visionary Posted January 24, 2012 Share Posted January 24, 2012 BBC video report from Homs http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-16694739 Protesters marching in a funeral on monday for 12 people killed in the Douma suburb of Damascus EgF9UM_izkc There were clashes there between the Free Syrian Army and government forces Sunday. Monday there were clashes between them in the Daraya suburb of Damascus. http://blogs.aljazeera.com/liveblog/Syria 1 hour 34 min agoGermany's UN ambassador Peter Wittig and the UN ambassadors from Britain and France met counterparts from some Arab League nations late on Monday to discuss the next moves at the UN, after League foreign ministers sought Security Council endorsement for their new plan which calls for Assad to hand over powers to a deputy and elections. "We had a useful meeting with the Arab League who want the active support of the UN Security Council. They, with the support of council members, will be taking that forward in the coming days," said one western diplomat. "We want a strong message that takes up the message of the Arab League," said another western diplomat. [AFP] Russia has said that they reject the proposal (as did Lebanon) although they do like the idea about having dialogue between the opposition and the government. Here's a Sky News video from opposition controlled areas of Homs: http://news.sky.com/home/world-news/article/16154459 By the way, there's reportedly some sort of government offensive going on in Hama right now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
visionary Posted January 24, 2012 Share Posted January 24, 2012 http://blogs.aljazeera.com/liveblog/Syria 3 hours 45 min agoThe head of the Arab League has asked to meet the United Nations secretary general to seek the UN Security Council's support for its latest plan to resolve the crisis in Syria, the League said in a statement on Tuesday. 19 min 27 sec agoThe Syrian Revolution General Commission said security forces resumed their military assult on Hama, mainly in al-Hamidiyeh neighbourhood. The Local Co-ordination Committees reported the killing of at least five people there. Military tanks were reportedly present in most of the city's main streets. 8 min 27 sec agoThe Local Co-ordination Committees (LCC) activist network said at least 18 people died when government forces shelled two buildings in Homs's neighbourhood of Bab Tadmor. Speaking to Al Jazeera from, Hadi al-Abdallah, an activist with Syrian Revolution General Commission, said: "The buildings were six-story buildings. Many families remain missing. It is hard to confirm the exact number of those killed." Reported to be a video from the wreckage of the shelled buildings. 7pC4SrtogI8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
visionary Posted January 24, 2012 Share Posted January 24, 2012 https://twitter.com/#!/ZeinakhodrAljaz US ambassador to UN says security council should fully support Al efforts to bloodshed &peaceful transition to democracy in Syria US ambassador to UN says Assad has shunned all opportunities to institute real reform; he needs to step aside US ambassador to UN says Security council should pass strong resolution that supports Arab League efforts to end Syria crisis France says it refuses to remain silent faced with the inaction of UN security council on Syria crisis France says proposal being studied to impose sanctions on Syria govt among them an asset feeze on Central bank Diplomats say if UN endorses ArabLeague peace plan, Security Council would determine measures to push Syria to comply Reports that Arab League chief asks Mohammed Baradei to head mediation mission to Syria 2 hours ago https://twitter.com/#!/arwaCNN tried 2 go 2 funeral in central damscus but security forces showed up w/batons & guns, activists scattered... 2 hours ago syria foreign ministry says will extend arab league monitor mission another month, GCC pulls its monitors out 2 hours ago many of those silent or w/regime say opposition needs to put forward concrete roadmap & explain their plan for post assad era 1 hour ago That last bit is an interesting point. But it's also a tricky one and somewhat unfair. First of all it lumps all the opposition into one camp. That's not really accurate because of how widespread the opposition is. However for the sake of this we'll assume that this refers to the Syrian National Council. They seem to be the most universally supported political group in the opposition. I'm pretty sure they have put forward a plan for a post Assad Syria. Now it may not be getting a lot of attention in the Syrian media...but...that's not really their fault. I do suppose they could be a bit more vocal about it though. Also vague talk of a roadmap is often used as an excuse to keep a dictator in power. It also helps to blame the opposition for not engaging in dialogue...which is generally another tactic to shift blame since there usually is no way an opposition will agree to some sort of compromise with a mass murdering dictator who generally has no real plans to leave power. Not to mention that it outs members and puts them in danger. Anyway back to the news: The latest numbers I'm seeing right now are 62-68 dead in Syria on Tuesday, mostly in Homs. There are a lot of disturbing videos out on twitter right now of the victims and the aftermath of the shelling by security forces on those buildings that were destroyed. I expect we'll be seeing some bad news out of Hama as well, what with it now being surrounded and blockaded by the security forces. ---------- Post added January-24th-2012 at 05:33 PM ---------- http://blogs.aljazeera.com/liveblog/Syria 3 hours 8 min ago - Syria Britain, France and the United States sharply criticized Russia on Tuesday for supplying weapons to Syria, where government forces have killed thousands of pro-democracy demonstrators over the last 10 months. There's more details and quotes from the ambassadors on the AJE Syria blog. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
visionary Posted January 25, 2012 Share Posted January 25, 2012 http://blogs.aljazeera.com/liveblog/Syria 5 hours 23 min ago - SyriaBahraini observers left Syria on Wednesday following their Kuwaiti colleagues who left earlier after a decisions made by the Gulf Cooperation Council to withdraw their observers from the Arab League mission. Fifty observers will leave Syria while 120 will remain and continue their missions. 3 hours 45 min agoMore from Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov: Russia is open to changes to the resolution it has proposed to the UN Security Council that blames both the Syrian government and the opposition for the use of force. But, Russia would not back UN action granting the global body's approval of economic sanctions already adopted against its traditional ally by the European Union and the US. "We will not be able to back proposals under which unilaterally imposed sanctions against Syria - sanctions that were declared without any consultations with Russia or China or other BRIC nations are blessed retroactively," Lavrov said. "This is simply unfair and counterproductive." Any resolution backed by Russia "must firmly record that it cannot be used or interpreted to justify anyone's outside military intervention in the Syria crisis". [AFP] 2 hours 57 min agoThe Local Co-ordination Committees say six people have been killed in Syria today - three in the Damascus suburb of Qalamoun, two in Homs and one in Hama. The activists say Qalamoun have been under an intense assault from heavy weaponry and that homes have been raided. I've seen reports that around 25 have been shot and wounded in Hama today by security forces. http://au.news.yahoo.com/world/a/-/world/12725727/nations-seeking-action-against-syria-in-unesco/ PARIS (Reuters) - A group of Western and Arab nations are seeking the expulsion of Syria from the U.N. cultural agency's human rights committee, diplomats said, the latest international effort to isolate Damascus over its violent crackdown on domestic unrest.The U.N. Education, Scientific and Cultural Organisation's (UNESCO) executive board, which includes the United States, France and Russia, elected Syria to two panels in November, including one that judges human rights violations. A letter seen by Reuters and signed by 14 ambassadors, including those of the United States, France, Britain, Germany, Qatar and Kuwait, asks for Syria's situation to be discussed at the 58-member UNESCO executive board meeting on February 27. "UNESCO must respond to these appeals for concerted action to address the egregious human rights situation in Syria," an explanatory memo attached to the letter said. "The situation in Syria challenges UNESCO's basic constitutional objectives, in particular to further respect for justice, for the law and for human rights and fundamental freedoms," said the letter, which was drafted in December. ---------- Post added January-25th-2012 at 10:36 AM ---------- vnbXEdFh4R4 Protesters chanting during a funeral in Idlib. Denonstration in Douma today: G4FCsz_CLMc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
visionary Posted January 25, 2012 Share Posted January 25, 2012 http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/01/25/us-syria-un-idUSTRE80O20Y20120125 U.N. council could vote on new Syria draft next weekThe U.N. Security Council could vote as early as next week on a Western-Arab draft resolution endorsing the Arab League's call for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to transfer powers to his deputy, council diplomats said on Wednesday. It remains unclear whether Russia - which together with China vetoed a European-drafted resolution in October that condemned Syria and threatened it with sanctions over its 10-month crackdown on pro-democracy demonstrators - is prepared to wield its veto powers once again to block council action on Syria. European and U.S. delegations have been working with Qatar and the Arab Security Council member, Morocco, on a new draft resolution. The text, obtained by Reuters, urges council support for a "political transition" in Syria,. where government forces have killed thousands of demonstrators inspired by Arab Spring uprisings across the Middle East and North Africa http://www.businessweek.com/news/2012-01-25/arab-nations-u-s-to-press-russia-on-syria-resolution-at-un.html Jan. 25 (Bloomberg) -- Arab and Western nations are planning a diplomatic push at the United Nations to persuade Russia to back the Arab League’s call for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to relinquish power.Qatar, Morocco, the U.S. and the U.K. are among the nations trying to overcome Russian resistance to sanctioning Syria by promoting a UN Security Council draft resolution that has strong Arab backing, according to a UN diplomat who wasn’t authorized to speak on the record. The measure “condemns the continued and gross violations of human rights and fundamental freedoms” by Syrian authorities and calls for the Assad regime to implement Arab League resolutions for a “political transition,” according to a copy of the document obtained by Bloomberg. ---------- Post added January-25th-2012 at 02:51 PM ---------- http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/8/32771/World/Region/ElArabi-to-visit-Moscow-over-Syria.aspx El-Arabi to visit Moscow over SyriaArab League Secretary-General Nabil El-Arabi is due in Moscow early next week for talks with senior Russian officials over the situation in Syria and the fate of Arab mediation there. According to Arab League officials, two key matters will top the agenda of talks to be conducted: the first is to lobby Russia, the strongest ally of the Bashar Al-Assad regime, to convince the Syrian regime to agree to an initiative for the transition of power to Al-Assad's vice president in a first step towards regime change; the second is to ask Moscow to encourage Damascus to permit entry to a high level Arab League delegation to discuss the power transfer initiative. According to Arab and foreign diplomats, Iraq had already proposed the initiative to Syria — in view of the relatively good contacts between leaders on both sides — but it was received with hardly any interest.Meanwhile, Arab League officials say that El-Arabi has officially requested that Mohamed ElBaradei, former head of the International Atomic Energy Agency and until recently a runner in Egypt's prospective presidential race, to head the high level Arab mission in the coming weeks, to discuss ways of ending the current turmoil. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
visionary Posted January 26, 2012 Share Posted January 26, 2012 https://twitter.com/#!/jfjbowen Check out my BBC reports starting with today. Got into Duma last night, part of Damascus in the hands of free Syria army & the people 1 hour ago https://twitter.com/#!/ZeinakhodrAljaz Syria activists report that Syria security forces storming areas in Duma, suburbs of Damascus 1 hour agoArabLeague chief expected to brief UN security council within days on efforts to end the Syria crisis 6 minutes ago UN says it stopped compiling death toll for Syria crisis because too difficult to get information2 minutes ago Disturbing, but not entirely surprising. The last count they did was about 5,000 in early December. (honestly though I think the number was already lagging behind other counts I've seen. I'd say it's probably somewhere between 7-8 thousand dead right now, if the daily reported numbers are to be believed.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
visionary Posted January 26, 2012 Share Posted January 26, 2012 http://blogs.aljazeera.com/liveblog/Syria 3 hours 2 min agoSyrian security forces, backed by tanks, have reportedly tried to retake control over numerous suburbs of Damascus, the capital, from the opposition on Thursday. But they faced fierce armed resistance and clashed with the Free Syrian Army [FSA], an umbrella group mainly comprised of members of the country's security forces who have defected to protect civilians from the government crackdown, in the capital's districts of Douma, Arabeen, Zamalka, Jisreen, and Harasta. Hussein Makhlouf, the governor of rural Damascus, was quoted by the Reuters news agency as saying that the government will discuss a ceasefire with the opposition-controlled suburbs. "We have started a dialogue with them, including some armed groups that are controlling positions there," Makhlouf said. https://twitter.com/#!/arwaCNN activist network reports 43 dead today, 30 in homs 5 minutes ago https://twitter.com/#!/DamascusTweets BREAKING: Number of Martyrs goes up to 55, most of them are from Homs9 minutes ago https://twitter.com/#!/LeShaque AA / SRGC: 55 people killed today, 34 of whom in Homs. 7 minutes ago https://twitter.com/#!/ahmed [NOW WATCHING] Defected Syrian soldiers say they detained Iranian armed men, showing their passports now http://beta.www.livestation.com/aljazeera-mubasher 49 minutes ago Screengrab from AJM shows passport of one the Iranians detained by FSA http://twitpic.com/8bytvq 44 minutes ago Spox of FSA: We are not sectarian, we are not against Shia. We ask Iran to admit they sent members of Revolutionary Guard to Syria. 42 minutes ago Spox of FSA: The seven Iranians detained by FSA include 5 soldiers and 2 civilians, arrested on two separate occasions http://beta.www.livestation.com/aljazeera-mubasher FSA Spox: 5 Iranian soldiers arrested are snipers detained in Homs. We will return them safely to their families http://beta.www.livestation.com/aljazeera-mubasher 37 minutes ago ---------- Post added January-26th-2012 at 02:13 PM ---------- Amazing video, check it out. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-16749214 Defying Syria's President Bashar al-Assad in Douma26 January 2012 Last updated at 13:44 ET Violence between troops loyal to President Bashar al-Assad and defectors from the Free Syrian Army flared on Thursday, as Syrian rebels continued their campaign against the government. The fighting centred on Douma, which was one of the first areas to join the uprising when it began last March. With the help of local activists on Wednesday night, the BBC's Middle East Editor Jeremy Bowen visited the flashpoint. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
visionary Posted January 27, 2012 Share Posted January 27, 2012 https://twitter.com/#!/ahmed Listening to the livestream from Homs, truly frightening: sounds of takbeer interrupted by bombings and gunshots http://www.livestation.com/channels/101-al-jazeera-mubasher-arabic 5 hours agoSounds like Homs is under heavy bombardment right now, sounds of war 5 hours ago More than 40 people were killed today in Homs, and their suffering continue through the night4 hours ago https://twitter.com/#!/Thanku4theAnger As a Libyan I identify the most with the Syria Revolution. Their task is harder w/ no International support but the Victory will be greater 6 hours agoFree Syrians are heroes. They are fighting Bashar regime, Russia, China, Iran & Arab League but somehow getting stronger everyday 6 hours ago Free Syria Army have successfully forced Assad Forces to retreat from Bab Amr suburb in Homs. Epic clashes still being reported in city 17 minutes ago https://twitter.com/#!/KareemLailah What's happening to Syrian people, inside & outside Syria, is big shame for the ****ing silent humanity 5 hours agoI am watching my family being shelled in Homs, on Aljazeera live now. 4 hours ago I can't force anyone to support our cause, but my deep & huge gratitude for each single soul who helped my people. 4 hours ago To all media: Assad killed 65 HUMANS in Syria today: 10 kids, 4 women, 8 defected soldier & 43 civilians 4 hours ago ---------- Post added January-26th-2012 at 10:09 PM ---------- Hmm. No ElBaradei then. https://twitter.com/#!/columlynch Euros/Arabs drop call for UN special envoy for Syria in latest draft resolution on Syria. 7 minutes ago Latest Euro/Arab draft to adopt further measures against Syria if it fails to comply with resos multiple demands in 15 days. 6 minutes ago Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
visionary Posted January 27, 2012 Share Posted January 27, 2012 http://edition.cnn.com/2012/01/26/world/meast/syria-unrest/index.html?hpt=hp_t2 The U.N. Security Council will hold closed-door talks Friday afternoon on the situation in Syria, the British and French delegations reported Thursday night on their respective Twitter feeds.set to start at 3 p.m The United Nations last month estimated that more than 5,000 people have died since March. The Local Coordination Committees said Tuesday more than 6,600 deaths have been documented since the unrest began. Avaaz, a global political activist group, said the death toll has exceeded 7,000.The discussions at the U.N. headquarters in New York come as the violence continues in Syria, particularly in the city of Homs. The Local Coordination Committees of Syria, a network of opposition activists, said 32 people were killed Thursday in Homs, one of the biggest flashpoints of the 10-month-old uprising against President Bashar al-Assad. This is out of a total of 65 deaths nationwide. By 3:30 a.m. Friday, the same group reported that six more people had been killed in that day's first few hours around Syria -- three of them in Homs. Lt. Col. Mohamed Hamado, a spokesman for the Free Syrian Army, which is made up of soldiers who have joined the opposition, said late Thursday that "many families and civilians have died" in the Syrian government attacks. "The Syrian army is bombarding Homs heavily and indiscriminately with mortars, artillery and rockets," he said. He said commanders of the pro-government troops have said they will call off the assault if the defectors surrender and demonstrations against al-Assad end. "We don't call this negotiation -- more like arm-bending," Hamado said. "We have rejected their gibberish completely." Eight of the defectors were among the dead on Thursday, according to the Local Coordination Committees of Syria, a network of opposition activists. In addition, 23 bodies had been found in Hama, where government troops and pro-Assad militias raided neighborhoods on Wednesday. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
visionary Posted January 27, 2012 Share Posted January 27, 2012 https://twitter.com/#!/ZeinakhodrAljaz SNC member says Saudi Arabia will recognize the SNC as official representative of Syria people 56 minutes ago SNC exe council member Ahmad Ramadan told Kuwait's Al-Rai newspaper Saudi Arabia convinced Syria behind Arableague mission failiure 55 minutes ago Syria activists report security forces pounding Rankous, damascus suburb 7 minutes ago It seems odd to me that SA would recognize the SNC now, if the Arab League is trying to get the opposition and the regime to come together But maybe Saudi Arabia isn't part of that. Sort of confusing though, since Qatar and Morroco are both playing a huge role in the Arab League push at the UN and both are close with SA. And the GCC has pulled it's moniters from Syria while other Arab League countries (not sure which) are still operating there...so I'm not sure how this all fits together. https://twitter.com/#!/zaidbenjamin Urgent: Today's death toll in Syria tallied by LCC reaches 6 at 10:41 am. 3 in Homs, 2 in Idlib & 1 in Damascus suburbs 30 minutes ago This BBC reporter is in Syria. Check his page for some interesting updates: https://twitter.com/#!/jfjbowen arableague observers on tour around damascus. BBC trying to find them! 26 minutes ago For some reason arableague monitors heading for Christian district, tends to be pro Assad Syria 14 minutes ago BBC moving around with no govt minder today. More freedom for reporting here than I expected. 12 minutes ago We've found AL observers! Driving slowly through a middle class mainly christian pro assad Syria 43 seconds ago Bizarrely AL observers now retracing steps in direction their hotel. 47 seconds ago Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
visionary Posted January 27, 2012 Share Posted January 27, 2012 http://www.thedailynewsegypt.com/egypt/scores-storm-syrian-embassy-in-cairo-afp.html Scores storm Syrian embassy in Cairo: AFP By AFP January 27, 2012, 6:20 pm CAIRO: Scores of opponents of Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad's regime stormed the Syrian embassy in Cairo on Friday before being dragged away by security forces, an AFP reporter said. At least 200 protesters forced their way into the building in the Garden City neighborhood in Cairo, breaking doors and windows, before Egyptian security officials arrived and took them out. No arrests were made. The embassy was empty because Friday is a weekend day in Egypt. Syrian Ambassador Yusef Ahmed headed to embassy after the incident and said he would formally complain to the authorities. "The Syrian embassy is being targeted. We will be sending a formal letter calling for the embassy to be protected. The protection today was very weak," Ahmed told AFP. The protesters "went into the building. They reached the floor where the ambassador's office is located. Unfortunately they were not resisted," he said as he walked over broken glass and into the building. "This is a very serious development," he said. https://twitter.com/#!/SultanAlQassemi Inside the Syrian tent in Tahrir. Down with the butcher of Damascushttp://pic.twitter.com/sfjSaYbo 6 minutes ago https://twitter.com/#!/ZeinakhodrAljaz Syrian opposition SNC ready to give money and equipment to arm opposition inside Syria4 hours ago Uprising has taken on military dimension, SNC says adding it is now it's duty to assist rebels Syria 4 hours ago At least 384 children have been killed during 10 months of violence in Syria & almost the same number detained, UNICEF said on Friday. 1 hour ago As of January 7 384 children have been killed, most are boys," Rima Salah, acting UNICEF deputy ED, told a press briefing in Geneva, Syria 1 hour ago FSA Farouk Brigades in Homs said they will release Iranian hostages if Iran withdraws its revolutionary guards from Syria by tom noon 4 minutes ago First, note that there have there have been reportedly quite a few more children being killed in the past week. Also I wonder if the FSA (or whoever is is in charge of the group that captured the Iranians) seriously espects Iran to agree. https://twitter.com/#!/shadihamid anyone who thinks intervention in Syria would be a Western imposition have to confront the fact that more Syrians are demanding it. 11 minutes ago Interesting article: http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2012/01/why-we-have-a-responsibility-to-protect-syria/251908/ Why We Have a Responsibility to Protect Syria https://twitter.com/#!/ahmed Protester burn the flag for Russia, reportedly today in Barzeh, Damascus 14 minutes ago ---------- Post added January-27th-2012 at 01:07 PM ---------- https://twitter.com/#!/BarinM Security Council mtg at 1500E on Syria draft reso. Interfax quotes Russian diplo saying they will not support reso asking 4Assad 2resign19 minutes ago Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
visionary Posted January 27, 2012 Share Posted January 27, 2012 Interesting info and discussion about the Iranians being held by the FSA group. http://www.enduringamerica.com/home/2012/1/26/syria-video-special-free-syrian-army-captures-iranian-soldie.html It seems that they were probably captured a month or so ago. A complicated situation to be sure that definitely needs looking into. (I hope the FSA aren't using these guys as a trick.) (the latest thing they have said is that 5 of the people they have are soldiers, and two are civilians who came to look for them. They said that if Iran does not pull it's forces out of Syria, they will keep the soldiers hostage and try to get more. The video was filmed to prove to Iran that they really do have these men captive) http://www.cnn.com/2012/01/27/world/meast/syria-unrest/index.html Damascus, Syria (CNN) -- Deaths mounted in Syria on Friday as world powers plan crucial talks about the conflict there.Soldiers and security forces killed 135 people on Thursday and Friday, said the Local Coordination Committees of Syria, an opposition activist group. The group said most of the people were killed in Homs and dozens also died in Hama and Daraa. CNN cannot independently confirm events in Syria because it is limited from reporting on the ground. Of those reported dead, 18 were children and eight were women. In violence Friday in the Daraa province town of Nawa, 11 civilians died at the hands of pro-regime militias. The assault occurred during a funeral procession for a high school student whom security forces killed Thursday. "The regime's forces encircled the procession and responded with intense gunfire which led to additional martyrs. ... (President Bash al-Assad's) security forces and thugs raided the private hospital in the town and attempted to kidnap the wounded," the group said. It said activist Bashar Abu al-Sal, popular for leading chants in demonstrations, was among the 11 dead. Dozens also were wounded, it said. No idea if it fits in with this 135 over two days, but the latest reports I've seen have today's death toll at 96. :mad: I'm seeing some reports of 102 people dead now. It seems like the number may be a bit inflated, possibly by adding deaths from late last night to ones from today. Supposedly the LCC number for today is around 60-70. On the other hand I guess it all depends on if they were counted yesterday or not. It doesn't really matter when they happened, as long as they aren't counted twice or made up. (which are oviously some things to be on the lookout for in these types of situations) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
visionary Posted January 27, 2012 Share Posted January 27, 2012 http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/28/world/middleeast/khaled-meshal-the-leader-of-hamas-vacates-damascus.html?smid=tw-nytimes Hamas Leader Vacates Damascus, His Long-Time BaseGAZA — Khaled Meshal, leader of the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas, has effectively abandoned his long-time base in Syria, where a popular uprising has left thousands dead, and has no plans to return, Hamas sources in Gaza said on Friday. “The situation there does not allow the leadership to be present,” a Hamas official in Gaza said. Speaking of the Syrian capital, he added, “There are no more Hamas leaders in Damascus.” He and others, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the officials had left due to security concerns. But they said that Hamas, which rules here in Gaza, had not yet made a decision whether to close its Syrian offices or where to base itself in the future. Mr. Meshal has spent most of the past month moving around the region. Hamas has hailed the Arab revolts that toppled governments in Tunisia, Egypt and Libya, but was embarrassed when Syrians moved against President Bashar al-Assad, who has for years played host to the exiled leadership of Palestinian groups. On Sunday, Mr. Meshal will pay his first official visit to Jordan, where he has residency, since he was deported from there in 1999. Qatar, one of Mr. Assad’s most vocal Arab critics, mediated and arranged for Mr. Meshal’s visit to Jordan, which is expected to include a meeting with King Abdullah II. Jordan was the first Arab country to urge Mr. Assad to step down There's a good video report from Arwa Damon in Damascus right now on CNN. I'll see if I can find it online. Ah, here we go: http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/world/2012/01/27/pkg-damon-syria-saqba.cnn And here's a report from BBC in Damascus (video included): http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-16769156 It seems like both BBC and CNN were in Saqba. https://twitter.com/#!/BBCBarbaraPlett UNSC diplo says Britain tells closed mtg that SC must back Arab plan for Syria or danger of civil war 20 minutes ago https://twitter.com/#!/columlynch Russia's churnkin says euro Arab resolu has no basis on which we can agree. But we will continue to engage in negotiations4 minutes ago Russ red lines no arms embargo, no sanctions, an no imposition of a political solution in Syria by the Arab league 4 minutes ago https://twitter.com/#!/ahmed [LIVE] French amb to UN now speaking about the meeting on Syria http://www.unmultimedia.org/tv/webcast/index.html5 minutes ago French amb: we are facing a major crisis, I'm not playing with words. People are dying, country is sinking to civil war. 5 minutes ago German amb: it's possible that we find an agreement. We owe it to the Syrian people to be united at UNSC with the Arab League. 1 minute ago German amb to UN RT @denisfitz: Wittig says pargagraph 7( is one of "main sticking points" 5 seconds ago Syrian amb Jaafari: UNSC are using an outdated language. They are suddenly discovering that they care about Syria. 16 seconds ago Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
visionary Posted January 28, 2012 Share Posted January 28, 2012 https://twitter.com/#!/ZeinakhodrAljaz Irbil : Kurdish parties meet to try to unite Kurdish opposition in Syria4 hours ago KRG declares solidarity with Syria opposition 4 hours ago KRG encouraging Syria Kurds to unite and fight for their "democratic rights" 4 hours ago Kurds in Syria disagree with SNC about the word Arab in the post- Assad Syria ... They want it to be called Syria Republic 4 hours ago Syrian opposition calls for rallies Sunday outside Russia embassies2 hours ago ArabLeague says in talks with Russia over situation in Syria ahead of UN security council 40 minutes ago "There are ongoing talks & consultations between ArabLeague and Russia over Syria file," Ahmed Bin Hali said at the League in Cairo 37 minutes ago SNC accused iran of “participation” in the bloody crackdown on protests in Syria & called on Tehran to stop supporting Damascus 5 minutes ago http://www.cnn.com/2012/01/28/world/meast/syria-unrest/index.html?eref=rss_topstories&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fcnn_topstories+%28RSS%3A+Top+Stories%29 Arab League suspends observer mission in SyriaThe Arab League has suspended its monitoring mission in Syria because of an increase in violence, a senior league source said Saturday. The Syrian Arab News Agency said the attackers fired at a bus in the Damascus countryside and killed the soldiers, one of whom was a first lieutenant. They were traveling between the towns of Douma and Adra. Terrorists were also blamed for an explosion on an oil pipeline in northeastern Deir Ezzor province, SANA said, quoting a source at the country's oil ministry. The SANA report said production wasn't affected by the attack but that 2,000 barrels of oil were lost. Firefighters extinguished the blaze and crews began repair work. It said the pipeline had been attacked before. The LCC confirmed a pipeline explosion and said 12 people were killed Saturday, eight of them were killed in the restive city of Homs. It reported other incidents, including one in which a child was killed and security forces shot and shelled targets in Deir Ezzor. Security forces killed a man in the Homs province town of Hawleh, and explosions and shooting rang out in the Homs' city neighborhood of Baba Amr, the LCC said. An activist died after an ambush by regime forces in the Daraa province town of Al-Gharia Al-Sharqiya, the activists said. In the Damascus suburbs, security forces killed a man at a checkpoint of Harasta when they shot at his car. Also in those suburbs, corpses were discovered at a farm and clashes occurred between soldiers and the Free Syrian Army, the resistance force comprised of military defectors. In Aleppo city, security forces fired live ammunition and tear gas grenades to disperse mourners who gathered for a funeral. http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2012/01/2012128135637813123.html Nabil Elaraby, the secretary-general of the Arab League, announced the decision in a statement on Saturday. "It has been decided to immediately stop the work of the Arab League's mission to Syria pending presentation of the issue to the league's council," he said. The bloc said around 100 observers would remain in the country but would not undertake new missions. What exactly are they going to be doing? ---------- Post added January-28th-2012 at 11:30 AM ---------- https://twitter.com/#!/ZeinakhodrAljaz Syria Interior Minister said the authorities are determined to "cleanse" the country of outlaws and restore order 1 minute ago Oh yeah. This is what I'd be saying if there was a UN discussion about my country going on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
visionary Posted January 28, 2012 Share Posted January 28, 2012 Sounds pretty bad in Rankous. http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/29/world/middleeast/arab-league-suspends-its-monitoring-in-syria.html?_r=1&partner=rss&emc=rss Mr. Araby blamed the Syrian government for the bloodshed, saying that it has decided “to escalate the military option in complete violation of its commitments to the Arab plan” and added that “innocent citizens” were the victims.The Arab League observers traveled to the town of Rankous on Saturday morning, a restive city near the Lebanese border from which the government has had to withdraw its troops. The observers never made it inside. One of the members of the team said that Syrian Army officers had told them it was too dangerous because snipers and gunmen were menacing the town. During a visit to Rankous by reporters after the observers left, residents and fighters who said they were with the Free Syrian Army opposition militia told a different story. They said that the army, which had surrounded the town of 23,000 people with tanks, had been shelling for days. Most of the residents had fled, but about 50 families remained in the town, they said. Soon after a group of reporters arrived in the center of Rankous, tanks could be seen taking up positions on the outskirts. Within about an hour, shelling and heavy machine gun fire could be heard. The Free Syrian Army fighters said government snipers were surrounding the town. Bullets whistled by a house where they had taken up positions. By nightfall, at a spot on the edge of the town where observers had visited earlier in the morning and seen nothing, several tanks had moved into place, tightening a cordon around Rankous. “It’s under the government’s full siege now,” said Col. Ammar Alwawi, an Free Syrian Army official speaking by phone from Turkey. “If the regime continues the use of force there, there will be a massacre. They can’t enter. There are civilians there who didn’t leave their houses.” https://twitter.com/#!/BreakingNews State TV: Syria says it is 'sorry and surprised' at suspension of Arab League monitor mission - @Reuters 1 hour ago https://twitter.com/#!/ZeinakhodrAljaz SANA quoted Syria official :"This decision (suspension of observer mission work aimed at increasing pressure for foreign intervention"21 minutes ago https://twitter.com/#!/SeekerSK The Defection of the general Brigadier along with 300 soldiers and four tanks to join the FSA in Damascus Suburbs 2 hours ago Not quite sure if he is saying this already happened or it is just happening now, or what. But it sounds big. Here's a casualty count for today by one of the 3(I think) groups who keeps track. http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=989938&l=dbec404873&id=172683116117004 British Syrians & Friends in Solidarity with the Syrian RevolutionLCC: The number of today's martyrs has risen to 50, among them three 3 children and one 1 woman. 19 martyrs fell in Homs, 6 in Hama, 7 in Damascus Suburbs (Saqba, Douma, Moadamieh, Arbeen, Zamalka, Baseemeh), 3 in Daraa, 2 each in Deir Ezzor and Idlib, and one 1 in each of Damascus and Qonaitra, in addition to 10 martyrs from the defected soldiers. It is to be noted that the exact number of martyrs and wounded from the violent shelling of Rankous and Ghouta remains unclear until now. Now keep in mind that they had the number of dead yesterday at 114 at the end of the day...and there were questions as to how accurate the number was when it was around 96 earlier in the day. They do provide a tally for the different regions though, which in theory would seem to make it easier to get the number right. Anyway, it's just something to keep in mind while viewing stuff like this when there's no real official group to keep tabs on these things. http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=988358&l=8afebd5165&id=172683116117004 British Syrians & Friends in Solidarity with the Syrian RevolutionAt least 114 martyrs in Syria today including 7 children & 4 women. Damascus Suburbs - 46 (one in Damascus) Hama - 20 Homs & Dar'a - 16 Aleppo - 14 Idlib - 2 To the highest heaven our martyrs. Audio account of a man who says he was part of the Hama Massacre of 1982. http://audioboo.fm/boos/643571-perpetrator-describes-hama-massacre-in-1982?utm_campaign=detailpage&utm_content=retweet&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter 2nd Feb 2012 marks the 30th anniversary of the massacre at Hama. Under President Hafez al Assad - father of the current Syrian leader, government troops entered the town to put down an uprising by what they described as muslim terrorists. Estimates of the dead range from 10,000 to well over 40,000 and there are conflicting accounts of what really happened. Abdelghani Sibahi says he knows, because he was there. Now 52-years-old and living in the US. He was a young conscript in the Syrian special forces. Now he's decided the time is right to give his account of what happened in Hamaa: https://twitter.com/#!/Mar15Syria LCC: Today's death toll in Syria has now reached 63 so far. Of those 63 martyrs, 3 of martyrs found were children. 1 minute ago Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
visionary Posted January 29, 2012 Share Posted January 29, 2012 http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2012/01/2012129131321937927.html Syrian army in offensive near DamascusThe Syrian military has launched an offensive to regain control of suburbs on the eastern edge of Damascus, storming neighbourhoods and clashing with groups of army deserters in fighting that sent residents fleeing and killed at least three civilians, activists said. Six soldiers were also killed when a roadside bomb detonated near the bus they were traveling in south of the capital. The escalation in violence on Sunday coincided with the Arab League’s suspending of its observer mission. Activists inside Damascus told Al Jazeera’s Anita McNaught that tanks had rolled into Al-Ghouta, within 10km of Damascus city centre. "People we've spoken to are too frightened to leave their homes, they've locked themselves in," our correspondent said from Istanbul in Turkey. Al-Ghouta is historically known for being a hub of dissent against the Assad government, and the crackdown appeared to be an attempt "to avoid any Tahrir Square-style mass movements," she said. At least 66 people, including 26 civilians, were killed in violence across Syria on Sunday, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. The London-based rights group said 26 soldiers, five other members of the security forces, nine army deserters were also among those killed as the regime cracked down on protesters and opposition fighters. So I guess that means that 31 of 66 were from the Assad regime's "side" if we want to call it that. (Which makes me wonder something else. How often are non-defected regime soldiers and security forces counted in the death toll?) Meanwhile, more than 200 Syrian Kurds from 25 countries are taking part in a two-day conference in the Iraqi Kurdish regional capital of Irbil, with their leaders saying they would want a referendum after the eventual fall of Assad to decide on their people's future as part of Syria."In Syria, we will not obtain the same thing as the Iraqi Kurds because the circumstances are different," Hamid Darwish, head of the Kurdish Democratic Progressive Party of Syria, said. "We wants our national rights to be written into the constitution and approved by our Arab brothers," he said. http://blogs.aljazeera.com/liveblog/Syria 3 hours 55 min agoThe fighting on Sunday appears to be triggered by a wave of dections, if reports coming from the AFP news agency are correct: Other Damascus suburbs that have come under fire from heavy artillery and mortar rounds from government forces include Douma, Saaba, Irbin and Hamuriyeh, activists said. "The more the regime uses the army, the more soldiers defect," Ahmed al-Khatib, a local rebel council member on the Damascus outskirts, told the AFP news agency. A spokesperson for the rebel Free Syrian Army, which boasts 40,000 men and whose leadership is in Turkey, said that the fighting came a day after "a large wave of defections," with 50 officers and soldiers turning their back on Assad ---------- Post added January-29th-2012 at 02:33 PM ---------- http://www.cnn.com/2012/01/29/world/meast/syria-unrest/index.html?iref=allsearch At least 62 people were killed in Syria on Sunday, according to an opposition activist group as the Arab League suspended a monitoring mission designed to protect Syrian civilians from government-sponsored violence.The dead included 19 in Homs, 15 in Hama and 16 around Damascus, according to the Local Coordination Committees of Syria. Earlier, another opposition activist group, the Syrian Revolution General Council, said as many as 34 people had died Sunday, including a person who had been killed under torture, a woman and two children. Heavy clashes took place in the Eastern Ghotta area outside Damascus, the Local Coordination Committees of Syria said. At least 50 people were wounded in random bombardment by government forces, the group said, adding the government forces attacked residential areas and cut off electricity, water and communication. The reported deaths come a day after opposition sources said at least 98 people were killed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
visionary Posted January 30, 2012 Share Posted January 30, 2012 http://mar15.info/2012/01/german-minister-urges-russia-to-support-arab-solution-in-syria/ AMMAN – German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle on Sunday backed the Arab League’s suspension of its mission in Syria and urged Russia to support an Arab-led resolution at the United Nations.‘I think the latest decision of the Arab League is a good reason for other partners at the Security Council to change their own positions and not to be reluctant any longer,’ Westerwelle told a joint press conference with his Jordanian counterpart Nasser Judeh. Both men said the Syrian situation and the Arab League’s decision on Saturday to freeze the work of their monitoring mission there figured largely in their discussions. ‘I think everyone who is interested in peaceful development of the region, not only one country, should listen carefully to the Arab League,’ Westerwelle said in reference to Russia’s adamant support to the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. He pointed out that Germany and other members of the European Union planned to work closely with the Arab League at the UN Security Council in the coming couple of days with an eye on convincing ‘reluctant partners’ to support ‘a common language’ on the Syrian situation. https://twitter.com/#!/SooriMadsoos Assad forces have regained control over Saqba district in Damascus suburbs. They had to send in their most advanced Russian tanks. 51 minutes ago https://twitter.com/#!/evanchill Russia supplied more arms to Syria from 2003-2010 than the US did to Israel. http://ow.ly/8Kpkb (via @micahzenko) 56 minutes ago https://twitter.com/#!/khalidkhan787 Syria video showing Idlib demonstration denouncing Russia for siding with Syria http://bit.ly/xoEY50 Jan 29 9 hours ago iuXTZozO2os https://twitter.com/#!/EANewsFeed Video: Tanks and troops moving into Ghouta in eastern Damascus suburbs http://bit.ly/wdu3sH 9 hours ago Some more videos here: http://www.enduringamerica.com/home/2012/1/29/syria-bahrain-and-beyond-live-coverage-the-opposition-expand.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
visionary Posted January 30, 2012 Share Posted January 30, 2012 https://twitter.com/#!/BreakingNews Russian foreign ministry says Syrian authorities agree to take part in talks in Russia; hopes Syrian opposition will also agree - @Reuters 9 minutes ago Ugh. This has stalling tactic written all over it. And if the opposition turns it down, of course Russia and Syria will blame everything on them. (I can't imagine too many Syrians not allied with Assad wanting to go to Russia right now) More: Senior member of Syria opposition council says has not received Russian invite for govt talks; will refuse if one arrives - @Reuters 2 minutes ago And there goes that idea. Here's some news from last night: http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/01/30/us-syria-idUSTRE80S08620120130 Street battles raged on the doorstep of the Syrian capital on Monday, as President Bashar al-Assad's troops sought to consolidate their grip on suburbs rebel fighters had taken only a few miles from the centre of Assad's power.Activists and residents said Syrian troops now had control of Hamouriyeh, one of a cluster of districts where they have used armored vehicles and artillery to beat back rebels who came as close as eight km (five miles) to Damascus. An activist said the Free Syrian Army - a force of military defectors with links to Syria's divided political opposition - mounted scattered attacks on government troops who advanced through the district of Saqba, held by rebels just days ago. Remember the BBC and CNN videos from there. http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Politics/2012/Jan-30/161521-syria-rebels-in-lebanon-lend-support-to-comrades.ashx#axzz1kptAa5Tm Syria rebels in Lebanon lend support to comrades https://twitter.com/#!/GotFreedomSY Hilarious. Long line in Syria for a one of a kind shoe shining experience.. On Hafez Assad's head. 12 hours ago ePvS3HcxP3g&sns http://blogs.aljazeera.com/liveblog/Syria 50 min 20 sec agoSecurity forces have executed Free Syrian Army colonel Hussein Harmush, a founder of the rebel group made up of soldiers who defected, the Syrian League for Human Rights said on Monday. "An air force intelligence unit last week carried out a sentence to shoot dead officer Hussein Harmush," the non-governmental group said in a statement. In June, Harmush became the first Syrian military officer to publicly declare his opposition to President Bashar al-Assad regime's deadly crackdown on protesters while speaking to the AFP news agency in the Turkish village of Guvecci. Harmush left Syria seeking exile in Turkey, where he established the Brigade of Free Officers, a group of dozens of army deserters later absorbed into the Free Syrian Army headed by Riyadh al-Asaad. [AFP] There were apparently major clashes between the FSA and the Syrian Government forces in Daraa yesterday, and reliable reports and footage of security forces shelling the ctiy. ---------- Post added January-30th-2012 at 09:12 AM ---------- http://edition.cnn.com/video/#/video/world/2012/01/30/pkg-damon-syria-cat-mouse.cnn?iref=allsearch Added On January 30, 2012CNN's Arwa Damon gets caught up in a deadly game of cat and mouse in the streets of Damascus, Syria. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
visionary Posted January 30, 2012 Share Posted January 30, 2012 It seems as if there is something horrible going on in Rankous right now. https://twitter.com/#!/DamascusTweets The Syria'n regime army has collected 100's of men in a Public square at Rankous. There are fears of a massacre ongoing there.29 minutes ago BREAKING: Rankous: The Syria'n regime has gathered most of the city's men at a public square & stripped them of clothes! 17 minutes ago BREAKING: The Syria'n national council (SNC) is asking media to pay attention to what's going on in Rankous right now. 8 minutes ago https://twitter.com/#!/syriahabibti SNC warned Monday of a possible "massacre" of hundreds of young men rounded up by security forces in the town of Rankus near Damascus 8 minutes ago http://blogs.aljazeera.com/liveblog/Syria 1 hour 58 min ago - SyriaThe opposition Syrian National Council warned on Monday of a possible "massacre" of hundreds of young men rounded up by security forces in a town near Damascus. It voiced "fears over a possible liquidation of hundreds of young men that Syrian security services have gathered in a public square in Rankus," 40km north of the capital, in a statement received in Nicosia. The SNC called for the Arab and international media "to act quickly to follow this issue". Security forces "raided Rankus this morning, backed by tanks and rocket-launchers ... and launched a campaign of arrests," it said. "The authorities have cut off electricity, telephone lines and water. They have imposed a siege on Rankus, preventing food and medical aid from entering" the town of 25,000 inhabitants. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said earlier that troops penetrated Rankus after shelling the town which had been encircled for six days. The rights group and activists at the scene said army deserters pulled out of Rankus as troops moved in. The assault reportedly cost the lives of two deserters and left dozens of civilians wounded. [AFP] https://twitter.com/#!/ahmed Two videos reportedly shows FSA operation to liberate a hospital in Bab Dreib, Homs 7 minutes ago Protest in Hama WrN133ZA5xc ---------- Post added January-30th-2012 at 02:08 PM ---------- http://blogs.aljazeera.com/liveblog/Syria 1 hour 43 min ago - SyriaOpinions have "evolved" within the UN Security Council and more members are now willing to back a draft resolution criticising Syria for its protest crackdown, a French diplomatic source said Monday. "At least 10 countries" of the council's 15 members could vote in favour of a draft resolution, the source said, adding that the most hostile council members were Russia and India. "The new non-permanent members of the Security Council are more convinced of the need for a resolution," the source said. Morocco, Togo, Guatemala, Pakistan and Azerbaijan joined the council as new temporary members this month. At the same time Brazil, which had been among countries resisting action in Syria, lost its place on the council. 1 hour 39 min ago - SyriaRussia will not back a new draft resolution on Syria, its deputy foreign minister said Monday ahead of the UN Security Council's debate over the latest Western-backed proposal. "The current Western draft has not gone too far from the October version, and, certainly, cannot be supported by us," Gennady Gatilov told Interfax news agency in an interview. "The draft has statements in it calling on the member states to stop arms deliveries to Syria," he said. "But there is no clear line between arms contraband that some countries engage in to support extremist forces in Syria, and the legal military-technical ties with this country," he said. [AFP] ---------- Post added January-30th-2012 at 02:33 PM ---------- https://twitter.com/#!/CFKlebergTT Today 60 people have been killed in Syria among them 8 children, according to LCC activists. 46 reportedly killed in Homs alone. 4 minutes ago Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
visionary Posted January 30, 2012 Share Posted January 30, 2012 https://twitter.com/#!/DamascusTweets CONFIRMED: There are dead bodies all over Rankous, they can't be taken away because snipers have taken to high rooftops. 4 hours ago https://twitter.com/#!/CNNInternatDesk The Local Coordination Committees in Syria (LCC) says in statement that the death toll has risen to 95 across Syria2 hours ago https://twitter.com/#!/JShahryar BREAKING: 95 reportedly killed in Syria, 72 in Homs alone which is still under attack http://bit.ly/AEmEFv 2 hours ago https://twitter.com/#!/British_Syrian LCC: The number of martyrs in Syria until this moment has reached 100, among them are 8 children and a woman. 76... http://fb.me/UKM5cSlo1 hour ago https://twitter.com/#!/ahmed Video reportedly shows government tanks opening fire in Rastan, Homs today 1 hour ago N56JkaNoTxw Wow....can't imagine why there would be so many deaths in Homs today. https://twitter.com/#!/KareemLailah 100 martyrs in Syria today. I miss the day when we were talking 20s56 minutes ago Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BRAVEONAWARPATH Posted January 30, 2012 Share Posted January 30, 2012 :(:(:( Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
visionary Posted January 31, 2012 Share Posted January 31, 2012 https://twitter.com/#!/SyriaTracker 7,068 individuals killed, March 18, 2011 thru January 28, 2012 https://syriatracker.crowdmap.com/reports/view/1519 @SyriaTracker http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2012/01/30/146102168/death-toll-rises-as-syrias-crisis-heads-to-u-n-security-council The past five days have been some of the bloodiest since the uprising began last March, with about 387 people killed since Thursday, activists said. https://twitter.com/#!/DamascusTweets Rankous Syria http://twitpic.com/8ds83m17 hours ago http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2012/01/2012131133436856622.html Representatives of Western and Arab nations are gathering in New York to push for a tough UN resolution on Syria, calling for President Bashar al-Assad to hand power to his deputy.The UN Security Council was to meet on Tuesday evening (20:00GMT) to discuss the draft resolution, with Russia likely to veto any punitive action. A French official said the draft UN resolution has a "comfortable majority" of support from 10 of the Security Council's 15 members, meaning Russia or China, which has also shown support for Assad, would have to use their veto power to stop it. The draft resolution, seen by the AFP news agency, also calls for the government to put an immediate stop to violence that the UN says has killed thousands of people in the past 10 months. The draft stresses there will be no foreign military intervention in the conflict and demands that "the Syrian government immediately puts an end to all human rights violations and attacks against those exercising their rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and association" http://blogs.aljazeera.com/liveblog/Syria 15 hours 15 min agoSwedish immigration authorities said on Monday they were temporarily halting all deportations to Syria due to growing violence. "The Swedish Migration Board has now temporarily stopped all deportations ... to Syria. The reason is the dramatically worsened security situation in the country," the agency said in a statement. The Migration Board had decided on December 16 last year the situation in Syria was so dire Sweden could hike the number of Syrians granted asylum. "Now, the violence has worsened further, meaning no deportation rulings [to Syria] can be carried out," the agency said. In 2011, 640 Syrian nationals sought asylum in the Scandinavian country - a 52-per cent increase over the previous year, according to Migration Board statistics. [AFP] 49 min 19 sec agoSyrian government forces reasserted control of Damascus suburbs on Tuesday. Activists in eastern districts of Damascus said troops fired in the air as they advanced beyond areas from which the defector Free Syrian Army withdrew, capping three days of fighting activists said killed at least 100 people. Tanks also swarmed into the area. "The suburbs are under an unannounced curfew. A small grocery shop opened this morning and soldiers came and beat the owner and forced him to shut down," said an activist in the Ain Tarma neighbourhood on Tuesday. Others said residents of some eastern districts were allowed to flee their neighbourhoods in vehicles by advancing troops, but that security forces in the district of Irbin had rounded up young men at gunpoint and detained them. https://twitter.com/#!/JShahryar Syria: 32 killed across country today, 14 in Idlib province, so far...: http://bit.ly/A8irnE1 minute ago ---------- Post added January-31st-2012 at 02:56 PM ---------- https://twitter.com/#!/DamascusTweets In Rastan, 7 buildings have collapsed due to shelling from the Syria'n regime forces. No reports of casualties.3 minutes ago (Rastan was where the video of the tanks in my post yesterday reportedly took place) https://twitter.com/#!/RulaAmin SRCU says 41 people were killed in Syria today by security forces...many in Homs and Rastan6 minutes ago By the way, Rastan is apparently a city within the district of Rastan which is in the Homs governate which includes six different districts, one of which is called Homs and houses the capital of the governate, also called Homs. (I actually just had to look that up, lol) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
visionary Posted January 31, 2012 Share Posted January 31, 2012 http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/jan/31/life-syrian-city-under-siege Life in a Syrian city under siegeAl-Qusayr is full of snipers and has lost 66 people since the uprising began – but life is even harder in the bigger cities I arrived last Monday in this city in western Syria just 20 miles from the provincial capital of Homs. Besieged by troops loyal to President Bashar al-Assad, it is believed to have lost 65 people in the uprising so far. As of today, that toll has risen to 66. The people here seem hopeful that the violence will end – within months, some say; others say a year or more. However long it takes, they all hope it is the beginning of the end for Assad. In the meantime, though, life in their city is hard. There are some streets where you simply cannot work: too many snipers, too great a chance of being shot. Entire areas are empty because they fall within the target of snipers stationed at the hospital and the local government building. In the whole of Al-Qusayr there are a handful of shops open: there is nothing to sell, and people don't really want to buy, anyway. Only the groceries remain open for business. In spite of all this, I still think that the city is easier to work in as a photographer or journalist than some other places in Syria at the moment. I have colleagues in big cities in the north who are still in their houses and cannot so much as stick their noses out the doors. Since getting to Al-Qusayr I have met many people – but not a single one who will express support for the regime. Just down the road is the uprising's flashpoint city of Homs, and the people here feel a strong connection with their capital's inhabitants. At the moment, however, it is virtually impossible to reach the bigger city – as hard as it is to move around inside Al-Qusayr, getting out of it is even worse. That's life under siege. https://twitter.com/#!/RulaAmin Activist say syrian security forces are now pushing their way into Zabadani near Damascus, fighting w armed opposition underway3 minutes ago https://twitter.com/#!/LeShaque BREAKING: Army units invade and open fire in Zabadani.29 minutes ago https://twitter.com/#!/DamascusTweets BREAKING: CONFIRMED: The Syria'n regime army has invaded Zabadani 15 minutes from Damascus and opened fire.29 minutes ago It seems that the government forces have rolled back into one FSA controlled area after another. Not good news at all. The last few days have been disatrous. The only question is, how much control do they have over these places and are they spreading themselves thin? I guess we'll see. https://twitter.com/#!/ahmed Broadcast begins from UNSC Chamber http://www.unmultimedia.org/tv/webcast/index.html Session on Syria to begin soon... 15 minutes ago The UN meeting is being broadcast on AJE right now also. ---------- Post added January-31st-2012 at 03:34 PM ---------- https://twitter.com/#!/AJELive Qatari PM Hamad bin Jassim al-Thani: We must not forget that the [syrian] uprising began with peaceful demonstrations. http://aje.me/tz8yfa5 minutes ago Qatari PM Hamad bin Jassim al-Thani: Syrian government’s killing machine is still at work http://aje.me/tz8yfa 2 minutes ago Qatari PM Hamad bin Jassim al-Thani: we are not calling for military intervention [in Syria]. We are advocating economic pressure. 39 seconds ago https://twitter.com/#!/acarvin Qatar FM: No one would ever try to claim that these dead children were part of some "armed group." 4 minutes ago ---------- Post added January-31st-2012 at 03:45 PM ---------- Head of the Arab League speaking now: https://twitter.com/#!/acarvin al-Arabi: AL wants the immediate cessation of violence in Syria an the beginning of transition to peaceful democratic life.8 minutes ago al-Arabi: The situation is ever more grave and urgent given the escalation in the last few days that has felled many innocent civilians. 7 minutes ago al-Arabi: We believe the 1st priority is for the security council: a resolution that calls for immediate ceasefire and political settlement 6 minutes ago al-Arabi: This should be dealt with in an Arab context. We are trying to avoid intl intervention - particularly military intervention. 5 minutes ago al-Arabi: fundamental objective is immediate cessation of violence, especially against civilians. 6 minutes ago al-Arabi: maintaining the right of civilian people to demonstrate peacefully, without confrontation by govt forces. 4 minutes ago al-Arabi: Syrian govt is to put an end to all acts of violence, from whatever source; release detainees; withdraw armed elements [from cities and occupied areas] 3 minutes ago al-Arabi: Open all institutions to the Arab League, as well as to intl media, so it can be inspected on the ground without interference. 3 minutes ago https://twitter.com/#!/RulaAmin Alarabi says he doesn't want UN to replace Arab league,he wants UN to issue a firm quick call for violence to stop immediately 4 minutes ago https://twitter.com/#!/CFKlebergTT AL chief tells UN: Observers reported "partial progress" in some fields in Syria, but "incomplete and therefor insufficient".5 minutes ago https://twitter.com/#!/clancycnn El-Araby: Excessive use of force by government, explosive mix of emotions, opposition "forced" to take up arms.3 minutes ago https://twitter.com/#!/libyanproud Enough with the Statement, The Statements are NOT stopping the KILLING in Syria . God Help the people of Syria!7 minutes ago https://twitter.com/#!/ahmed Al-Arabi speech weak in content and delivery. Or maybe that's just because it came after HBJ's emotional speech.7 minutes ago https://twitter.com/#!/ahmed Al-Arabi: our road map cannot be misinterpreted to say we asked for the President to step down.4 minutes ago https://twitter.com/#!/CFKlebergTT AL chief Nabil el-Araby: Not calling on Assad to hand over power, but need for dialogue, "national unity government."3 minutes ago It sounds like he's backing away from the Arab League plan. The Syrian people will never support a plan that includes the continuation of the Assad regime. ---------- Post added January-31st-2012 at 04:02 PM ---------- The Syrian ambassador is going on and on about Arabism and how Syria freed the gulf countries from colonial occupation. ---------- Post added January-31st-2012 at 04:15 PM ---------- Now he's making a sort of legimate point about the "Oil Oligarchies"/gulf monarchies) pushing for democracy and freedom. (it is a bit hypocritical) Of course that's amidst a hurricane of crazy comments, such a comparing Assad to Ho Chi Min, Bolivar, Gandhi, George Washington, Mandela, De Gaule...etc. He also quoted from a poet that was banned by the regime from entering Syria and most people have said would be a strong opposition supporter if he were alive now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
visionary Posted January 31, 2012 Share Posted January 31, 2012 Hillary is speaking now at the UN. She looks really worn out. https://twitter.com/#!/ahmed Clinton: Assad regime executed a campaign of violence against its own citizens.3 minutes ago Clinton: Assad and cronies are working hard to pit Syria’s ethnic and religious groups against each other, risking a descent into civil war. 2 minutes ago Clinton: I know that some members here are concerned that we are headed toward another Libya. That is a false analogy. Syria is unique. 19 seconds ago Clinton: how many more innocent civilians will die before people of Syria get the future they deserve? 1 minute ago https://twitter.com/#!/acarvin Clinton: Success is far from guaranteed. But the alternative – more of Assad’s brutal rule – is no alternative at all.3 minutes ago Clinton: Despite its ruthless tactics, the Assad regime’s reign of terror will end and the people of Syria will chart their own destiny. 3 minutes ago Clinton: The longer continues, the harder it will be to rebuild after Assad is gone. 3 minutes ago Clinton: spurning the Arab League, abandoning the Syrian people, emboldening the dictator would compound this tragedy. 4 minutes ago Clinton: It would mark a failure of our shared responsibility, and shake the credibility of the United Nations. 4 minutes ago https://twitter.com/#!/arwaCNN Clinton also speaking 2 minorities in syria "we do hear ur fears & honor ur aspirations...do not let assad exploit them 2 extend crisis"4 minutes ago https://twitter.com/#!/ZeinakhodrAljaz Syria belongs to its 23 million citizens, not to one man or his family, Clinton tells UN2 minutes ago Jupe of France is speaking now. Going after the regime for torture, killings, human rights atrocities, etc. He says he would like to do more, but the current resolution draft is the best that can be put together in a short time considering the desperate situation in Syria now. https://twitter.com/#!/CFKlebergTT France in UN address: Each day, dozens more die, time running out in putting end to "nightmare" in Syria.1 minute ago (dozens is a bit of an understatement these days unfortunately) Now it's Hague from the UK's turn. ---------- Post added January-31st-2012 at 04:57 PM ---------- https://twitter.com/#!/ahmed Hague: irony that Syrian envoy invokes idealism of Syrian children in 60's when their descendants are being killed and tortured today.7 minutes ago Hague: we all want a peaceful political solution. We all agree the process should be led by Syrian people themselves. 7 minutes ago Hague: while we meet the gravest crimes are being committed in Syria by its government. We should unite behind the Arab League plan. 6 minutes ago https://twitter.com/#!/CFKlebergTT UK's Hague, in UN address, says Syria gov shifting blame on other countries and "Lawrence of Arabia".8 minutes ago ---------- Post added January-31st-2012 at 05:25 PM ---------- https://twitter.com/#!/JShahryar Portuguese rep. quotes Dostoevky: "To live without hope is to cease to live." 12 minutes ago https://twitter.com/#!/FarahAlSweel Portugal: "We, the Security Council, must tell Syrian Regime that the killing must stop, unequivocally." Some1 cut the cam to Russia, ASAP14 minutes ago https://twitter.com/#!/RulaAmin SRCU says 50 people were killed in Syria today by security forces.3 minutes ago Russia came out and said pretty much the same stuff that the Syrian guy said (minus the crazy ramblings). And blamed the opposition for being violent murders and terrorists. They said they had offered to send Russian observers to Syria. They will not accept a resolution imposed by outsiders, and the solution must be Syrian. (except for their own resolution....and nevermind the fact that the Syrian people are much harsher towards the regime than the UN. If the UN were to go by the people of Syria's wishes, they would intervene militarily and help the Syrian people to execute Assad, lol) China is now saying that they are willing to work with all parties for a peaceful solution, but will not support regime change. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
visionary Posted February 1, 2012 Share Posted February 1, 2012 http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/in-douma-protesters-are-defiant-despite-setbacks/2012/01/31/gIQAjeyyfQ_print.html DOUMA, Syria — Hundreds of government troops controlled the mostly deserted streets of this suburban area east of Damascus on Tuesday, crouching behind sandbags and sternly manning checkpoints. After a week of fighting, the army defectors who had been challenging them have fled to the countryside, hundreds of young men have been arrested, and many families have left.But unarmed government opponents in Douma vowed to keep protesting until the fall of President Bashar al-Assad, staging a demonstration at the funeral of four men killed in fighting last week despite the shift back to army control. “We must pray from the depths of our heart to be victorious,” cried one speaker, his voice rising over a crowd of several hundred people, mostly men, who had gathered in the evening in a square outside the Great Mosque in Douma, one of several places on the fringes of the capital that witnessed the recent violence. “If he doesn’t say that he will give up power, we will slaughter him,” the speaker shouted, referring to Assad. A drummer at his side played faster and faster as chants echoed around the square, calling for Assad’s execution, praising the armed defectors known as the Free Syrian Army and saluting the nearby areas of Irbin and Saqba, which have been shelled intermittently in the past week. “God make us victorious!” the crowd cried as the drumming reached a feverish speed. That demonstration will be followed by other, larger ones, vowed participants who said they had been rallying against the government for almost a year, despite often being arrested or injured by security forces. Earlier in the day, a member of the local branch of the opposition Local Coordination Committees network explained that several hundred members of the Free Syrian Army had been protecting protesters in Douma, Saqba and nearby areas for months. Last week, the activist said, speaking on the condition of anonymity because he was recently released from prison and feared re-arrest, the army surrounded Douma and began raiding houses and arresting people while shelling targeted Saqba and Irbin. According to him, the crackdown was triggered by a clash between the Free Syrian Army and security forces at a local funeral last week. https://twitter.com/#!/ZeinakhodrAljaz Russia says it condemns syria govt use of force but condemn in same strong way activities of the armed extremist groups who attack govt1 hour ago Russia EU envoy says draft UN resolution can't pass without language clearly ruling out potential military intervention1 hour ago I thought they already had that...although I'm uneasy about ruling things out, since you never know what might happen. If they do that it might give Assad a green light to massacre as many people as he wants. ---------- Post added February-1st-2012 at 04:41 AM ---------- https://twitter.com/#!/KareemLailah Today marka the 30th anniversary of the Hama Massacre in Syria. We Will Never Forget3 minutes ago Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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