Jubilation and continuing bloodshed, but things are bound to
get worse, because a wounded lion is a dangerous animal.
Wednesday July 18, 2012
Today’s Death toll: 187. The Breakdown:
106 in Damascus (69 in the Suburbs, including 60 in Sit Zeinab, and 37 in the
City), 16 in Daraa, 15 in Aleppo, 15 in Idlib, 10 in Dier Ezzor, 7 in Hama, 2
in Lattakia, 2 in Suweida and 1 in Qunaitra.
News
Op-Eds & Special
Reports
Battle in
Damascus Netizens question whether
deadly blast could be the beginning of the end for President Assad's
government.
What
Americans would do for Syria … results
of a new survey by The Chicago Council on Global Affairs, published exclusively
today on ForeignPolicy.com, reveals a general consensus among Americans of what
they are and are not willing to do to help end the bloodshed in Syria. A sizable majority of those polled support a
U.S. role in enforcing sanctions and a no-fly zone in Syria (though a larger
majority opposes bombing Syrian air defenses, which could be a prerequisite
step to enforcing a no-fly zone). At the same time, overwhelming majorities
oppose more forceful measures such as arming the Syrian opposition or sending
troops into Syria.
I won’t delve into the countless conspiracy theories being promoted by
different experts and their informed sources regarding the assassinations of
some of Assad’s most senior partners. For beyond all conspiracy theories, there
lies an important fact of which we should be quite mindful at this stage,
namely that a wounded lion is the most dangerous animal of all. This is even
more true, if the wound is self-inflicted, as some who see in the
assassinations an internal liquidation of potential rivals argue.
As we near end-game in Syria, the potential use of WMDs in the conflict
grows exponentially. If Assad is bent on holding on, whether as president of a re-tamed
state or of an ethnically cleansed and loyal enclave, there is no other weapons
in his arsenal that can help him achieve this end. After so many months of shelling
and failing to subdue, Assad and his supporters must see by now the limits of
conventional weapons. Since, we are not dealing here with people who are prone
to sudden attacks of decency, we have to begin to seriously consider the fact
that use of WMDs in this conflict might be just around the corner.
Yet, the only contingency plans for dealing with the potential use of
WMDs in Syria that came to my attention are those that will be employed after
the fact. This is not only unacceptable, it’s downright immoral and shameful.
Preemption is what we need to be concerned about in this case. The
risks are already too real, as evidenced by the recent moving of parts of the
WMD stockpile, according to the State Department’s own leaks. There is no matter preemption in case of
wounded than finishing the job. The U.S. should act to put Assad out of our
misery.
As for what other steps the administration could do, Robert Satloff of
the Washington Institute makes
excellent recommendations:
·
In coordination with key
allies, urge Assad both publicly and privately to leave for exile with his
remaining family while he still has a chance to avoid the fate of Muammar
Qadhafi and Saddam Hussein.
·
Privately urge Iran and
Russia to remove any residual military presence in Syria.
·
Convene leaders of the
Syrian opposition (both civilian and military) and key "Friends of
Syria" (e.g., Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and major European powers) to discuss
a blueprint for the endgame, including the formation of a successor
government-in-waiting. Neither Russia nor Iran should be invited. This is as
much political theater as practical policymaking, given that the goal at the
moment should be to drive an ever-deeper wedge between Assad and his shrinking
circle of support, especially among Alawites outside his clan and his remaining
Sunni collaborators.
·
Work with the Syrian
opposition, the Arab League, and Turkey to issue a statement offering specific
commitments to the protection of Syrian minorities in the event of Assad's
departure, with reference to Alawites, Christians, Kurds, and Druze.
·
Dispatch military/security
officials to consult with Syria's neighbors -- Turkey, Iraq, Lebanon, Jordan,
and Israel -- in a high-profile display of coordination to warn Assad against a
desperate, last-chance external adventure.
·
Begin intensive
preparations for the deployment of an international stabilization and humanitarian
support force designed to reduce the risks associated with post-Assad
transition. Its mission should include securing and possibly removing Syria's
chemical weapons stocks, supporting the successor government's efforts to
prevent violent retribution against Alawites and others perceived as pro-Assad,
and providing humanitarian assistance. The latter element should include
medical care (on hospital ships and onshore) and other aid to Syrians who
suffered during the regime's brutal crackdown, as well as assisting in the
repatriation of Syrian refugees in Turkey, Lebanon, and Jordan. Although this
could eventually become a UN-sanctioned operation, it is important for the
United States to take the lead in defining the mission with key allies as soon as
possible.
Damascus Video Highlights
Highlights
The pounding by helicopter gunships leaves over 60 dead in Sit Zeinab
(AKA Sayyida Zeinab) http://youtu.be/L_jhibONF6g
, http://youtu.be/1Q-XWAR_wRw
Mass grave was uncovered in eh suburb of Douma http://youtu.be/eTnekbIzZQM
City
Tanks take part in pounding Naher Eisheh http://youtu.be/8izJrtHwb5c , http://youtu.be/-LsF2vNuri0 , http://youtu.be/sr35-Guu698
Parts of Midan District have fallen completely under the control
of the local resistance who can now patrol its alleys openly http://youtu.be/WklD-WaI1yc , http://youtu.be/dfb6L8lf9pA A tank was
destroyed in clashes meant to secure the neighborhoods http://youtu.be/ZFgPa3Ub-N0 The pounding
of Midan http://youtu.be/jMMc5D0Z_40 These
are the pro-Assad militias pouring into Midan http://youtu.be/7aU0vcCpQqA
Protesters come under fire in Filasteen Camp http://youtu.be/4ixuSEue3bw Some were
wounded http://youtu.be/82IXplIz0v0 But
members of the local resistance soon rush in to protect the local inhabitants http://youtu.be/b8x8h-WYnHI Protesters
control the local police station http://youtu.be/FQAg8RlbMJY
In Jobar, a helicopter gunship takes part in the pounding http://youtu.be/lTg_yGDZicU
In Suwaiqah, local barricade themselves http://youtu.be/apJjxofFuSQ Clashes take
place in Al-Hajar Al-Aswad http://youtu.be/WTQczpd7EvA
Clashes take place in Kafar Sousseh http://youtu.be/cVOCScT-oMk
The neighborhood of Al-Qadam was pounded http://youtu.be/4RDTBGp5uGI , http://youtu.be/AAEG9phshts Snipers
weigh on as well http://youtu.be/gVVN-BsQ1tE
And pro-Assad militias carry out some field executions when they can http://youtu.be/ai0PfkXDdYg
At 7:30 pm local time, explosions could be heard from downtown
Damascus, near the headquarters of Syrian Arab News Agency in Baramkeh http://youtu.be/sG8MRPHCAfo
Black smoke rises over the city http://youtu.be/SxqOXmOAbE0
At night, members of the local resistance conduct several operations,
leading to the destructions of a number of tanks in Midan http://youtu.be/C71Tn37eIyw Al-Qadam:
nighttime pounding http://youtu.be/WTwytSAnDEA
, http://youtu.be/5NNAjtbor2E Nighttime
clashes take place in Kafar Sousseh http://youtu.be/PZWgGsAm_U0
At night, parts of the Mazzeh District, came under fire http://youtu.be/ygjOwHeetfE
Helicopter gunships take off from Mazzeh Military Airport to take
turn pounding the neighborhoods http://youtu.be/pUPDU_h-SlY
, http://youtu.be/BC4lHWpBSCk
Highlights of today’s massacres in Damascus City: Sit Zeinab
http://youtu.be/5_jSCOrVcb0 Al-Hajar
Al-Aswad http://youtu.be/jFy8Lti66gk
Ruknaddine http://youtu.be/-mmo7WLAmEM
, http://youtu.be/B5VAGQmXWSw Martyrs
Tishreen http://youtu.be/XjKTQzmz7AA
Kafar Sousseh http://youtu.be/CqnW__wPFbY
Tadamon http://youtu.be/bxT8JgcKnew
Al-Qadam http://youtu.be/GOIU4iOmSo4
Qaboun http://youtu.be/N3z2X2dpVSA
Midan http://youtu.be/9oUnYfasdBE
The Burbs
Black smoke rises over the Eastern Ghoutah http://youtu.be/l4q2nZvZvOs (Ain Terma) http://youtu.be/Rx3ATgsUt_Y as a result
of clashes and pounding: Zamalka http://youtu.be/dBXDCJSnd54
Saqba comes under intense pounding http://youtu.be/ZETL_Wk7FI8 , http://youtu.be/vnsN7yVveuk Nearby Kafar
Batna witness some clashes as well http://youtu.be/pDWXdC_QHjM
Harasta was pounded http://youtu.be/E4wTRskINk0
In the suburbs, Daraya was pounded (night) http://youtu.be/J2MfJ4TpjmA
Highlights of today’s massacres in Damascus Suburbs: Qoudsaya
http://youtu.be/_7JZJf1j4sE Sbeineh
http://youtu.be/aTbiU9GnMck , http://youtu.be/aTbiU9GnMck , http://youtu.be/dnx5AtFusk0 , http://youtu.be/lnjMSCkkQXk Madaya
http://youtu.be/Mq6oNtNjGbM , http://youtu.be/9p0qf0mAsDs
Other Video Highlights
In Saraqib, Idlib, a massacre takes place on account of the
shelling that the town suffered. There were many children among the dead http://youtu.be/OdOQbs-C14c , http://youtu.be/jdQ782xAo84 , http://youtu.be/WsNWUOZPhFg A mother and
two daughters http://youtu.be/fJZHwuaxi6w
The nearby Ma’arrat Al-Nouman is pounded http://youtu.be/Hwvvg4M4WrA Kafar
Sajnah is pounded http://youtu.be/y1C3fbZB_PU
, http://youtu.be/43hT2Ovvejk
The pounding of Talbisseh, Homs, continues http://youtu.be/8vEYjMKcFgI , http://youtu.be/ZNo03M1PQyw , http://youtu.be/AFF1NQ23h3o , http://youtu.be/n6oBnYVxIO4 leaving many
dead http://youtu.be/nAO_2NGKLkQ The
martyrs http://youtu.be/ZtNMDTFXqNY
The pounding of Homs City continues http://youtu.be/jlJZisdMYmg , http://youtu.be/nUuPR_DR8zo , http://youtu.be/dSl776DkUEg , http://youtu.be/z7NOBZw1Vf8 , http://youtu.be/pmd8PzjnfPI , http://youtu.be/ee8NfwNhVyM Buildings
catch fire in Ghoutah http://youtu.be/UbQy905vcMo
The pounding of Arba’een Neighborhood in Hama City http://youtu.be/0-rlD7YOtxw
The pounding of Daraa City continues http://youtu.be/uiZdU-NCxz8 , http://youtu.be/Aq63iZKotr8 , http://youtu.be/6-7KR6tasEM , http://youtu.be/vUytO_exZZw , http://youtu.be/rJwOmwvG27s , http://youtu.be/8v7D5s6k1Co One of the
positions taking part in the shelling http://youtu.be/0YLL4JmL7ic
In Na’eemah, Daraa, a funeral comes under fire http://youtu.be/OB0sY6fu3tM
Jabal Al-Akrad in Lattakia, pounded by helicopter gunships http://youtu.be/mNiJcSLPk6w Forests
fires keep raging http://youtu.be/axr2S9f_iUM
The pounding continues http://youtu.be/9aZplAXerco
Members of the local resistance in Eizaz, Aleppo, destroy four another
tanks belonging to the pro-Assad militias http://youtu.be/v96PZpa9KkU
, http://youtu.be/dbmn2YYmffw /But
helicopter gunships continue to pound the city http://youtu.be/Wt9krI2XeiQ
The local resistance controls the town of Marei http://youtu.be/b4-N40yjJyU
Defectors organize a unit fighting unit in Aleppo http://youtu.be/IJLaHctegpk
Aleppo Martyrs: Eizaz http://youtu.be/5aVrbTnm0LA
Elbab http://youtu.be/ZilSBi_FlME
The pounding of Deir Ezzor City continues http://youtu.be/L14nrBPNlAk Martyrs http://youtu.be/SL-I5D4u0r8
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