visionary Posted February 14, 2012 Share Posted February 14, 2012 https://twitter.com/#!/DamascusTweets Light bombs are used in the area of TallRifaat at Aleppo suburbs http://bit.ly/AxiUTY5:51 PM BREAKING: The city of Idlib is currently under shelling, people saying "They're going to do to us what they did in Homs" 5:58 PM Reports of huge number of troops heading to Zabadani area of Damascus ~ Alarabiya 6:05 PM “@rahafals: Arwa Damon: opposition have created networks across the country to deliver food and other necessities”6:12 PM BREAKING: Syria's regime army is shelling heavily the neighborhood of Hamidieh in Hama. Reports of many martyrs ont he streets. 6:31 PM BREAKING: Sounds of explosions near Aleppo international airport. 6:42 PM https://twitter.com/#!/tweets4peace PRAY 4 HAMA. A guy there just sent me "finally Assad forces listened to us and began shelling us to ease on Homs, pray for us" :'(6:05 PM Barbaric attack starting on Hama NOW. Spread the word please. Lines cut and shelling intensifying. Homs -like? God protect them!! 6:08 PM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
visionary Posted February 15, 2012 Share Posted February 15, 2012 Defections today: http://www.twitlonger.com/show/ftv16g http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2012/02/14/146894417/dissident-describes-a-rebellious-syrian-towns-plight By the time Syrian troops moved into Zabadani, one of the last rebel strongholds near the Lebanese border, Kamal Labwani was in Sweden. Labwani, a doctor and a long-time democracy activist in his mid-50s, had been running a family medical clinic in the mountainous resort town a half-hour drive from downtown Damascus.Zabadani was the only Syrian town that was under the opposition's full control during the 10-month rebellion. In January, the regime was forced into a truce because the army couldn't dislodge the rebels. But now Syrians troops are back, and Zabadani is under threat again. "They got used to living free," Labwani says on a Skype call from Sweden. "There was a council, and it was elected. My clinic was the center of the new government." The town was organized and run by a 28-member council, which coordinated with rebel troops known as the Free Syrian Army, Labwani says. These armed deserters drove up the potential costs of a direct attack on the town. In a war of attrition, the regime risked more defections every time there was a new offensive. "The majority of the soldiers are against this," he tells me. Syrian officers tell him that they are ready to withdraw and support the revolution — but that would put their own families at risk. Labwani says that 25 percent of Zabadani has been destroyed by shelling and fighting. A humanitarian crisis is looming, he says. http://www.twitlonger.com/show/ftvmak Zabadani residents fear imminent new massacre by Assad forces as more reinforcements enter the city.Wednesday February 15 2012. 3:30 am https://twitter.com/#!/KareemLailah The scene of 5 years old girl, killed by Assad's forces today, is a real heartbreaking. She appeared just sleeping. RIP8:05 PM Thousands of Assad troops arrive at Zabadani now. 8:37 PM ---------- Post added February-14th-2012 at 10:28 PM ---------- Wow. http://edition.cnn.com/2012/02/14/world/meast/syria-paid-killer/index.html?hpt=hp_c1 A paid killer in Syria describes his work Sa'er is a self-described assassin for the Syrian government.He says he has fired on unarmed protesters, killed as many as 70 people and once slit a man's throat. Sa'er tells Mounir about a time two police officers captured a man. A major put a gun to Sa'er's head and ordered him to kill the prisoner, he says. "He said, 'I am going to count to 10.' He ****ed the gun, fired into the air and put it to my head again. I slaughtered him," Sa'er says. The government turned him and others like him into monsters who would have killed their own fathers, he claims. They were promised wealth and told they were helping to fight terrorists, he says. https://twitter.com/#!/hisham_melhem I don't see any meaningful agreement between the US and Russia on Syria that will meet the minimal demands of the opposition.10:13 PM - 13 Feb Sec.Clinton casts doubt on AL calls for peacekeepers Syria bc this needs "consensus ..we don’t know if it is possible to persuade Syria” 5:54 PM - 13 Feb Unless US leads,don't expect serious intl.efforts re. Syria. Turkey buys half of its oil from Iran& is worried about Kurdish 'card'. 10:22 PM - 13 Feb Turkey can't continue its dithering re Syria while claiming 2 b a responsible regional power. Good read by AM Slaughter http://bit.ly/yHg211 10:22 PM - 14 Feb Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
visionary Posted February 15, 2012 Share Posted February 15, 2012 Uh oh. I wonder what happened. https://twitter.com/#!/DamascusTweets Live streaming from BabAmr Homs is up for the 11th day in a row http://bit.ly/zBJwd0 gunire & occasional shelling heard.11:22 PM Sounds of gunfire can be heard right now in Homs BabAmr http://bit.ly/zBJwd0 [LIVE] 11:29 PM Heavy black smoke can now been seen on the live streaming from BabAmr Homs http://bit.ly/zzPl5M it appeared suddenly! 11:58 PM A screencap I just took. EDIT: 12:39 am EST There's at least two clouds of smoke now. (also the camera man moved the camera around and zoomed in and stuff...for anyone who didn't think it was real) ---------- Post added February-15th-2012 at 12:44 AM ---------- https://twitter.com/#!/DamascusTweets BREAKING: The heavy black smoke seen in the live video from BabAmr Homs is because Syria'n regime forces targeted a oil line.12:23 AM BREAKING: Activist @OmarShakir91 reporting than a plane targeted the oil pipeline seen in the live stream http://bit.ly/zBJwd0 12:41 AM I'm not sure why they would do that though. https://twitter.com/#!/DamascusTweets The Syria'n regime bombed the oil line to make people believe that there are armed gangs. This happened for the 3rd time!12:46 AM BREAKING: There are 7 cases of suffocation from smoke until now ~ Eye witness on Aljazeera. 12:49 AM EDIT: 1:53 am EST The smoke is still there and the shelling continues every so often. Started getting loud and constant the last few minutes again. picture was the view as of 1:40 EST Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
visionary Posted February 15, 2012 Share Posted February 15, 2012 http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2012/02/201221544749188848.html Syrian government forces have launched an offensive in the city of Hama, as the shelling of opposition strongholds in the city of Homs continued, activists say.Tanks deployed near the citadel of Hama were reportedly shelling the neighbourhoods of Faraya, Olailat, Bashoura and al-Hamidiya on Wednesday, and troops were advancing from the airport, opposition sources said. Activists said no casualty reports were available from Hama, Syria's fourth largest city, because of communications problems. In Homs, which has emerged as the eipcentre of the 11-month old uprising, the Revolutionary Council - the main opposition group co-ordinating the uprising there - said humanitarian conditions in the city were continuously getting worse, with a shortage of food and medical supplies. The group said government forces pounded the neighbourhood of Bab Amr, a stronghold of the armed opposition, with mortars and gunfire for a 10th day on Wednesday in what it said was the worst assault so far on the area. At least nine people were reportedly killed across the city. A high presence of snipers was reported in the Inshaat neighbourhood, with residents displaced from the area saying their homes had been looted and sometimes occupied by government forces. https://twitter.com/#!/ZeinakhodrAljaz France discussing new UN resolution on Syria with Russia, wants to discuss humanitarian corridors in the country3:10 AM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
visionary Posted February 15, 2012 Share Posted February 15, 2012 https://twitter.com/#!/NMSyria URGENT: LIVE BROADCAST FROM BABAMR HOMS. SMOKE CLOUD NOW COVERS HORIZON! POSSIBLE 2ND EXPLOSION. 3:17 AM The hell...it was shrinking earlier about an hour ago. It looks a lot worse now. Something must have happened. Gunfire in the background.... And there's some shelling still too. This pic is the view as of 4:00 am est http://bambuser.com/v/2369044 https://twitter.com/#!/SkyNewsBreak Reuters: State TV says Syria to hold referendum on new constitution on February 264:14 AM https://twitter.com/#!/fieldproducer Not quite sure how it will be possible to hold a referendum in a war torn country...4:17 AM https://twitter.com/#!/tweets4peace Several explosions heard now in Karam Alzaytoon Homs 4:31 AM "@guardian: Syria: troops attack residential areas in Hama and Homs http://bit.ly/Av7SZ3" 4:35 AM Baraa hospital in Hama has been shelled. 4:36 AM Field hospital in Hamidiyeh Hama has been shelled. Same process as Baba Amr. 4:36 AM 4 homes have been reduced to rubble in Mashaa' Alarbaeen in Hama 4:36 AM That isn't to say that plenty of other homes weren't damaged to a lesser extent. Just that 4 have been completely ruined. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
visionary Posted February 15, 2012 Share Posted February 15, 2012 http://edition.cnn.com/2012/02/15/world/meast/syria-unrest/index.html?hpt=wo_c1 Syria constitution vote called 'window dressing' http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/02/15/us-syria-idUSL5E8DB0BH20120215 Syrian government forces attacked the opposition strongholds of Homs and Hama on Wednesday and also raided a district of Damascus in the closest military operation to the capital's centre since an uprising against President Bashar al-Assad broke out 11 months ago.Elite forces backed by armored personnel carriers erected roadblocks in main streets of Damascus' residential Barzeh neighborhood, searched houses and made arrests, witnesses said. Residents said they were looking for opposition activists and members of the rebel Free Syrian Army, which has provided armed protection for protests against Assad in the district. Government forces also mounted an offensive in Hama, a city with a bloody history of resistance to the 42-year Assad dynasty, firing on residential neighborhoods from armored vehicles and anti-aircraft guns, opposition activists said. France said it had created a one million euro emergency fund for aid agencies looking to help the Syrian people and would propose a similar one at an international level next week at a meeting in Tunisia to discuss the crisis.It also renewed the idea of creating humanitarian corridors, first suggested in November, with Syrian approval or with an international mandate for shipping food and medicine to alleviate civilian suffering. Under that plan, the corridors would link Syrian population centers to the frontiers of Turkey and Lebanon, to the Mediterranean coast or to an airport. https://twitter.com/#!/LeShaque Bab Amro's oil pipeline explosion up close and personal | 5:51 AM It's a beautiful day. The sun is shining. But in Bab Amro it's black everywhere you look | BREAKING AJA / Reuters: Lavrov: We refuse the use of the UN Security Council in legitimizing regime change. 7:19 AM RIA: Moscow May Support New UN Resolution on Syria – Lavrov | http://qvie.ws/yqwVGi 8:22 AM yBQzZIDVEuU cZYncb3264s Interesting: http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,2106824,00.html?xid=tweetbut With Syria's Rebels: A Visit to a Bombmaker's Factory https://twitter.com/#!/tweets4peace Very wide spread of security forces through Barzeh including 3 shabeeha buses observed and many arrests. Damascus7:00 AM For those protesting today for Syria across the world please hold signs demanding the Red Cross to enter Homs and besieged areas. 7:44 AM 8 mortar shells on khaldiyeh now, 1 fell right next to Khaled Ben Alwaleed Mosque. Homs 8:19 AM Intense gunfire in Alwaar now. Homs 8:20 AM Shelling of religious sites in Baba Amr today 9:10 AM yhY6hwMShVo http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/feb/15/france-calls-syrian-corridors-un?CMP=twt_fd French call for Syrian 'corridors' may fail at UNFrance wants 'humanitarian corridors' in Syria, but the plan is likely to fail at the UN because it would require military intervention http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/16/world/middleeast/syria-resumes-heavy-shelling-of-homs.html?pagewanted=2&_r=2&partner=rss&emc=rss The young woman who fled Homs, a 19-year-old student who asked not to be named because her parents were still in the city, arrived in Beirut on Tuesday. She said that troops allowed civilians to escape on Saturday and Sunday and that people bribed soldiers to ferry them out of the Inshaat neighborhood on tanks or to clear roadways for them to drive their cars out. She described a city where “all roads were closed, and even if they weren’t, the shelling makes it impossible for you to go anywhere.” Government services have collapsed, she said, and high, stinking piles of garbage rot on many corners or emit rancid smoke — having been ignited by fighters inside the city for camouflage against government snipers. Residents have grown to fear the two main hospitals, she said, because the doctors still reporting to work tend to be government sympathizers. Some even carry guns as they make their rounds. But she detailed a kind of symbiotic cease-fire that had developed between the young army recruits deployed at some neighborhood checkpoints, the font of many defections. The soldiers get food and a certain degree of safety, while residents feel they can run short errands unmolested or occasionally escape entirely. Civilians in the Inshaat neighborhood felt more vulnerable because there was no one to protect them, while most of the soldiers from the Free Syrian Army — the name adopted by all local militias — were in Baba Amr. A couple of neighborhoods nearby asked the antigovernment militia members not to come in at all so they could remain safe havens where the wounded, women and children could seek shelter. In Baba Amr, Mr. Shakir, the activist, estimated that 60 percent of the buildings had suffered too much damage to be habitable. The neighborhood was hit by occasional mortar shells overnight, he said, with the heavier tank and other rounds coming at daylight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
visionary Posted February 15, 2012 Share Posted February 15, 2012 Timeline of events in Syria: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/interactive/2012/feb/15/syria-timeline-how-conflict-escalated-interactive?CMP=twt_gu https://twitter.com/#!/ahmed It is 5:20pm in Syria, today's latest death toll: 20 people killed, including 2 children. Source: LCC.10:20 AM https://twitter.com/#!/lizsly New Syria constitution seems to be a series of loops that end up in the same place, with the president. Assad wd be in power till 2028.10:21 AM https://twitter.com/#!/DamascusTweets BREAKING: Heavy shelling on BabAmr Homs is renewed. More than 30 rockets rain down the area.10:01 AM BREAKING: Reports that the Syria'n regime troops are using NAIL BOMBS at the area of old Homs. Also 23 rockets & RBG's. 10:43 AM https://twitter.com/#!/tweets4peace 5 mortar shells on Karam Alzaytoon now. Homs10:42 AM http://networkedblogs.com/u05dY The next palliative to the Syrian crisis is likely to be a three-month old French prescription mandated by the UN and administered by Turkey: humanitarian corridors to the Syria war.Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu reveals as much in remarks to Milliyet, the major Turkish daily newspaper founded in 1950, after his extensive talks in Washington this week with Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and Defense Secretary Leon Panetta. Ankara, he tells Milliyet, is set on a two-pronged approach to the situation in Syria – one political, the other humanitarian. “We tried everything in the nine months of our negotiations with the Syrian regime,” Davutoglu said, adding: “In the end, we supported the Arab initiative. But Syria detached itself from its people and the Arab world. The prevailing universal impression is that the regime is relying on Russian, Chinese and Iran’s backing. “We’re now working in tandem with the Arab League on two tracks. On the political track, we aim (presumably through the planned “Friends of Syria” coalition) to raise world public awareness and create an international consensus. On the other track, we want to work with the United Nations on a mechanism to deliver humanitarian aid to Syrian cities, particularly Homs and Hama.” He also told Milliyet, “We are thinking of delivering the humanitarian assistance to the said cities through humanitarian corridors.” French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe outlined the proposal for technically and politically challenging humanitarian corridors to Syria in late November, saying they could be carved out either with or without the approval of Assad’s regime.At the time, Juppe ruled out military intervention, but when asked whether humanitarian convoys would need military protection he said: "Of course ... by international observers, but there is no question of a military intervention in Syria.” "For us, there is no possible humanitarian aid without an international mandate," Juppe said. So we're back to relying on the UN SC (meaning needing Russia and China to agree with the rest), and on a more intrusive proposal than the last? I like the idea, as I have from the beginning, but I don't see Russia or China agreeing to it. I have a feeling the only way to acomplish this would be to call a UNGA emergency special meeting and vote for it there. Maybe (now that I think about it), the current UNGA vote is a trial run for such an occurance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
visionary Posted February 15, 2012 Share Posted February 15, 2012 https://twitter.com/#!/tweets4peace LCC : Lattakia: Martyrdom of child Adnan Hassan Umran (9 year-old) who was tortured to death! This child was kidnapped by security forces on 08/02/2012 and his body was found today with his legs cut off and his eyes ripped out; in addition there were signs of electrical burns evident all over his body. 1:39 PM Tweets below speak of a new Hamza. A new Tamer. A new angel. Another reason to continue till the end. Try Assad for crimes against humanity 1:40 PM Russian proposed er...changes to the UN resolution.... http://columlynch.tumblr.com/post/17663089808/russian-amendements-to-arab-unga-draft-resolution-on :mad: http://www.washingtoninstitute.org/templateC05.php?CID=3451 Bashar al-Assad vs. the Syrian People By Jeffrey White February 14, 2012 As the regime continues its latest offensive, the international community should exploit its military weaknesses through actions that help level the battlefield, alter the psychological environment, and increase pressure on Assad and his forces. https://twitter.com/#!/martinchulov FSA supply lines to Bab al-Amr in Homs totally cut for now. No-one has got in from the south, or west for 10 days1:59 PM Lack of relief a huge concern. Some official aid getting to the city, but not to Bab al-Amr 2:08 PM https://twitter.com/#!/DamascusTweets Hama is completely cut off from the outside world. All areas are sarrounded.2:05 PM The market area in Hama has a very heavy security presence. Lot's of random arrests and breaking into houses. 2:07 PM No gas, very little food and medicine. 2:07 PM Some areas have no electricity and all areas have no communications what so ever. 2:08 PM Snipers are deployed all over the city. 2:08 PM Bakeries have not opened there doors in 2 days and there is no bread. 2:09 PM Number of martyrs is unknown but they're estimated to be 10+ and there are lot's of injuries. 2:10 PM https://twitter.com/#!/DamascusTweets BREAKING: Number of Martyrs today went up to 32 amongst them 3 children, a lady and a defected soldier.2:14 PM BREAKING: Reports from LCC that some defections took place in the city of Deraa & there is heavy gunfire there as well. 2:15 PM Saudi Journalist on BBC asks JO Amman & Turkey to send in troops to Syria to stop the massacres happening there. 2:20 PM For a different point of view: http://nationalinterest.org/blog/paul-pillar/no-good-option-syria-6506 No Good Option on Syria https://twitter.com/#!/DamascusTweets Syria'n activists are sharing this picture on social networks, reportedly taken in Homs http://twitpic.com/8kdllb2:39 PM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
visionary Posted February 15, 2012 Share Posted February 15, 2012 Arwa Damon of CNN is in Homs now: https://twitter.com/#!/arwaCNN Been in homs 4 less than a day, don't know what 2 say, already witnessed enough 2 write a novel of despair3:09 PM shelling so intense earlier building shook, glass shattered, 9yro girl burst into tears, nothing 2 comfort her 3:27 PM "there is no value 2 life" says patient in baba amr clinic. Leg will have 2 B cut off if can't get out, wound rotting. Dr in tears listening 3:33 PM One of youtube video shooters at clinic can't speak, head wound, traces tank on wall w/finger 2 tell us what happened 3:36 PM 2 Docs at clinic in baba amr - one was internal medicine specialist, the other dentist. They were not trained for this, no one was they say 3:37 PM http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2012/02/15/inside-syria-activists-say-trying-to-flee-from-homes-under-attack-is-virtually-a-suicide-run/?hpt=hp_t1 Just to give you an idea of how intense the bombardment has been, Tuesday morning activists said they counted around 55 explosions in just the span of 15 minutes. They say that has been the norm. You can only imagine the type of pressure that they have been under, especially when it comes to trying to deal with the number of dead and the number wounded. In many parts of the city, they have been unable to get medical supplies in.And in these makeshift clinics that they have set up, they aren't able to treat the wounded adequately because of a lack of medical supplies and because they only have the most basic medical equipment at their disposal. There has been an intensified effort on the part of the activists here to try to find various routes out of the besieged neighborhoods to get medical supplies in and to get the wounded out. Many of the wounded require much greater treatment than what people are able to provide at these clinics. About 1 million people live in the city of Homs. We've been hearing people have been fleeing from some areas to other parts of the city. They've effectively been living with four, five, six families to a house in areas they are not able to get out of. https://twitter.com/#!/SkyNewsBreak AFP: Foreign minister says Switzerland to close embassy in Damascus in Syria2:54 PM https://twitter.com/#!/shadihamid Feel like there's a lot of wishful thinking going on abt Syria regime's willingness to compromise, its likelihood of falling, or both.2:59 PM We might think that Assad regime is on the verge of collapse. But clearly Assad doesn't agree. 3:00 PM https://twitter.com/#!/ChangeInLibya Every time I see Lavrov speaking, I feel like punching the hell out of him. Maybe then he'll realize how stupid his government is3:14 PM A Syrian military vehicle firing randomly in the Douma City suburb of Damascus a few days ago. KXg6vuUiShU https://twitter.com/#!/ahmed Video reportedly shows nighttime protest in Douma i5kGmk7SbIU https://twitter.com/#!/Niz_FGM TheFreeGenerationMovement raises flag of FreeLibya alongside flag of FreeSyria in an uncompromising show of solidarity https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.232209110207049.53594.118379094923385&type=13:39 PM https://twitter.com/#!/ArabSpringFF Soon the 8200th person will die in Syria. Currently the total death count is at 8199.3:53 PM ---------- Post added February-15th-2012 at 04:22 PM ---------- https://twitter.com/#!/ahmed AFP: US says Syrian referendum plan is 'laughable' http://bit.ly/wriG9N4:13 PM http://af.reuters.com/article/commoditiesNews/idAFL2E8DFB4H20120215 Arab delegations have dismissed as unacceptable Russian amendments aimed at weakening a draft U.N. General Assembly resolution that backs an Arab plan for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to step aside, diplomats said on Wednesday."The Arabs have rejected them and they're pushing ahead," a senior Western diplomat said about the Russian amendments to the Arab-drafted plan. Several other diplomats confirmed his remarks, saying the Russian proposals, seen as supporting Moscow's key ally in the Middle East, were unacceptable and would have diluted the resolution's message. Diplomats said that around 60 countries have added their names to the General Assembly resolution as co-sponsors, including many Western and Arab states.In December, the assembly passed a resolution condemning Syria's crackdown on pro-democracy protesters with 133 votes in favor, 11 against and 43 abstentions. Envoys said the new resolution would likely receive more 'yes' votes. Once the General Assembly resolution is adopted, diplomats said they would explore the possibility of returning to the U.N. Security Council for a third attempt at securing a legally binding council resolution on Syria. https://twitter.com/#!/tweets4peace Abo Salah in front of the burning pipeline in Baba Amr, I am speechless. Bashar has burnt my memories. 6:42 PM DPNQygo6RKM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
visionary Posted February 16, 2012 Share Posted February 16, 2012 CNN just reported about a man in Homs that needs brain surgery, or he will die soon. Unfortunately since he can't get it in Homs, he's probably not going to make it. https://twitter.com/#!/AC360 "What we've witnessed happening inside Syria cannot compare to anything that has taken place in any other country." - @ArwaCNN8:54 PM http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/16/world/middleeast/syrias-unrest-felt-by-military-in-lebanon.html?_r=1&partner=rss&emc=rss%3F The Lebanese Army’s large deployment along the aptly named Syria Street is seemingly the only thing keeping anti-Assad Sunni and pro-Assad Alawite militias in the two rival neighborhoods from resuming a two-day gun battle they fought over the weekend. Militias of the Sunni Bab al-Tabbaneh and Alawite Jebel Mohsen neighborhoods have regularly fought each other since the end of the civil war. Politically, the Alawites here have long been close to the Assad regime, whose leadership belongs to the same Shiite offshoot sect of Islam. Many among Tripoli’s large Sunni population harbored a strong resentment toward the Syrian government after Syrian troops occupied parts of Lebanon from 1976 to 2005. After Syrian border incursions, kidnappings of Syrian dissidents who fled to Lebanon and instances of Syrian troops firing into Lebanon, the opposition March 14 coalition has called for the army to be deployed along the country’s borders. They would like the army to protect against any Syrian military aggression and defend the more than 6,000 Syrian refugees who have fled to Lebanon. The Hezbollah-led March 8 bloc also wants the army on the border, but for much different reasons. Members of the largely pro-Syria coalition charge that the border areas are used as safe havens by the Free Syrian Army and as transit points for smuggling weapons to rebels. Lately, March 14 has been accusing March 8 of using the Lebanese Army for its own — and Syria’s — benefit. https://twitter.com/#!/ArabSpringFF Damascus: Barzeh: Regime forces arrested a Swedish journalist today who was filming an evening anti-regime demonstration in Masakin Barzeh6:49 PM Zabadani: Unidentified people attack the Barada street checkpoint, killing Colonel Munther Ali and four of his men. 7:07 PM He's in the regular army. 7:11 PM Daraa Hara Intense gunfire from all the checkpoints around the city after 6 soldiers defected and left the city safely 8:26 PM Aleppo Bazzaa A raiding checking and detention campaign is now taking place in the city by sec forces 8:26 PM Aleppo Atareb Artillery shelling and shooting at the city was just re-started 9:02 PM Aleppo is supposed to be one of Assad's strongholds. https://twitter.com/#!/zaidbenjamin Today's death toll in Syria reaches 52 according to SRGC & SRCU & 35 according to LCC8:34 PM https://twitter.com/#!/DamascusTweets The number of martyrs in Syria reached 8343 according to the syrian human right coordination. They were killed during 11 months.8:04 PM ---------- Post added February-15th-2012 at 10:01 PM ---------- http://edition.cnn.com/2012/02/15/world/meast/syria-homs/index.html?hpt=hp_c1 View from inside Baba Amr shows determination amid carnage Another good video report and article from CNN ZZVsQ59K7Go Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
visionary Posted February 16, 2012 Share Posted February 16, 2012 https://twitter.com/#!/NMSyria LIVE: IT IS NOW 5:45AM SYRIA|N TIME AND GUNFIRE CAN BE HEARD IN DARAA. LINK TO LIVE FEED BELOW: http://bambuser.com/v/2371270 PLEASE RT10:44 PM The feed ended (after 22 minutes), though there may be a new one up. You can watch/listen to this one though by replaying it. It is hard to see much because of the dark, but gunfire can be heard in the background. https://twitter.com/#!/ArabSpringFF Daraa sec forces stationed at all checkpoints in the city are firing randomly now10:53 PM There should be a live feed from Bab Amr up soon too (it usually starts around this time) Michigan flash mob protest in support of the Syrian Revolution, in January. Another live feed from Daraa. This one also ended a few minutes ago, though its a lot lighter out. https://twitter.com/#!/DamascusTweets BREAKING: A live stream just started from Deraa, hear sounds of gunfire and shelling by the Syria'n regime troops http://bit.ly/zfCScA11:23 PM The gunfire in Deraa is really heavy right now! Listen to it http://bit.ly/zfCScA 11:28 PM This seems to be the latest live one: http://bambuser.com/v/2371357 I still haven't seen one from Bab Amr yet. Hmmm. I'm seeing reports that at least one of the guys responsible for recording the videos was wounded. ---------- Post added February-16th-2012 at 12:02 AM ---------- https://twitter.com/#!/AJELive Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt calls on Assad to step down http://aje.me/xWGa1Z11:53 PM So Sweden called for him to step down today and Switzerland decided to withdraw their ambassador from Syria. There's a hell of a lot of heavy shooting going off in the background of the Daraa livefeed. Sounds like tanks and and artillery, in addition to the regular gunfire. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
visionary Posted February 16, 2012 Share Posted February 16, 2012 Holy crap! Driving through Bab Amr, Homs earlier today. JRHFMLuXcEg Apparently the guy who does the Bab Amr live feeds got hit with a mortar last night, but he's ok. (some people said they saw it on camera, but I must have gone to bed by then.) https://twitter.com/#!/OmarShakir91 Babaamr still under shelling and for sure the world still sleeping12:35 AM we have been under shelling for 12 days 12:37 AM 12 days of the siege means no more food, no more medication and soon no more people living 12:38 AM https://twitter.com/#!/KareemLailah Assad is INVADING Daraa, AGAIN.1:28 AM Homes are shaking in Waar area in Homs, as military fighters fly in a law latitude there now. 1:24 AM 2 rockets bombed Waar area in Homs now. 1:09 AM https://twitter.com/#!/ArabSpringFF Daraa Regime tanks storm Daraa Balad amid shelling and gunfire1:15 AM https://twitter.com/#!/OmarShakir91 Homs Babaamr really am confused am worried to turn the live camera on its become very dangerous1:04 AM wish me luck i can't be with you every day like the past because of power cuts and lack of oil fot the generator 1:52 AM https://twitter.com/#!/Ugariti_Homsi @OmarShakir91 pls do. The world needs to see. But also be very careful not to harm yourself.1:20 AM Homs is under heavy bombardment by the regime army right now. RT for the world to know! 1:24 AM Oh man.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zhouse Posted February 16, 2012 Share Posted February 16, 2012 Yo, I haven't closely followed to what's happening in Syria but the video ^^^^ is CRAZY! This shouldn't be happening in this day in age. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
visionary Posted February 16, 2012 Share Posted February 16, 2012 Yo, I haven't closely followed to what's happening in Syria but the video ^^^^ is CRAZY! This shouldn't be happening in this day in age. The thing that scares me about this the most, besides the fact that a lot of the people in that video may not be alive for much longer, is that this is only one place in Syria. The same thing is going on in Zabadani near the capital with thousands living there, and will probably be happening in Hama where over half a million people live soon if it hasn't already started. And from what I'm hearing in the Daraa livefeed, I can only imagine what's happening there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
visionary Posted February 16, 2012 Share Posted February 16, 2012 https://twitter.com/#!/NMSyria FUNERAL IN IDLIB SYRIA. PLEASE RT: http://bambuser.com/v/2371622http://bambuser.com/v/2371607 4:02 AM https://twitter.com/#!/javierespinosa2 Lebanese Government, ally of Damascus, refuses to establish camps for Syrians refugees like Turkey did long time ago3:59 AM https://twitter.com/#!/Samsomhoms The 12th day here in Homs under shelling, Nothing new except Allah's mercy that brought us heavy rain since morning3:56 AM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
visionary Posted February 16, 2012 Share Posted February 16, 2012 https://twitter.com/#!/LeShaque BREAKING AJA: European Parliament votes to establish safe passages in Syria and withdraw ambassadors.6:39 AM Reports that shabihha have beaten up a British reporter covering a funeral protest near Mezze. Syria 6:50 AM https://twitter.com/#!/ArabSpringFF A friend of mine lives in Idlib governate. He says that every night, cars full of soldiers arrive to defect, many are not from Idlib.5:58 AM Some of the soldiers are from the districts around Idlib; Aleppo, Hama and Lattakia. Idlib is the safest place to defect, so they go there. 6:00 AM Months ago, soldiers used to defect in groups of two or three, now they defect in dozens and hundreds. Entire battalions (50-500) defect now 6:03 AM @FreddieOskar Yes, defections are now planned. So soldiers will plan in advance to try and take weapons etc. 6:07 AM This is from a couple days ago. He also mentions that 200 soldiers defected live on Al Jazeera today. mCcFihgCRDI https://twitter.com/#!/ArabSpringFF Damascus Qudsaya Students have gone out in protest in solidarity with Homs and Zabadany6:41 AM Hama Kafar Naboudeh At least 10 people were killed due to the regime's shelling from tanks 6:41 AM BREAKING: Heavy gunfire on a funeral in Mezzeh in the heart of Damascus and dozens of arrests. 7:02 AM Massive funeral in Mazze, which is in the heart of Damascus and right next to Assad's palace: 7:20 AM Assad's shabiha attacked a British journalist that was covering the funeral in Mazzeh. They smashed his camera and beat him on the ground. 8:01 AM At least 2 people have been seriously injured after heavy gunfire on the funeral in Mazzeh and around 12 arrested, maybe more. 8:04 AM Ernn-cSXhYU Another funeral protest in Damascus later on. aU_JsUPIAZw https://twitter.com/#!/AJELive Activists: Syrian forces kill at least 14 near Hama. For quick recap of events so far today visit our Syria live blog: http://aje.me/wabEBL8:57 AM Russia has said they will not vote for the resolution on Syria that is being out up to a vote in the UN General Assembly today. ---------- Post added February-16th-2012 at 09:08 AM ---------- http://edition.cnn.com/2012/02/16/world/meast/syria-unrest/index.html?hpt=hp_t1 Syrian security forces resumed their fierce shelling of opposition targets in Homs Thursday but appeared to be losing their tight grip in the northern region, CNN journalists said.About 50 people were injured Thursday in the heavy sustained bombardment that commenced around 5 a.m., CNN correspondent Arwa Damon reported from Homs. In Idlib province in the northwest, people appear to be preparing for the possibility of a military offensive. "What is astounding here is that the countryside in northern Syria, much of it is in open revolt. This is a rebellion of farmers, of carpenters and of high school teachers," said CNN correspondent Ivan Watson, reporting from the region. "It does appear that villages and towns in northern Syria have been, basically, out of government control for several months now -- except when government forces have tried to conduct deadly incursions into these towns that are temporary at best." In southwestern Syria, al-Assad's forces reportedly stormed the village of Sahm al-Golan searching for military defectors who have joined the rebel army or local militias, according to a member of the opposition in the town who asked to be identified only as Abu Issam out of fear of government reprisal. Syrian forces shelled the town and used tanks when it began its assault Wednesday, forcing many residents to flee toward the Jordanian border, Abu Issam said early Thursday. The Syrian army reportedly took control of Zabadani, in the Damascus countryside, where soldiers and tanks made a show of force along the streets, according to Mohamed Ali, a member of the opposition Syrian Revolution Coordination Committee. Security forces in Hama province killed at least 10 army defectors and least four civilians died from shelling there, the opposition Syrian Observatory for Human Rights https://twitter.com/#!/DamascusTweets BREAKING: Syria'n regime forces stormed the Syrian center for media in Damascus & arrested 14 Journalists & freedom fighters few min's ago9:14 AM ---------- Post added February-16th-2012 at 09:45 AM ---------- https://twitter.com/#!/DamascusTweets BREAKING: FSA was forces to withdraw from Deraa due to the heavy bombardent the city is going through until now. Snipers killing everyone.9:37 AM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
visionary Posted February 16, 2012 Share Posted February 16, 2012 https://twitter.com/#!/ArabSpringFF Damascus Zabadani sec forces supported by shabiha (Armed thugs) are conducting a home invasion campaign and many arrests in the town9:22 AM Hama : Sec. forces blew up a microbus in Jurthan after they blocked the road for 30 mins. Many bodies seen on the ground, likely prisoners. 9:45 AM The situation is very bad in Mazzeh, a large number of people have been detained and some street have been closed off. Heavy gunfire. 9:52 AM After the funeral there. https://twitter.com/#!/billneelyitv A leading pro-Assad cleric has been shot dead. Sheik Sadeq, Imam of mosque in Midan area, ws ambushed in hs car.9:46 AM https://twitter.com/#!/DSyrer The regime has shelled the Christian town of Bloudan. The reason: They took in refugees from Zabadani & Madaya.10:00 AM https://twitter.com/#!/British_Syrian A leaked video of Assad's security forces shooting at homes in Latakia. http://fb.me/SXuGGJTj10:02 AM Wow...wtf? It always amazes me what people will record themselves doing. How did this get out to the public? BtVRAyCx29I https://twitter.com/#!/DamascusTweets BREAKING: Number of martyrs so far today went up to 40.10:02 AM https://twitter.com/#!/ArabSpringFF Idlib : 19 bodies were found near Mahameel of people who tried to flee to Turkey but were caught and executed by security forces.10:05 AM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
visionary Posted February 16, 2012 Share Posted February 16, 2012 CNN video report from yesterday. One of the people in the video died afterwards...more will follow him probably without help. https://twitter.com/#!/Bambuser_Alert @BAMBUSER BLOCKED IN SYRIA - Syrians can no longer access http://www.bambuser.com or use Bambuser app on Syrian 3G. Pls RT10:30 AM https://twitter.com/#!/hlk01 @Bambuser_Alert @BAMBUSER I am watching one live from Syria right now ? http://bambuser.com/v/23729731:28 PM http://bambuser.com/v/2372973 livestream protest somewhere in Syria https://twitter.com/#!/ArabSpringFF Zabadani: Sec forces raid homes arrest over 250. More than 10 houses were burnt. Looting and people are being threatened to be executed.12:25 PM Damascus Zabadani Abou Mohammad Awad and his son were killed after the regime's forces burnt their home while they were inside it 12:51 PM Homs Talkalakh Sounds of explosions with continuous intense gunfire 12:51 PM LCC: 68 dead in Syria including 36 unidentified bodies, 3 women and two babies. 38 in Idlib, 12 in Hama, 4 each in Homs, Damascus and Daraa. 12:56 PM Has anyone noticed that the media never reports on protests in Qamisihli, Suwayda or Salamiyah? Why are they ignoring minorities? 1:00 PM So true, rarely anything about Damascus or Aleppo 1:06 PM https://twitter.com/#!/DamascusTweets BREAKING: Shelling on BabAmr & Inshaat areas of #Homs has started again. This comes after a while of calmness.1:45 PM https://twitter.com/#!/tweets4peace The situation in Jobar is really bad, 1000's of refugees from Baba Amr, little space, no warmth, little food, near to no medical aid.11:14 AM https://twitter.com/#!/IvanCNN Countryside in northern Syria in open revolt. Not armed terrorists, but farmers, carpenters, teachers, village elders.8:42 AM Opposition says regime abdicated control of many villages & towns months ago. Communities enjoying 'self-rule' in 'liberated Syria' 8:45 AM Government flag flying in center of Idlib. Less than km away, also in #Idlib, huge opposition flag flying. city divided between rebels/govt 8:47 AM opposition lightly-armed, with Kalashnikov rifles. rebels say they are protecting villages from threat of tank assaults w/land mines 8:51 AM ---------- Post added February-16th-2012 at 02:13 PM ---------- https://twitter.com/#!/AmalHanano Best chant: You're not from Aleppo, if you're standing on the sidelines!" (It rhymes in Arabic) djbe1FuSjhc From a few days ago. https://twitter.com/#!/tweets4peace A lot of my family live in Jobar (edge of baba amr) hasn't been hit badly yet but really struggling with numbers of refugees/lack of aid11:15 AM Baba Amr is 90% empty. If you still have family in there and they need a home to seek refuge my relatives can offer so get in touch. 2:07 PM ---------- Post added February-16th-2012 at 02:30 PM ---------- http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/02/16/us-syria-eu-denmark-idUSTRE81F11220120216 EU governments could supply Syrian rebels with communications equipment to help them organize against government troops, and are likely to continue building up sanctions against Damascus, according to a top Danish diplomat.Denmark's foreign minister Villy Sovndal, whose country holds the EU's rotating presidency, told Reuters EU states would not provide arms to the Syrian opposition battling against a violent government assault -- echoing concerns in Washington about an arms race in Syria -- but could offer other help. "The only thing I can exclude right now are any ideas about military intervention in Syria," he said, when asked if EU governments were prepared to offer Syrian rebels material help such as communications equipment. "That might be a possibility," he added in the interview late Wednesday. "It's not very clear to me exactly what that should be but I would not exclude anything but weapons." It's better than nothing, if they actually do this sometime very soon.... https://twitter.com/#!/ArabSpringFF Damascus Douma Sounds of gunfire by machineguns from the Masraba checkpoint direction following the sound of two explosions2:13 PM Daraa Heavy gun fire in Al-Qusoor neighbourhood in Daraa Al-Mahata 2:13 PM searching the cars in Banyas 2:13 PM Haven't heard much about Banyas since the early days of the revolution. https://twitter.com/#!/NMSyria URGENT: Protesters in Damascus have closed "Al Bait" street tht links between Al-Hareeqa and Bab-Musala in the old city w/ burning material2:25 PM Interesting. Could backfire though and get bloody. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
visionary Posted February 16, 2012 Share Posted February 16, 2012 The UN General Assembly is discussing the resolution on Syria now. A vote is expected soon, but even though the resolution will pass it is no more than unofficially criticizing the Syrian government. The Syrian ambassador is currently trying the same procedural tactics to hold it up as he did a few days ago. There's some pretty funny comments about Jafaari on twitter right now. Not going to quote them all here though, lol. Here's a more serious one. https://twitter.com/#!/KareemLailah Jafaari is telling how awesome the constitution draft is. You just arrested 14 journalists in Damascus you fool.3:49 PM https://twitter.com/#!/edwardedark Jafari bull****s at the UN, while Hama was shelled today, video of the aftermath in Hamidieh today: In other news: https://twitter.com/#!/SeekerSK Daraa: Bosr Harir: Confirmed death of captain present on chckpt on Sweida'a-Izra'a road at roundabout & defection of all forces there3:05 PM Zabadany: This is the 20th day the city has gone without electricity, water, or access to medicine 3:18 PM Zabadany: 250+ Arrested-10+ Houses burnt in bridge area & Amira district-Opposition members threatened w/ public execution 3:17 PM https://twitter.com/#!/ArabSpringFF Damascus Dumair A big explosion was heard in the Western area of the city a while ago2:54 PM 140 countries supposed to support the UNGA resolution. 12 to be against. 3:28 PM As the session is meeting, Assad's army is shelling Atareb in Aleppo. 3:40 PM Another Brigadier General defects from the Syria Army: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KD25z_KHcQ0 ---------- Post added February-16th-2012 at 04:06 PM ---------- https://twitter.com/#!/arwaCNN Just saw holes free syria army had to break in walls 2 allow families 2 escape bombardment 9:54 AM 20yro old mother gives birth in makeshift bunker in homs 3:03 PM 1 day old baby fatma born in wood factory turned makeshift bunker in homs http://yfrog.com/obnn8aej 3:55 PM in homs makeshift bunker ppl pulling us in all directions, all had story of dead loved ones, so many widows, no words 4 emotions 4:02 PM https://twitter.com/#!/AnonymousSyria It has been passed: Yes 137, No 12, Abstain 17. Syria YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS 4:22 PM https://twitter.com/#!/Reuters FLASH: U.N. General Assembly passes resolution endorsing Arab League plan for Syria's Assad to step aside4:24 PM Countries that voted against it: Syria, Russia, China, Iran, Venezuela, North Korea, Nicaragua, Bolivia, Ecuador, Belarus, Zimbabwe, Cuba. I had some errors in my list earlier, but this seems to be the official list. http://blogs.aljazeera.com/liveblog/Syria 1 hour 29 min agoHere are the 17 countries who abstained from voting on the resolution today: Lebanon, Algeria, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, Suriname, St Vincent, Tuvalu, Uganda, Myanmar, Namibia, Nepal, Tanzania, Angola, Armenia, Fiji, Comores and Cameroon. Three countries were unable to vote due to technical difficulties. Apparently Israel wanted to co-sponser with the other 70, but decided against it out of fear it might hurt the vote. Iraq surprisingly voted for the resolution. While Lebanon and Algeria abstained. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
visionary Posted February 17, 2012 Share Posted February 17, 2012 http://edition.cnn.com/2012/02/16/opinion/zuka-syria-resistance-leader/index.html?hpt=hp_t1 A Syrian resistance leader's plea to the world https://twitter.com/#!/IvanCNN “Ceasefire? We are not in a civil war! We’re not in an armed conflict”- Syria Ambassador Jaafari to CNN's Richard Roth at UN6:56 PM Amb Jaafari, the heavy machine guns, periodic tracer fire, & sound of tank moving near Idlib 2nite sound a lot like armed conflict 6:59 PM Danny Abdul Dayem's Interview with Nick Paton Walsh on CNN (he's the activist who used to do a lot of filming in english in homs and recently escaped to Labanon) https://twitter.com/#!/arwaCNN Gr8 news, abbad w/brain injury who traced tank w/finger & man w/rotting leg wound from our cnn piece smuggled 2 lebanon 2 hospital6:44 PM https://twitter.com/#!/ArabSpringFF Daraa A powerful explosion was heard all over ther city and internse shooting as well7:22 PM Daraa Jassem Intense shooting in the town after clashes with the security members in the town's checkpoint 7:22 PM https://twitter.com/#!/SooriMadsoos says that people in Damascus are switching back over to support for Assad, because of some sectarian fears and worries over kidnappings, assassinations and such, and because they want stability. Also some fear that the revolution is hopeless because Russia and China will stop anything in the UN and the international community will not help in Syria. On the other hand others are angry about the sanctions and blame a conspiracy. That said, there are protests and crackdowns by the security forces every day in Damascus and an enormous funeral took place there today in support of the opposition. So I don't know how far reaching his anecdotal concerns are. That doesn't mean they should be ignored though. https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msid=212070240894988529972.0004b9133998b10a33250&msa=0 Syria - Thursday 16/02/2012Videos and updates from around Syria. Towns with reported protests or on strike are marked in blue. Towns with updates alone are marked in green. Red markers show places which are under attack or where martyrs fell today. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
visionary Posted February 17, 2012 Share Posted February 17, 2012 :( http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/17/world/middleeast/anthony-shadid-a-new-york-times-reporter-dies-in-syria.html?_r=1&src=tp At Work in Syria, Times Correspondent DiesAnthony Shadid, a prize-winning newspaper correspondent whose graceful dispatches for both The New York Times and The Washington Post covered nearly two decades of Middle East conflict and turmoil, died, apparently of an asthma attack, on Thursday while on a reporting assignment in eastern Syria. Tyler Hicks, a Times photographer who was with Mr. Shadid, carried his body across the border to Turkey. Mr. Shadid, 43, had been reporting inside Syria for a week, gathering information on the Free Syrian Army and other armed elements of the resistance to the government of President Bashar al-Assad, whose military forces have been engaged in a harsh repression of the political opposition in a conflict that is now nearly a year old. The death of Mr. Shadid, an American of Lebanese descent who had a wife and two children, abruptly ended one of the most storied resumes in modern American journalism. Fluent in Arabic, with a gifted eye for detail and contextual writing, Mr. Shadid captured dimensions of life in the Middle East that many others failed to see. Those talents won him a Pulitzer Price for international reporting in 2004 for his coverage of the American invasion of Iraq and the occupation that followed, and a second Pulitzer in 2010, also for his Iraq reporting. He also was a finalist in 2007 for his coverage of Lebanon, and has been nominated by the Times for his coverage of the Arab Spring uprisings that have transfixed the Middle East for the past year. The assignment in Syria, which Mr. Shadid arranged through a network of smugglers, was fraught with dangers, not the least of which was discovery by the pro-government authorities in Syria. The journey into the country required both Mr. Shadid and Mr. Hicks to travel at night from Turkey to a mountainous border area adjoining Syria’s Idlib Province, where the demarcation line is a barbed-wire fence. Mr. Hicks said they squeezed through the fence’s lower portion by pulling the wires apart, and guides on horseback met them on the other side. It was on that first night, Mr. Hicks said, that Mr. Shadid suffered an initial bout of asthma, apparently set off by an allergy to the horses, but he recovered after resting. On the way out a week later, however, Mr. Shadid suffered a more severe attack — again apparently set off by proximity to the horses of the guides, Mr. Hicks said, as they were walking toward the border. Short of breath, Mr. Shadid leaned against a rock with both hands. “I stood next to him and asked if he was O.K., and then he collapsed,” Mr. Hicks said. “He was not conscious and his breathing was very faint and very shallow.” After a few minutes, he said, “I could see he was no longer breathing.” https://twitter.com/#!/nytimes A selection of 8 excerpts from articles by Anthony Shadid, chronicling an evolving Middle East: http://nyti.ms/yzyR5n10:20 PM Wow...amazing article: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/foreign-affairs-defense/syria-undercover/in-assads-syria-there-is-no-imagination/ https://twitter.com/#!/evanchill Just woke up to news that one of my idols in journalism, Anthony Shadid, has died in Syria. Absolutely gutted. http://ow.ly/97DRx9:41 PM https://twitter.com/#!/blakehounshell Shadid: "I don't think there's any story worth dying for, but I do think there are stories worth taking risks for." RIP http://motherjones.com/politics/2012/01/anthony-shadid-libya-syria-house-of-stone9:41 PM Anthony Shadid was one of my journalistic heroes. Really shaken. 9:49 PM Can't remember how many times we sat around saying, "That would be a great story for Anthony Shadid to write, or someone like him." 10:19 PM But there was never anyone like him. 10:19 PM https://twitter.com/#!/TomJolly Shadid on NPR's fresh air: "Syria was so important, ...that it was worth taking risks for." http://nyti.ms/xYPtqW9:39 PM https://twitter.com/#!/michaelluo Could easily make the argument that Anthony Shadid was the greatest foreign correspondent of his generation. Horrible loss.9:38 PM https://twitter.com/#!/arwaCNN RIP anthony shadid, phenomenal journo whose words were moving poetry, amazing person, tragic loss9:47 PM https://twitter.com/#!/HalaGorani Anthony Shadid, one of the greatest journalists to ever cover the Arab world, passed away today at 43. I have no words. What a tragic loss.9:49 PM Unbelievingly upsetting news. Anthony Shadid was one of my heroes. His death leaves a void that just can't be filled. 9:54 PM https://twitter.com/#!/AdamWeinstein Shadid is dead and Assad is alive. Sometimes God thoroughly perplexes me.9:53 PM https://twitter.com/#!/nirrosen So sad to hear that my friend Anthony Shadid, whose stories made me cry, has died in Syria. My thoughts are with his wife and two children10:05 PM https://twitter.com/#!/joshuahersh I once mentioned to Shadid a story idea I had, and he pulled out his phone and unloaded every contact he had. And he barely knew me.10:11 PM https://twitter.com/#!/DamascusTweets The Syria'n people are sorry for the lost of @Anthonyshadid NYT foregin correspondent who was at work in syria. RIP brave Anthony.10:15 PM Very sad for the lost of this great reporter, he did an awesome job everywhere he went, Iraq Libya Egypt & now in Syria. 10:23 PM https://twitter.com/#!/SultanAlQassemi I never met @anthonyshadid but I read everything he wrote since I was a teenager. He was a major inspiration for me to start writing. RIP10:25 PM https://twitter.com/#!/TamerELG Shadid possessed every quality u would expect of a journalistic legend except the ego. His ability to remember names and faces was humbling10:14 PM https://twitter.com/#!/AmalHanano Anthony Shadid, the brave voice of truth. God bless your soul. Syria loved you. I loved you.10:27 PM I joked with him once, that when Syria was free we would build a statue for him. Now, I know we will. 10:29 PM http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/obituaries/correspondent-anthony-shadid-43-dies-in-syria/2012/02/16/gIQAo2NyIR_story_1.html Hoffman recalled a memo Shadid wrote in early 2006 about wanting to probe what would happen when the frozen leadership of Arab countries cracked. He wrote: “To me, this moment is no less sweeping than that experienced by Eastern Europe in the aftermath of the Cold War.” “And he was right,” said Hoffman. “The Arab Spring was what he had been waiting for.” Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpyaks3 Posted February 17, 2012 Share Posted February 17, 2012 Terribly sad news about Shadid, truly one of the best there was at his craft. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
visionary Posted February 17, 2012 Share Posted February 17, 2012 https://twitter.com/#!/DamascusTweets BREAKING: First martyr falls today (17-2-2012) in DeirZor, his name is Farouk Hafel & he died because of a sniper in Takya street.10:46 PM For those who don't know, @Bambuser is blocked in Syria. Looks like the regime has noticed that the whole world is watching & they shut it. 10:55 PM So unfortunately we won't be getting any live streams from Homs Deraa....etc, but @Bambuser are saying that there could be a way around. 10:56 PM Seriously sad to know that @Bambuser is blocked in Syria. It was one hell of a tool so we can know what's happening. I hope there's a way! 11:00 PM Explosions aren't stopping. Situation looks horrible right now. BabAmr 12:00 AM https://twitter.com/#!/OmarShakir91 the shelling start again this time from the heavy machine gun and tanks Babaamr12:11 AM https://twitter.com/#!/BSyria What if journalists weren't fugitives in Syria, would @anthonyshadid have died?1:00 AM https://twitter.com/#!/AmalHanano Fear of brutality in Syria is so great that Anthony Shadid risked being near his #1 allergy, horses, rather than riding a car1:04 AM https://twitter.com/#!/tweets4peace Baba Amr is being pounded right now for the 14th day running - 2 WEEKS - one source of shelling confirmed as military college in Alwar1:12 AM Baba Amr for 14 days being hit, have confirmed they are being hit with "all kinds of weapons" - he's destroyed the homes, what more? 1:13 AM Eyewitness in Alwaar has said the intensity of shelling has increased from the military college and doesn't look like it'll calm down 1:14 AM Alqseir update: yesterday the southern part of the area near Ramzon Mosque was hit with several mortar shells. Homs 1:19 AM Alqseir update: we didn't know the southern part was being hit until today due to cut of connections. Shelling led to many injuries. 1:20 AM Alqseir update: should be noted that shelling on all of Alqseir was near the main protesting squares in an attempt to massacre & scare 1:21 AM https://twitter.com/#!/arwaCNN Gr8 news, abbad w/brain injury who traced tank w/finger & man w/rotting leg wound from our cnn piece smuggled 2 lebanon 2 hospital6:44 PM 30yro old man at start of our piece on medical clinic w/brain injury died 2:04 AM Damn it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
visionary Posted February 17, 2012 Share Posted February 17, 2012 https://twitter.com/#!/OmarShakir91 Random shelling of Bab Amr by tanks OfJq65OgwkU Tanks shelling a mosque and school HvJzqlmUYw4 FCd1KvjFArM More shelling in the background 3Y-WTyPs9VY https://twitter.com/#!/nhallsworthcnn Been filming Intense shelling in homs syria seen so much destruction here. Sending footage in now3:04 AM https://twitter.com/#!/tweets4peace Abo Jafar: approx 40 explosions counted in Baba Amr and Isha'at today for 14th day running. 4:01 AM Abu Jafar: explosions heard across Homs including Khaldiyeh, Bayada, Safsafeh and Rifa'I neighborhoods. 4:01 AM Abu Jafar: approx 5 war planes in the sky and we have 4 martyrs in Baba Amr and 1 in Insha'at. Lines are cut across 4:02 AM Abu Jafar: the unidentified bodies we keep finding are most likely prisoners executed and thrown. What is happening in Homs is a massacre 4:04 AM This is just in Homs, not taking into account Hama, Zabadani, Daraa, Damascus, Aleppo, Idlib, Deir Azour, Latakia...etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
visionary Posted February 17, 2012 Share Posted February 17, 2012 Damn it! I hate it when I work on a post for around an hour and the click on the x or the back arrow (and then be told that the page expired after I go back to it). Ok, no more whining, I'll just do it again. http://edition.cnn.com/2012/02/17/world/meast/syria-unrest/index.html?hpt=hp_t2 Demonstrators took to the streets of Idlib, Daraa, Homs, Hama and suburban Damascus, chanting for the end of President Bashar al-Assad's regime, and focused their attention on "popular resistance" -- the theme of the protests.Video showed a large crowd of protesters gathered in Daraa Friday under a banner that read: "Shed the blood, cast off the cowards," a reference to the regime. They focus on a different theme every week.. The popular resistance theme comes as calls for armed struggle against the regime intensify and the Free Syrian Army, the anti-regime force of military defectors, attempts to grow. Conflict has occurred every day in Syria for months and it flared Friday amid the mass protests. At least 48 people died across Syria Friday, including 12 military defectors executed in the town of Jassem in Daraa province and an 11-year-old boy in the Damascus suburbs, said the Local Coordination Committees of Syria, an opposition activist group. Dima Moussa, a Syrian activist in Chicago, said the regime is planning a particuarly huge ground offensive on Baba Amr Friday night. Moussa said activists have received that information from "cooperative officers" in the military and is in touch with Free Syrian Army officers on the ground."They are planning a massive ground invasion of Baba Amr, no matter what the cost is and no matter what the number of casualties is, even if they have to annihilate everyone in the neighborhood. Assad force started their moves from all directions since noon today," said Moussa, who is a member of the Revolutionary Council of Homs and the Syrian National Council. Disturbing...although they have been unable to get inside yet, or unwilling. And this isn't the first time that the residents have feared a ground assault happening soon in Bab Amr. https://twitter.com/#!/tweets4peace Recently cousin defected and is in Baba Amr. He said they can't defend as tanks are far. So job was to take families to safety 9:34 AM http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/02/17/us-syria-nato-idUSTRE81G0ZF20120217 NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said the Western alliance had no intention of intervening in Syria even in the event of a U.N. mandate to protect civilians, and urged Middle East countries to find a way to end the spiraling violence.Rasmussen told Reuters Friday he also rejected the possibility of providing logistical support for proposed "humanitarian corridors" to ferry relief to towns and cities bearing the brunt of President Bashar al-Assad's crackdown on pro-democracy protesters. "We have no intention whatsoever to intervene in Syria," Rasmussen said in an interview, during a visit to mark the 60th anniversary of Turkey joining the alliance. While NATO had acted under a United Nations mandate to protect civilians in Libya and had also received active support from several fellow Arab countries, neither condition had been fulfilled in Syria. Asked if NATO's stance would change if the United Nations provided a mandate, Rasmussen was doubtful. "No, I don't think so because Syria is also a different society, it is much more complicated ethnically, politically, religiously. That's why I do believe that a regional solution should be found," he said. We'll see. I would like NATO not to have to get directly involved. I certainly don't want them to be. But...Turkey needs to be. And while the Syrians (and Arab citizens around the world) continue to beg, plead, and scream for help, they are growing more and more resentful of the international community. They're sick of hearing condemnations that do nothing to save lives or stop Assad. They are literally dying for assistance from any corner that will give it. And while they continue to protest and die, fight and die, Assad shows less restraint every week. Something needs to be done soon to aid them before it's too late. https://twitter.com/#!/LeShaque LIVE! Nightly protest in Kfar Sousa, Damascus. Massive and loud crowd | http://bambuser.com/v/237525310:50 AM BREAKING AJA / LCC: Syrian army invades Tafas and besieges Jiza in Daraa. 11:11 AM 14 year old child martyr Imad Samer Khayti in Douma (disturbing) 11:17 AM LCC: 56 people killed in Syria today 11:54 AM https://twitter.com/#!/edwardedark repeating "no military intervention" in Syria, is basically telling the regime to go ahead and do whatever you want no one will stop you10:43 AM military intervention in Syria should always be on the table, but as a last possible resort. otherwise u send the wrong signal to all sides 10:46 AM ruling out military intervention in Syria means: regime - keep killing without real consequences. activists - only choice is 2 take up arms 10:51 AM military intervention means enforcing no-fly zones and buffer zones, as well as targeted attacks against command & control centres 10:53 AM He is from Aleppo, the business capital of Syria, where the most prosperous Syrians live. Keep in mind that it is considered an Assad stronghold of support. Also keep in mind that this guy has links on his page to protests in 9 different parts of Aleppo happening today. Good news! http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-17079556?utm_medium=twitter&utm_source=twitterfeed David Cameron announces £2m fund to help Syrian civiliansThe UK will provide funding for medical supplies and food for 20,000 people affected by fighting in the Syrian city of Homs, David Cameron has said. The prime minister said the situation in Syria was "appalling" and described what was happening as "butchery". Speaking alongside French President Nicolas Sarkozy, Mr Cameron said the international community could do more to "get rid of this brutal dictator". It's definitely a good start. Although Homs is a city of around 1 million people. And it is far from the only place in Syria where people are suffering, dying, or being forced from homes by the hundreds and thousands. But you have to start somewhere. https://twitter.com/#!/hominoid555 Homs Baba Amr, soldiers are seen handing out masks for toxic gases, it's looking like the invasion is imminent1:19 PM If true, that's...worrying. Hopefully the masks are because they plan to use tear gas and not something worse. Still a ground assault of any kind is going to be extremely bloody no matter how they do it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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