesterday. Yet, instead of revenge, the FSA officers are trying to send a message of reconciliation.

In this clip  http://youtu.be/kVcaXweilMk, the detained loyalists speak of having been treated humanely and paradoxically point out that the FSA in effect saved them by taking them from under the indiscriminate shelling Old Homs was witnessing.

For those seeking to understand the current dynamics taking place within the Assad family, and perhaps the Alawite community in general, on interview is of particular significance. Indeed, one Alawite officer says that he is answerable to Assef Chawkat, Assad’s brother-in-law, and he defends him as a “real man” blaming the crackdown on the Assad and Makhlouf families. But as an Alwite officer, he says, he encourages his comrade to embrace to stop supporting the regime and join the Free Syrian Army.

At the end of the video, a senior member of the Farouq Brigade promises to treat kindly any loyalist who surrenders vowing to annihilate the rest. He also says that by vetoing the UNSC resolution, Russia and China are given Assad more time to plunge the country into sectarian strife. He reminds them that regimes come and go but the people remain.

Just contract the way, FSA rebels treat their captors with what loyalists to captured defectors: summary execution followed by this http://youtu.be/cKjxcekXra0 “You want freedom?.. Assad is your God”

Homs
Homs City
Old Homs: shortly after capturing loyalists at a checkpoint, FSA office says that all will presented to justice http://youtu.be/bFZuUs8OkIE Khaldiyeh: Impact of pounding http://youtu.be/v-3RhBatmwU , http://youtu.be/sIMZv9rOr8o Blood covers the streets http://youtu.be/e-VTMo64x28 A broher of one of yesterday’s martyrs speaks. He says the pounding began around 11:30 pm and continued until early dawn. He says we were bombed because we demanded freedom, justice and dignity, and we wanted to feel like citizens. He says in this part of the neighborhood alone that was hit with one mortar round 13 people were killed. Local activists say that around 300 mortar rounds were used in last night shelling of Old Homs http://youtu.be/cuLwQCyCqoo More of yesterday’s martyrs http://youtu.be/ExrSTG6GF-4 , http://youtu.be/zwoIfJf3gCM http://youtu.be/Xx_B5jI_60k , http://youtu.be/LgRx3dgCUMo A martyred defector http://youtu.be/wT7DX7cIPOA  The mass funeral: around 70 of the dead were buried today http://youtu.be/zwoIfJf3gCM , http://youtu.be/jCxMDv4DhU4 , http://youtu.be/2k2dwPogPks , http://youtu.be/jbG9iLV4u14 , http://youtu.be/Lp1b3UVmCDE Sheikh Mahmoud Dalati shores up the moral of the people http://youtu.be/wCQjpjZXfW8 Local activist Khalid Abou Salah vows continued commitment to the revolution and calls on people all over Syria to shake the silence and hesitation and join the revolution http://youtu.be/RDHjdTBq8Tc Local activist Abdelbassit Sarout stands between the bodies and vows continued commitment to the revolution http://youtu.be/fvhCTFcTAzs All participants in today’s mass funeral renew their revolutionary vows http://youtu.be/3uXxoDlD-K0 Local activist Omar Tellawi takes part in burying unidentified remains http://youtu.be/mvZvmjLGj9M Bab Al-Sibaa: celebrating new defectors http://youtu.be/AJXXAr81TjE Al-Rifai: a blood drive for the benefit of yesterday’s wounded http://youtu.be/DG-MPaxuoak Qoussour: a martyr http://youtu.be/fpAEogGlKbA his funeral http://youtu.be/TXQHC14L1io Bab Tadmor: a martyr http://youtu.be/Zo0dGosfbXM Khaldiyeh: A martyr http://youtu.be/r5SgcrmLq9c Boustan Al-Diwan: defector sticks a poster decrying sectarianism on a destroyed tanks http://youtu.be/LzMRupNK2hw Malaab: impact of pounding on the neighborhood and Omar Mosque http://youtu.be/icu3SOucEuE Baba Amr: Assad troops use tanks to destroy the trees in the fields surrounding the neighborhood http://youtu.be/RUletRHKYeQ the pounding of neighborhood resumes at night, local activist Dany Abdeldayim reports in English even as the pounding is taking place http://youtu.be/HcdB1LP2wFg Bab Dreib: a local high school catches fire on account of the pounding http://youtu.be/XoLx51DwpwA The neighborhoods of Old Homs, including Bab Al-Sibaa and Khadiyeh get pounded with mortars http://youtu.be/6tokZwa5tdA , http://youtu.be/7pdw2D_MbjE
Daytime Rallies
Baba Amr http://youtu.be/IdDvVlOXDj0 Deir Baalbah (funeral) http://youtu.be/-EiJcXV_yTo Wa’er http://youtu.be/U-ptxFfHFXs Shammas http://youtu.be/2IOoyck3SjQ Bab Al-Sibaa http://youtu.be/lH_rF3ouuyI , http://youtu.be/JVmEMrebrlo Jouret Al-Shayah http://youtu.be/4OhX-KhddEc
Nighttime Rallies
Qoussour http://youtu.be/9_o_YBQ5OSw Khaldiyeh http://youtu.be/qwKYr0AGc2U Insha’aat http://youtu.be/a34PtnzttPw Bab Houd (burning the Russian and Chinese flags) http://youtu.be/DwFseMTCaDM Baba Amr http://youtu.be/2aOVeeiGDyE Al-Rabei Al-Arabi http://youtu.be/KY0vb20q2ow Wa’er http://youtu.be/0Db_p8O8kTI Bab Dreib http://youtu.be/Q5tW5ltjUjM Ghoutah http://youtu.be/QUYEVb70zJc Deir Baalbah http://youtu.be/7WTWGvOq2wo
Homs Province
Tadmor: loyalist target the minaret of a local mosque in a practice of targeting religious symbols that has become all too common http://youtu.be/D787YefioXc The crackdown leaves a couple of martyrs: this is one http://youtu.be/kM986HQ6NJM This is another taking his last breaths on camera http://youtu.be/X_eowSG7cT4 Locals stage a mass funeral for their martyrs http://youtu.be/IpuKZk6_cHc , http://youtu.be/q4Kb4UiCEt4 , http://youtu.be/9x8FfTsFHmE Then they proceed to take over the local security headquarters and hoist the independence flag on top of it http://youtu.be/nRONNODplcs Rastan: some of the tanks pounding the city (40 seconds) http://youtu.be/_NpkHMjzY4M Impact of pounding on homes http://youtu.be/2d5xachth2g , http://youtu.be/5EDMZdzcOho , http://youtu.be/o-aKaHAZ3i0 , http://youtu.be/X9r4EJkZ6ek Nonetheless, the task of liberating the city proceeds slowly with another checkpoint reclaimed by local FSA units http://youtu.be/Ys1ayt3XXHk Local women stage a blood drive http://youtu.be/gxAdPOb3Eds The local Religious high school is pounded with mortars http://youtu.be/YBdGoIvKGGI , http://youtu.be/HFgITkIArt4 Trying to save the life of a local child http://youtu.be/8OSCsjtfscA More injured children http://youtu.be/EtZEmpuFL1Q Local FSA unit on way to retake a loyalist checkpoints http://youtu.be/xao2XVU9blk This unit just liberated a local school that was used as headquarters by loyalists http://youtu.be/Ad91bqYxJbk By day-end, local FSA units claim to have liberated most of the town, including taking over the school that was used as headquarters by loyalist troops http://youtu.be/zTQJT3DxaYU
Qusayr (Mubarakiyeh): A mortar round hit this house http://youtu.be/y_gRRlo_bGw Killing this man http://youtu.be/C8aDXaGAlvQ Impact of pounding http://youtu.be/6y43AQEsvag
Daytime Rallies
Qusayr (funeral for 2) http://youtu.be/4GCC4whptRA , http://youtu.be/aPuOP30OfKc Houleh http://youtu.be/4GS1h7JXMuY , http://youtu.be/VpqdhR2cAw8 , http://youtu.be/tHSjY71aXf8 Ghanto http://youtu.be/L7G9eBGf0sI Qaryatein http://youtu.be/sY31J6WH-LQ Tal Shur http://youtu.be/Tuvej40S_y8 Bouaidah http://youtu.be/aXFmU5isjC8
Nighttime Rallies
Tadmor http://youtu.be/DpTPGvplGxA Sukhnah http://youtu.be/3dDNZMMSmzc
Damascus
Damascus City
Barzeh: loyalists troops patrol the restive suburb http://youtu.be/stz0VBiPKHQ , http://youtu.be/pSML8i_E8ec
Daytime Rallies
Baghdad Street (funeral) http://youtu.be/SPL24jvEtSs , http://youtu.be/f65h4YIeAJw
Nighttime Rallies
Kafar Sousseh http://youtu.be/GvbLOdkr5BY , http://youtu.be/mW48CObqP6k Barzeh http://youtu.be/y1EIk6wScuo , http://youtu.be/n2sJ4ksSOTY Naher Eisheh (protesters use fireworks) http://youtu.be/hURMrHj79Zg Assaly http://youtu.be/TxFN4oi-I4w Qaboun http://youtu.be/m30biu81b6Q Ruknaddine http://youtu.be/EgXliIFxl6I Tadamon http://youtu.be/KE8cgUIwJMc , http://youtu.be/KpkS5y7xPEA
Eastern Ghoutah
Kafar Batna: the pounding of the town resumes http://youtu.be/IlVpo7cqCfs
Daytime Rallies
Douma (funeral) http://youtu.be/MMxATjuvroU , http://youtu.be/onO9vtjaYtM
Nighttime Rallies
Douma http://youtu.be/Fr-gHV3VRFA , http://youtu.be/37b3c5GN1rs , http://youtu.be/9hA7xRJdjE8 Yelda http://youtu.be/uwzqJXdKNzw
Damascus South
Moadamiyeh: this little girl, Jullanar, was killed during the overnight pounding http://youtu.be/QWSAema2LUo Grieving for Jullanar http://youtu.be/-igUUCXNuC8 Men were not allowed by loyalist militias to take part in the funeral of Jullanar, so local women did it on their own http://youtu.be/DmySj9Dg7_g , http://youtu.be/qqH3_4cSsRg including digging the grave and burying little Jullanar http://youtu.be/FOfycjX7D9U Loyalists harass the local women coming to take part in Jullanar’s funeral http://youtu.be/vCInqRggGMk Daraya: Thousands of mourners taking part in a mass funeral for yesterday’s local martyrs http://youtu.be/lqYU5_KzKg8 , http://youtu.be/ffMa_8l7mWk , http://youtu.be/LTDrWOJmW38 , http://youtu.be/VodjEAKoh9E , http://youtu.be/i7f49Am0h1E , http://youtu.be/vEDd7Inui3I comer under automatic machinegun fire http://youtu.be/X9MolGt898Y , http://youtu.be/zb5jjuoU1JY , http://youtu.be/1h2TyYWWqfw The suburb was pounded with mortars setting houses on fire http://youtu.be/eaRv7Ebv2ZQ Many protesters remain defiant http://youtu.be/BXeaEtO9J4A Kids join in http://youtu.be/mLC4ctne_0Y Armored vehicles were used in the attack http://youtu.be/jBKFQtwgmJg Rescuing the wounded http://youtu.be/XgTiO_aS-YU Local FSA members try to put up a fight http://youtu.be/fBLhKXyQ4hw
Daytime Rallies
Kanaker http://youtu.be/zSZ0aeIKqWQ Zakiyeh http://youtu.be/XLs8a5VkyhA Qatana http://youtu.be/IRaICbBO2i0
West (Zabadani and Wadi Barada)
Deir Miqrin: hoisting the independence flag at the entrance of the town http://youtu.be/qYZeA1pVZvU
Daytime Rallies
Elhameh http://youtu.be/_Q1ikoeh2Yw
Nighttime Rallies
Elhameh http://youtu.be/J0hfBXfLCW0 Deir Qanoun http://youtu.be/qRo6-ehUQsY Qudsaya http://youtu.be/LrSE0lu2-Eo
North (The Qalamoun Region )
Dmeir: a martyr http://youtu.be/6yicLdh2FJk a funeral http://youtu.be/cxPVua_GCyQ , http://youtu.be/20Ycv0mfCN0 another martyr http://youtu.be/EDFybf2g3WA
Daytime Rallies
Qarrah http://youtu.be/gnHJxv6dorE
Nighttime Rallies
Qarrah http://youtu.be/tXnKcK_SvKI , http://youtu.be/KYaImmEx_9I Yabroud http://youtu.be/dsH9sUz2yjw
Hama
Hama City
Aleppo Road: impact of pounding http://youtu.be/61d613KkGLY , http://youtu.be/os82QaqU-To Elsewhere in the city, loyalists looted shops observing a call for strike http://youtu.be/VKcBjkY5alQ
Daytime Rallies
Taybat Al-Imam http://youtu.be/J0W6tBSwwUU Hilfaya http://youtu.be/2ff1lf3rMWs
Nighttime Rallies
Bab Qibli http://youtu.be/bNjyrfuC4Nc Aleppo Road http://youtu.be/9VWEkiof3ZE
Hama Province
Daytime Rallies
Karnaz http://youtu.be/dKJ9VNCgvGM
Idlib
Ihsem: protesters http://youtu.be/JJXUGCRI8Ps come under heavy machinegun fire http://youtu.be/Ni-0qSfj6uk , http://youtu.be/Z4hy8hBKizU , http://youtu.be/PI-n4GdaWSc El-Rami: the town is pounded http://youtu.be/SuLW0Y2fF4s , http://youtu.be/_i5j44aSu_Q Khirbet Al-Joz: the town is pounded at night http://youtu.be/CFq9CukQTNg Binnish (funeral) http://youtu.be/eky4itm9NJ0 for this local http://youtu.be/gfIbHbSBonE Idlib City: Five martyrs killed by snipers in the morning while on their way to work http://youtu.be/FmK6_10IpFA Close-ups http://youtu.be/_c3G-5SAl0Y , http://youtu.be/1IAW-xrj0Sk , http://youtu.be/nzzAsjSCB1k The mass funeral http://youtu.be/2ZV62D7cQHY
Daytime Rallies
Idlib City (early morning in support of Homs) http://youtu.be/IYWYjxoBirc Mar Ayan http://youtu.be/udy2mJ5kWTA Maasraan http://youtu.be/1BipveCT7hc Jisr Ashoughour http://youtu.be/AIUXWy2G-zM Kafar Ouaid http://youtu.be/_7Qznes3N0E Kafar Takhareem http://youtu.be/pTaawTSUk1E Afis http://youtu.be/6vZ_9-ubb30 Kafroumah http://youtu.be/PjWkeUhd26U Jabal Al-Zawiyeh (funeral) http://youtu.be/2LRp3m8HyPA Eltaman’ah http://youtu.be/ZJP2qCNkBWI Darkoush http://youtu.be/F2ahquDj0Dw Ma’arrat Al-Nouman http://youtu.be/9gx-Z1NAYwg Janoudiyeh http://youtu.be/j3ljdp55sn8 Sinjar http://youtu.be/xWljTQlY2Vs
Nighttime Rallies
Binnish http://youtu.be/Lw8Gn13Fnz8 Sheikh Mustafa http://youtu.be/_iJH7FvyJnw Kafar Sajnah http://youtu.be/bydoASpEGgo Taftanaz http://youtu.be/lsLoxALCyNA
Deraa/Hauran
Deraa City
Daytime Rallies
Al-Balad (funeral) http://youtu.be/XLiVxagQ3so
Nighttime Rallies
Mahatah http://youtu.be/npaNEW-dBk4 , http://youtu.be/Z9lOtke64Rg Al-Balad http://youtu.be/cbFs3VAMFHo , http://youtu.be/AZZgAqW7jxY Kashif http://youtu.be/xp-_EAUs9SA Sadd http://youtu.be/Bt2WBvisfYQ
Deraa/Hauran Province
Da’el: Local FSA unit announces that they have carried out several attacks on checkpoints throughout the city in retaliation for the massacres in Homs City http://youtu.be/nBlMiooiyrQ and the earlier pounding of their city http://youtu.be/c-oHuaoBxaY
Daytime Rallies
Basr Al-Harir http://youtu.be/sCs9A47u8c0 Mleihah Gharbiyeh http://youtu.be/g8Ur1tafmL0 Tseel http://youtu.be/P3iR174FWg0 Mleihah Sharqiyeh http://youtu.be/Jr3nLhxI7wc Mseifrah http://youtu.be/DQIEzfeKrqI Bosra Al-Sham (funeral) http://youtu.be/BobpYYZlo-0 , http://youtu.be/pzoCVHmh1_0 , http://youtu.be/jB27X87Yn9g Hraak http://youtu.be/Z90U2bOpioU Kafar Shams http://youtu.be/lzuTKJKDYmk Taybeh http://youtu.be/k4_BzezEmRY Sahem http://youtu.be/OjDVws6QKNQ
Nighttime Rallies
Sanamein http://youtu.be/KhwrhAvMpUw Izra’a http://youtu.be/6Kmb3thUqKo Sheikh Miskeen http://youtu.be/BNHN7U2Yo1o Da’el (a replica of noria is used to show solidarity with Hama on the 30th anniversary of the Massacre) http://youtu.be/XsVutVbikBs Tseel http://youtu.be/-Lmgo6oB5yU Alma http://youtu.be/_zXvte9nKns Jizeh http://youtu.be/yvomHlXKFuY
Aleppo
Aleppo City
Nighttime Rallies
Sakhour http://youtu.be/nRONNODplcs Al-Azamiyeh http://youtu.be/0xsV3mCqVD0
Aleppo Province
Al-Atareb: hoisting the independence flag on top of the local cultural center http://youtu.be/ibI1utz8bQE
Daytime Rallies
Routian http://youtu.be/WuyolvSNlcU , http://youtu.be/OXeJnt5XqXY
Nighttime Rallies
Anadan http://youtu.be/eIIGVEBwPaU Kobani http://youtu.be/n6kXBD-9OUk Kafar Ta’al http://youtu.be/Tg1HVsRvaU0 Abeen http://youtu.be/hN3Teo4tSkE Azeeziyeh http://youtu.be/IYThypJgG8U Kafar Nouran http://youtu.be/63TUEJUeF-c Marei http://youtu.be/n_-PiabWZtE Sheikh Maqsoud http://youtu.be/jLx5AVsbaxI , http://youtu.be/yz4GH9D6SCo Hayan http://youtu.be/l7trfAvp5vk Qabbassin http://youtu.be/4Mhho9dhwBc
Deir Ezzor
Daytime Rallies
Shaheel http://youtu.be/nbK81aU8lsk Albou Kamal http://youtu.be/ZS5NvF_DHAM
Nighttime Rallies
Deir Ezzor City (Taha) http://youtu.be/ohL1AUmx5kU (Suweidan) http://youtu.be/4ta7ykrNUwc (Jourah) http://youtu.be/WcCl-mnSpQ8 Albou Kamal http://youtu.be/TLGkRwUVP7k Qouriyeh http://youtu.be/Ya4yHIr_4eo
Hassakeh
Daytime Rallies
Dirbassiyeh http://youtu.be/YheNvBMGIs8 , http://youtu.be/_fJ1Q4AA0UI Qamishlo http://youtu.be/sU6NcMMxmdI Seri Kanye http://youtu.be/z6_54-tyRHA
Lattakia
Daytime Rallies
Salma http://youtu.be/DQhtrlLLRks
Raqqah
Raqqah City (Tal Abyad Street): Nighttime rally http://youtu.be/0Y8srvvKNDc , http://youtu.be/ByrdIWNkmaA attacked by loyalist troops http://youtu.be/XwvFPPUKSuA Protesters had roamed the streets http://youtu.be/FMOqSzWG2CE shouting slogans of solidarity with Homs and other protest communities http://youtu.be/gkWdR-Rm470 tearing down posters of Assad wherever they found them http://youtu.be/t1zWjMFYvoc , http://youtu.be/DoK1sGDwILM But then loyalists poured into the streets http://youtu.be/uTmXyHl7BP4 A security car rammed through the crowd killing one protester http://youtu.be/JA6N83R1jGE  Once, they drove the protesters out of the main square. They proceeded to celebrate appropriating a slogan of the revolution “freedom forever, in spite of you Assad” making it “Shabiha forever in spite of you Hamad (the Qatari prince)” http://youtu.be/Ix59TVA_h00 Protesters remained defiant http://youtu.be/I4QXPSrEI8I They managed to confiscate some of the riot gear used by loyalist security forces http://youtu.be/nyoNE3QBPzU Treating the wounded http://youtu.be/G0W_gOl2O6Q
Tartous
Daytime Rallies

Tartous City (Al-Barriyeh) http://youtu.be/sHSD9tgGCBU