The Obama Administration needs to explain in clear terms and
soon its decision to declare Jabhat Al-Nusra as a terrorist group at this
particular juncture. Despite being critical of Al-Nusra themselves, too many
rebels and activists see in this move an attempt at quashing the armed struggle
in favor of a political solution that would accommodate the interests of all
and sundry, except those of the revolutionaries. But it’s not only this decision
that seems problematic to the revolutionaries, it’s the entire about-face that the
Obama Administration did in its stance on the Syrian Revolution that remains
unexplained and, hence, subject to misunderstandings. The desire to be so
involved in steering the process at this stage is being interpreted as an
attempt at appropriating the advances recently made by rebels in order to
retain some influence over them after the fall of Assad. While this might come
as an oversimplification, as well as a misreading of the facts on the ground,
it represents an ethos that is too widespread to be ignored. It’s time for some
justifications: why has President Obama been so late in coming to the fore, and
what endgame in Syria is he really seeking? It’s not enough to have Ambassador
Ford explain Obama’s point-of-view to the opposition. It’s the Syrian people
who need to be openly addressed by the Man himself.
Monday December
10, 2012
Today’s
Death Toll: 142, including 7 children and 11
women: 59 in Aleppo (including 10 in Shaikh Maksoud), 50 in Damascus and
suburbs, 12 in Daraa, 9 in Idlib, 5 in Homs, 3 in Deir Ezzor, 3 in Hama and 1 in
Raqqa. Points of Random Shelling: 213.
Clashes: 108. Regime forces
carried out aerial raids against Alkhadra village in Latakia as well as Talbisseh
and Houla in Homs using cluster bombs, and Erbin in Damascus suburbs using phosphorous
bombs. In Damascus, rebels liberate the Art Institution in Harasta, previously used
by pro-regime militias, shelled the military airports in Deir Ezzor and Mazzeh (Damascus)
(LCC).
News
Syrian
rebels defy US and pledge allegiance to jihadi group Rebel groups
across Syria are defying the United States by pledging their allegiance to a
group that Washington will designate today a terrorist organization for its
alleged links to al-Qaeda.
Syrian
economy to shrink 20 percent in 2012: IIF War-ravaged Syria's economy
will shrink by a fifth in 2012 and all its foreign reserves could be spent by
the end of next year, a global finance industry association said on Monday.
Syria's
Assad Will Use Chemical Weapons, Says Former Weapons Program General He
listed mustard gas along with the sarin, VX and tabun nerve agents as the main
elements in Syria's chemical arsenal, whose existence Syria doesn't even
acknowledge… "They're idiots, crazy. Simply they are killers," he
said.
EU
moves closer to full recognition of Syria opposition Alkhatib said he
expected to get a decision on Wednesday from the EU over whether it would
recognise the coalition as the sole legitimate representative of the Syrian
people. "This is under discussion because the European countries each have
their own point of view and they are debating the issue," he told
reporters after he left midway through the ministers' meeting. "They will
give the final answer in Marrakesh."
EU:
Syria war is ‘stain’ on world conscience The European Union, winner of
this year’s Nobel Peace Prize, said at the award ceremony on Monday that the
conflict in Syria was “a stain” on the world’s conscience. “Let me say it from
here today,” said European Commission president Jose Manuel Barroso. “The
current situation in Syria is a stain on the world’s conscience and the
international community has a moral duty to address it.”
Google
trends: The moment Syria’s ‘revolution’ became a ‘civil war’ Google
users are now almost three times as likely to search for “Syrian civil war” as
they are for “Syrian revolution.” A week ago, the United Nations high
commissioner for human rights warned that the country risked “a full-fledged
civil war.” She’s probably a better judge than Google’s billion-plus users,
but, according to the wisdom of this particular crowd, Syria has already
crossed the line into civil war.
Special
Reports
Despite using more effective
battlefield tactics and acquiring more arms, the mainly Sunni Muslim fighters
have so far lacked the firepower to deliver a decisive blow to Assad… "The
Qataris and the Saudis gave us positive promises. We will see what will
happen," he said, adding that officials from Western countries, who also
attended the meeting in Turkey, had not mentioned arming the rebels but talked
about "sending aid".
Privately, some western government
officials say they think the use of CW by the Assad regime is unlikely. “He
knows it would be a game changer that triggers outside intervention, which is
why he probably won’t use them,” says one western official. “Nor are these
weapons you can use with any safety in close combat guerrilla warfare.” Instead
the much greater concern for the US and its allies, especially Israel, is that
parts of the chemical arsenal will eventually fall into the hands of militant
groups, such as Hizbollah and the al-Qaeda-linked Jabhat al Nusra.
But as Assad’s army weakens, rebels
and analysts warn, it is also becoming more extreme in its fight for survival.
And two of the grimmest scenarios observers have long feared—that Islamic
extremism could come to dominate the rebel fight, and that Assad could decide
to attack with chemical weapons—now look more likely than ever to take hold.
The city brutalised by Assad is calm.
But this is no easy peace.
Following up on yesterday’s
post, the regime continues to pursue a line of action that seems designed to allow
it to use chemical weapons while blaming the rebels for it. Today, the regime tells
the U.N. that it fears it will be framed for using chemical weapons. So, now we
have a video purporting to show rebels experimenting with chemical weapons, and
threatening to use them to wipe out the Alawites, and a public protestation designed
to build an alternate theory of the would-be crime. Things do not augur well
indeed.
Video Highlights
This leaked video shows the storming of the Army Headquarters in
Damascus that took place on September 26, 2012 http://youtu.be/OY6Dhg14_tY. The car
that was brought into the compound was later detonated, and all the Jihadi
elements were killed during the ensuing gun battles. The clip was made by a loyalist
officer using his mobile phone to capture the video he was watching on a
laptop. The original video was taken by security cameras of the compound. The officer
was captured by rebels during recent clashes around Damascus.
An incendiary bomb lands in the town of Aqraba, Damascus, sending
people scurrying in all directions thinking it was a chemical weapon http://youtu.be/HQhnktKuoHY People are
convinced that Assad will be using chemical weapons against them.
A clip showing a reported WMDs storage facility In Mazzeh District on
the periphery of Damascus City http://youtu.be/3uG3kPfji1o
A missile launcher recently won by rebels in Damascus suburbs http://youtu.be/l4iXhFOhK7g
But the pounding of restive suburbs in Damascus continues: Yelda
http://youtu.be/8tFiZdPmyNg , http://youtu.be/Bw80zvMa0WM Daraya
http://youtu.be/fLJp3KMZxac Zabadani
http://youtu.be/WQGgba43row Douma
http://youtu.be/7QV61yTJ7fg , http://youtu.be/sk6853KeKRM , http://youtu.be/FRLTHfQ2rrU
Violent clashes take place in Harasta, Damascus http://youtu.be/YNlkGbFrFrg , http://youtu.be/hGanJF3kPXQ , http://youtu.be/wMOp1a42lcs , http://youtu.be/FNvtCkFppXU , http://youtu.be/DyEgPvyH2j8
Sounds of clashes in Salhiyeh Neighborhood in Damascus City http://youtu.be/f2lSYNiWdJU
Rebels in Aleppo showcase their gains from their takeover of the military
base of Sheikh Sulaiman http://youtu.be/8kckmjjrCKg
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