Thank You Fickleness!

Time and time again, Russia and Iran proved to be reliable allies to the Assads, while leaders of the free world seem to relish their fickleness. And disasters that could have been averted turn into self-fulfilling prophecies.

Monday March 19, 2012

Death toll: 52, including 6 in Deraa Province, and 6 in Deir Ezzor Province. Explosions were heard in Arbeen and Harasta in Eastern Ghoutah region of Damascus, as well as in Qaboun District in Damascus City itself. The pounding of Old Homs continues, as locals find 6 bodies belonging to local women killed by pro-Assad death squads.

News

Syrian rebels move in on key Damascus neighborhood

Gunbattle Brings Front to Syria's Capital

Fighting in Damascus belies Syrian government's claim of control

Russian Anti-Terror Troops Arrive in Syria

Russia joins Red Cross call for daily truce in Syria

Syria amassed huge arsenal of Russian weapons before uprising

Op-Eds & Special Reports

Syria: leaked documents reveal Bashar al-Assad's role in crushing protests

Al Jazeera obtains secret Syria files

Morton Abramowitz: Advantages of a Syrian War

Syria: 'I am the real dictator', declares Asma al-Assad

Asma Assad: Syria Dictator's Wife A 'Rose In The Desert' Crushed By Uprising Violence

Alien World To Help Out Syria Since This One Refuses To

Assads’ Inbox: On situation in Aleppo

Please, the President should be aware of this matter as quickly as possible. The threats reached Aleppo and the people are in the streets. The students of Idlib, Hama, Homs and Daraa are renting apartments outside the university campus for fear of arrest. The dean of the faculty of electricity is inciting students to stab us with knives and beat us with chains. Moreover there is a security chaos, security agents are entering shops, taking money from owners and threatening to close their businesses. Traffic agents are issuing traffic tickets even if we did not commit violations and ask for at least 1,000 lira. The governor is doing nothing, police command is doing nothing and the people of Aleppo are planning to demonstrate, destroy shops and stop work in all Aleppo until security is restored. And you know that the fall of Aleppo means the fall of the regime and that the fall of economy means the fall of the president. So in the name of God, I beg you to report this situation to the president because people are very angry. I swear to God that they have also raised the flag of the revolution on Aleppo Citadel. I hope you could read my letter and report the situation because the governor is running after violations and you are extremely busy with other important matters. I hope you would read my letter because honestly, I am terrified.

The Battle for Damascus

The clash that took place between members of the local resistance and security forces loyal to Assad took place less than a block away from our apartment, still awaiting our eventual return. My mother lives just across the highway. The local security headquarters that came under attack is one that I know very well, as I have been interrogated there on a number of occasions. The battle is coming home.

Sounds of the nighttime battle http://youtu.be/nzBgmqxV8rE

Just a little north, a couple of blocks really, is Mazzeh Jabal and the famous Commune 86, an unplanned settlement inhabited by Alawite soldiers and officers whose guard rushed in to join the fray, and ended up killing many of their own. Most mid- and high-ranking loyalist officers have been evacuated, and are unlikely to return anytime soon. But the foot soldiers and security guards will likely become more vicious, and that will only pave the way for more clashes, as things in the neighborhood has been heating up for a while.

Besides this attack, and the two bombings that targeted security headquarters in Tahrir and Jamarek, there were other relatively minor incidents all across the city over the last couple of days, confirming what I have been saying for a while now: Assad’s recent victories are rather pyrrhic, he and his henchmen have only succeeded in transforming the country into one giant battlefield.

It doesn’t matter how many soldiers Iran, Hezbollah and now Russia send to shore up the Assads, they are not going to prevent the looming implosion, nor will they have the stomach or the stamina to stick around to manage whatever comes next. Sooner or later, they will return where they come from, alive or in body bags, and the revolutionaries will stay and rebuild. It’s an age old story about to be replayed.

The Battle for Deir Ezzor

Meanwhile, in Deir Ezzor City and the larger province, intense clashes between members of the local resistance and forces loyal to Assad have been taken place over the last few days, with parts of Deir Ezzor City now falling under the control of the resistance.

Loyalist snipers throw bodies of dead defectors from on top of one of the buildings under their control in Deir Ezzor City http://youtu.be/hPJ2nKNrG7Q Elsewhere in the city, members of the local resistance carry out an operation targeting a loyalist tank in the distance http://youtu.be/RTMY4idPt6M Martyrs http://youtu.be/Vb104g7CHF4 , http://youtu.be/q_0Sm3FHQFc Locals barricaded the streets to delay arrival of loyalist convoys http://youtu.be/y9dB8mteL8A

Elsewhere in the province towns such Kharitah and Mou Hassan has been subjected to intense pounding, amidst reports of large-scale defection in Mou Hassan.

Elsewhere, 2 Alawite officers announce their defection http://youtu.be/yZrb5x3WwX0

Homs
Homs City
Adawiyah: pro-Assad death squads break into a house and execute its occupants, all women http://youtu.be/pLXHVxeNo4Q Bab Al-Sibaa: the pounding continues http://youtu.be/kqLWVldSAJo , http://youtu.be/79IgBQl-RbU , http://youtu.be/JJejJh5i2jg A building catches fire http://youtu.be/FnWwEsaHOcE , http://youtu.be/0dFDPww41Zk This little girl is victim of sniper http://youtu.be/vZam7iB6Gow Martyr in the street http://youtu.be/7WrpOzp7U5c Two cars catch fire http://youtu.be/Fye88DxoCtc Local activist, Khalid Abou Salah, of parts of the neighborhood that have become completely desolate http://youtu.be/NQlO7rBDIz4 The pounding continues and more homes catch fire http://youtu.be/jXlBXcipOBg The local mosque abandoned and nearly ruined http://youtu.be/MCBGC8qBJ5g Khaldiyeh: martyr http://youtu.be/uW_PY4exPHg
Daytime Rallies
Bayadah http://youtu.be/uiVB-UM1DYo
Nighttime Rallies
Khaldiyeh http://youtu.be/lrnbwJ9BNkY Qoussour http://youtu.be/8lasmC_J9xI
Homs Province
Rastan: A family of three (father, mother and little girl) is killed when their home is hit by a rocket http://youtu.be/fXlPtD7lTeI the three were buried at night http://youtu.be/UzNrRu02mU0 Qusayr: pounding leaves two children dead http://youtu.be/j2Dg_rNLiBM
Daytime Rallies
Houleh (funeal) http://youtu.be/_2n-dB1Dw3w
Damascus
Damascus City
Naher Eisheh: nighttime protesters come under fire http://youtu.be/c3gasdn_qnM
Nighttime Rallies
Barzeh http://youtu.be/m938XZYh8mQ Jobar http://youtu.be/jPvf6iGB6Cg
Damascus East (Eastern & Western Ghoutah)
Nighttime Rallies
Douma http://youtu.be/hy3hAhUVpLQ
Damascus South (Southern Ghoutah)
Nighttime Rallies
Babbila http://youtu.be/OF_JhoGChzQ
West (Zabadani and Wadi Barada)
Nighttime Rallies
Zabadani http://youtu.be/YV5zeujMwr4
North (The Qalamoun Region )
Nighttime Rallies
Qarrah http://youtu.be/KNWJt2BictM
Hama
Hama City
Nighttime Rallies
Aleppo Road http://youtu.be/GZRI73hHmlQ Hamidiyeh http://youtu.be/qQK6fIjewuk
Hama Province
Shaizar: local members of the resistance blow up a tank http://youtu.be/MABUKM-xXcA Ellatamneh: a victim of torture http://youtu.be/K3_YGSLDo1c
Idlib
Daytime Rallies
Binnish (funeral) http://youtu.be/Gimo0hSpAxo Kafrenbel (funeral) http://youtu.be/mKkInQgpjfM Kafar Takhareem http://youtu.be/X5oCjJ764bk Ariha (funeral) http://youtu.be/bbRuxth6884
Nighttime Rallies
Taftanaz http://youtu.be/u6ZBBYoWTOE
Deraa/Hauran
Deraa City
Mahatah: sounds of nighttime clashes http://youtu.be/0n40jBD-kRc
Daytime Rallies
Al-Balad http://youtu.be/au5xc3OIx-Q
Nighttime Rallies
Mahatah (Sadd) http://youtu.be/X-Z6zTJJjwA
Deraa/Hauran Province
Bosra: Loyalist troops open fire on protesters killing three and injuring a dozen http://youtu.be/RXbGssQitlw Kafar Shams: Martyr http://youtu.be/WOlbjVLwj-A
Daytime Rallies
Hraak http://youtu.be/Itss9Zy-apo Sourah http://youtu.be/ehPzrYAj2zY
Aleppo
Aleppo City
Salaheddine: nighttime protesters come under fire http://youtu.be/HCmjcWcigfE
Daytime Rallies
Aleppo University http://youtu.be/w6BYVhZQF7Y
Aleppo Province
Nighttime Rallies
Marei http://youtu.be/Oji7MAZ2v8Q Elbab http://youtu.be/9r35-1xbZW0 Sahharah (funeral) http://youtu.be/FluNyJj4SEU
Deir Ezzor
Nighttime Rallies
Deir Ezzor City (Jbeileh) http://youtu.be/5ZKB5cZ4Cos
Hassakeh
Daytime Rallies
Salhiyeh http://youtu.be/e0suFTroeEA Dirbassiyeh http://youtu.be/tuzaC043wlY
Raqqah
Daytime Rallies
Raqqah City http://youtu.be/QgA7HJsfTaA (Mar 17) http://youtu.be/BXNetPtcyYI