A revolution starts with a “no,” but can only end with a “yes.”
So far, no serious discussion has been made to get us there.
Sunday September
22, 2012
Today’s
Death toll: 85. The Breakdown: 22 in Damascus and suburbs, 21 in Aleppo, 14
in Daraa, 12 in Hama (including a mother and her 5 children), 7 in Homs, 6 in
Idlib, and 1 in each of Deir Ezzor, Qamishli and Lattakia (LCC).
Other
Developments (LCC):
Damascus
Suburbs: Yabroud, Douma, Harasta,
Moadamia came under heavy shelling. Mudira and Daraya came under sporadic
shelling. Artouz witnessed raids and arrests.
Damascus
City: Clashes reported in
Al-Qabou and Tishreen neighborhoods. Barzeh was shelled. Electric blackout reported
in Qasayoun Mountain, around Al-Shami Hospital, and in the following districts:
Al-Jisr Al-Abyad, Abu Rummaneh and the Malki.
Deir
Ezzor: Boukamal Renewal of
violent clashes and sounds of more than one explosion near the bridge and
sounds coming from near the airport. Deir Ezzor City: A number of shells
landed in the area surrounding Ghassan Abboud Roundabout, leading to the
destruction of a large number of homes. Fierce clashes between the Free Syrian
Army and regime forces are reported in Kanamat neighborhood.
Idlib: Jisr Al-Shughour Heavy shelling with heavy artillery on
the village of Mishemshan and a complete cut off of the power supply. Maarat
Al-Nouman A number of missiles have fallen on a Al-Massakan neighborhood
north of the city, burning a house completely. Salqeen: Heavy artillery
shelling on the city.
Hama: Hama City Severe gunfire from heavy weapons in the
vicinity of the command area in Al-Dabagha; Heavy gunfire on the neighborhoods
south of the barracks. Shahernaz: A young man was wounded in his leg due
to the heavy artillery shelling of the village. This led to its amputation. Zabda:
More than 14 shells landed at the village from the checkpoints stationed in
Kharsan village. Qastoun: Heavy shelling from attack helicopters was
reported, and barrel bombs have destroyed a large number of homes.
Homs: Homs City Heavy bombardment from Al-Beyanat Battalion in
Al-Wa’ar neighborhood on neighborhoods of Homs using Gvozdika cannons. Krak
des Chevaliers Shelling with Shilka weapons is renewed. Al-Rastan
Renewal of shelling and mortar strikes on the city. Al-Bouaidiyeh
(east): 6 people have been injured from severe shelling by helicopters and
heavy artillery that has led to massive destruction of homes and properties.
Aleppo: Tal Rifaat Clashes in the vicinity of the Military Airport.
Kafr Halab Martyrs and wounded were reported in the aerial shelling of
the town. Warplanes dropped dynamite-filled barrel bombs on the towns of Qubtan
Al-Jabal, Hayyan, Bayanoun and Reitan. Aleppo City
Shelling by warplanes on the neighborhood of Al-Sha’ar, Firdoss
Raqqa: Hammam Al-Turkman Fierce clashes between the Free Syrian
Army and regime’s army were reported near the grain Silos of Al-Rasheed. Tal
Abyad Local councils have been formed to administer day-to-day city affairs.
The councils have launched a street cleanup campaign and are opening roads as
part of their first mission.
Lattakia: Beit Awan Regime forces are shelling the village in
Rabi’a area. Salma Bombardments of TNT barrels on the regime and helicopters
flying overhead on the town and its suburbs
Daraa: Al-Sheikh Maskeen martyrs and several wounded during a
violent military campaign by regime forces in an attempt to storm the city.
Smoke clouds fill the air after forces bombed the area; mosques were targeted.
Reports of military reinforcements heading to the city. Lajat Shelling
of villages by tanks reported.
News
Special
Reports
Ammar Abdulhamid & Khawla
Yusuf: The
Shredded Tapestry: The State of Syria Today
The recent announcements by Col. Riad Al-Asaad, head of the Free Syrian
Army, that he has moved operations inside Syria needs to be put in perspective.
So does the call for the overthrow of the Assad regime by an opposition figure
based in Damascus.
Regarding the first instance, we need to bear in mind that the Free
Syrian Army (FSA) is nothing more than a brand name employed at one point by
rebels to reflect an image of unity in the hope of turning it into a reality.
But, a year after the onset of the armed phase of the Syrian Revolution, the
hope for unity remains elusory. The FSA does not represent an actual command
structure for the rebels. Very much like its political counterpart, the Syrian
National Council (SNC), it has long developed into an institution that has
little relevance on the ground. People continue to invoke and perhaps even
venerate the name, but in no way does this translate into allegiance to the FSA
leadership in Antakya.
Rebel groups operating inside the country owe their allegiance to their
various civilian leaders who emerged from their midst. Except in few instances,
defectors from the regular army have a supporting role at best. Respect is
reserved mostly for those officers who elected to stay in Syria following their
defection. People like Brig. Gen. Mustafa Al-Shaikh, head of the High Military
Council, and Col. Riad Al-Asaad, head of the Free Syrian Army, among the dozens
of officers and generals who sought refuge in Turkey following their defection lost
much credibility and relevance as a result. Their failure to play a major role
in supplying rebels on the ground with arms did not help their case.
Over the last few months, the officers have been busy trying to
ingratiate themselves to local rebel leaders in the hope of gaining allegiance.
Their sales pitch is premised on two things: their experience as military
commanders, and the fact that without professional officers on board the
international community will continue to dither when it comes to supporting the
rebels. Rebel leaders to understand that, and over the last few weeks, they
began encouraging Antakya-based officers to Syria at least for brief sojourns
in order to survey the situation, provide advice and gain some trust, if not
some allegiance. Brig. Gen. Al-Shaikh among other generals and officers from
the High Military Council have been making visits to Syria and meeting with
local rebel leaders for weeks now. The announcement by Col. Al-Asaad http://youtu.be/0Celzfe6HGI regarding
moving the FSA to Syria is nothing more than an act of one-upmanship in the
ongoing competition between the two men. On the ground, it has little
relevance, as both men continue to lack any real authority, albeit the majority
of rebel leaders seem to prefer Al-Shaikh and his right-hand man Col. Abdul
Jabbal Al-Oqaidi, to Al-Asaad. Al-Shaikh has been able to play a better role in
channeling some support to groups on the ground and his secular leanings
endeared him to the traditional rebel leaders who continue to lead the larger
groups. It is not clear, however, whether Islamists will throw their support
behind Col. Al-Asaad, though it is highly unlikely that he would have made his
move without some support from rebels.
In the second instance, the opposition group that organized the
conference in Damascus and called for the overthrow of Assad is the National
Coordination Body, a leftist political coalition with little support among
rebels and rebel communities. In fact, the NCB doesn’t even have much influence
among nonviolence activists, not to mention rebels. Its early involvement in
nonviolent protests has always been marginal. Its younger cadres have long
grown disillusioned with existing leadership figures such as Hassan Abdul Azim
and Haitham Al-Manna who excel in highlighting what they don’t like about the
current situation, but fail to provide any convincing proposal as to how it can
be changed. They excel in rejection and fail in affirmation.
At this stage, the Assad regime will allow NCB to call for anything it
wants, so long as it also stands against foreign intervention, even while
ingratiating itself to Iran, Russia and China, and speaks against the armed
opposition. But, should the regime ever be ready to negotiate, it will have to
negotiate with rebel groups, not with the NCB, the SNC or even the
Antakya-based FSA leadership, because it’s the rebels who can actually deliver.
An agreement with NCB, or even the SNC or FSA, will amount to nothing if not
endorsed by rebel groups. The regime knows that. Assad is not ready to
negotiate. He still believes he can win.
Video Highlights:
Leaked video showing pro-Assad security torturing detainees http://youtu.be/4d4TANdu93s
Dead and wounded reported in Qubtan Al-Jabal, Aleppo Province,
following an intense nighttime shelling http://youtu.be/2AZxgAiFWW8
In nearby Bayanoun, the town was pounded by MIGs http://youtu.be/FTWCSw1H6tg MIGs also
targeted Marei http://youtu.be/43IPV-vMzlo
, http://youtu.be/6JGB7kiXlLM
In Damascus City, smoke rises over the neighborhood of Al-Zahirah
http://youtu.be/6mUGdkYcGuk In the
suburb of Kafar Batna, an aerial raid leave many dead and wounded http://youtu.be/QX6--nfbVjI
The activist group Nahel Al-Sahel, prepares leaflets for
distribution in Alawite villages along the coast. Some of the slogans “Shabiha
have always been thugs, how come they are considered heroes now?” and “Why do
authorities refuse to let you open the coffin to inspect your dead son’s body?”
(The implication is that he was shot execution style to prevent him from
defecting) http://youtu.be/dQ6lf_kbFs0
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