Some peddle hope and deliver indifference, while others peddle
pure unadulterated cynicism. In the face of all this, Syrians are persevering
somehow, but the problem with perseverance is that it requires a certain
uncompromising if not downright puritan quality, which in our world translates
into all different sorts of unsavory isms. Welcome to the Darkside of the Arab
Spring.
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Retrieving the fallen is always a
complicated and risky business
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Monday September
17, 2012
Today’s
Death toll: 142. The Breakdown: 50 in
Damascus and Suburbs (among them 10 in Yarmouk Camp), 31 in Aleppo, 30 in Daraa
(among them 13 in the shelling of Lajat), 12 in Homs, 12 in Idlib, 2 in Raqqa,
2 in Lattakia, 2 in Hama and 1 in Deir Ezzor (LCC).
News
Special
Reports
Op-Eds
Ammar Abdulhamid & Khawla Yusuf:
The
Shredded Tapestry: The State of Syria Today
In Pictures
On September 16 and 17, new
massacres took place in the village of Kafar Ouaid, Idlib Province. Among the
victims many children. One little girl was beheaded.
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In Homs, one cannon are aimed at
different neighborhoods and keep pounding them all day long
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An example of the bombs, popularly
referred to as the “barrels,” which are currently being dropped on restive towns,
cities and neighborhoods all over Syria
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A grieving father cannot bear look
at the bodies of his dead sons, and cannot let go of his surviving one
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A group of Syrian women in the diaspora
has gone on a hunger strike in protest of world’ silence. It’s been two weeks
for some.
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Miraculously, some protesters still
remember the Revolution’s main goal: the establishment of a civil state
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But others have gone in a different
direction: they want the Caliphate
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Many, if not most are frustrated with
all and want “to topple everybody”
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Video Highlights
In the village of Kafar Ouaid, Idlib Province, the pounding keeps
claiming the lives of more children http://youtu.be/lxTSaPhKrH0
, http://youtu.be/CEb71phCt7M , http://youtu.be/6sdFVPSC4aI On the
previous day, more children were killed as well by pounding and direct slaughter.
http://youtu.be/-VmOIc4sc7s , http://youtu.be/U3jeVaJ9kIA This gruesome
video shows the body of a little girl who was beheaded http://youtu.be/XOxTVWDVubo
In Damascus City, the pounding of the restive neighborhoods of
Al-Hajar Al-Aswad, Al-Qadam, Al-Assaly, Al-Tadamon among others continues http://youtu.be/pXssPgxf-N4 , http://youtu.be/gjVw8wRDst4 , http://youtu.be/G78Z_5ltgA0 , http://youtu.be/HoFXvhZhxa8 , http://youtu.be/hR2BLSVNc18 , http://youtu.be/wMGUBBfbhg4 , http://youtu.be/WcotmsyJq6Q Martyrs http://youtu.be/uxpWqyEQ4VQ , http://youtu.be/-eyT9-B-RFg , http://youtu.be/xC50JXnVxXo , http://youtu.be/6drpWPozNB0 , http://youtu.be/FCLa2uiqcRw , http://youtu.be/u3uqWigyLF0 And fighters
remain hold up in the narrow alleyways http://youtu.be/KMUFEkvFL2U
To the North of Damascus, the pounding of the town of Yabroud
continues http://youtu.be/obxcMnM61Z0
The town of Darat Azzah, Aleppo Province, is pounded by MIGs http://youtu.be/jLTNWFaWhLM , http://youtu.be/HklBDeZartw
In Homs Province, the pounding of the town of Al-Qusair continues
http://youtu.be/jaxahQRciFs And Rastan
http://youtu.be/j6BdBL6OPY0 , http://youtu.be/Zxr5uULKbxQ , http://youtu.be/_OZkEboUVvo In Talbisseh,
medics try to revive a little girl injured by a shrapnel http://youtu.be/lDyyvWniuqg
The pounding of the town of Kinsafrah in Idlib Province http://youtu.be/UZL5sCHI32U , http://youtu.be/Ug7v0zNyxbQ
Alawites in Antakya, Turkey, rally in support of Assad and
demand the repatriation of all refugees. They blame the tragic developments in
Syria on Saudi-Qatari-American-Zionist-Erdogan conspiracy, claim all
revolutionaries are foreign fighters and say that Assad is goodhearted http://youtu.be/hwbg-Yc1Zi0
In Salaheddine Neighborhood, Aleppo City, rebels claim to have killed
an Iranian officer, they show his body and his ID http://youtu.be/jXJRJ6E1iPw
Another activist accidentally films his own death http://youtu.be/3FeV-qByb84
This video shows an FSA fighter blowing up a tank by throwing a
hand grenade inside the cockpit http://youtu.be/M33aaZBFmLI
Leaked video showing a ranking officer in pro-Assad militias giving
orders to a tank to pound a neighborhood in a Damascene suburb irrespective of the
presence of “civilians” http://youtu.be/X1tt1qHDCsM
Another recently leaked video harkens back until last winter and shows
the positioning of cannons to pound the town of Madaya in Damascus
Province http://youtu.be/4OeZfW93JKA
In South Idlib, a group of defected soldiers announces the
formation of new fighting unit called: The Martyr Saddam Hussein’s Brigade http://youtu.be/lTe7TlFKRps The choice
of name is dictated by the donor involved.
A report by The Syrian Network for Human Rights
The
complete legal documentation of the Daraya Massacre
Date of
incident: 20/8/2012-27/8/2012
Darya is
located in Damascus’ countryside as it is eight kilometers west of Damascus.
Only a small distance separates Daraya, the biggest city of in Rural Damascus,
from Mu’adamiyet Alsham.
On the
second day of Eid Al-Fitr, and as Muslims around the world were celebrating,
the military operation against Daraya began. On Monday, August 20th,
2012, the Syrian government cut off electricity and communication from the
entire city. That night, the Syrian arm shelled the western part of the city
with tens of mortar shells. Homes were completely destroyed and many were
wounded by the shelling, which consequently made the residents flee to the
centre of the city.
On the
following Tuesday morning (21/8/2012), the Syrian army blocked off all Daraya’s
exists and entrances with sandbags and barriers. Thirty tanks were deployed on
the International Highway to Deraa, thus preventing anyone from entering or
exiting the city. The Syrian army started shelling the heart of Daraya,
wounding many.
The Syrian
forces then attempted to advance through the Kornish Way. However, the forces
met resistance from the Free Syrian Army as the two sides clashed causing
casualties on both sides. The Syrian Network for Human Rights cannot document
or verify the casualties on either side due to the Syrian government’s refusal
to issue a license for the network. There are also other difficulties that
prevent the network from documenting the casualties from both armed
parties.
At 7:00
am, Wednesday, 21/8/2012, the Syrian forces stepped up the shelling, only for
Daraya to witness the fiercest wave of shelling. The regime forces used various
weapons, including heavy weapons, tanks, mortars, and helicopter rockets, in a
very horrific manner. The shelling killed many civilians in their homes and
wounded many. All the victims were taken to field hospitals amidst the lack of
needed medical equipment.
*Important
videos that document the events of that day*
The
wounded (all civilians) after three days since the beginning of the military
operation:
A surgical
operation being conducted on a civilian who was wounded by the shelling:
Thursday
(23/8/2012) arrived, as the people of Daraya did not sleep the night before due
to the continuos shelling. Our activists conducted field visits to the shelled
areas. What caught our attention was the use of artillery weapons and warplane
rockets. Witnesses tell us that they could not leave the indoors to retrieve
dead bodies due to the fierce shelling that poses a great risk to their
lives.
*Videos
that document the events of that day*
We note
that the original and raw videos are possessed b the Syrian Network for Human
Rights.
Videos of
the dead (all civilians):
23/8/2012
Anas
Alhilou
Amin
Huwwari
Other
civilians that were killed by the shelling
A child
killed by the shelling
Still
images of the victims from that day:
Ahmed
Alabbar Abu Hussain
Nadia Mohammed/45
years//killed in random shelling
Mohanad
Ahmed Alzahr
Anas
Alhilou
The Al
Sheikh Massacre
Videos
documenting the wounded (many of them died due to lack of medical equipment)
Daraya
23/8/2012, people seriously wounded, including children:
Injuries
due to rocket fire
Deaths and
injuries duet to barbaric shelling
Wounded
civilians in serious conditions
A person
wounded by sniper fire
A person
wounded by shrapnel from a rocket
At 10:00
am, Friday (24/8/2012), forces from the Air-force Intelligence stormed the city
form the direction of the Mazzah Airport with the support of fighter jets. The
city’s west and centre were shelled and homes were broken into by army
personnel as they conducted arrests.
As
the army attempted to reach the centre of the city, the Free Syrian Army
resisted as they clashed with the advancing army forces. This resistance caused
the Syrian army to resort to the Scorched Earth strategy, as it used all it had
to pound the city, causing the death and injury of many civilians. At this
point, the FSA withdrew completely from the city.
After the
withdrawal of the FSA, and at 3:00 pm on the same day, an enormous amount army
forces invaded the city. The burned and destroyed homes, markets, businesses,
and farms. Medical storages were also burnt. Snipers were deployed in large
number all around the city.
*Videos
that document deaths and injuries for that day*
Abu Nidal
Qadra, killed in random shelling
Two dead
children
Corpses of
those who were killed
A photo of
Basel Abu Allin
A photo of
Majal Albalshah
The child,
Adel Alabbar
Photos of
victims who were detained then executed
Maan
Alzardah
Those
wounded by the shelling
Those
wounded by rocket fire and the awful conditions
Wounded
individuals
On the
following Saturday through Sunday, Syrian forces started to break into houses
and indiscriminately kill whoever they find. Summary executions and collective
killings were tactics that were also used. Entire families were annihilated
using such tactics. Some of the families which were documented by the network
are the “Saqa” family, which Is known for its righteousness, morality, and
knowledge, the “Alon” family, and the “Foqa’ah” family. The murderous forces
did not stop there. For they also mutilated the bodies of the dead, distorted
them, and burnt them, so that human rights organizations and the families be
unable to identify the dead.
It is at
this point when the biggest massacre occurred, the massacre of the Abu Sulaiman
Aldarani Mosque and its surroundings. Many civilians sought refuge in a home
near the mosque. Later, the bodies of 156 people were found piled up in that
same place. Nineteen of the dead were women, and three were children.
Videos and
photos documenting the events of the 25-26/8/2012
The child,
Asmaa Abu Allin
The Abu
Sulaiman Mosque Massacre
Big number
of victims that were killed by army forces and Shabiha
Pictures
of victims 25/8
Photos
from one of the massacres
A photo of
Zahra Dyoub
Photos of
some corpses
Videos
from 26/8/2012
Infants
killed by the shelling
The
massacres that were discovered in Daraya
The
Balafsi family
A massacre
in an apartment (7 dead)
Bodies
of 14 people who were summarily executed in their home
Discovered
bodies
Photo
documentation of victims
The burial
of victims in mass graves
On Monday,
the army forces withdrew and positioned themselves outside the city. The head
of the police headquarters in Daraya was executed by army forces along with
other policemen for allegedly “aiding terrorists”.
Regime
forces also looted the Red Cross’s storages which contained nutritional
supplies and medicines.
After the
army’s withdrawal, 35 bodies were found of civilians who were detained and then
executed by army forces. Four of them are women and three are children.
Videos
documenting that days’ events
Corpses of
the victims:
Photos of
the bodies:
The Syrian
Network for Human Rights’ team was able, through the coarse of many days, to
document the names of the dead. This was achieved through communicating with
witnesses, relatives of victims, and activists on the ground (who can be
reached via Skype). The United Nations has to pressure the Syrian regime to
allow international committees to come to Syria and investigate.
The Syrian
Network for Human Rights documented 524 names, most of whom if not all are
civilians, since the FSA withdrew from the city. The presence of 61 dead women
proves the regime’s targeting of civilians.
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