Assad is “open” to cease-fire and Turkey is “considering” establishment
of a buffer zone, meanwhile, the killing enters Year II. But, as previously
quiet Raqqah City enters the revolution, it becomes obvious that Assad is
unable to kill and terrorize his way back into control. His latest “victories”
notwithstanding, the writing on the wall is clear: Assad’s tyrannical and
corrupt reign is over. The challenge ahead of us is keeping post-Assad Syria together.
Friday March 16, 2012 – The
beginning of a week dedicated to “Demanding Immediate Military Intervention”
Death toll: 45, including
14 in Raqqah City.
Breaking (Mar 17): 2
spontaneous explosion hit downtown Damascus, the first near Tahrir Square that
seems to have targeted the main headquarters of Air Force Intelligence http://youtu.be/0vhlCrmbg5o the second is
said to have targeted the Criminal Police Administration near Omayad Square. Official
media say two booby-trapped cars were used, and that the dead included civilians
as well security officers.
News
Op-Eds & Special Reports
Windows
onto Some Sick Minds: Reading Assad Emails
Activists are leading
the revolution, not professional opposition groups. Activists are reporting the
revolution, not professional media organizations. Activists are obtaining
classified information, not professional intelligence agencies. Activists are
filling the void left by the breakdown of traditional institutions all over the
world.
The Rise of Raqqah: A new battleground
Developments in Raqqah
City, a formerly bastion of quietism, go to show that the real story in
Syria is not one Assad’s reestablishing control, but him losing control of even
more regions and towns across Syria. Today, major protests took place in Raqqah
City, with 10s of thousands residents said to take part, but pro-Assad security
forces in the city opened fire indiscriminately at protesters killing 14 and
wounding dozens:
The day began with a
huge rally-cum-funeral for a local activist http://youtu.be/Z-ZgtuBKh-Y , http://youtu.be/aPWholbEEzQ , http://youtu.be/mej9R6bPqMc , http://youtu.be/f4ac1kKwJBA In typical
fashion, protesters tore up old flags and posters of Hafiz Assad http://youtu.be/n47ZXYa4kjw Then army
troops stormed in http://youtu.be/Bi-KyuJRg80
and opened fire http://youtu.be/5VCfwCnOKqg Protesters
remain defiant http://youtu.be/rQHta-_l9Zg
and some threw stones back http://youtu.be/mWJAWJ-JBwc
The firing continued for a while http://youtu.be/LUzXmL08mKM
People documented the development from different angles http://youtu.be/V5qNi6TtZGs , http://youtu.be/ojtkh8JDIeE , http://youtu.be/DudWUhJVlsE
Rescuing the injured http://youtu.be/-RpCWRB2ArY , http://youtu.be/xmgOP8BIUVA A martyr http://youtu.be/ejehJwqeJ8s Another http://youtu.be/xqGAovCtCO4 Another http://youtu.be/mVq7zTobZm4
Tabaqah, another major town
in the Raqqah Province, also witnessed major rallies today http://youtu.be/a8WDUJZRtsg , http://youtu.be/a8WDUJZRtsg
Homs: The Forgotten Siege
After the fall of Bab
Amr, the world seems to lost interest in Homs, but the siege, the pounding and
the suffering continues. But now, there are no more defectors to fight back.
Locals are being systematically starved and slaughtered, and the
Somewhere in Old
Homs, activist Omar Tellawi describes the siege of these traditional
neighborhoods and wonders why Arab and world leaders, and SNC leaders are not
doing anything about it http://youtu.be/fqjBeyC5FlE
Checkpoints are all over the place, with Hezbollah flags hoisted on top of them
http://youtu.be/sAAZPAboNtg There are
no more doctors in the neighborhood, or medicine, or enough food, or enough
living activists to document the atrocities.
Elsewhere in the world
A demonstration in
Kuala Lumpur in support of the Syrian Revolution http://youtu.be/6JQMzR-OAc0 What makes
this rally interesting is the fact that it was licensed by the local police,
which could mean that the Malaysian government might be beginning to
recalibrate its position on the Assad regime. The rally also coincided with a
visit by Kofi Annan to the country.
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