Each time he speaks he makes it clear to all that he could
never be part of any solution and that he is indeed an impediment that needs to
be removed. People like Assad are never more wrong and dangerous than when they
are confident. And Assad was confident during his interview with the Times. Too
confident. The end is nigh. His, and, for a while, Syria’s. For, irrespective
of both Sunni and Alawite beliefs, Assad can never rise again, but Syria… Syria
has always been a phoenix: she does not die, she transforms.
Sunday March
3, 2013
Today’s
Death Toll: 154martyrs,
including 5 children 12 women, and 2 under torture: 44 martyrs were reported in
Damascus and suburbs, 24 in Daraa, 23 in Aleppo,18 in Homs, 11 in Hama, 11 in
Lattakia, 11 in Idlib, 10 in Deir Ezzor and 2 martyrs in Raqqa (LCCs).
Points
of Random Shelling: 370 points: 3 areas
were shelled with Scud missiles, and 8 points were shelled with MiG warplanes,
cluster bombs strikes were recorded in 3 points, artillery shelling was
recorded in 151 points, either mortar shelling was recorded in 110 areas and
missile strikes were reported in 95 points in different parts of Syria (LCCs).
Clashes: 120. Successful operations
include liberation of the Police Academy in Khan Al-Assal in North Aleppo, shooting
down a helicopter in Latakia suburbs, and taking control of the
Maysaloon-Abassid Square Road in Damascus. In Raqqa, FSA rebels also gained
control over Safian oil field and neighboring territories. In Homs, FSA fighters
managed to repel an attempt by pro-regime militias to storm rebel strongholds
in Khaldiyeh, Bab Houd, and other Old Homs neighborhoods. In Daraa, rebels repelled
an attack on Basr Al-Harir. Finally, rebels in Daraya, Jobar and Eastern
Ghoutah region in Damascus Suburbs repelled renewed regime attacks on their strongholds
(LCCs).
News
Opposition
leader visits north Syria as rebels seize army post The capture of the
police academy at Khan al-Asal, used by Assad's forces as an artillery base to
support troops still holding around 40 percent of the northern city, came after
days of fighting in which rebels killed 150 soldiers, while sustaining heavy
casualties, they said. In an attempt to consolidate those gains on the ground
and strengthen links between Assad's military and civilian foes, Alkhatib
crossed into northern Syria from neighboring Turkey and toured the towns of
Jarablus and Minbij. Earlier he attended a meeting of 220 rebel commanders and
opposition campaigners in the Turkish city of Gaziantep to elect an
administration for Aleppo province, home to 6 million people.
Miles
From Home, Syrians Vote In Free Elections The entire election
organization moved to southern Turkey over a weekend. An army of activists
arrived to set up a media center. A new FM radio station opened to cover the
elections through transmitters that reach Aleppo. In an unfurnished apartment,
an election center is already bustling. The apartment's bare rooms look more
like a college dorm with floor mattresses, plastic chairs and desks. Computers
and cameras are everywhere.
Syria's
Assad is 'delusional' says William Hague UK foreign secretary hits back
at Bashar al-Assad after Syrian leader accuses Britain of resuming a 'bullying'
colonial role
Shi'ite
fighters rally to defend Damascus shrine The presence of Shi'ite
combatants from neighboring states - confirmed by sources in Iraq and Syria and
highlighted in videos glorifying their mission - underlines how Syria's
conflict is inflaming sectarian feelings in the region. Abu al-Fadl al-Abbas
brigade, named after a seventh century martyr son of Imam Ali who is considered
the father of Shi'ite Islam, was formed several months ago and fights mainly
around the shrine of Sayyida Zeinab on the southern outskirts of the Syrian
capital, a source close to the brigade said.
Syria
rebels 'capture most of police academy' More than 200 troops and rebels
reported killed in fighting for one of last regime bastions in western Aleppo
province.
UK:
Charities urge BBC to launch emergency appeal for victims of Syria's war Corporation
fears lack of public sympathy for plight of millions may hurt fundraising efforts.
Special
Reports
Those two words sum up the farcical
"new" policy toward Syria that Secretary of State John Kerry
announced at a Rome meeting with Syrian opposition leaders. In what was
ballyhooed as a major breakthrough, the United States will, for the first time,
provide aid to the armed Syrian opposition. So what are we giving to help
Syrian rebels confront the missiles and bombs that have killed tens of
thousands of civilians? Not desperately needed antitank or antiaircraft
weapons, but medical aid and MREs, those ready-to-eat-meals used as field
rations for American soldiers. Biscuits and Band-Aids to combat Bashar
al-Assad's Scuds.
In response to a question by The
Jerusalem Post, asking what the policy of the US should be in Syria, Rabinovich
said, “Sneakers on the ground, not boots on the ground.” He explained this by
saying US President Barack Obama is not interested in a full-scale military
operation and “his new defense secretary is not interested” in one either. He
said that by sneakers, he meant special forces combined with supporting those
in the opposition that most closely reflect US values, and not the Islamists.
My
new paper, prepared for a briefing in Washington, D.C. that took place on
January 15, 2013, is now out and is titled “Syria
2013: Rise of the Warlords.” It should be read in conjunction with my
previous briefing “The
Shredded Tapestry,” and my recent essay “The
Creation of an Unbridgeable Divide.”
Quickly Noted
Historically speaking, Bashar Al-Assad’s confident
tones have always reflected the weakness of western policies vis-à-vis his
regime. So long as the West dithers, Assad, backed by Iran and Russia, will kill
with impunity, while lecturing the world, and his victims, on morality and
patriotism.
Robert Fisk gets
it wrong, again: It’s not the West that is drawn maps this time around,
it’s the Assad regime, Iran and Russia. Instead of watching what pundits are
saying on Western media, Fisk should watch the events unfolding on the ground,
the patterns of ethnic cleansing, Hezbollah’s involvement, the rising sectarian
aspect of the entire unfolding. Robert Fisk’s orientalism is no less pronounced
than that of Henri Lammens.
Video Highlights
Opposition leader Sheikh Moaz Alkhatib pays a visit to the towns of Jarablos
and Manbij in North Aleppo http://youtu.be/LKGdLOD1De8
Singing with the rebels http://youtu.be/yUDv0KWSwJg
Shortly after Sheikh Alkhatib left Manbij, a Scud paid her a visit http://youtu.be/eYEQX7tI9EI
Rebels confirm the liberation of the Police Academy in Khan
Al-Assal, North Aleppo http://youtu.be/fT8BSq1UgX4
Scenes from after the liberation http://youtu.be/II-5Zj2JY-s
, http://youtu.be/A2DTAppexSU , http://youtu.be/ZMsfkjlwHH8 Rebels used
their own tanks in the battle http://youtu.be/KPnO84V7IGs
Scenes from the final clashes http://youtu.be/_TT566FweFM
Another leaked video showing the launch of a Scud missile http://youtu.be/F_uFvU3SKs8 Two Scuds
fired simultaneously http://youtu.be/M0ih0HezdT0
A scud missile falls without exploding on the town of Al-Muwailih in
Deir Ezzor Province http://youtu.be/gW1oVnCdoGo
Rebels wrest control of another checkpoint on the outskirts of Raqqah
City http://youtu.be/fpkIAZ85-sw A
tanks confiscated by rebels after taking control of the Central Prison in Raqqah
http://youtu.be/WbPlMRpBxng
The battle for control of Old Homs neighborhoods intensify http://youtu.be/dbQv7zINUNg So does the
bombing campaign http://youtu.be/PHZTcheA0W8
, http://youtu.be/VTiN-RNh08I The red
circle in the map below point out roughly the besieged rebel strongholds. It’s
been almost 18 months since the siege began.
The last clip shot by activist Jameel Omayrah in Jobar Neighborhood,
Damascus, before his martyrdom http://youtu.be/4NITwK6Ae78
The nearby town of Douma gets pounded http://youtu.be/bEVBPuVijoo Searching
for the dead and wounded http://youtu.be/SMyqeJOt6do
Leaders of the Free Syrians Army, including Col. Riyad Al-Ass’aad and
his deputies pay a visit to the liberated village of Burj Al-Kassab in the
Turkmen Mountain in North Latakia http://youtu.be/Wz3BCbdr4Gs
Talking with the locals http://youtu.be/zohLcdt5mZc
Making the rounds http://youtu.be/dzw7X57U_qI
Rebels in Latakia treat their wounded from a recent battle http://youtu.be/ANLYaSU4Utw
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