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QuoteSyria pledges reforms after protests 

Government to consider ending emergency rule and licensing political parties in wake of deadly protests.

Last Modified: 24 Mar 2011 17:12
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Syria will "study" ending an emergency rule in place since 1963 and look into licensing political parties, a
presidential adviser has said, after a week of deadly protests in the country's south.

"I am happy to announce to you the decisions made today by the Arab Baath party under the auspices of President Bashar al-Assad ... which include ... studying the possibility of lifting the emergency law and licensing political parties," the president's media adviser Buthaina Shaaban said at a news conference on Thursday.

The announcement came after one week of protests in the southern city of Daraa against Assad's governemnt which has left scores dead.

Quote from: Caliga on March 24, 2011, 01:59:52 PM
There will be a followup communication in a few weeks:

"This study will conclude in 2080." :)

Man, this is easy.  I should have been born an Assad. :(

Quote from: Caliga on March 24, 2011, 01:59:52 PM
There will be a followup communication in a few weeks:

"This study will conclude in 2080." :)

Man, this is easy.  I should have been born an Assad. :(

Quote from: derspiess on March 24, 2011, 04:22:57 PM
During those stressful nights Mr. Assad will be up late studying, I wonder if he'll wish he had stayed in London to be an ophthalmologist.  I like to imagine him doing eye exams at Lens Crafters, grumbling nonsense about Lebanon & Israel under his breath :D

Quote from: Peter Wiggin on March 25, 2011, 02:45:59 AM
If they brutally crack down at this point, they risk getting the West involved. The policy of stalling by appearing willing to play along long enough for European leaders' appetite for interventionism to be sated may be the wiser course ultimately.  :hmm:

Quote from: jimmy olsen on March 25, 2011, 06:54:24 AM
Syria's significantly stronger than Libya is though isn't it? That makes a difference.

Quote from: Tamas on March 25, 2011, 07:17:23 AM
They got jew-jitsued

Quote

http://www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/meast/03/24/syria.unrest/index.html?hpt=T2

As unrest spreads, Syrian government promises to respond

(CNN) -- Tensions boiled in a volatile Syrian community Thursday as thousands turned up for the funerals of people killed in unrest. Meanwhile, Syria's government blamed the instability on outsiders and announced plans to study popular demands, including the lifting of the country's decades-old emergency law.

Syria is the latest in a string of Arabic-speaking nations beset with discontent over economic and human rights issues. Syrian discontent centers on Daraa, a southern city in the impoverished country's agricultural region, where violence has been escalating between security forces and anti-government protesters since late last week.

Wissam Tarif, executive director of the human rights organization Insan, said at least 34 people have been killed in Daraa in the past two days. Other activists believe many more have been killed.

Tarif said as many as 20,000 people followed the funeral procession for those who died in the violence, including a conscripted soldier who was reportedly shot and wounded because he refused to fire on demonstrators.

A witness, who asked not to be named, said 10 "martyrs" were buried following afternoon prayers, with the people in the procession mourning the loss of the victims and chanting anti-government slogans.

Kamal Aswad, a political activist in Daraa, said people in the funeral procession were chanting: "Those who kill their own people are traitors" and he said activists are trying to generate support for a big protest on Friday -- a "Day of Martyrs" to be held after Friday prayers.

Syrian state TV portrayed an opposite picture of the public mood. Scenes broadcast Thursday included fireworks and crowds of pro-government supporters waving pictures of President Bashar al-Assad and shouting, "with our bloods and our souls, we defend you Bashar!"

The footage was marked onscreen as "live," but it could not be determined when the footage actually originated.

Also Thursday, state TV broadcast an "urgent" message that read: "Following a directive by President Assad, all those who were detained in the latest events were released."

It could not be determined whether the statement was true.

State TV reported on Wednesday that the government fired the provincial governor amid the demonstrations.

The Obama administration on Thursday released a statement condemning "the Syrian government's brutal repression of demonstrations, in particular the violence and killings of civilians at the hands of security forces."

"We call on the Syrian government to exercise restraint and respect the rights of its people and call on all citizens to exercise their rights peacefully," the White House statement read.

Al-Assad's government on Thursday announced a number of measures apparently addressing protesters' demands. Among them, decrees to cut taxes and raise government workers salaries by 1,500 Syrian pounds ($32.60 US) a month, as well as pledges to provide more press freedoms, increased job opportunities and curbs on government corruption.

The government also said it would study lifting the country's emergency law and new legislation that would license political parties.

Syria's emergency law has been in effect since 1963. The law allows the government to make preventive arrests and override constitutional and penal code statutes. It also bars detainees who haven't been charged from filing court complaints or from having a lawyer present during interrogations.

The government also announced Thursday it will form a committee "to contact and listen to citizens in Daraa."

Bouthina Shaaban, a spokeswoman for al-Assad, passed along his condolences to those killed in Daraa and said the president "would not accept any bloodshed."

"I was an eyewitness to his excellency's orders that no live bullets would be used against the demonstrators," Shaaban said.

Shaaban also said the government is investigating the unrest in Daraa and that there are "indications and proof that there is a foreign financial support."

"Daraa was chosen because of its geographic location near the borders and how easy it is to transfer money and weapons to the city," Shaaban said, referring to the area's proximity to Jordan.

The Jordanian government on Thursday released a statement on state TV denying "as baseless, reports that fighters and vehicles loaded with weapons entered Syria from inside Jordanian territory."

"Such reports are nothing but media allegations that will not affect the good relations between the two countries," the statement read.

Syria is a diverse country, largely Sunni Muslim but ruled by the minority Alawite Muslim sect. It is also populated by Christians and members of the Druze sect. Along with Arabs, it has a significant Kurdish minority, which has been restive in recent years, and an Armenian population.

Those populations are controlled by a government that human rights groups consider one of the most repressive in the world.

In 2010, Syria ranked 127th out of 178 countries in transparency and accountability to the public, according to the international government watchdog group Transparency International. On a scale of 0 to 10, the lowest score representing the world's most corrupt governments, Syria scored a 2.5, Transparency International reported.

Human rights groups estimate that tens of thousands of people were killed in Syria during the three decades under the rule of Hafez al-Assad, the current president's father. Bashar al-Assad came to power in 2000 promising reforms, but aside from implementing some economic reforms, failed to deliver, according to human rights groups.

Joshua Landis, who runs the Syria Comment blog and is director of the Center for Middle East Studies and associate professor at University of Oklahoma, told CNN that the unrest in Daraa is spurred by a number of factors, widespread poverty, a dislike for the emergency law and the arrests two weeks ago of young people who scrawled anti-government graffiti.

It is also driven by Sunni resentment against a government controlled by Alawites, among them, al-Assad.

So far, Landis said, the rallies been localized to Daraa but it's possible that there will be demonstrations elsewhere on Friday.

"Daraa is very poor and Islamic -- it optimizes everything that troubles Syria -- a failed economy, the population explosion, a bad governor and overbearing security forces," Landis wrote in his blog. "It is an explosive brew. Even if the government can contain violence to Daraa for the time-being, protests will spread. The wall of fear has broken. Apathy of the young has turned to anger,"

Because there are so few sources available from what has been a closed, authoritarian society, human rights activists are trying to get a handle on the number of casualties and the context behind the unrest in Daraa, which is a more conservative, tribal and close-knit community.

Amnesty International said it has been "deeply disturbed by reports of multiple deaths" in Daraa, as security forces fired "at protesters and people coming to the aid of the injured."

Along with many killed in the violence over the past 36 hours there were 92 confirmed arrests, according to Neil Sammonds an Amnesty researcher on Syria, Lebanon and Jordan. Sammonds said there are reports of army snipers shooting women carrying water and an 11-year-old girl.

It's "hard to imagine these are front-line protesters," Sammonds said.

Quote from: jimmy olsen on March 24, 2011, 06:42:09 PM
Why even bother though? It's obviously just words, and the regime's opponents will recognize this and continue the protest.

Quote from: Tamas on March 25, 2011, 07:17:23 AM
They got jew-jitsued

Quote from: Caliga on March 25, 2011, 07:16:33 AM

Quote from: jimmy olsen on March 25, 2011, 06:54:24 AM
Syria's significantly stronger than Libya is though isn't it? That makes a difference.

:hmm: How did Syria do the last time it was in an all-out military conflict?

Quote from: derspiess on March 25, 2011, 01:08:52 PM

Quote from: Caliga on March 25, 2011, 07:16:33 AM

Quote from: jimmy olsen on March 25, 2011, 06:54:24 AM
Syria's significantly stronger than Libya is though isn't it? That makes a difference.

:hmm: How did Syria do the last time it was in an all-out military conflict?

I'm with Tim on this.  Syria has a larger and *unified* military.  I don't think they have any big fears of foreign intervention at this point.

Quote from: derspiess on March 25, 2011, 01:01:55 PM

Quote from: jimmy olsen on March 24, 2011, 06:42:09 PM
Why even bother though? It's obviously just words, and the regime's opponents will recognize this and continue the protest.

We know this, but I'm not sure the Assad regime realizes it.  They could be so out of touch they think think it will quell the unrest.  They may have even convinced themselves that this was actually a big concession.  Authoritarian regimes are often weird, prideful, and out of touch with reality.

Quote from: MadImmortalMan on March 25, 2011, 04:56:30 PM
Reports that groups of snipers in Deraa wearing all-black and killing protesters have been mobbed and captured by the crowd. Turns out they only speak...Farsi.  :ph34r:

Quote from: Tonitrus on March 25, 2011, 05:20:19 PM
Didn't Languish conclude that Bashar gets a pass due to having a HOTT wife?  Or was that thread lost?

Quote from: dps on March 25, 2011, 04:21:41 PM
My impression was that the dad was a pretty smart operator.  Don't know about the son, or even really how much the son is truly in charge as opposed to being a puppet for someone else.

Quote from: Tonitrus on March 25, 2011, 05:20:19 PM
Didn't Languish conclude that Bashar gets a pass due to having a HOTT wife?  Or was that thread lost?

Quote from: derspiess on March 25, 2011, 05:29:47 PM

Quote from: dps on March 25, 2011, 04:21:41 PM
My impression was that the dad was a pretty smart operator.  Don't know about the son, or even really how much the son is truly in charge as opposed to being a puppet for someone else.

Good point.  I get the feeling that Bashar was pulled into his role and didn't really seek it out.

Quote from: MadImmortalMan on March 25, 2011, 04:56:30 PM
Reports that groups of snipers in Deraa wearing all-black and killing protesters have been mobbed and captured by the crowd. Turns out they only speak...Farsi.  :ph34r:

Quote from: MadImmortalMan on March 25, 2011, 06:40:25 PM
Lots of footage here:

http://blogs.aljazeera.net/live/middle-east/syria-live-blog-march-25

QuoteSyria's Assad warns of 'conspiracy' 

Syrian president fails to lift emergency laws in his first speech since security forces curbed anti-government protests.

Assad spoke day after thousands of Syrians joined government rallies across country in mass outpouring of support

Bashar al-Assad, the Syrian president, blamed "conspirators" for two weeks of anti-government protests that have rocked the nation but failed to lift emergency rule or offer other concessions.

In his first address to the nation since the start of a violent crackdown on protests demanding greater freedoms that erupted earlier this month, Assad said Syria was going through a "test of unity".

"I belong to the Syrian people, and whoever belongs to the Syrian people will always keep his head high," he said in the televised address before members of parliament in the capital, Damascus, on Wednesday.

"I know that the Syrian people have been awaiting this speech since last week, but I was waiting to get the full picture ... to avoid giving an emotional address that would put the people at ease but have no real effect, at a time when our enemies are targeting Syria," he said.


Al Jazeera's Cal Perry travelled to Daraa to gauge reaction to President Assad's speech
During his speech, that lasted almost one hour, Assad took aim at social networking websites and pan-Arabic satellite television news channels but made no mention of any plans to lift the state of emergency.

Assad said he supported reform but offered no new commitment to change Syria's rigid, one-party political system.

"Staying without reforms is destructive to the country," Assad said, without elaborating on a pledge by his adviser Bouthaina Shaaban last week that the president would look into lifting the emergency law.

Assad echoed that statement on Wednesday.

"The emergency law and political parties law have been under study for a year. There are more, unannounced reforms ... but giving a timeframe is a logistic matter," the president said.

He said "conspirators" have tried to reinforce sectarianism to incite hatred and "bring down Syria".

Assad entered parliament to a mass of cheering crowds outside the building. Once inside, legislators chanted "God, Syria and Bashar only!'' and "our souls, our blood we sacrifice for you Bashar.''

Witnesses from the coastal city of Latakia, where 12 people were killed last week during protests, told Al Jazeera clashes broke out between government troops and protesters within an hour after Assad's speech in Damascus.


Deadly unrest

Assad's rule has been rocked by a wave of demonstrations in defiance of the law over the past two weeks, with protesters emboldened by uprisings in the Arab world.

Assad was expected to use the address to discuss a string of reforms announced last week, amid a wave of dissent and protests demanding more freedoms. But he failed to elaborate on any such reforms.

The speech came a day after the country's cabinet resigned.

Naji al-Otari, the resigning premier, has been chosen by Assad as caretaker prime minister. Otari has been prime minister since 2003.

The government has little power in Syria, where power is concentrated in the hands of Assad, his family and the security apparatus.

Syria has been ruled by the Baath Party since 1963 and Assad succeeded his father, Hafez al-Assad, in 2000.

The 32-member cabinet will continue running the country's affairs until the formation of a new government.

The new cabinet, which is expected to be announced by the end of the week, will face the task of implementing the reforms.

The wave of protests, which began on March 15 in Damascus, were quickly contained by security forces, before taking root in the southern tribal region of Daraa and the city of Latakia in the north.

More than 60 people have died since March 18 as security forces cracked down on protesters, Human Rights Watch has said.

'Pushed into chaos'

Daraa has sustained the most casualties, with activists estimating at least 100 people killed on Wednesday last week in clashes with security forces.

Syrian rights activists have accused security forces of killing 130 people in the crackdown, while Amnesty International says upward of 55 people have been killed. Officials put the toll at 30 killed.

Tuesday's announcement about the cabinet came as tens of thousands of Syrians joined government-organised rallies across the country in a mass outpouring of support for their leader.

On Tuesday, all roads leading to Sabeh Bahrat ("Seven Seas") square in the capital were cut off by police armed with batons, as the crowd raised Syrian flags and pictures of Assad.

"The people want Bashar al-Assad," they chanted in unison.

"Bashar al-Assad is the spine of Syria. Without him, our country will be pushed into chaos," said a man who identified himself as Abu Khodr.

Authorities have accused fundamentalists and "armed gangs" of aiming to incite unrest in the country, particularly Daraa and Latakia, which emerged as the focal points of dissent.

Such demonstrations would have been unthinkable a couple of months ago in Syria, but it now faces the wave of Arab revolutionary sentiment which has toppled leaders in Egypt and Tunisia..

Quote

http://www.foxnews.com/world/2011/04/11/syrian-army-enters-key-city-deadly-shooting/?test=latestnews

Student Protest in Syrian Capital Turns Violent

BEIRUT –  A rare demonstration by hundreds of Syrian university students turned violent Monday when security forces beat up and arrested several protesters who were shouting for freedom and unity as the country's three-week uprising gathered strength despite a government crackdown, witnesses said.

Video footage posted online showed what appears to be plainclothes security forces beating protesters and forcefully pulling others away as they marched inside the campus of Damascus University. An activist in touch with students who witnessed the demonstration corroborated the footage, but he spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals.

"The Syrian people are one!" the students shouted in the video.

Protests erupted in Syria more than three weeks ago and have been growing steadily, with tens of thousands of people calling for sweeping reforms to President Bashar Assad's authoritarian regime.

More than 170 people have been killed, according to human rights groups.

International and Arab reaction to the violence in Syria had been relatively subdued, and U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has suggested America would not be getting involved.

She said late last month that Assad is a a "different leader" than Libya's Moammar Gadhafi, and that many members of Congress who have visited the country "believe he's a reformer."

But with the mounting casualties, others in the international community have begun voicing criticism.

France on Monday strongly condemned the violence in Syria, calling it "unacceptable," and called for immediate reforms.

"Reform and repression are incompatible," a Foreign Ministry statement said.

German spokesman, Steffen Seibert, called the continuing use of force against peaceful demonstrators "dismaying and outrageous."

While at the United Nations, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, in a telephone conversation with Assad, said he was "greatly disturbed" by the reports of violence and said the killing of peaceful demonstrators was unacceptable and should be investigated.

Most of the demonstrations in Syria so far have happened outside the capital. The fact that students were gathering in Damascus on Monday suggested that the protesters were becoming emboldened as their unprecedented movement enters its fourth week.

The activist said most of the students taking part in Monday's protest were from Daraa -- the southern city that has become the epicenter of the violence -- and the port city of Banias, where four protesters were killed Sunday.

Some 2,000 mourners chanting "Death is better than humiliation!" turned out in Banias on Monday for a funeral for the four after Muslim noon prayers, an eyewitness said.

The military rolled into the city early Monday, taking up positions around key buildings and intersections. But the army pulled out after several hours and kept up their positions on the outskirts. The witness, speaking on the phone from Banias, said schools and shops were closed because people feared more clashes.

He said the army's arrival was met mostly with relief.

"We are happy it's the army and not security forces who are like regime-hired gangs," he told The Associated Press. Like most eyewitnesses who spoke to the AP, he requested anonymity for fear of reprisals from the government.

In Banias, no soldiers were present at the funeral. Participants dispersed peacefully.

"The troops just came into the city to say they are with the people, not against them," the resident said.

In Daraa, a resident contacted by telephone said Syrian employees evacuated a government compound in the city. He said road blocks were erected and at least one tank stood at the city's northern entrance on Monday. Overnight, Syrian forces set up dirt mounds on main city roads and on Daraa's exit roads.

The move to evacuate the government compound raised fears among residents that a military operation was being planned.

The government blames the violence on armed gangs rather than reform-seekers and has vowed to crush further unrest. On Sunday, state television reported that thugs killed nine soldiers in an ambush near Banias, which is 185 miles northwest of the capital, Damascus.

The report said gunmen hiding among trees along a road shot at the soldiers, and it broadcast images later of ambulance and other civilian vehicles coming under fire along the same road.

The accounts could not be independently confirmed. The government has placed severe restrictions on news coverage and many journalists -- including from The Associated Press -- have been ordered to leave the country.

Assad has made a series of overtures to try and appease the growing outrage, including sacking local officials and granting Syrian nationality to thousands of Kurds, a long-ostracized minority.

But the gestures have failed to satisfy protesters who are demanding political freedoms and an end to the decades-old despised emergency laws.

On Sunday, Assad ordered the release of 191 detainees who were arrested in the past few weeks during protests in the Damascus suburb of Douma, where 12 people were shot dead during last Friday.

Quote
A Syrian plan to attack protesters?
Human rights activist says document lays out how to brutally suppress the opposition

President Bashar al-Assad.
By Michael Isikoff National investigative correspondent
NBC News
updated 4/13/2011 11:07:07 PM ET


WASHINGTON — A document purportedly drafted by senior Syrian intelligence officials details a chilling plan to infiltrate the ranks of anti-regime protesters, arrest and assassinate their leaders, and link anti-regime demonstrations to the work of "Zionist" and other outside agitators.

The document was circulated by Syrian opposition figures Wednesday and cited by dissidents as fresh evidence of the brutality of the regime of President Bashar Assad. "It is very scary — this is the work of a Mafia state," said Radwan Ziadeh, a prominent Syrian human rights activist and visiting scholar at George Washington University, who said he obtained the document from sources inside Syria on Tuesday night.

U.S. officials told NBC News that they were reviewing the document and could not immediately authenticate it. NBC was also unable to independently verify the document. But one U.S. official said the initial view is that there is a "strong likelihood" that it is real. "It would not be surprising if the Syrians are plotting the use of dirty methods to discredit its opponents," the official said.

The Syrian Embassy in Washington did not respond to email and telephone requests for comment.

The document comes amid intense political debate inside the Obama administration and Congress over how tough a stand the U.S. government should take toward Assad's regime. By purportedly showing the extreme measures that Assad's top officials are willing to take toward demonstrators, the document would appear to strengthen the hands of hard-liners and dissidents like Ziadeh who argue the regime is unwilling to reform and should be ostracized.

"No leniency shall be observed with regards to smearing the image of our highest symbol" — a reference to Syrian President Bashar Assad — "regardless of the costs," according to an English translation of the Arabic language document provided to NBC. The plan also calls for banning news media coverage of the protests and punishing those "who convey any news that does not serve the country," adding that the security services should "show no leniency in this matter."

The document is dated March 23, when anti-regime protests were starting to spread. It purports to describe a meeting that day of a special "Security Committee" inside the country's General Security Directorate, the chief internal security agency.

Ziadeh said the initials of those attending the meeting indicate that the group included Muhammed Nasif Khaybrik, a top adviser to Assad and deputy vice president for security affairs, who serves as the chief Syrian government liaison to Iran. (The U.S. Treasury Department imposed sanctions against Nasif and three other Syrian officials in 2007 for their role in fomenting violence in Lebanon in order to reassert Syrian control over that country.) Another whose initials indicate he attended the meeting was Maj. Gen. Ali Mamuk, the former chief of state security who serves as the top security adivser to Assad, Ziadeh said.

The purpose of the meeting, according to the document, was to make sure that the Assad government benefits "from the mistakes of the Egyptian and Tunisian regimes" as well as from its past experience in suppressing the Muslim Brotherhood —a reference to a brutal crackdown on the Brotherhood by Assad's father in 1982. It outlines what it describes as a highly detailed three-pronged media, security and political plan to suppress the protests.

Among the key elements, according to the document:

    "Link the anti-regime demonstrations and protests to figures hated by the Syrian populace such as the usual Saudi and Lebanese figures, and connecting the lot of them to Zionism and to America."
    Assign security agents to work "via Facebook" to "jam up" political opponents. In particular, it suggests that security agents using "pseudonyms" pose as political dissidents and then gather intelligence about the opposition as well as "slip in" messages that would tarnish the reputations of leading dissident figures. Opposition figures should also become the target of lawsuits designed to "smear their moral and religious reputations."
    The locations of political protests should be blocked off and civilian-clothed security agents should infiltrate the protests "in an attempt to cause a state of chaos." In order to further "deceive the enemy," snipers should be concealed in the ranks of the protesters and be given the leeway to shoot some security agents or army officers, "which will further help the situation by provoking the animosity of the army against the protesters."
    Any areas where the protests get out of control should be isolated, with the electricity and Internet links cut off. Then, the plan calls for the "arrest of key influential figures in that area, and if the situation is critical, to kill them." But the plan cautions, when security forces and snipers enter protest areas, "the number of people killed must not exceed twenty each time, because it would let them be more easily noticed and exposed, which may lead to situations of foreign intervention."

Ziadeh said the best evidence of the document's authenticity is the continued reports about the regime's suppression of the protests. On Wednesday, according to media reports from The New York Times and others, the government's crackdown intensified.

Read more reporting by Michael Isikoff in 'The Isikoff Files'

After four pro-democracy protesters were killed in the port city of Baniyas on Sunday, checkpoints blocked off access to the city and government security forces mounted a violent raid on a nearby village — with men and women pulled into a town square and "collectively beaten" — purportedly as punishment for offering refuge to the protesters, according to accounts from human rights advocates.

Quote from: HisMajestyBOB on April 22, 2011, 12:27:09 PM
If Bashar is overthrown, will he go back to practicing ophthalmology?
Much less chance of a violent overthrow in that profession.

QuoteThe government has little power in Syria

Quote from: HisMajestyBOB on April 22, 2011, 09:22:36 PM
President, Syrian Arab Republic, 2000-2011
Key responsibilities included: Managing medium sized country, including appointing ministers and generals; overseeing secret nuclear weapons project; crushing dissidents; and frequent public speeches condemning the Zionist enemy and Great Satan.

Quote from: The Brain on April 23, 2011, 02:23:08 AM

QuoteThe government has little power in Syria

:thumbsup: When will America's love affair with big government end? If some Arabs can do it...

Quote from: Norgy on April 23, 2011, 02:48:02 PM

Quote from: The Brain on April 23, 2011, 02:23:08 AM

QuoteThe government has little power in Syria

:thumbsup: When will America's love affair with big government end? If some Arabs can do it...

Actually, they are referring to the frequent losses of electric power.  :Joos

Quote

http://www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/meast/04/25/syria.unrest/index.html?hpt=T1

Syria launches bloody new crackdown as U.S. threatens sanctions

(CNN) -- The Syrian government launched a major military operation Monday, sending thousands of troops into the town where the country's uprising began, to carry out what witnesses described as a brutal, wider-scale crackdown.

The United States threatened sanctions against the country, calling for a halt to Syria's "deplorable" actions.

Between 4,000 and 5,000 members of the Army and security forces raided the southern city of Daraa just after 4 a.m. equipped with seven tanks, and began shooting indiscriminately, in some cases shooting into homes as people slept, according to an activist with the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

Seven people were confirmed killed in the city, the activist said.

Other witnesses described a trail of dead bodies in the streets.

"Ambulances could not help the injured because of the snipers and army officers who are deployed all over the city," one witness in Daraa said. "They shoot on anything that moves."

A military official -- the second commander in a brigade that entered Daraa -- defected over the violence, the activist with the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and another opposition source said. The commander was then arrested, the activist said.
Map: Unrest in Syria
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RELATED TOPICS

    * Syria
    * Protests and Demonstrations

In the city of Douma, security forces took to the streets and arrested numerous people, a witness said, comparing the city to a prison.

Tommy Vietor, spokesman for the U.S. National Security Council, issued a statement condemning Syria's "brutal violence" against its citizens, calling it "completely deplorable."

"The United States is pursuing a range of possible policy options, including targeted sanctions, to respond to the crackdown and make clear that this behavior is unacceptable," Vietor said in the statement. "The Syrian people's call for freedom of expression, association, peaceful assembly, and the ability to freely choose their leaders must be heard."

The Syrian government, meanwhile, said 12 "martyrs" killed "by armed criminal groups" around the country -- including several near Daraa -- were buried. The government has been arguing that its security forces are cracking down on such groups wreaking havoc on the nation.

Fear and panic coursed through the Daraa.

Anti-government protests that have taken hold in many parts of Syria began in Daraa last month following a violent crackdown by security forces on peaceful demonstrators protesting the arrests of youths who scribbled anti-government graffiti. Protesters have asked for freedom and regime reform. Public discontent with President Bashar al-Assad's government has mounted.

Activists also want the easing of the ruling Baath Party's power and a law that would permit the establishment of independent political parties.

In recent days, witnesses in Syria had told CNN they want the security apparatus, which includes Syria's secret intelligence operatives, dissolved, and would rather see the army take to the streets. They believed the army would be friendlier to protesters -- as was the case in the Egyptian uprising. But on Monday, video from Syria showed what appeared to be members of the army carrying out al-Assad's crackdown.

As another witness spoke to CNN by phone, the sound of gunfire could be heard in the background, along with people screaming, "Allahu Akbar" -- meaning "God is great."

"There are around 3,000 soldiers in Daraa now. They are breaking into people's houses, firing randomly at houses," the resident said. "We were sleeping and not protesting."

The activist with the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Syrian forces occupied two mosques and a graveyard, and snipers were located on houses' and high rise buildings' rooftops.

Another witness also described the onslaught of tanks invading Daraa.

"Before dawn prayers, around 4:30 a.m., the Syrian security forces broke into Daraa," the witness said. "There were so many tanks that entered the city from its four corners. People were heading to mosques when the attack started. People in mosques started warning the people through loud speakers, but the gunfire had already started."

The witnesses added that ambulances were not allowed into the city and that electricity and phone lines were down. None of the witnesses wanted their names used for fear of reprisals.

CNN has not been granted access into Syria and is unable to independently verify witness accounts.

The city of Douma, north of Daraa also in southwestern Syria, was surrounded by security forces Monday, not the military, a witness told CNN. They seemed to be in every alley in the city, preventing people's movements and carrying out arrests, the witness said, adding that 15 of his friends were arrested.

Following morning prayers, intense gunfire was heard in the city, the witness said, adding that he did not see casualties in his vicinity but did not know about other areas in Douma.

Cautious calm followed later in the day, he said. Shops were closed, and people were frightened, the witness said, comparing it to "living in a big prison cell."

"As we woke up in the morning we started hearing that the Syrian security forces are arresting people randomly in (Douma)," activist and human rights lawyer Razan Zaytouni said from Damascus. "Many of these men are our colleagues and friends. I do not know the exact number yet because telephones are down. We are contacting our fellow activists through other ways other than telephones ... we are worried we cannot know their destiny."

Monday afternoon, Jordan Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh confirmed to CNN that Syrian authorities have closed off the border with Jordan.

Because Daraa lies on the border, sealing it makes it difficult for besieged residents to flee the military offensive.

The state-run news agency SANA said Monday that "seven martyrs who were killed in Nawa near Daraa by armed criminal groups were laid to rest." So were two "martyrs" killed in Moathamia, in the Damascus countryside, the report said, citing "an official source at the General Command of the Syrian Army and Armed Forces."

A military doctor "said that the martyrs' bodies had signs of mutilation that defies all humane principles, and that the firearm injuries were made to the head, torso, back and limbs of the victims, and that the bodies were mutilated with knives and sharp implements afterwards," the report said.

"The towns of Soda and Shas in Tartous, Syrian coast, escorted three of its sons who were martyred at the hands of armed criminal groups in Jobar near Damascus at Souk al-Hal while marketing their crops," the report said.

"The criminals intercepted them and shot them to death, then mutilated their bodies afterwards."

The report added that the "martyrs' relatives affirmed that the Syrian people are aware of the conspiracy targeting Syria and that they will confront it, expressing pride that their sons were martyred.

The Syrian government has accused protesters of shooting at security forces, while opposition activists and demonstrators accuse the government of killing demonstrators.

Reports of violence over the past several days have been gruesome.

On Sunday, at least three protesters were killed when security forces and secret police raided the town of Jableh on Syria's western coast and fired at demonstrators without warning, according to an eyewitness and demonstrator.

Security forces surrounded a mosque that was being used to treat the wounded, preventing 18 seriously wounded people from being hospitalized, according to a doctor inside.

On Saturday, at least 10 people died after Syrian security forces opened fire on mourners at funeral processions in Douma and the southern town of Izraa, according to witness accounts.

Amnesty International reported at least 75 deaths across the country on Friday.

The Syrian government and security forces have been largely silent over the past month and generally speak only through state media. There was no immediate word from the Syrian leadership about the reports from Daraa on Monday.

"The Syrian regime is killing us," one man in Daraa told CNN on Monday. "Please tell the world."

Quote from: Legbiter on April 25, 2011, 01:06:33 PM
So Daraa is the new Hama? Makes sense from an Arab point of view. Assad must brutally crush the protests because if he's toppled the Alawites get it in the neck.

Quote from: Admiral Yi on April 25, 2011, 01:26:21 PM

Quote from: Legbiter on April 25, 2011, 01:06:33 PM
So Daraa is the new Hama? Makes sense from an Arab point of view. Assad must brutally crush the protests because if he's toppled the Alawites get it in the neck.

At this point the best course might be for Assad and his co-religionists to flee the country and seek refuge with their distant South Seas cousins, the Allablaks.

Quote from: Razgovory on April 25, 2011, 06:23:30 PM
God, I hope we don't get involved here too.  If this keeps up we'll be at war with every Arab country by October.

Quote from: Razgovory on April 25, 2011, 06:23:30 PM
God, I hope we don't get involved here too.  If this keeps up we'll be at war with every Arab country by October.

Quote from: derspiess on April 25, 2011, 07:57:17 PM

Quote from: Razgovory on April 25, 2011, 06:23:30 PM
God, I hope we don't get involved here too.  If this keeps up we'll be at war with every Arab country by October.

You worry too much.  Hillary said Assad is a reformer, and you know you can take that to the bank if it's coming from someone in this administration.

Quote from: Razgovory on April 26, 2011, 06:28:24 AM

Quote from: derspiess on April 25, 2011, 07:57:17 PM

Quote from: Razgovory on April 25, 2011, 06:23:30 PM
God, I hope we don't get involved here too.  If this keeps up we'll be at war with every Arab country by October.

You worry too much.  Hillary said Assad is a reformer, and you know you can take that to the bank if it's coming from someone in this administration.

Remember when Bush administration welcomed Kaddafi with open arms back in the world community?

Quote from: Razgovory on April 26, 2011, 06:28:24 AM

Quote from: derspiess on April 25, 2011, 07:57:17 PM

Quote from: Razgovory on April 25, 2011, 06:23:30 PM
God, I hope we don't get involved here too.  If this keeps up we'll be at war with every Arab country by October.

You worry too much.  Hillary said Assad is a reformer, and you know you can take that to the bank if it's coming from someone in this administration.

Remember when Bush administration welcomed Kaddafi with open arms back in the world community?

Quote from: Tonitrus on April 25, 2011, 08:05:00 PM
I think ultimately, this thread should be retitled "Not So Big Changes Ahead in Syria"

Quote from: Savonarola on April 27, 2011, 01:46:57 PM

Quote from: Tonitrus on April 25, 2011, 08:05:00 PM
I think ultimately, this thread should be retitled "Not So Big Changes Ahead in Syria"

The government has permitted wearing headscarves in public schools.  They've become more tolerant than France.   :osama:

Quote

http://www.foxnews.com/world/2011/04/28/200-quit-syrias-ruling-party-protest-crackdown/?test=latestnews

Syrian Security Forces Fire on Anti-Gov't Demonstrators as 200 Quit Ruling Party

BEIRUT –  Tanks rolled into the northern port of Latakia -- a key city in the heartland of Syria's ruling elite -- and security forces opened fire on anti government demonstrators, while heavy shooting rang out again Thursday in the southern protest hotbed of Daraa, witnesses said.

In a further blow to President Bashar Assad, more than 200 members have quit Syria's ruling Baath Party in the southern province at the center of the uprising to protest the Assad regime's brutal crackdown on opponents, a human rights activist said.

A witness said six tanks rolled into Latakia on Wednesday night and security forces fired on pro-democracy demonstrators, wounding four.

Unrest in Latakia is significant because the province has strong historical ties to Assad's minority Alawite sect, an offshoot of Shiite Islam. Latakia is home to a diverse mix of religious groups, with mostly Sunni Muslims in the urban core and Alawites in the countryside. At least 14 people died in clashes in the city during the earlier days of the uprising, raising fears that the violence could take on a sectarian tone in coming days or weeks.

Assad has tried to crush the revolt -- the gravest challenge to his family's 40-year ruling dynasty. More than 450 people have been killed across Syria in the crackdown, with 120 dead this past weekend alone.

In the Damascus suburb of Douma, security forces strengthened their control, fortifying their checkpoints on all roads leading to the area and setting up sand barriers, a resident said.

"Security is so tight around Douma that even birds can't go in," he said, adding that security forces with lists of wanted people continued to detain residents in the area.

Troops were using heavy machine guns in a military operation in Daraa on Thursday, said resident Abdullah Abazeid. He added that snipers shot and killed more people and that 43 have died since the military descended on Daraa on Monday.

The latest deaths include a 6-year-old girl, hit by a sniper Wednesday on the roof of her parents' apartment. He added that pro-government gunmen known as "shabiha" damaged a large numbers of shops in the city.

Abazeid said they were still hiding the bodies of the dead because the cemetery was occupied by Syrian forces belonging to Unit Four, considered the fiercest and most violent of the troops in the town.

The city was still without telephones, electricity and water and lacked food and infant formula, he said, adding that some parents were giving their children water and sugar for lack of powder milk.

The Organization of the Islamic Conference, which represents 57 Muslim nations, said its Secretary-General Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu spoke with Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem by telephone and "expressed his profound sorrow at the large number of deaths and injuries."

It added that Ihsanoglu renewed the OIC stand in favor of restraint and nonviolence along with early implementation of the reforms announced by the Assad government and a prompt engagement in a constructive dialogue with the national forces.

In neighboring Lebanon, customs officials and witnesses said hundreds of people crossed the border, fleeing violence in the Syrian town of Talkalakh. Residents of areas near the border heard gunfire overnight.

In addition to the 200 Baath Party resignations, human rights activist Mustafa Osso said another 30 resigned in the coastal city of Banias. Most who quit were lower-ranking members, he said.

Even though the resignations are small in scope -- the party counts more than 1 million members in Syria -- such walkouts were unimaginable before the uprising began.

A resident of the city of Daraa said most of the resignations came from among Baath members in the town of Inkhil. He spoke on condition of anonymity, fearing reprisals.

Syria's uprising against Assad's authoritarian regime started in Daraa, the provincial capital, on March 15.

The head of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, Rami Abdul-Rahman, said the latest death toll was 454. He also said 68 soldiers who also died in the violence.

Since Wednesday, security forces carrying lists of wanted people have detained dozens around the country, he said. One of those detained was Rasim Atassi, a senior member of the Arab Organization for Human Rights, according to Syrian rights groups.

The revolt began with calls for modest reforms, but protesters emboldened by the violence are now increasingly demanding Assad's ouster.

Assad has blamed most of the unrest on a "foreign conspiracy" and armed thugs, not true reform-seekers.

Syria has banned nearly all foreign media and restricted access to trouble spots since the uprising began, making it almost impossible to verify the dramatic events shaking one of the most authoritarian regimes in the Arab world.

On Thursday, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Al-Jazeera TV suspended its operations in Syria indefinitely in response to restrictions and attacks on its staff. It quoted producer Hassan Elmogummer Taha as saying that the satellite broadcaster's Damascus office has been pelted with eggs and stones for three days, while plainclothes security men have harassed and intimidated its employees.

Two residents in Daraa said Wednesday that at least five army officers had sided with demonstrators, and conscripted soldiers sent into the city were quietly refusing orders to detain people at checkpoints and were allowing some people through to get scarce supplies. But the Syrian government denied that there had been any splits in the military, which is seen as fiercely loyal to Assad. The army also denied any defections.

Eyewitness accounts from Syria have caused world leaders to step up criticism of the Assad regime. The governments of five European nations summoned Syrian ambassadors Wednesday in a coordinated demand that Assad stop shooting at his people.

Turkey, which has close ties with Assad, sent envoys to Syria to convince him to show restraint. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said Turkey does not want to see an "an authoritarian, totalitarian, imposing structure," in Syria.

European countries threatened sanctions if the crackdown didn't end. U.S. officials have said Washington has begun drawing up targeted sanctions against Assad, his family and his inner circle.

However, the U.N. Security Council failed to agree Wednesday on a statement circulated by Britain, France, Germany and Portugal condemning the violence in Syria. Several members -- including Lebanon -- indicated they were opposed, council diplomats said, speaking on condition of anonymity because the meeting was closed. Security Council statements to the media must be approved by consensus.

Britain, meanwhile, revoked a royal wedding invitation to the Syrian Ambassador Sami Khiyami because of the unrest.

The government said ambassadors from 185 countries with which Britain has "normal diplomatic relations" had been invited to Friday's wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton, and that an invitation did not condone regimes' behavior.

But the Foreign Office said Thursday that "in the light of this week's attacks against civilians by the Syrian security forces, which we have condemned, the foreign secretary has decided that the presence of the Syrian ambassador at the royal wedding would be unacceptable and that he should not attend."

QuoteActivists report clashes between Syrian army units
By ELIZABETH A. KENNEDY and DIAA HADID, Associated


BEIRUT – Members of Syrian army units have clashed with each other over carrying out President Bashar Assad's orders to crack down on protesters in the southern city of Daraa, the heart of the uprising, a witness and human rights groups said Thursday.

More than 500 people have been killed across Syria — about 100 in Daraa alone — since the popular revolt against Assad began in mid-March, according to human rights groups.

While the infighting in Daraa does not indicate any decisive splits in the military, it is significant because Assad's army always has been seen as a bastion of support for the regime. The Syrian military has denied that there had been any splits in the military.

On Thursday, more soldiers in armored personnel carriers rolled into Daraa, where residents huddled inside homes in fear amid the blasts of mortars and heavy gunfire, as well as snipers on high rooftops and mosques, a resident said by satellite telephone. Like other witnesses in Syria, he spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of government retaliation.

Ausama Monajed, a spokesman for a group of opposition figures in Syria and abroad, said the clashes among the soldiers have occurred since Assad sent the army into Daraa on Monday. The deployment was a clear escalation in his crackdown on the uprising.

"There are some battalions that refused to open fire on the people," Monajed told The Associated Press, citing witnesses on the ground in Daraa. "Battalions of the 5th Division were protecting people, and returned fire when they were subjected to attacks by the 4th Division."

The 4th division is run by the president's brother, Maher.

The reports were corroborated by three witnesses in Daraa and an activist contacted by the AP. All four asked that their names not be used for fear of reprisals.

A witness in Daraa told the AP that he saw soldiers from different army units clashing Monday in front of the Bilal mosque in central Daraa, when Syrian forces rolled into town. He said the battle between the forces lasted for several hours.

"We saw ordinary soldiers fall," the resident said. "And then I heard people shout "God is great! They are martyrs of freedom!"

Syria has banned nearly all foreign media and restricted access to trouble spots since the uprising began, making it almost impossible to verify the dramatic events shaking one of the most authoritarian, anti-Western regimes in the Arab world.

The government has blamed armed thugs and a foreign conspiracy for the unrest, not true reform seekers.

State-run Syrian TV has run running lingering, gruesome close-ups of dead soldiers, their eyes blown out and parts of their limbs missing, to back up their claims that they were under attack.

In a further blow to Assad, more than 200 members have quit Syria's ruling Baath Party in the southern province, a human rights activist said.

On Wednesday night, six tanks rolled into the key northern port of Latakia — in the heartland of Syria's ruling elite — and security forces opened fire on anti government demonstrators, wounding six, witnesses said.

Unrest in Latakia is significant because the province has strong historical ties to Assad's minority Alawite sect, an offshoot of Shiite Islam. Latakia is home to a diverse mix of religious groups, with mostly Sunni Muslims in the urban core and Alawites in the countryside. At least 14 people died in clashes in the city during the earlier days of the uprising, raising fears that the violence could take on a sectarian tone in coming days or weeks.

Assad has tried to crush the revolt — the gravest challenge to his family's 40-year ruling dynasty.

In the Damascus suburb of Douma, security forces strengthened their control, fortifying checkpoints on roads into the area and setting up sand barriers, a resident said.

"Security is so tight around Douma that even birds can't go in," he said, adding that security forces with lists of wanted people continued to detain residents in the area.

Troops were using heavy machine guns Thursday in Daraa, said resident Abdullah Abazeid. He added that snipers killed more people and that 43 have died since the military arrived Monday.

The latest deaths include a 6-year-old girl, hit by a sniper Wednesday on the roof of her parents' apartment. He added that pro-government gunmen known as "shabiha" damaged a large numbers of shops in the city.

Abazeid said they were still hiding the bodies of the dead because the cemetery was occupied by Syrian forces belonging to Unit Four, considered the fiercest and most violent of the troops in the town.

The city was still without telephones, electricity and water and lacked food and infant formula, he said, adding that some parents were giving their children water and sugar for lack of powder milk.

Quote from: KRonn on April 28, 2011, 01:42:24 PM
The upheavals in Syria are a lot longer lasting than I would have expected. I wouldn't have expected it to last so long, given the heavy hand of the government's response. Now maybe some of the military are balking at what they're doing, but does it mean undermining the govt's position or just some units refusing to slaughter their own people, but who support the govt overall anyway?

Quote from: HisMajestyBOB on April 28, 2011, 01:44:46 PM

Quote from: KRonn on April 28, 2011, 01:42:24 PM
The upheavals in Syria are a lot longer lasting than I would have expected. I wouldn't have expected it to last so long, given the heavy hand of the government's response. Now maybe some of the military are balking at what they're doing, but does it mean undermining the govt's position or just some units refusing to slaughter their own people, but who support the govt overall anyway?

I'm surprised as well. I expected that the protests would be extinguished once the government went into full Hama-style crackdown mode.

Quote
Syrian army units 'clash over crackdown'

Reports say army units exchanged fire after one refused to shoot at protesters in restive city of Deraa.

Members of two Syrian army units have clashed with each other over carrying out orders to crack down on protesters in Deraa, the southern city at the heart of an anti-government uprising, according to a witness and human rights groups.

More than 500 people have been killed across Syria - about 100 in Deraa alone - since the popular revolt against the country's president, Bashar al-Assad began in mid-March, according to human rights groups.

While the infighting in Deraa does not indicate any decisive splits in the military, it is significant because the army has always been seen as a bastion of support for the regime. The Syrian military has denied that there have been any splits in the military.

On Thursday, more soldiers in armored personnel carriers rolled into Deraa while snipers took up positions on high rooftops and mosques, a resident told the AP news agency by satellite telephone. Residents were huddled inside homes in fear amid the blasts of mortars and heavy gunfire, the resident said.

Ausama Monajed, a spokesman for a group of opposition figures in Syria and abroad, said clashes among soldiers had occurred since Assad sent the army into Deraa on Monday.

The deployment was a clear escalation in his crackdown on the uprising.

"There are some battalions that refused to open fire on the people," Monajed told The Associated Press news agency, citing witnesses on the ground in Deraa.

"Battalions of the fifth division were protecting people, and returned fire when they were subjected to attacks by the fourth division."

The fourth division is run by the president's brother, Maher al-Assad.

The reports were corroborated by three witnesses in Deraa and an activist contacted by AP. All four asked that their names not be used for fear of reprisals.

A witness in Deraa told AP that he saw soldiers from different army units clashing on Monday in front of the Bilal mosque in central Deraa, when Syrian forces rolled into town. He said the battle between the forces lasted for several hours.

"We saw ordinary soldiers fall," the resident said. "And then I heard people shout "God is great! They are martyrs of freedom!"
....

Quote from: jamesww on April 28, 2011, 05:30:37 PM
The first cracks appear ?

If this is true, then maybe we'll see the astonishing collapse of yet another dictatorship or perhaps the beginnings of a civil war ?

Quote from: Razgovory on April 28, 2011, 05:57:55 PM
Yeah, it'll be Iraq all over again.

Quote from: Razgovory on April 28, 2011, 06:30:41 PM
I read that as Defecating soldiers in Deraa.  I thought to myself, "Well, I'm not going to click that."

Quote from: Ed Anger on April 28, 2011, 06:32:09 PM

Quote from: Razgovory on April 28, 2011, 06:30:41 PM
I read that as Defecating soldiers in Deraa.  I thought to myself, "Well, I'm not going to click that."

The number of clicks from Germany skyrocketed.

Quote from: jamesww on April 28, 2011, 06:34:00 PM

Quote from: Ed Anger on April 28, 2011, 06:32:09 PM

Quote from: Razgovory on April 28, 2011, 06:30:41 PM
I read that as Defecating soldiers in Deraa.  I thought to myself, "Well, I'm not going to click that."

The number of clicks from Germany skyrocketed.

Heels or mice ?

QuoteMuslim Brotherhood backs Syria protests
By Khaled Yacoub Oweis

DAMASCUS (Reuters) – The Muslim Brotherhood called on Syrians to take to the streets ahead of Friday prayers and help the besieged city of Deraa, where a rights group said civilian deaths from a tank-backed army attack rose to 50.

It was the first time that the Brotherhood, ruthlessly crushed along with secular leftist movements under the rule of late President Hafez al-Assad, had called directly for protests in Syria since pro-democracy demonstrations against Assad's son, President Bashar al-Assad, erupted six weeks ago.

A declaration by the Brotherhood, sent to Reuters by its leadership in exile Thursday, said: "Do not let the regime besiege your compatriots. Chant with one voice for freedom and dignity. Do not allow the tyrant to enslave you. God is great."

The protests have drawn a cross section of Syrian society, which has been under Baath Party rule for the last 48 years. The younger Assad kept intact the autocratic political system he inherited in 2000 while the family expanded its control over Syria's struggling economy.

The Brotherhood said accusations by the authorities that militant Islamists were behind the unrest were aimed at fomenting civil war and undermining nationwide demands for political freedoms and an end to corruption.

But Friday, the Muslim day of rest and prayers, has been the main opportunity for protesters to gather, challenging repeated warnings by the authorities not to demonstrate.

Security forces shot dead at least 120 protesters last Friday, said Syrian human rights organization Sawasiah, in the biggest demonstrations Syria has seen since the democratic uprising erupted in Deraa on March 18, with pro-democracy protests spreading to regions across the rest of Syria.

Three days later the Fourth Mechanised Division, under the control of Assad brother's Maher stormed Deraa, echoing their his father's 1982 attack on the city of Hama to crush a revolt led by the Muslim Brotherhood, killing anywhere between 10,000 and 30,000 people.

Assad tightened the security grip in and around Damascus on Thursday, with various security forces and secret police units deploying in the nearby towns, Erbin and Tel and in the Damascus district of Barzeh and the suburbs of Douma and Daraya, rights activists and witnesses said.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the attack on Deraa has killed at least 50 civilians, with essential supplies in the city running law.

The offensive helped intensify criticism against Assad in the West, which took steps to rehabilitate the Syrian ruler in the last three years. The United States says it is considering tightening sanctions.

Ambassadors of European Union governments to Brussels plan to meet Friday to discuss the possibility of imposing sanctions against Syria, which could include asset freezes and travel restrictions on key officials.

One EU diplomat said it may be too early for the bloc to make a binding decision Friday but governments could send a message signaling sanctions were on the table.

"I'd expect a political signal toward sanctions but maybe not a decision yet," the diplomat said.

Other EU measures against Syria could include freezing financial aid, which amounts to 43 million euros ($64 million) a year.

Quote from: jamesww on April 28, 2011, 05:30:37 PM
The first cracks appear ? :

http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2011/04/2011428182333234775.html (http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2011/04/2011428182333234775.html)

Quote
Syrian army units 'clash over crackdown'

Reports say army units exchanged fire after one refused to shoot at protesters in restive city of Deraa.

Members of two Syrian army units have clashed with each other over carrying out orders to crack down on protesters in Deraa, the southern city at the heart of an anti-government uprising, according to a witness and human rights groups.

More than 500 people have been killed across Syria - about 100 in Deraa alone - since the popular revolt against the country's president, Bashar al-Assad began in mid-March, according to human rights groups.

While the infighting in Deraa does not indicate any decisive splits in the military, it is significant because the army has always been seen as a bastion of support for the regime. The Syrian military has denied that there have been any splits in the military.

On Thursday, more soldiers in armored personnel carriers rolled into Deraa while snipers took up positions on high rooftops and mosques, a resident told the AP news agency by satellite telephone. Residents were huddled inside homes in fear amid the blasts of mortars and heavy gunfire, the resident said.

Ausama Monajed, a spokesman for a group of opposition figures in Syria and abroad, said clashes among soldiers had occurred since Assad sent the army into Deraa on Monday.

The deployment was a clear escalation in his crackdown on the uprising.

"There are some battalions that refused to open fire on the people," Monajed told The Associated Press news agency, citing witnesses on the ground in Deraa.

"Battalions of the fifth division were protecting people, and returned fire when they were subjected to attacks by the fourth division."

The fourth division is run by the president's brother, Maher al-Assad.

The reports were corroborated by three witnesses in Deraa and an activist contacted by AP. All four asked that their names not be used for fear of reprisals.

A witness in Deraa told AP that he saw soldiers from different army units clashing on Monday in front of the Bilal mosque in central Deraa, when Syrian forces rolled into town. He said the battle between the forces lasted for several hours.

"We saw ordinary soldiers fall," the resident said. "And then I heard people shout "God is great! They are martyrs of freedom!"
....

The link has the full article.

If this is true, then maybe we'll see the astonishing collapse of yet another dictatorship or perhaps the beginnings of a civil war ?

QuoteTruth and reconciliation? It won't happen in Syria

Saturday, 7 May 2011

If you want to understand the cruel tragedy of Syria, there are two books you must read: Nikolaos van Dam's The Struggle for Power in Syria and, of course, Patrick Seale's biography Assad.

Van Dam was an ambassador in Damascus and his study of the Baath party was so accurate – albeit deeply critical – that all party members in Syria were urged to read it. But this week, for the first time, Lebanese journalist Ziad Majed brought together three of Syria's finest academics-in-exile to discuss the uprising in their native country, and their insight is as frightening as it is undoubtedly true.

According to historian Farouk Mardam-Bey, for example, Syria is "a tribal regime, which by being a kind of mafia clan and by exercising the cult of personality, can be compared to the Libyan regime", which can never reform itself because reform will bring about the collapse of the Baath party which will always ferociously defend itself. "It has placed itself – politically and juridically – upon a war footing," Mardam-Bey says of its struggle with Israel, "without the slightest intention of actually going to war."

.......

Quote from: KRonn on May 10, 2011, 09:53:19 AM
I'm actually surprised that the protests are still going on in Syria as strongly, or maybe even gaining strength. I hear some talk of possible civil war if things continue. But mostly I'm surprised at the continuing protests, in spite of the severe crackdowns.

Quote from: jamesww on May 10, 2011, 09:58:29 AM

Quote from: KRonn on May 10, 2011, 09:53:19 AM
I'm actually surprised that the protests are still going on in Syria as strongly, or maybe even gaining strength. I hear some talk of possible civil war if things continue. But mostly I'm surprised at the continuing protests, in spite of the severe crackdowns.

Given the murderous history of the regime and how many unarmed demonstrators they've now killed, these people are very braze individuals.

Makes one somewhat embarrassed for taking ones own civil liberties for granted.

Quote
Syria accuses US of meddling

BEIRUT (AP) — Hundreds of thousands of Syrians poured into the streets of the opposition stronghold Hama on Friday, bolstered by a gesture of support from the American and French ambassadors who visited the city where a massacre nearly 30 years ago came to symbolize the ruthlessness of the Assad dynasty.

The visit by U.S. Ambassador Robert Ford drew swift condemnation from the Syrian government, which said the unauthorized trip was proof that Washington was inciting violence in the Arab nation.

State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland called the charge "absolute rubbish."

Mass demonstrations also erupted in cities and towns nationwide, triggering a crackdown that killed at least 13 people, activists said. But Hama's protest was by far the largest, galvanizing residents in a city that has drawn the biggest crowds since the revolt began nearly four months ago.

Although President Bashar Assad still has a firm grip on power, international criticism over the brutal crackdown has left his regime shaken and isolated as it struggles to contain a protest movement that refuses to die.

The protesters have yet to come out in sustained numbers in the largest cities, the capital Damascus and Aleppo, although there were scattered protests Friday and security forces killed one protester in Damascus.

The regime has staged large demonstrations in the capital, including on Friday, to showcase its support.

In recent days, Hama residents have largely sealed off their city, setting up makeshift checkpoints with burning tires and concrete blocks to prevent security forces from storming into the city.

"As long as we have no security forces, we have no violence," a Hama resident told The Associated Press by telephone from the city, asking that his name not be published out of fear for his safety.

Hama poses a potential dilemma for the Syrian regime because of its place as a symbol of opposition to the rule of the Assad family. In 1982, the late Hafez Assad ordered troops to crush a rebellion by Islamist forces, killing between 10,000 and 25,000 people, rights activists say.

A major offensive could make the city a fresh rallying cry for the opposition.

It appeared that the latest crowds approached those from a week earlier, when an estimated 300,000 people protested, although the figures could not be confirmed. Three activists estimated at least 200,000 — and likely far more — turned out.

Syria has banned nearly all foreign media and restricted media coverage, making it nearly impossible to independently verify events on the ground.

The U.S. and French ambassadors traveled to Hama in separate trips Thursday and left on Friday before the protests kicked off, according to officials in Washington and Paris.

In a video posted on YouTube that purports to show Ford in an SUV near Hama's central Assi Square, people tossed flowers and olive branches onto the vehicle and shouted for the downfall of the regime.

The Syrian government did not comment on French Ambassador Eric Chevallier's trip to Hama.

But the regime seized on Ford's visit to insist that foreign conspirators are behind the unrest, not true reform-seekers. Relations between the U.S. and Syria are chronically strained over Assad's ties with Iran.

"The presence of the U.S. ambassador in Hama without obtaining prior permission from the Foreign Ministry as stipulated by instructions distributed repeatedly to all the embassies is clear evidence of the U.S. involvement in the ongoing events in Syria," the state-run news agency reported Friday, citing an unnamed "official source" at the Foreign Ministry.

The U.S. is trying to "aggravate the situations which destabilize Syria," the statement said.

The State Department spokeswoman said the U.S. informed the Syrian government of his travels ahead of time and she noted the Syrian ambassador in Washington can move freely around the U.S.

Nuland said friendly Syrians welcomed Ford and lavished his car with flowers and olive branches.

On Thursday, Nuland said Ford had reached the city after passing checkpoints run by the military and Hama residents and spent the day "expressing our deep support for the right of the Syrian people to assemble peacefully and to express themselves."

France's Foreign Ministry said in a statement that Chevallier's visit showed the country's concern for the Syrian population.

"In any case, there is one immediate reform that the Syrian regime could carry out: Give instructions to its security forces to stop firing on the population," French Foreign Ministry spokesman Bernard Valero said later.

Nearly 700 people gathered outside the U.S. Embassy in Damascus to protest Ford's visit to Hama, some throwing tomatoes and plastic bottles at the building. Riot police kept most of them from reaching the building, although one person managed to scrawl graffiti on the wall that read: "Your conspiracy is under our feet, and your Zionist ambassador will be kicked out."

Maha Shawa, a 56-year-old engineer, said attended the protest to reject "foreign interference in Syria."

"They live outside and don't know anything about Syria," she said. "We want to live in peace. Freedom does not mean that people violate the law."

The Syrian regime has used a mix of fierce violence and tentative promises of reform to try to quell the uprising, which was inspired by the revolutions in Tunisia and Egypt. Some 1,600 people and 350 members of security forces have been killed since demonstrations began, activists say.

The regime blames "armed thugs," religious extremists and foreign conspirators for the unrest.

Syria has banned nearly all foreign media and restricted media coverage, making it nearly impossible to independently verify events on the ground.

Also Friday, security forces killed three protesters in Maaret al-Numan, a town on the highway linking Damascus with Syria's largest city, Aleppo, said Syrian rights activist Ammar Qurabi.

Ten other people were killed around the country, including one in Damascus, six in the Damascus suburb of Dumair and three in the central city of Homs. Syrian state-run TV said the deaths in Damascus and Homs were caused by snipers from "armed gangs."

Overnight, Syrian forces killed three people in a demonstration in the Damascus suburb of Harasta, activists said. Many protesters have recently been opting for nighttime demonstrations and candlelight vigils, aiming for a time when the security presence thins out.

Three activists confirmed the Damascus death toll to The Associated Press.

A Syria-based activist said residents told him that security forces used live bullets and smoke bombs to quell the demonstration. He spoke on condition of anonymity, fearing for his own safety.

QuoteAlastair Good

1:42PM BST 10 Jul 2011

The lyrics to the song are simple, the meaning clear "It's time to leave, Bashar," its lyrics go. "Freedom is near."

But according to a video circulating widely online, Mr Qashoush was found with his throat slit floating in the River Orontes in his home-town, Hama.

Hama has been the scene of large protests against the regime of President Assad and the Syrian leader has sent tanks and troops to quell the dissent.

In singing his song to crowds that gathered there, Qashoush made himself a target for the Syrian security forces who, local dissidents have confirmed, silenced him forever.

QuoteArab League proposes Syria peace plan
The Arab League is sending its chief to Damascus with a peace plan to try and solve the bloody five-month-old Syrian crisis.


By Ben Farmer

9:37PM BST 28 Aug 2011

Comments7 Comments

Nabil al-Arabi will visit the Syrian capital with "an initiative" to end the deadlock between the government and protesters, the league said in a statement demanding an end to the bloodshed.

The statement provoked an angry rejection from Syria though, which condemned it as "a clear violation ... of the principles of the Arab League charter and of the foundations of joint Arab action." Foreign ministers from the 22-member League met over the weekend in Cairo as an onslaught against anti-government protesters defied growing pressure from Damascus's allies.

The United Nations has estimated more than 2,200 have been killed.

Months of international condemnation have failed to halt the bloodshed, which has seen the regime deploy tanks, snipers, and allegedly naval bombardment against street protesters.

In some of the weekend's heaviest clashes, army defectors who had refused to fire on unarmed protesters reportedly fought loyalist troops in a northeast suburb of the capital.

Dozens of soldiers defected and fled into al-Ghouta, an area of orchards and farmland, after pro-Assad forces shot at a crowd of demonstrators near the Damascus suburb of Harasta to prevent them from marching on the capital, residents said.

Syrian authorities have denied any army defections, though protesters claim growing numbers of rank-and-file soldiers are mutinying against officers loyal to the Assad family.

One resident, who declined to be named, said: "The army has been firing heavy machineguns throughout the night at al-Ghouta and they were being met with response from smaller rifles."

Security forces on Sunday shot dead two and wounded nine others in the northwestern province of Idlib, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

Abdullah Gul, president of neighbouring Turkey, said he had lost confidence in Damascus's promises to halt the crackdown and deliver reform.

"Today in the world there is no place for authoritarian administrations, one-party rule, closed regimes. Those either will be replaced by force, or the governors of states will take the initiative to administer," Mr Gul warned.

Iran at the weekend warned Mr Assad to heed the "legitimate demands" of his people, but warned Nato would become bogged down in a quagmire if it interfered.

Ali Akbar Salehi, Tehran's foreign minister, said: "Syria is the front-runner in Middle Eastern resistance (to Israel) and Nato cannot intimidate this country with an attack.

"If, God forbid, such a thing happened, Nato would drown in a quagmire from which it would never be able to escape ...

"If the West should want to follow the same course as they have done in Iraq and Afghanistan they would not realise the desired result."

William Hague, British Foreign Secretary, ruled out a Libya-style Nato military campaign in Syria.

He claimed the success of Libyan rebels in taking Tripoli "vindicated" Britain's policy of military action, but said there was no consensus for action in Syria.

It was unclear when the Arab League delegation would reach Damascus and details of the peace plan were not disclosed.

Russian diplomats were also preparing to send their own delegation with a competing initiative, Moscow said.

Quote* Published 16:58 28.08.11
    * Latest update 16:58 28.08.11

Syrian opposition decides to take up arms against Assad regime

Leader of Revolutionary Council tell London-based As-Sharq al-Awsat that the only solution to regime's violence is armed uprising.

The leader of the Revolutionary Council of the Syrian Coordination Committees, Mohammad Rahhal, said in remarks published Sunday that the council took the decision to arm the Syrian revolution.

Since mid-March pro-democracy protests have engulfed most of Syria calling for political and economic reforms as well as for the ousting of Syrian president Bashar Assad.

"We made our decision to arm the revolution which will turn violent very soon because what we are being subjected to today is a global conspiracy that can only be faced by an armed uprising," he told the London-based As-Sharq al-Awsat newspaper. Circumstances no longer allow dealing peacefully with the regime's "crimes," he added. "We will use whatever arms and rocks ... We will respond to the people's calls to arm the revolution," he said.

"Confronting this monster (the Syrian regime) now requires arms, especially after it has become clear to everyone that the world only supports the Syrian uprising through speeches," he added. Rahal lashed out some Arab regimes and described them as "cowards."

Assad's troops have harshly cracked down on protests against almost five decades of Baath Party rule, killing over 2,200 people and triggering a wide-scale international condemnation.
 

Quote'Brink of civil war': Syrian opposition asks world for help

After months of protests, disparate Assad opponents come together

msnbc.com news services
updated 17 minutes ago

AMMAN — Syrian dissidents on Sunday formally established a broad-based national council designed to overthrow President Bashar Assad's regime, which they accused of pushing the country to the brink of civil war. Syrians took to the streets in celebration, singing and dancing.

The announcement of the Syrian National Council at a news conference in Istanbul appeared to be the most serious step yet to unify a deeply fragmented opposition. It follows five days of intense battles between the Syrian military and army defectors in the country's central region that raised the specter of all-out armed conflict.

Prominent Syrian opposition figure Bourhan Ghalioun, who read out the founding statement of the SNC at the news conference in Istanbul, accused the regime of fomenting sectarian strife in Syria to maintain its grip on power.

"I think that this (Assad) regime has completely lost the world's trust," he said. "The world is waiting for a united Syrian (opposition) that can provide the alternative to this regime, so that they can recognize it," he added.

"The council denounces the (regime's) policy of sectarian incitement ... which threatens national unity and is pushing the country to the brink of civil war," said Ghalioun, a respected and popular opposition figure who is also a scholar of contemporary oriental studies at the Sorbonne in Paris.
Story: From peaceful protest to civil war? Violent turn may foretell future of Syrian uprising

The statement issued in Istanbul rejected foreign intervention that "compromises Syria's sovereignty" but said the outside world had a humanitarian obligation to protect the Syrian people.

"The council demands international governments and organizations meet their responsibility to support the Syrian people, protect them and stop the crimes and gross human rights violations being committed by the illegitimate current regime," the statement said.

It said that protesters should continue to use "peaceful means" to topple the Syrian leader.

The declaration and support for the National Council was a significant show of unity from the Syrian opposition after six months of mostly non-violent protests against Assad have begun to be overtaken by more violent resistance.

Armed insurgents, mostly in the central Homs region and in the northwestern province of Idlib near Turkey, have been so far outgunned.

In forming a national council, the Syrians are following in the footsteps of Libyan rebels, who formed a National Transitional Council during the uprising that ousted dictator Moammar Gadhafi. The Libyan council won international recognition and has now become the main governing body that runs the country.

Groups of Syrians poured into the streets in southern and central regions of the country to celebrate the announcement.

Cleric's son killed
The official Syrian news agency said Saturday government forces had regained control of the central town of Rastan, after the most prolonged fighting yet between the army and insurgents who are led, according to residents, by army defectors.

But underlining the more violent turn, Syrian authorities said that the 21-year-old son of Syria's top Sunni Muslim cleric was assassinated Sunday. It was the first attack against the state-backed Sunni clergy who have been a base of support for Assad's ruling Alawite elite for decades.

The cleric, Grand Mufti Ahmad Badreddine Hassoun, is considered a close supporter of Assad's regime and has echoed its claims that the unrest in Syria is the result of a foreign conspiracy.

In Istanbul, the National Council said that the uprising must remain peaceful but that military assaults on numerous towns and villages, torture and mass arrests were driving Syria "to the edge of civil war and inviting foreign interference."

While few expect a Libya-style intervention in Syria, the declaration was nonetheless a way for the opposition to shake off its image of in-fighting and lack of cohesive leadership.

Although the mass demonstrations in Syria have shaken one of the most authoritarian regimes in the Middle East, the opposition has made no major gains in recent months. It holds no territory and still has no clear leadership.

The Syrian opposition consists of a variety of groups with differing ideologies, including Islamists and secularists, and there have been many meetings of dissidents claiming to represent Syria's popular uprising since it erupted seven months ago. But the new council is the broadest umbrella movement of revolutionary forces formed so far.

'Political vacuum'
Members said it includes representatives from the Damascus Declaration grouping, a pro-democracy network based in the capital; the Syrian Muslim Brotherhood, an Islamic political party banned in the country; various Kurdish factions; and the grass-roots Local Coordination Committees, which have led protests across the country; as well as other independent and tribal figures.

"The fact that Islamists, secular figures and activists on the ground are now on one council is a significant," a diplomat in the Syrian capital Damascus said.

"But they still have to demonstrate that they could be politically savvy and able to fill any political vacuum. They need a detailed action plan beyond the generalities of wanting a democratic Syria."

The United Nations says 2,700 people, including 100 children, have been killed in six months of protests against Assad, whose Alawite minority sect — a Shiite offshoot — dominates the mostly Sunni Muslim country of 20 million.

The 46-year old president, who inherited power from his father in 2000, blames the violence on armed gangs backed by foreign forces, while his officials say 700 police and soldiers have been killed, as well as 700 "mutineers."

The government has dismissed the opposition organizing outside Syria as a foreign conspiracy to sow sectarian strife.

France has already publicly supported the National Council, but it has not yet won endorsement from the United States or Syria's powerful neighbor Turkey, which has been enraged by what it describes as brutal killings south of its border.

Assad has relied on Russia and China, which have major oil concessions in Syria and do not want to see Western influence in the Middle East spread, to block western proposals for United Nations Security Council sanctions on Damascus.

The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.

Quote from: jimmy olsen on October 03, 2011, 03:28:51 AM
Another step forward toward Civil War

QuoteOver 10,000 soldiers have deserted Syria army, says high-ranking defector

Colonel Riad Assaad says defectors carrying out guerilla-style attacks on security police who enforce loyalty to Assad regime.

By Reuters and DPA Tags: Syria Bashar Assad

Colonel Riad Assaad, a high-ranking defector from the Syrian military, told Reuters on Friday that more than 10,000 soldiers have deserted the Syrian army and defectors are attacking security police who enforce loyalty to President Bashar Assad.

Guerrilla-style attacks were concentrating on Military and Air Force Intelligence, secret police personnel entrusted with preventing mutiny in the military, who have been behind some of the biggest attacks on pro-democracy protesters, Colonel Assaad told Reuters.

"They have a major role behind the military units and on roadblocks to shoot soldiers who disobey orders," Asaad said by telephone from an undisclosed location on the Syrian-Turkish border. Insurgent operations had "improved markedly in quality" in the last week, he said.

Asaad said fighting had also taken place with army forces but that defectors had been trying not to engage the military to help rally support for their cause.

The military and security apparatus has remained mostly under Assad's control but army deserters, many of whom have reportedly defected because they refused to shoot at demonstrators, have formed a rebel unit called the Syrian Free Army under the command of Asaad, a 50-year-old Air Force officer from Idlib near the border with Turkey.

"Morale in the army is low and defections are mounting all over Syria, although many soldiers are waiting because the regime will kill them or kill their families if they leave," Asaad said.

"Our goal is to protect the peaceful demonstrations and bring down the regime," he said, adding there were more than 10,000 defectors out of the 200,000-member army.

Asaad declined to estimate how long Assad could hold on to power but said international support for the rebels, off the table for now, would help "bring down the regime very quickly."

Syrian troops backed by tanks and artillery advanced in the city of Rastan, near Homs, on Saturday after four days of clashes with army defectors, activists said.

"The city is almost destroyed from the shelling of the army," an anti-government activist who lives in Lebanon said.

"So far we have 10 army defectors killed and a number were wounded," he said.

Syrian exiles said there were about 2,000 defectors in the city.
Government troops have been fighting army defectors in Rastan in the first prolonged armed confrontation since protests erupted against Assad six months ago.

Tens of thousands of protesters took to the streets across Syria on Friday demanding the removal of President Bashar Assad, as fighting continued between loyalist forces and insurgents in the centre of the country, according to activists.

Foreign journalists are barred from Syria, where the regime has killed an estimated 2,700 people during a crackdown on pro-democracy protesters, according to opposition activists and rights groups.

Quote from: mongers on January 27, 2012, 08:07:56 PM
Syria edging towards civil war ?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/mobile/world-middle-east-16763954 (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/mobile/world-middle-east-16763954)

Quote from: mongers on January 27, 2012, 08:07:56 PM
Syria edging towards civil war ?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/mobile/world-middle-east-16763954 (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/mobile/world-middle-east-16763954)

Quote from: Razgovory on January 27, 2012, 10:05:10 PM
The edge of civil war must be pretty fucking big.  They've been on the edge of Civil War for that last eight months.

Quote from: AnchorClanker on January 28, 2012, 02:28:25 PM
I'll pre-empt CdM putting the words in my mouth and say that it's a damn pity that there isn't a sensible Hashemite in charge in the Levant.   :bowler: :P