As the ring of fire grows tighter and tighter around Damascus,
there are still those who think the fire is containable. This revolution might have
shattered some illusions for some people, but others seem to cherish their
illusions more than life and reason. For them, catastrophe is not an option they
are willing to consider, which is why catastrophe becomes inevitable. The
aftermath is dawning upon us, and if we think things are messy now, we don’t have
long to wait before we discover how wrong we are. Still, it was all worth it,
no matter the price.
Saturday December
15, 2012
Today’s
Death Toll: 131, including 5 women and 6
children: 36 in Damascus and suburbs, 26 in Aleppo, 18 in Homs (mostly in
Rastan), 17 in Idlib, 12 in Daraa, 6 in Deir Ezzor, 8 in Hama and 3 in Raqqa. Points of Random Shelling: 256. Clashes: 103. Rebels brought
down a helicopter in Hassakeh and captured loyalist soldiers in Deir Ezzor as
well as a major arms depot in Aleppo (LCC).
In Jordan, officials who defected from
the Syrian government announced
that they had formed a new opposition group led by Mr. Assad’s former prime
minister, Riyad Farid Hijab, one of the highest-ranking officials to desert
during the conflict. The group, called the National Free Coalition of the
Workers of Syrian Government Institutions, aims to keep state structures intact
if Mr. Assad’s government falls, Reuters reported.
News
Special
Reports
In August, the prominent doctors,
engineers, pharmacists and businessmen sheltering here established the Aleppo
Transitional Revolutionary Council, a kind of city government in exile for the
liberated portions of the city. Mr. Khanji, 67, a civil engineer with a long
history of opposing the Syrian government, serves as its president.
"I feel so much ashamed of
myself, being in a warm place and having my violin with me and playing music
while people have to stand in long queues in order to have something to
eat," he says.
The Sahel al Ghab plain, in Hama
province, used to be one of Syria’s richest agricultural regions, producing
grain, olives, rice, cotton and sugar. But this year has been disastrous
because of the war. Several people from the area said their land wasn’t being
farmed because of shellfire from regime-loyal villages.
Syria
Deeply
Jabhat Al Nusra, now a U.S.-designated
terrorist group believed to have links with Al Qaeda, still wins fans in Syria
for its disciplined, ferocious fighters. It is considered the most effective
fighting force against the Assad regime, and its latest film highlighting
attacks in and around Aleppo seeks to bolster that reputation. In an hour-long
video… Jabhat al Nusra takes us behind the scenes of its suicide bombings and
attacks on military bases, demonstrating its craft and explaining the reasons
behind what it describes as jihad against the Assad regime.
Video Highlights
Rebel leader Abu Furat hours before his
martyrdom http://youtu.be/x9hhQ2NDxco
Before his death, Abu Furat sent a message to the Alawite community in
Syria, telling them that in spite of Assad, Sunnis and Alawites will always
live in peace and harmony http://youtu.be/1qeUf_7MJhQ
Abu Furat made his address while greeting an Alawite defector.
Rebels in Khan Touman, Aleppo, take control of a major arms storage depot
http://youtu.be/POIvEO48hLo , http://youtu.be/BxVoIbmmskY , http://youtu.be/5UCSmGeRw9w
Rebels in Deir Ezzor capture soldiers from the units protecting the
Mayadin Military Airport http://youtu.be/pKOwvZR-cvo
Sounds of clashes in Deir Ezzor City http://youtu.be/7-ahVqA_3RM The pounding
of the city continues as well http://youtu.be/icROGHY6-EQ
Kurdish opposition launch a new political union in Qamislo, Hassakeh
Province http://youtu.be/ed3iuEj5rMU
Locals in Beit Sahem, Damascus, pull bodies from under the
rubble after an aerial raid on their town http://youtu.be/OBmP-RcZ7uM
To the south, rebels and loyalists clash in Moadamia, Damascus http://youtu.be/qGbFwB2hW2U In Al-Hajar
Al-Aswad, shelling leaves several buildings on fire http://youtu.be/ZWnpN1f4L7c To the east,
aerial raids against the towns and villages of Eastern Ghoutah continues http://youtu.be/MnyrWZr28-U , http://youtu.be/yrQAzej76wE To the north
of Damascus City, MiGs pound the town of Yabroud http://youtu.be/r8ExVRY9UaY To the West,
the pounding of the town of Zabadani along the border with Lebanon continues http://youtu.be/M1iFZHu_2VI
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