Song For Dara Revolution Has Come To Syria 2011 الثورة السورية ضد بشار الاسد Sameeh Shqer-Ya Hef

Revolution Has Come!  الثورة السورية ضد بشار الاسد Sameeh Shqer-Ya Hef

Song For Dara

Syrian Revolution News Round-up ملخص أحداث الثورة السورية Day 42: Monday, 25 April 2011

Syrian Revolution News Round-upDay 42: Monday, 25 April 2011 ملخص أحداث الثورة السورية اليوم ٤٢: الاثنين، ٢٥ نيسان/أبريل ٢٠١١

First to Crack!With reports of increasing defections in the army and of clashes between different army units in Deraa, the question of who will be first to crack, the protest movement or the Assad regime, is now at play. In the morning of April 25, the city of Deraa was invaded from all four corners by units affiliated with the 4th Division, which falls under the direct leadership of Maher Al-Assad, the 5th Division, led by Muhammad Saleh Al-Rifai, with reinforcement from the 132 Battalion. Shortly thereafter, reports began trickling then pouring in speaking of a mutiny in the units affiliated with 5th Division and troops from these units standing up to and halting the advance of units from the 4th Division trying to reach Al-Omary Mosque in central Deraa. At first, many of us thought this might be a reference to a few more defections, as had transpired two weeks ago, but the reports continue to come from different sources and eyewitnesses that we managed to reach all through the day, leading us to believe that there might indeed be something worth monitoring here. If such a mutiny has indeed taken place so early in the game, then Assad’s military Gambit seems to be backfiring, a development that could spark a wider division within the army in the next few hours and days, with all different sorts of implications for the protest movement, depending on how this internal conflict plays out. If, on the other hand, the reports turn out to be nothing more than exaggerations and wishful thinking, then the protest movement will still have a way to go before producing a significant impact on the structure and power base of the regime, and the challenge will be to keep on message and peaceful all the way through despite the mounting violence on part of the Assads. It’s important to note at this stage, however, the sheer falsehood of the regime allegations of widespread violence on part of the protesters and Salafist designs. The videos we have clearly show protesters facing tanks with rocks not guns. Had Salafists really been present in the city and planning to establish an independent Islamic Emirate, why didn’t they do so in three weeks of peace they had, and do they disappear all of a sudden, with their alleged caches of weapons, each time the army and security forces show up? One potential answer is that regime is dealing here about Salafist infiltrators trained by an undead Harry Houdini, or armed with Klingon cloaking devices. The other answer, and pardon me for finding it more likely, is that regime officials is lying just like their counterparts in Libya, Yemen, Tunisia and Egypt. Be that as it may, despite the violent crackdown in Deraa and the reported two dozen deaths there, not to mention, and the incursions by security forces into the coastal city of Jableh and the suburbs of Mouaddamiyyah, Douma and Barzeh in Damascus, the fatalities that were reported there, and the hundreds of arrests, protesters still managed to organize sizeable demonstration in Homs, Darayyah and Al-Tal, etc. The protesters are a very determined lot, and might just prove to be a tougher nut to crack than the regime. العنف المتزايد في مواجهة الإصرار على السلمية لم يكن اليوم كغيره من الأيام التي سبقته، فهو كما يوصف بأنه الأعنف من حيث استخدام السلطات وقوات الأمن المدرعات والمدفعية والدبابات ضد المواطني في محافظة درعا، ومنطقة دوما إحدى ضواحي العاصمة دمشق. فمنذ الفجر بدأت الدبابات بالتحرك نحو مدينة درعا وانتشرت الفرقة الرابعة من الجيش السوري التي يقودها شقيق بشار، ماهر الأسد إلى المدينة ومنعت سيارات الإسعاف من التحرك لإسعاف الجرحى مما اضطر الناس إلى إسعاف الجرحى في البيوت، وقدر عدد الشهداء في المدينة ما يزيد عن خمسة وعشرين شهيداً أما في دوما فاستمر القصف على المنازل وتم خلع الأبواب وإخراج الرجال والأطفال من البيوت، وتم قطع التيار الكهربائي عن المدينة، كما وقصفت الدبابات أبنية سكانية. وارتفع عدد شهداء مجزرة جبلة التي ارتكبتها قوات الأمن يوم البارحة الأحد إلى ما يزيد عن خمسة عشر شهيداً، وفي مدينة نوى قرب درعا ارتكبت قوات الأمن مجزرة بحق المواطنين العزل سقط ضحيتها ما يقارب عشرة شهداء، وطوقت قوات الأمن منطقة المعضمية في دمشق وأطلقت الرصاص الحي على المتظاهرين. وفي داريا خرجت مظاهرة نسائية للمطالبة بالإفراج عن المعتقلين، كما وخرجت مظاهرات في التل واللاذقية وغيرها من المدن السورية، وكان قد أقيم اعتصام ليلي حاشد في مدينة الجاسم وحاولت قوات الأمن اقتحام مشفى البر بحمص لخطف جثث الشهداء والجرحى، كما وشوهد العديد من الطواقم الطبية المناصرة للنظام تعامل الجرحى بعنف من خلال القيام بضربهم وعدم إعطائهم الرعاية الطبية المناسبة. كما نشر مقطع فيديو يصور تخليص أهالي مدينة الرقة لأحد الأشخاص المتظاهرين من أيدي قوات الأمن والشبيحة التي كانت قد أقدمت على اعتقاله وفي صعيد الضغط الدولي لإنهاء الحالة المأساوية في سورية  طالبت مفوضة الأمم المتحدة لحقوق الإنسان سورية بالوقف الفوري لعمليات القتل وبالإفراج عن المعتقلين السياسيين في ظل تقديرات أولية لتزايد عدد الشهداء منذ بداية المظاهرات في منتصف شهر آذار الماضي إلى ما يزيد عن 620 شهيداّ

From Social Networking WebsitesDamascus & Damascus suburbs Video Women’s demo in Dariya demanding the release of detainees Video from Al-Tal demo to support Daraa & the besieged cities and demanding the toppling of the regime Video 1, v2 released today: Another massacre by the regime against the people of Al-Nashabeyya on Good Friday Horan Video Tanks move to the mid-town of Daraa Video Landscape recording of Daraa during the assault operation by tanks & heavy artillery Video1, v2, v3 The assault on Daraa & its shelling by tanks & artillery Video Heavy firing by security & army forces towards Omary Mosque in the middle of Daraa Video clearly showing the firing of the Syrian army on the city of Daraa Video Random shelling & sniping of  the people & houses in Daraa Video, v2 Jassem’s sit-in to support the besieged people of Daraa Video showing the security forces’ targeting of ambulances Video One of the martyrs of Al-Naeema, Daraa Lattakia Video Demo to support besieged city & chants of toppling the regime Homs Video Demo to support Daraa Souwaida Video Funeral of a martyr who fell at the hands of the treacherous security forces Revolution media Video The song ‘The brother returned’ by Sameeh Shokeir Video The song ‘Horan called out’ Video The song ‘The Syrian people are not to be humiliated’ dedicated to every honourable Syrian Video ’Homs.. Abode of peace & dignit’ dedicated to the people of Homs Miscellaneous Video UN demands that Syria immediately stops its violence against demonstrators Video Reuters report: United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights calls on Syria to stop killing Video Syrian community demo in London to support their people in Syria Video Syrian community demo in Michigan to support their people in Syria Video Demo in front of the Syrian Embassy in Algeria denouncing the massacres in Syria من مواقع التواصل الاجتماعيدمشق وريف دمشق فيديو لمظاهرة نسائية في داريا للمطالبة بالإفراج عن الشباب المعتقلين فيديو لجانب من مظاهرة في التل نصرة لأهالي درعا والمدن المحاصرة والمطالبة بإسقاط النظام تصوير جديد لمجزرة أخرى ارتكبها النظام السوري بحق أهالي النشابية في الجمعة العظيمة فيديو1، فيديو2 حوران تصوير لتحرك الدبابات باتجاه وسط مدينة درعا فيديو1 فيديو  من الأعلى لعملية قصف درعا بالمدفقعية الثقيلة والدبابات تصويرلاقتحام مدينة درعا وقصفها بالمدافع والدباباتفيديو1، فيديو2، فيديو3 فيديو لإطلاق نار كثيف من الأمن والجيش باتجاه الجامع العمري وسط درعا فيديو يبين بوضوح إطلاق النار من الجيش السوري على مدينة درعا فيديو لعمليات القصف والقنص العشوائي لأهالي ومنازل درعا تصوير لجانب من إعتصام أهالي جاسم الليلي نصرة لأهالي درعا المحاصرين فيديو1، فيديو2 فيديو يظهر استهداف قوات الأمن لسيارات الإسعاف فيديو لأحد الشهداء في درعا-النعيمة اللاذقية فيديو لجانب من مظاهرة أهالي اللاذقية لنصرة المدن المحاصرة وهتافات إسقاط النظام حمص جانب من مظاهرة أهالي حمص نصرة لأهالي درعا فيديو1 السويداء فيديو لتشييع أحد شهداء محافظة السويداء الذي سقط على أيدي قوات الأمن الغادرة من إعلام الثورة فيديو لأغنية رجع الخي للفنان سميح شقير فيديو لأغنية صاحت حوران فيديو لأغنية الشعب السوري مابينهان إهداء لكل شريف سوري فيديو حمص يا دار السلام والكرامة إهداء لأهالي حمص متعلقات الأمم المتحدة تطالب سورية بالوقف الفوري للعنف ضد المتظاهرين تقرير وكالة رويترز:مفوضية الأمم المتحدة لحقوق الإنسان تدعو سورية لوقف عمليات القتل فيديو لمظاهرة الجالية السورية في لندن نصرة لأهلهم في سورية فيديو لمظاهرة الجالية السورية في ولاية ميتشغان لدعم إخوانهم في سورية فيديو لوقفة احتجاجية أمام السفارة السورية في الجزائر ضد المجازر التي يرتكبها النظام السوري

France and Italy appeal to Syria to end repression

– The leaders of Italy and France made a joint appeal to Syria on Tuesday to end violence against demonstrators, and French President Nicolas Sarkozy said the situation in the country was “unacceptable.”

“Together we send a strong call to Damascus authorities to stop the violent repression of what are peaceful demonstrations and we ask all sides to act with moderation,” Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi said at a joint news conference in Rome.

Syrian security forces have shot dead at least 400 civilians in their campaign to crush month-long pro-democracy protests, the Syrian human rights organization Sawasiah said on Tuesday.

“The situation has become unacceptable,” Sarkozy said, calling the demonstrations peaceful and saying the authorities should not send in the army to open fire on protesters.

Asked whether any international intervention might be possible in Syria, Sarkozy — who took a leading role in pushing for Western military action in Libya — said any action would require a U.N. Security Council resolution.

He also said that “we are not going to intervene everywhere in the world and not all situations are necessarily the same.”

Sarkozy defended Western intervention against Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi and said he was optimistic about the outcome, but refused to predict whether a solution might take months or even years.

“If we had not intervened in Benghazi, thousands if not tens of thousands of people would have been killed … It was a matter of hours, not days,” he said. “We are optimistic … I do not agree that we are in a stalemate,” he said, ruling out the use of Western troops on the ground.

The two leaders called for tighter EU border controls to control an influx of migrants from North Africa, and said the Schengen treaty, which removes many European Union border controls, should be modified temporarily to allow countries to deal with exceptional circumstances.

(Reporting by Silvia Aloisi; editing by Tim Pearce)

SECURITY COUNCIL MUST REFER SYRIA TO THE ICC (Amnesty International)

26 April 2011

The UN Security Council must refer the situation in Syria to the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, Amnesty International said today, amid escalating government violence against protesters calling for reform.

The call comes as the Security Council considers its response to the brutal crackdown that has left some 400 people dead since mid-March.

“The Syrian government is clearly trying to shatter the will of those peacefully expressing dissent by shelling them, firing on them and locking them up,” said Salil Shetty, Amnesty International’s Secretary General.

“The Syrian government and its security forces have long felt able to operate with total impunity, and we are now seeing the result of that in the kinds of bloody acts that they have been committing on the streets of Syria in recent days.”

“President al-Assad and those around him have to understand that their actions will have consequences, namely that if they gun down their own citizens the international community will hold them individually criminally responsible before the ICC or national courts of states exercising universal jurisdiction.”

The organization also called for the imposition of a comprehensive arms embargo on Syria and an assets freeze on President Bashar al-Assad and others involved in ordering or perpetrating serious human rights abuses.

Since protests began in March, unarmed Syrians gathering to call for greater freedom have routinely been attacked by security forces firing live ammunition directly into crowds of peaceful demonstrators.

The government last week announced the lifting of the 48-year-old state of emergency but violence has since spiralled, with at least 120 people killed on Friday, until then the bloodiest day so far.

Amnesty International has received the names of 393 people killed since protests began, but the real number is likely to be higher.

In a number of incidents, snipers have targeted wounded people lying in the streets and people trying to assist them, according to Amnesty International’s sources.

The organization rejected claims by the Syrian government that many of the killings had been committed by anti-government armed groups, saying that it had seen no evidence to support such allegations.

After the Syrian army deployed in Dera’a on 25 April, tanks were reportedly used to shell residential buildings where there was no evidence that the persons inside were armed.

Several hundred people have been arrested across the country, the vast majority held incommunicado and with their whereabouts unknown. Many of those who have been released have reported that they were tortured in detention.

On 26 February the UN Security Council unanimously resolved to refer the situation in Libya to the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court.

“The Security Council needs now to step up to the mark and show leadership on Syria as it did on Libya,” said Salil Shetty.

“A consistent policy of zero-tolerance for crimes against humanity will send a signal to all governments that impunity for crimes under international law is no longer acceptable.”

Assad regime terrorizing Syria with its Thugs and military

By Elizabeth A. Kennedy and Diaa Hadid 

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Updated: 11:43 p.m. Monday, April 25, 2011

Published: 9:52 p.m. Monday, April 25, 2011

BEIRUT — Thousands of soldiers backed by tanks and snipers moved in before dawn to the city where Syria‘s anti-government uprising began, causing panic in the streets when they opened fire indiscriminately on civilians and went house-to-house rounding up suspected protesters. At least 11 people were killed and 14 others lay in the streets either dead or gravely wounded, witnesses said.

The military raids on the southern city of Daraa and at least two other areas suggested Syria is trying to impose military control on the centers of protests against President Bashar Assad, whose family has ruled Syria for four decades. Residents and human rights activists said the regime wants to terrify opponents and intimidate them to avoid more demonstrations.

The offensive was meticulously planned: Electricity, water and mobile phone services were cut. Security agents armed with guns and knives conducted house-to-house sweeps, neighborhoods were sectioned off and checkpoints were erected before the sun rose.

Tanks deployed by Assad Regime position themselves in Syria

“They have snipers firing on everybody who is moving,” a witness told The Associated Press by telephone.

“They aren’t discriminating. There are snipers on the mosque. They are firing at everybody,” he added, asking that his name not be used.

The massive assault on Daraa appeared to be part of a new strategy of crippling, pre-emptive strikes against any opposition to Assad, rather than reacting to demonstrations. Other crackdowns and arrest sweeps were reported on the outskirts of Damascus and the coastal town of Jableh — bringing more international condemnation and threats of targeted sanctions by Washington.

Razan Zeitounia, a human rights activist in Damascus, said the widespread arrests — including of men along with their families — appear to be an attempt to scare protesters and set an example for the rest of the country.

The attack on Daraa, an impoverished city on the Jordanian border, was by far the biggest in scope and firepower. Video purportedly shot by activists showed tanks rolling through streets and grassy fields with soldiers on foot jogging behind.

Witnesses said busloads of troops poured in before dawn, and snipers took up positions on the roofs of houses and high buildings while other security agents searched houses for suspected protesters.

“They are entering houses. They are searching the houses,” said one witness. “They are carrying knives and guns.”

He said people were crying out over mosque loudspeakers for doctors to help the wounded, and there was panic in the streets.

“We need international intervention. We need countries to help us,” shouted another witness in Daraa, who said he saw five corpses after security forces opened fire on a car. He spoke to the AP by telephone.

The forces occupied two mosques and a graveyard.

“Let Obama come and take Syria. Let Israel come and take Syria. Let the Jews come,” shouted one Daraa resident over the phone. “Anything is better than Bashar Assad,” he said, playing on Syria’s hatred for Israel to highlight how much town residents despise their leader.

All witnesses spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals.

Daraa, a drought-parched region of 300,000 in the south, has seen some of the worst bloodshed over the past five weeks as the uprising gained momentum. The area was ripe for unrest: The grip of Syria’s security forces is weaker on the border areas than around the capital, Damascus, and Daraa hasn’t benefited from recent years of economic growth. Meanwhile, Daraa has absorbed many rural migrants who can no longer farm after years of drought.

The city of Daraa was where Syria’s uprising began in mid-March, touched off by the arrest of teenagers who scrawled anti-government graffiti on a wall.

A relentless crackdown since mid-March has killed more than 350 people throughout the country, with 120 alone dying over the weekend. But that has only emboldened protesters, who started with calls for modest reforms but are now increasingly demanding Assad’s downfall.

State-run television quoted a military source as saying army units entered the city to bring security “answering the pleas for help by residents of Daraa.”

Another military raid targeted the Damascus suburb of Douma, where rattling, heavy gunfire could still be heard late Monday.

Soldiers, masked men in black uniforms and plainclothes security forces were manning checkpoints made from mounds of dirt throughout the area, a resident said.

In Jableh, men who tried to leave their houses were shot at by soldiers and thugs, three residents said, and only women were allowed onto the streets to buy food. Some quietly managed to bury seven men and a woman who were killed by security forces the day before, witnesses said.

Security forces banned them from conducting funeral marches that frequently morph into protests.

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Obama administration mulls Syria sanctions ( Al-Jazeera English)

Assets of senior officials could be frozen and their businesses banned in US in order to ratchet up pressure on Assad. Last Modified: 25 Apr 2011 21:40

A video grab released by AFPTV from YouTube shows a an army tank in the flashpoint town of Daraa [AFP] The Obama administration is considering sanctions against senior officials in the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in a bid to ratchet up pressure for an end to a violent crackdown against protesters, a US official said on Monday. The measures, which could freeze those officials’ assets and ban them from doing business in the United States, would likely come in the form of an executive order signed by Barack Obama, the US president, the official said. But a final decision has yet to be made on the exact timing of such a move and there was no immediate word on whether Assad might be among those targeted for sanctions. Sanctions would mark an escalation of the US response to Assad’s efforts to crush a month-long uprising against his autocratic 11-year rule. Obama’s response so far has been limited to tough words but little concrete action against the Syrian government, in contrast to Washington’s role in a NATO-led air campaign against Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi. Washington is mindful of its limited ability to influence Damascus, which is closely allied with US foe Iran, and has had chilly relations with the United States. It is cautious about further military entanglement in the Muslim world where it is already involved in long wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Obama, in a statement on Friday, told Syria that its bloody crackdown on protesters “must come to an end now” and accused Damascus of seeking Iranian help to repress its people. “The brutal violence used by the government of Syria against its people is completely deplorable,” Tommy Vietor, White House spokesman, said on Monday. UN condemnation planned Meanwhile, four European nations are urging the UN Security Council to strongly condemn the violence against peaceful demonstrators in Syria. A council diplomat said France, Britain, Germany and Portugal circulated a draft media statement to the other council members. It will be discussed at a council meeting on Tuesday afternoon, the diplomat said, speaking on condition of anonymity because the consultations have been private. The draft statement supports secretary-general Ban Ki-moon‘s call for an independent and transparent investigation into the killings in Syria, where more than 300 people have died in five weeks of unrest, the diplomat said. Follow Al Jazeera here

Assad Regime Intensifies crackdown on protestors ( Al-Jazeera English)

At least 500 pro-democracy activists arrested, rights group says, after authorities deployed troops to quell protests. Last Modified: 26 Apr 2011 07:36

Syrian security forces have arrested at least 500 pro-democracy activists, a rights group said, as the government continues a violent crackdown on anti-government protests across the country. The arrests followed the deployment of Syrian troops backed by tanks and heavy armour on the streets of two southern towns, the Syrian rights organisation Sawasiah said on Tuesday. The group said it had received reports that at least 20 people were killed in the city of Deraa in the aftermath of the raid by troops loyal to Syrian president Bashar al-Assad on Monday. But communications have been cut in the city, making it difficult to confirm the information. “Witnesses managed to tell us that at least 20 civilians have been killed in Deraa, but we do not have their names and we cannot verify,” a Sawasiah official told the Reuters news agency. The group said that two more civilians were confirmed dead after government forces entered Douma, a suburb of the capital, Damascus. At least 500 people were arrested elsewhere in the country, it said. Deaths and arrests Thousands of soldiers swept into Deraa in the early hours of Monday, with tanks taking up positions in the town centre and snipers deploying on rooftops, witnesses said. “Bodies are lying in the streets and we can’t recover them,” one activist said, explaining that they have little idea of the total number of casualties. Footage aired by an opposition news organisation on Monday, transmitted via satellite, appeared to show Syrian military firing at unseen targets with sniper rifles. Al Jazeera is unable to verify the veracity of the footage. However, the government insists the army was invited in to rid the town of gunmen.Witnesses said soldiers began opening fire on civilians indiscriminately after arriving in Deraa, sparking panic in the streets. Al Jazeera’s Rula Amin, reporting from Damascus, said the troop deployment was an “unprecedented” offensive against the wave of dissent that has swept the country since the uprising began on March 15. Up until now, she said, security forces have cracked down in reaction to protests. But the flood of troops into Douma and Deraa came in the absence of any demonstrations. “We’re seeing a different tactic, with security forces sweeping the towns,” she said, noting reports of house-to-house searches, arrests and random shooting coming from both towns. Also for the first time, the military has become directly involved in quelling the uprising, much to the disappointment of opposition activists. “They were hoping the army would not get involved,” our correspondent said. “They feel this is only the beginning of a very serious crackdown.” However, one activist told Al Jazeera that some army officers have defected to fight alongside the people of Deraa against the government. Two members stepped down from the provincial council in Deraa. The resignations came a day after two legislators and a religious leader from Deraa broke with the government in disgust over the killings. Protesters gunned down Meanwhile in the coastal town of Jableh, where several protesters were gunned down on Sunday, witnesses said security forces in camouflage uniforms – some with their faces covered – and masked armed men dressed in black were roaming the town’s streets. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Syrian rights group, said on Monday that at least 13 people had been killed in Jableh since Sunday’s crackdown began. The country has banned nearly all foreign media and restricted access to trouble spots since the uprising began, making it nearly impossible to get independent assessments. Syria has also closed all border crossings on its southern frontier with Jordan as the crackdown intensifies, a security official told Al Jazeera. Syrian intellectuals have expressed their outrage over the violence, with a declaration on Monday signed by 102 writers and exiles from all the country’s main sects. “We condemn the violent, oppressive practices of the Syrian regime against the protesters and mourn the martyrs of the uprising,” they said. President Assad is also coming under increased foreign pressure to stop the deadly crackdown. France, Britain, Germany and Portugal have all urged the UN Security Council to condemn the government’s violent action against demonstrators, and the United States is considering imposing new sanctions. Read More

Source: Al Jazeera and agencies

Live Syria Blog ( Al-Jazeera English)

Syria Live Blog – April 25

By Al Jazeera Staff in

Middle East

on April 24th, 2011.

[Screenshot from Reuters footage]

Show oldest updates on top

Thousands continue to take to the streets across Syria, despite reform pledges by president Bashar al-Assad. We bring you the latest news from our correspondents and other sources.

Syria Spotlight

All times given are local (GMT+3)

• 5:45pm

  Al Jazeera’s Rula Amin reports from Syria on the latest developments in Deraa, where a major offensive against pro-democracy protesters are underway.

• 5:30pm

  AP reports that an eyewitness said that at least 11 people have been killed in the southern Syrian city of Deraa after the army stormed in before dawn and fired indiscriminately on civilians.

  Syrian troops entered Deraa backed by tank fire and snipers. It was a sharp escalation of the deadly crackdown by President Bashar Assad’s regime against a pro-reform uprising.

• 5:00pm

  Building on the CSM report, AFP news agency reports that the United States is considering targeted sanctions against Syrian officials to respond to “completely deplorable” violence used by Syria’s government forces to crush dissent.

• 3:57pm

  UN calls on Syrian authorities to halt violence on protesters. Navi Pillay, the high commissioner for human rights stated in a news release.

  The international community has repeatedly urged the Syrian Government to stop killing its own people, but our calls have gone unheeded

  

Syrian Revolution News Round-up ملخص أحداث الثورة السورية Day 41: Sunday, 24 April 2011

Syrian Revolution News Round-up Day 41: Sunday, 24 April 2011 ملخص أحداث الثورة السورية اليوم ٤١: الأحد، ٢٤ نيسان/أبريل ٢٠١١ Hama Part II, III,  IV, etc. Rather than being the closet reformer world leaders wanted him to be, Assad turns out to be a closet serial killer. Now what? Earlier in the day, Nawa in the south as well as the Damascene suburbs of Douma, Mouaddamiyyah and Kisweh among others, were besieged with tanks and security forces conducted house-to-house raids in search of specific blacklisted individuals. Many fatalities had been reported, and hundreds of arrests. The Assad Gambit seems to be to present the world with fait accomplit, then haggle his way out of the corner. By persisting on calling him a reformer up to the last minute, the international community has played a key role in making Assad believe that he can actually follow such a script. Unless certain measures targeting the Assads and their inner circle are enacted by the United States, the European Union, and eventually the UN, the Assads will never get the message. The calls issued by Human Rights Watch and International Committee of Jurists  to sanction the Assads and bring them to trial should also be heeded. The Syrian situation now warrants the consideration of the UN Security Council as well the International Criminal Court. The government of Turkey should also be approached to see if Erdogan can play a role in pressing the Assads to think of an exit strategy rather than of painting themselves and the rest of the country further and further into an ever narrowing corner. No, we cannot say that the specter of civil war is looming, because no one but the Assads and their armies, security forces and militias have guns and access to guns, and no one but them wants to use force, what’s looming, therefore, is the specter of mass murder, a la Rwanda. Hope this clarifies the situation. تكرار المجازر بدلا من أن يكون المصلح في الخفاء كما أراده زعماء العالم، اتضح أن الأسد قاتل متسلسل في الخفاء. فماذا الآن؟ باكر اليوم، نوى في جنوب البلاد وضواحي دمشق دوما والمعضمية والكسوة (من بين آخرين) حوصرت بالدبابات وقامت قوات الأمن بمداهمات من منزل لمنزل بحثا عن أشخاص معينين في قوائمهم السوداء. كما ورد وقوع الكثير من الشهداء ومئات الاعتقالات مناورة الأسد تبدو أنها لوضع العالم أمام الأمر الواقع، ثم المساومة للخروج من المأزق. بالتمسك بإطلاق “مصلح” على الأسد حتى اللحظة الأخيرة، لعب المجتمع الدولي دورا رئيسيا بإقناع الأسد أنه يستطيع بالفعل أن يسير على هذا السيناريو. إن لم تتخذ الولايات المتحدة والاتحاد الأوروبي والأمم المتحدة إجراءات معينة ضد عائلة الأسد ودائرتهم المقربة، لن تصل الرسالة أبدا لعائلة الأسد. الدعوات التي أطلقتها منظمة هيومان رايتس ووتش ولجنة المحلفين الدوليين لفرض عقوبات على عائلة الأسد ومحاكمتهم يجب أيضا أن تلقى اهتماما. الموقف في سورية الآن يستدعي النظر من مجلس الأمن وأيضا المحكمة الدولية. يجب أيضا التواصل مع الحكومة التركية لبحث ما إذا كان أردوغان يستطيع أن يلعب دورا في الضغط على عائلة الأسد ليفكر في استرتيجية خروج بدلا من الزج بأنفسهم والبلاد أكثر فأكثر في ركن يزداد ضيقا لا يمكننا القول أن شبح الحرب الأهلية يحوم في الأفق، لأنه لا يوجد أحد لديه أسلحة سوى عائلة الأسد وجيوشهم وقوات الأمن والميليشيات التابعة لهم، ولا أحد غيرهم يريد استعمال القوة. بالتالي ما يحوم في الأفق هو شبح الإبادة الجماعية، كما حصل في رواندا From Social Networking Websites ‫ ‫Damascus & Damascus Suburbs Video, v2 released today of huge demo in Al-Meedan in Damascus on Good Friday Video Traces of gunshots in Barza town & the used shells Video Funeral of 7 martyrs in Barza town Sunday morning Video Free people of Barza burn Bashar’s poster Video A painful video for the fall of martyr child Israa Younos Video Funeral of Bilal Al-Doumany in Sakba Video Bodies of Douma’s martyrs on Sunday Video Crowds in Douma’s martyrs funeral Video Burning the court in Douma by security forces Video Tearing Bashar’s poster in Douma’s city council Video Proof of the presence of Iranian security forces in Douma & shooting demonstrators from inside the Military security branch Video People of Jobar mourning their martyrs Video Civil disobedience & a general strike in Al-Moadameyya in mourning for the martyrs Video Shabbiha & security forces arrest & beat the demonstrators Video Bells of churches ring in Dariya in mourning of martyrs Video Breaking into Dariya houses by security forces & Shabbiha Video The sit-in of fire beacons in Al-Zabadany on Saturday 23rd of April Video A general strike in Kiswa in mourning Daraa Video Speech of Rizk Aba Zayd after quitting Video shows Rizk AbaZayd carried on shoulders after quitting Video Setting up a gallows for Bashar in the city of Nawa Video, v2, v3 The funeral of Nawa’s martyrs Video Funeral of Ezra’s martyrs on Sunday Video Heavy shooting in Ezar’s bridge area Video Statement of Horan’s revolution youth Video Shooting demonstrators in Al-Herak by security & army forces Video A call of appeal from Al-Karama square in Nawa Video The people of Horan putting themselves on the line for the people of Al-Souwaida Video, v2 A martyr’s funeral Video Funeral of the hero Ahmed Al-Hussein in Al-Sheikh Meskeen Video Yasser Elwan Al-Mahameed telling how he was forced by intelligence to speak on Syrian TV Video Security forces posing as paramedics & getting their due when the ambulance turned over Al-Konaytera Video MP Ibrahim Al-Mathlagy quits Homs Video of a demo in Khaledeya in consolidation with Jableh & Douma Hama Video, v2 Tearing Bashar’s poster at the Lawyers syndicate Video A general strike on Saturday Video Funeral of 14-year old child Yaman Al-Khedry Al-Salameya Video, v2, v3 Wonderful scenes of Good Friday demo Baniyas Video The people of Al-Bayda village consolidating with the people of Jableh Jableh Video, v2, v3 The Shabbiha’s arrival Al-Tabaka Video Freeing a detainee from security forces Aleppo Video A new call for the people of Aleppo Video A call from the girls of Aleppo to the men of free Aleppo Video Demo of the heroes of the city of Marea, Aleppo suburbs, on Good Friday Maaret  Al-Noman Video, v2 Smashing Hafez Assad’s status Video Demo on the road: Damascus-Aleppo Video, v2, v3 Demo on Sunday Video Tearing Bashar’s poster Video Funeral of the fallen hero Tamer Al-Aloush Efreen Video Jandeeras demo Around The World Video, v2, v3, v4 The sit-in of faithfulness to the Syrian revolution in Jordan Some press & TV coverage Aljazeera report about the demos of Maaret Al-Noman demanding freedom Aljazeera report on targeting funeral processions Russia Today report on ending emergency law Russia Today report on shooting at funeral processions BBC report on the fall of 100 demo victims in 2 days CNN discusses Bashar & human rights France 24 report on the worldwide condemnation of the Syrian regime massacres Revolution Media Video A free Syrian singing to the nation & to freedom Miscellaneous Video Putting the right man in the right place Video The Shabbiha get off army buses with their guns Video A youth from Jesr Al-Shoghour expressing his love to Hafez Al-Assad in his own way Video of people in Golan tearing Bashar’s poster Video Smashing the statue of Hafez Al-Assad in Khan Shaykhoon من مواقع التواصل الاجتماعي دمشق وريف دمشق فيديو جديد للمظاهرات الحاشدة في الميدان في دمشق يوم الجمعة العظيمة، فيديو٣ فيديو أثار إطلاق الرصاص في برزة البلد وعرض المقذوف المستعمل فيديو تشييع سبع شهداء أبرار في برزة البلد صباح يوم الأحد فيديو أهل برزة الأحرار يحرقون صورة بشار أسد فيديو مؤلم لاستشهاد الطفلة إسراء يونس فيديو زفاف الشهيد بلال الدوماني في سقبا فيديو جثامين شهداء دوما الأبرار المشيعين يوم الأحد فيديو حشود تشييع شهداء دوما فيديو إحراق المحكمة في دوما من قبل قوات الأمن فيديو تمزيق صورة بشار بمجلس مدينة دوما فيديو دليل على وجود الامن الإيراني في دوما وإطلاق نار على المتظاهرين من داخل فرع الأمن العسكري فيديو أهالي جوبر يهنئون بالشهداء فيديو عصيان مدني وإضراب كامل في المعضمية حدادا على الشهداء فيديو الشبيحة وقوات الأمن تعتقل وتضرب المتظاهرين فيديو أجراس الكنائس تقرع في داريا حدادا على الشهداء فيديو اقتحام المنازل في داريا من قبل الأمن والشبيحة فيديو اعتصام المشاعل في الزبداني يوم السبت ٢٣ نيسان فيديو اضراب كامل في الكسوة حدادا على الشهداء درعا فيديو خطبة الشيخ رزق أبازيد بعد الاستقالة فيديو الشيخ رزق أبازيد على الأكتاف بعد الاستقالة فيديو تعليق مشنقة باشر الأسد في مدينة نوى فيديو تشييع الشهداء الأبرار في نوى، فيديو٢، فيديو٣ فيديو تشييع الشهداء الأبرار في ازرع يوم الأحد فيديو اطلاق نار كثيف في منطقة جسر ازرع فيديو بيان شباب ثورة حوران فيديو اطلاق النار على المتظاهرين في الحراك من قبل الجيش والأمن فيديو نداء استغاثة من ساحة الكرامة لمدينة نوى فيديو أهل حوران يفتدون أهل السويداء فيديو صيدا بزفاف أحد الشهداء الأبرار، فيديو٢ فيديو زفاف الشهيد أحمد الحسين في الشيخ مسكين فيديو ياسر علوان المحاميد يروي كيف تم اجباره من قبل المخابرات على الخروج على التلفزيون السوري فيديو انتحال الأمن صفة المسعفين في درعا ولكن الله جازاهم بانقلاب سيارة الإسعاف القنيطرة فيديو استقالة عضو مجلس الشعب ابراهيم المثلجي حمص فيديو مظاهرة عفوية في الخالدية تضامنا مع جبلة ودوما مساء الأحد ٢٤ نيسان حماه فيديو تمزيق صورة بشار عند نقابة المحامين في حماه،فيديو٢ فيديو اضراب شامل في حماه يوم السبت فيديو تشييع الطفل الشهيد يمان الخضري ذو الـ ١٤ سنة السلمية فيديو مشاهدر رائعة لمظاهرات الأحرار في السلمية يوم الجمعة العظيمة، فيديو٢، فيديو٣ بانياس فيديو أهالي قرية البيضة يتضامنون مع أهل جبلة جبلة فيديو نزول الشبيحة في جبلة، فيديو٢، فيديو٣ الطبقة فيديو مقطع لتحرير محتجز من أيدي الأمن في مدينة الطبقة حلب فيديو نداء جديد لاهالي حلب الشهباء فيديو نداء من بنات حلب إلى رجال حلب الأحرار فيديو مظاهرة أبطال مدينة مارع من ريف حلب يوم الجمعة العظيمة معرة النعمان فيديو تحطيم تمثال حافظ الأسد في معرة النعمان، فيديو٢ فيديو مسيرات سيارة في معرة النعمان على الطريق الدولي دمشق – حلب فيديو من مظاهرات الأحرار في معرة النعمان يوم الأحد،فيديو٢، فيديو٣ فيديو تمزيق صورة بشار في معرة النعمان فيديو زفاف الشهيد البطل تامر العلوش عفرين فيديو من مظاهرات أهالي جنديرس اليوم باقي دول العالم فيديو اعتصام الوفاء للثورة السورية في الأردن، فيديو٢،فيديو٣، فيديو٤

Deadly attack on protesters raises questions about Syria’s stability

 – With reports emerging Monday that at least one high-ranking Syrian military commander refused to participate in a bloody, predawn raid that left dozens dead in the southern border city of Daraa — the heart of Syria‘s weekslong civil unrest, questions are being raised about possible cracks in President Bashar al-Assad‘s hold over the military.

The crackdown on anti-government protesters by Syrian forces escalated in recent days as demonstrators, emboldened by weeks of protests, called for the ouster of al-Assad. The crackdown culminated with the raid in Daraa where thousands of troops reportedly stormed the city and opened fire on demonstrators. It was an attack reminiscent of the brutal rule of al-Assad’s father, who once ordered the military to crush a revolt that resulted in the deaths of thousands.

“I think he’s clearly going toward the security solution, which is where he could be following in the steps of his father,” said Andrew Tabler of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, a Washington, D.C.-based think tank.

CNN has not been granted access into Syria and is unable to independently verify witness accounts, which have been playing out via social networking sites and homemade videos. Reports also have been compiled by human rights organizations.

There had been hope early on that al-Assad would not use the military to quell demonstrations after signaling last week that he was open to loosening his hold on the country following five weeks of protests where demonstrators called for more freedoms and regime reform. That changed over the weekend as protesters, primarily in southern Syria, called for the fall of the regime. 

The Syrian government has disputed witness accounts, saying the military was responding to “calls for help from the citizens of Daraa and their appeal to the armed forces as to intervene and put an end to the operations of killings, vandalism, and horrifying (actions) by extremist terrorist groups,” the state-run news agency SANA reported, citing an official army source.

But there was at least one account that illustrated that perhaps not everybody in the military was in agreement with the order to attack Daraa. A military official, described as the second-in-command of the brigade that entered the city, was arrested after refusing to follow orders to storm the city, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and another opposition source. The commander has not been identified.

The top echelon of Syria’s security forces are populated by al-Assad loyalists — Alawites, a religious minority that accounts for about 12% of Syria’s population, and Baathists, a Sunni-dominated socialist political party. The members of the Syrian security forces — who are predominantly Sunni — are drafted, reflecting the ethnic and religious portrait of the country’s 23 million residents.

Though it’s unclear the extent to which the Syrian military official who refused to fire on Daraa influenced troops under his command, analysts say it is unlikely the commander will be the last should the unrest continue in Syria.

“The rank-and-file are made up of Sunnis. They are not going to fire on crowds in their own communities,” said Marius Deeb, an adjunct professor of Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies at Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies. “Therefore, more defections are likely to happen.”

There are also signs the attack has created some political upheaval for al-Assad with the resignations of at least two lawmakers and a mufti, a government-appointed head of clerics in Daraa, according to multiple reports from human rights and news agencies.

Up until the latest crackdown by Syrian forces, the U.S. had taken a somewhat hands-off approach to dealing with Syria out of fear of destabilizing al-Assad’s government. Officials have voiced concern about possible sectarian tensions if al-Assad’s government were overthrown, saying with the country’s fragmented opposition it was unclear what type of government would take control.

The U.S. is now considering targeted sanctions among “a range of possible options” to pressure the Syrian government to stop attacking protesters, White House spokesman Jay Carney said Monday.

Anthony Cordesman of the Center for Strategic and International Studies cautioned against believing that any regime change in Syria would automatically result in a government more extreme than al-Assad’s regime.

“Like every case of instability in the region, all you are certain of is that it has no experience of governing and no experience of running the politics of a country,” Cordesman said.

Because Syria’s opposition is fragmented — with a number of different Sunni groups representing a number of interests, Tabler said it was not a given that a group, such as the Muslim Brotherhood, would automatically come to power.

Al-Assad was viewed by many as a moderate solution to his father when he took control of the country 11 years ago. His father, Hafez al-Assad, came to power during a coup in 1970. In 1982, he ordered the military to crush an uprising against the Baathist government in the city of Hama, the fourth-largest city in Syria. Estimates put the death toll anywhere between 10,000 and 30,000 people, though the exact number was never known.

But the international community has since come to view the younger al-Assad with a wary eye after he made and then broke a number of promises.

“He rules from a position of ambiguity,” Tabler said. “He rules by announcing something and then not following through. This is where he is different from his father. His father was never known for making promises. But when he did, both domestically and internationally, he lived up to them.”

Recently, al-Assad lifted the country’s 48-year-old state of emergency and abolished the state security court, both of which were key demands of the demonstrators. The emergency law permitted the government to make preventive arrests and override constitutional and penal code statutes. The security court was a special body that prosecuted people regarded as challenging the government.

Last week, al-Assad issued a decree recognizing and regulating the right to peaceful protest. It also extended the period that security forces can hold suspects in certain crimes.

But the reforms did little to quell the protests, which have grown since demonstrators first took to the streets in mid-March. Since then, there have been a number of clashes between Syria’s security forces and protesters. Human rights groups have put the death toll in the hundreds.

“The reality is that he had the opportunity early on to try reform. Instead things dragged on and on, and then the violence got very serious,” Cordesman said. “The problem now for Assad and for the demonstrators is that there is no easy way out.”

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