There is no way to prevent the disintegration of Syria
without a no-fly zone. For in the absence of a no-fly zone, there is zero
chance for the establishment of a transitional government in the liberated
territories providing one leadership for them and compelling all the fighting
groups to fall in line. But, considering that no one in the international community
is interested in doing this, and that the strategy of both the Assad regime and
rebel militias call for carving out turfs rather than securing a country, the
disintegration of Syria is a done deal.
Saturday March
2, 2013
Today’s
Death Toll: 133 martyrs,
including 9 children, 5 women and 2 martyrs under torture. 36 in Damascus and Suburbs,
30 in Aleppo, 19 in Homs, 12 in Raqqa, 10 in Hassakeh, 7 in Daraa, 6 in Idlib, 5
in Hama, 5 in Deir Ezzor, 2 in Qunaitra and 1 martyr in Banyas (LCCs).
Points
of Random Shelling: 365 points,
including 21 points shelled with regime warplanes, 3 points with SCUD missiles,
3 points with explosive barrels, 4 points with cluster bombs, 1 with vacuum,
and 1 with phosphoric bombs. Shelling with artillery was reported in 142
points, where 102 points were shelled with mortars and 88 with rockets (LCCs).
Clashes: 128. Successful operations include
downing a helicopter gunship in Minnigh Airpot, in Aleppo Province and storming
the police academy in Khan Assal. Major battles were also reported around
Raqqah City, where rebels managed to take control of the central prison. In
Damascus, rebels pushed back a loyalist attack on the town of Daraya, and on Jobar
neighborhood and the town of Eastern Ghoutah (LCCs).
News
Rights
Group: Cluster Bomb Attack in Syria Kills 19 An Amnesty official on the
scene reported that nine Soviet-made cluster bombs, each carrying up to 150
cluster submunitions, were dropped on a heavily populated area.
Syria: Fierce
clashes in provincial capital Raqqa Ferocious fighting has erupted
around the northern provincial capital of Raqqa in Syria - one of several
clashes between government and rebels forces. Government forces shelled several
areas of the city, while running battles on the outskirts of the city since
dawn had left dozens dead, activists said.
U.N.'s
Ban, Syria mediator frustrated at failure to stop war Ban and Brahimi met
in Mt. Pelerin, Switzerland, to discuss the two-year-old war that has killed
more than 70,000 people. In a joint statement, they said "they regretted
that the government and armed opposition forces have become increasingly
reckless with human life and stressed the importance of accountability for war
crimes against humanity." … "The United Nations would welcome and be
prepared to facilitate a dialogue between a strong and representative
delegation from the opposition and a credible and empowered delegation from the
Syrian government," they said in a joint statement.
Syria
and Iran condemn U.S. plan to aid anti-Assad rebels In an television
interview with The Sunday Times newspaper shown in London late on Saturday,
Assad said Britain's involvement in the Syria crisis had been naive and
unrealistic. "I think they (Britain) are working against us, and they are
working against the interests of the UK itself," Assad said in
English-language remarks broadcast by Britain's Sky TV. "This government
is acting in a naive, confused and unrealistic manner. If they want to play a
role they have to change this, they have to act in a more reasonable and
responsible way." Assad added: "How can you ask them to play a role
in making the situation better, more stable, how can we expect them to make the
violence less when they want to send the military supply to the
terrorist?" (CNN
Coverage, Ynet)
Syria,
Iran Say Assad to Remain in Power Till 2014 "Assad is Syria's
legal president until the next elections. Individuals have the freedom to run
as candidates. Until that time, Assad is Syria's president," Salehi said
at a joint news conference in Tehran. Al-Moallem said the Syrian people have
the right to choose their leaders through the ballot box. The remarks are
likely to complicate already faltering diplomatic efforts to start a dialogue
between the government and the opposition, which has offered to join talks with
regime elements but insists that Assad must step down.
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.”
Video Highlights
According to many local activists, the fall of the village of Tal
Shghaib in southern parts of Aleppo province seems to reflect an internal dispute
within the rebel movements which delayed the sending of reinforcement to the area.
This testimony by one of the fighters who had evacuate from the village seems
to corroborate these reports (Arabic) http://youtu.be/xWvESbzZLSo
The main street of the neighborhood of Seif Al-Dawleh in Aleppo City
as it looks today http://youtu.be/Uc0vi1mYdM0
Rebels laying siege to the Minnigh Airport in north Aleppo shoot
down a helicopter gunship as it was making its landing http://youtu.be/L2ZdSzims9U A closer
look at the remains http://youtu.be/9UNDrpYZ-Uk
, http://youtu.be/bIlQ3VHdfkM
The storming of the Police Academy in Khan Al-Assal, Aleppo
Province http://youtu.be/O8nCFU3Gogk ,
http://youtu.be/tpqq6PuLnbI
Rebels in Jabal Al-Turkmen in North Lattakia claim to have liberated
a number of villages only 25 Km away from the provincial capital of Lattakia
City. Albeit most of these villages are inhabited by Alawites, rebels claim that
they have neither harmed nor chased away the inhabitants of the villages,
asserting that their guns are meant to fight those with guns, not civilians http://youtu.be/kuTz_lS007A
Part of the strategy employed by Jabhat Al-Nusra to win hearts
and minds even with communities that fought actively against the Jabhat at one
point is to forgive. This video tells the story of JAN’s relation with the town
of Fleitah in the Qalamoun region in Damascus Suburbs. At one point,
locals clashed with the local JAN unit and killed one of its leaders, but after
a peacemaking effort, the village delivered the accused of carrying out the
murder, and JAN leaders forgave them all. Afterwards, JAN fighters became welcome
in town, and all performed the Friday prayers together http://youtu.be/4LgD_TDScC8
An interview with an Aleppo boy whose neighborhood was destroyed with a
Scud attack on Al-Ard Al-Hamra in Aleppo City: “We came out looking for
people to help us, but the people needed our help.” “I lost my cousins, 40 of
them, my grandparents.” “My grandmother was found in 4 pieces. We can’t find my
aunt.” “My cousins were all young, one of them was killed while praying, he was
kneeling, they were beautiful, they smelled like musk.” “Why is he doing that to
us? Is it the rule of the strong over the weak?” “One man lost his mind, he
sleeps in the cemetery where his boy is buried.” http://youtu.be/kcGhQx1gzKQ
In Damascus City, the pounding of Jobar District continues http://youtu.be/86eEJxRyWMQ , http://youtu.be/JYD0bBNf4Cs MiGs
targeted as well nearby Zamalka http://youtu.be/PPnlARuGr9o
and tanks http://youtu.be/fTdcQcAHMFA
Scenes from he battles in Raqqah City http://youtu.be/TuEKMPMUb5c , http://youtu.be/jBmWk-HnUD4 , http://youtu.be/LjARwB7ZRGw , http://youtu.be/Z9T-FWHRFEw
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