Friday, March 16, 2012

The Anniversary!

Syria – one year after the revolution: 10,000 confirmed dead. 20,000 missing / 120,000 detained / 230,000 internally displaced / 150,000 refugees (Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey, Egypt, Gulf, Europe) / 1,400,000 at risk of famine (according to FAO).

Wednesday March 15, 2012  

Tuesday: Forty people were executed by pro-Assad death squads near Bilal Mosque in Idlib City. But ten loyalist troops were killed in an ambush in the city of Ma’arat Al-Nouman. In Homs City, the pounding of Jub Al-Jandali Neighborhood continued, leading to the death of at least 5 residents. In nearby Talbisseh, pounding left 14 locals wounded. In the town of Da’el, Deraa Province, 12 loyalists were killed in an ambush by local FSA units. 

Wednesday: 85 people were killed mostly in Idlib City as pro-Assad death squads took control over the city. The death toll also includes 6 who died under torture in Hama City (3) and Aleppo City (3), 6 killed in Damascus and suburbs, and 11 who were killed in a renewed incursion into Deraa City.

Thursday: 91 people were killed including at least 23 who were executed by pro-Assad death squads in Idlib City. Death toll also includes 5 children and 4 defectors.

News
“The U.N. World Food Program (WFP) estimates that about 1.4 million people have become food insecure since the unrest began, especially in hotspots such as Homs, Hama, Damascus, Dara'a and Idleb.”
“In the latest violence, rebels killed 22 members of the security forces in two separate ambushes on Tuesday in the southern region of Daraa and the northwestern province of Idlib, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.”
Op-Eds & Special Reports
The case against non-intervention in Syria: Michael Weiss and Ilhan Tanir offer a critical analysis of the arguments against intervention
Any military intervention on Turkey's part would risk decreasing its already tenuous hold on Syrians' affections. And so from Turkey's perspective, the ideal Syria policy would mirror its Libya strategy: Ankara speaks out publicly against Assad, gathering international support for political action against him, but tries to stay in the background when it comes to military action. You might call it "leading from behind." Comment: Actually protesters on the ground are calling it hypocrisy and are not fooled. Erodgan lost his erstwhile appeal.

Windows onto Some Sick Minds: Reading Assad Emails


If anything, the emails prove a point I made long ago, even while in Syria, a point that led to my exile in fact. Bashar Assad is a Fredo Corleone, and the Assad family has no Michaels in its midst, just Fredos, Sunnies, and the usual assortments of floozies and material girls that they tend to attract. There is no diplomatic solution with a mafia. As for the in-laws, all racist assumptions about their western education notwithstanding, they were into the mob with their eyes wide open, and their souls wide shut.

On Idlib

For months, we have been told that unlike Libya where rebels held Benghazi, in Syria, the popular resistance to Assad’s hegemonic rule held no territory. But now that Idlib City has fallen, a city right on the Turkish border, lo and behold, it turned up to have been under rebel control for months! “The Syrian army recaptured the northern rebel stronghold of Idlib near the Turkish border, a major base that military defectors had held for months, a pro-government newspaper and an activist group reported Tuesday.

News from the Front

Idlib province: the formation of Al-Maghaweer Brigade http://youtu.be/2e2lIjXgZg4

Deraa: the formation of Freedom’s Martyrs http://youtu.be/Zmq0mDILbMk

Freemen of the North announce an operation in Eizaz, Aleppo Province, against loyalist troops meant as retribution for the massacres in Karm Al-Zeitun http://youtu.be/NknHyWHnSzM

An operation by FSA unit in the Qalamoun region, north of Damascus, leaves dozens of Assad loyalist troops dead. The troops were taking part in laying siege to the town of Rankous.

As a reminder of how improbable this revolution was, Leader of the Furqan Brigade, Rashid Barazi, concludes his announcement of the formation of the brigade by saying “Long Live Assad’s Syria.” He and his men immediately burst out in laughter http://youtu.be/l2J78lDG4yk

Homs

Homs City

Jobar: new massacres http://youtu.be/KG5iOF-_FXk

Adawiyeh: new clips of the massacres that took place on March 12 http://youtu.be/1Wr87l1VtZI , http://youtu.be/MQx3uq2y6MY Massacres of March 11 http://youtu.be/4ouxgn98G9A Old women identify her dead grandchildren http://youtu.be/GVrbnCMMCHI Checkpoints manned by pro-Assad death squads hoist Hezbollah banners http://youtu.be/sAAZPAboNtg

Karm Al-Zeitun: children continue to suffer http://youtu.be/zICgkCs82MU , http://youtu.be/dZUn5ly5SGI

Bab Al-Sibaa: neighborhood comes under intense pounding during the day http://youtu.be/HT23AosmKws Activists trying to pull a body of a martyr from the streets http://youtu.be/W3Xnej1TSEI

Bab Dreib: locals scurry around as the neighborhood is pounded by heavy artillery http://youtu.be/6kjoRtQs-yI , http://youtu.be/bdbQ_Ruox1U

Bab Houd: nighttime protesters hoist signs demanding SNC leaders explain to them what they have achieved on occasion of the 1st anniversary of the Revolution http://youtu.be/OIalh8PHbz0

Nighttime Rallies

Homs Province

Qusayr: funeral for four http://youtu.be/1huo7xR7jLY

Rastan: sporadic pounding continues http://youtu.be/21C7YaYbxVQ

Daytime Rallies


Damascus

Damascus City

While loyalists came out during the day to take part in organized pro-Assad rallies, but the night belonged to the protesters, even in Central Damascus Sibki Park http://youtu.be/JKZtUWyQ_Iw

Naher Eisheh: sounds of intense daytime clashes as choppers fly over the neighborhood  http://youtu.be/9PHFTPFcV2E

Barzeh: people blockade one of the main roads http://youtu.be/6nYl-YeSmIs

Daytime Rallies

Nighttime Rallies

Damascus East (Eastern & Western Ghoutah)

Dmeir: sounds of daytime clashes http://youtu.be/wT9A4CnnoYk Martyr, victim of torture http://youtu.be/jlXkEkFotTY

Nighttime Rallies

Damascus South (Southern Ghoutah)

Qatana: A Martyr http://youtu.be/T0U0lpsLYHM

Artouz: sounds of distance daytime clashes (1:00) http://youtu.be/UYD1RL14C6s

Daytime Rallies
Al-Hajar Al-Aswad http://youtu.be/kqXxtekDsDU

West (Zabadani and Wadi Barada)

Nighttime Rallies

North (The Qalamoun Region )

Daytime Rallies

Nighttime Rallies


Hama

Hama City

Sabeel Neighborhood is pounded http://youtu.be/6yrpBlmjwFY

Hama Province

Taybat Al-Imam: martyr http://youtu.be/Vaw2IsTsekU

Daytime Rallies


Idlib


Kafrenbel: nighttime funeral for two martyrs http://youtu.be/B0Ck7IEXO0s The body of one of the martyrs was found in a nearby field during the day http://youtu.be/5oYsbEkfJDY Moving the body of a female martyr http://youtu.be/KB7H1Dxptcs Daytime funeral for three http://youtu.be/zF01SVK9mv4 Two more martyrs http://youtu.be/wbgSrQPY6AM

Sahal: funeral for a martyr http://youtu.be/8rCZBFn-By0

Idlib City (Mar 15): 4 martyrs http://youtu.be/ZKPapS2B6jU

Ayn Larouz: 13 were killed on March 14 by pro-Assad death squads as punishment for locals who harbored four defectors who were captured and executed in their turn. These are four of the dead locals   http://youtu.be/BgaHqVdetv8

Daytime Rallies

Nighttime Rallies


Deraa/Hauran

Deraa City

Al-Balad: funeral http://youtu.be/yRRmxOOcq34

Nighttime Rallies

Deraa/Hauran Province

Daytime Rallies

Nighttime Rallies
Ghariyeh Sharqiyeh http://youtu.be/MEShSHt4xi4


Aleppo

Aleppo City

Omayad Mosque: worshippers organize an anti-Assad rally in the courtyard http://youtu.be/AEatCRYsn2c Women take active part http://youtu.be/rNPXp5lS964 All come fire and are forced to hide in the mosque http://youtu.be/wD0FN3hi_H4

Daytime Rallies
Seif Al-Dawleh http://youtu.be/xUzRselH8t8 Omayad Mosque

Aleppo Province

Daytime Rallies

Nighttime Rallies


Deir Ezzor


Nighttime Rallies
Deir Ezzor City (Jbeileh) http://youtu.be/G2aScOdAYaY


Hassakeh


Daytime Rallies

Nighttime Rallies


Lattakia


Lattakia City: daytime protesters http://youtu.be/Xp32IdN2fY4 , http://youtu.be/5jfC_-w8wUE clash with security in Sheikh Dhaher http://youtu.be/YP4631TYXqs Elsewhere, they try to destroy the status of hafiz Al-Assad http://youtu.be/UxhkWztEIvE Nighttime protesters in Sleibeh http://youtu.be/he3-jrh9iNo come under fire http://youtu.be/zZeEhecyrbE


Tartous


Daytime Rallies


Raqqah


Raqqah City: Teenage boy taking his last breaths http://youtu.be/14urvC9Zpuo father saying goodbye http://youtu.be/LhuNLtTqsFI As people hold funeral at night http://youtu.be/nIRgzoi3BJ8 a car with armed Assad loyalists ram into them and the occupants start firing (1:40) http://youtu.be/JIJ1-ok2rnA 



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