Protests in Syria

[High_Gravity]

Russia, China Veto Syria Sanctions

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Russia and China vetoed a European-backed U.N. Security Council resolution Tuesday that threatened sanctions against Syria if it didn't immediately halt its military crackdown against civilians.

It would have been the first legally binding resolution adopted by the Security Council since President Bashar Assad's military began using tanks and soldiers against protesters in mid-March. Its defeat reflects the deep divisions in the U.N.'s most powerful body over how to address the ongoing violence in Syria, which the U.N. estimates has led to more than 2,700 deaths.

The European sponsors of the resolution tried to avoid a veto by watering down the language on sanctions three times, to the point where the word "sanctions" was taken out, but they failed.

The vote was 9-2 with four abstentions — India, South Africa, Brazil and Lebanon.

It was the first double veto by Russia and China since July 2008 when they vetoed proposed sanctions against Zimbabwe. In January 2007, they also vetoed a resolution calling on Myanmar to release all political prisoners, initiate a wide-ranging dialogue and end military attacks and human rights abuses.

Russia's U.N. Ambassador Vitaly Churkin told the council after the vote that his country did not support the Assad regime or the violence but opposed the resolution because it was "based on a philosophy of confrontation," contained "an ultimatum of sanctions" and was against a peaceful settlement of a crisis. He also complained that the resolution did not call for the Syrian opposition to disassociate itself from "extremists" and enter into dialogue.

China's Ambassador Li Bandong said his country is concerned about the ongoing violence and wants to see speedy reforms but opposed the resolution because "sanctions, or threat of sanctions, do not help the situation in Syria but rather complicates the situation."

Supporters of the resolution expressed disappointment and outrage.

France's U.N. Ambassador Gerard Araud called the veto "a rejection of the extraordinary movement in support of freedom and democracy that is the Arab Spring" and commended "all of those who fight against the bloodthirsty crackdown in Syria."

Britain's U.N. Ambassador Mark Lyall Grant said the veto "will be a great disappointment to the people of Syria and the wider region that some members of this council could not show their support for their struggle for basic human rights."

"By blocking this resolution, the onus is now on those countries to step up their efforts and persuade the Syrian government to end the violence and pursue genuine reform," he said.

U.S. Ambassador Susan Rice said "the courageous people of Syria can now clearly see who on this council supports their yearning for liberty and human rights — and who does not."

"Those who oppose this resolution and give cover to a brutal regime will have to answer to the Syrian people — and, indeed, to people across the region who are pursuing the same universal aspirations," she said. "The crisis in Syria will stay before the Security Council, and we will not rest until this council rises to meet its responsibilities."

Rice accused Russia and China of wanting to sell arms to the Syrian regime rather than stand with the Syrian people — an accusation vehemently denied by Russia's Churkin.

From the outset of the Syrian uprising, the council has been split.

Western members, backed by some African and Latin American nations, demanded an end to violence, and when it was not heeded they pushed for Security Council action, including the threat of sanctions. On the other side, Russia, China and the newly emerging global powers — Brazil, India and South Africa — pressed for more time for the Assad government to implement reforms and for political dialogue with the opposition and strongly opposed even mentioning sanctions.

It took four months of arguments between supporters and opponents of Assad's regime for the Security Council to issue a presidential statement in August condemning the escalating violence.

Britain, France, Germany and Portugal, backed by the United States, then pressed for a council resolution calling for an immediate arms embargo and other sanctions aimed at stopping the Assad government's crackdown on protesters.

Russia, China Veto Syria Sanctions

 

[High_Gravity]

Syria: Rastan Mosques Cordoned Off, Activists Say

BEIRUT — Syrian activists say masked gunmen have shot dead a prominent Kurdish opposition figure in northeastern Syria.

A spokesman for the Local Coordination Committees, Omar Idilbi, says Mashaal Tammo was killed Friday by gunmen who raided a home in the predominantly Kurdish city of Kamishli.

Tammo is a well known activist who headed a political party called the Kurdish Future Current.

Idilbi says Tammo's son was wounded in the attack.

The London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights confirmed Tammo's assassination.

His killing took place on a day of violence throughout Syria.

Security forces opened fire on protesters in several parts of the country, killing at least eight people and wounding scores.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.

BEIRUT (AP) – Syrian security forces opened fire at protesters in several parts of the country on Friday, killing at least eight people and wounding scores, while a leading opposition figure was beaten up by pro-government gunmen and rushed to a hospital in Damascus, activist said.

The developments came as tens of thousands marched in the streets of several Syrian cities, towns and villages, calling for the downfall of President Bashar Assad's regime.

The London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said at least four people were killed and 25 were wounded in the central city of Homs, Syria's third largest city. It also reported intense shooting in the eastern city of Deir el-Zour near the border with Iraq, and the Damascus suburb of Douma.

In Douma, the Observatory said at least three people were killed and several were wounded, while five were wounded in the northern town of Maaret al-Numan.

Syria-based rights activist Mustafa Osso said one person was also killed in the town of Zabadani near the border with Lebanon.

Meanwhile, Riad Seif, a former lawmaker who became a leading opposition figure and outspoken critic of Assad's regime, was beaten up outside a mosque in the central Damascus suburb of Midan, according to two Syria-based activists.

Osso and Omar Idilbi, a spokesman for the activist group Local Coordination Committees, said Seif, who suffers from cancer and had been detained earlier this year, was rushed to hospital after the beating but that the extent of his injuries was not immediately known.

The Local Coordination Committees also reported heavy shooting in the village of Jassem in the southern province of Daraa, where the uprising against Assad's regime began seven months ago.

Since mid-March, the Syrian government crackdown has left at least 2,900 people dead, including members of security forces, according to the U.N.'s human rights office. The figure rose by at least 200 since the beginning of September.

Syria: Rastan Mosques Cordoned Off, Activists Say

 

[High_Gravity]

Syria: NATO Will Not Intervene

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — In shaky videos posted on the web, some protesters in Syria have begun flashing signs appealing for international help. "Where is NATO?" some messages ask amid crackdowns that have claimed nearly 3,000 lives.

The answer: Waiting on the sidelines with other world powers and showing no willingness to open a Libyan-style military offensive against the regime of Bashar Assad.

"No intention whatsoever," emphasized NATO's secretary-general, Anders Fogh Rasmussen, earlier this week in Brussels.

The reason is a brew of international political complications, worries over unleashing a civil war and plausible risks of touching off a wider Middle East conflict with archfoes Israel and Iran in the mix. In the end, Assad has more powerful friends and carries far more wild cards than Moammar Gadhafi's Libya, analysts say.

"The Syrian regime is much more capable of causing trouble for the region and its allies," said Shadi Hamid, director of research at The Brookings Doha Center in Qatar. "There's a real risk of a major spillover effect."

Prime targets are right on Syria's borders: U.S.-backed Israel and NATO-member Turkey.

Assad and his main Mideast backer, Iran, could launch retaliatory attacks on Israel or – more likely – use proxy Hezbollah fighters in Lebanon or Palestinian militant allies for the job. To the north, Turkey has opened its doors to anti-Assad activists and breakaway military rebels, which also could bring Syrian reprisals.

But some see even greater dangers if Assad falls without a clear successor, such as the transition administration built by Libya's former rebels.

Syria has an array of competing factions and allegiances, including some Sunni groups falling behind Saudi Arabia pitted against Assad's Alawite minority with ties to Shiite power Iran. Assad has tried to exploit fears of a bloody unraveling in Syria by portraying himself as the only power capable of keeping peace.

"Israel is more worried if there is civil war," said Meir Javedanfar, an Iranian-born regional analyst based in Israel. "During the chaos, Iranian-backed factions could take the opportunity to strike Israel. The last thing Iran wants is a Saudi-allied regime emerging in Syria. Iran will not sit by as spectators."

Assad also still carries favor in Moscow and Beijing, which on Tuesday vetoed a U.N. Security Council resolution that would have condemned Syria for its crackdowns on pro-reform protesters. A divided Security Council puts an effective stranglehold on any discussions about military options.

Like Iran, both Russia and China worry that the downfall of Assad will be a severe blow to their interests in the Middle East.

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev on Friday defended Russia's veto, saying the resolution would have opened the door to future resolutions allowing military action. NATO launched its air campaign in Libya after a U.N. resolution authorizing countries to use military force – short of occupation – to enforce a no-fly zone and protect civilians.

Video clips that appeared Thursday showed protesters in Damascus holding a banner mocking the Russian "bear," Chinese "dragon" and describing Assad as a bloodthirsty lion – the meaning of his name in Arabic. "Animals of the same kind," it read.

In Geneva, the U.N.'s human rights office raised its tally of people killed during seven months of unrest in Syria to more than 2,900, including members of the security forces.

Sporadic individual calls for international military action have begun to arise among Syrian protesters. But most protesters and Syria's opposition leaders have so far resisted the idea. At a rare opposition meeting in Damascus on Thursday, banners read: "Yes to the collapse of the tyrannical security regime" and "No to foreign military intervention."

Assad's government permitted the meeting in a possible attempt to show tolerance to some degree of dissent as long as it comes from within Syria.

"We firmly believe that history will bear out which nations were right and which were on the wrong side in this vote," said State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland after the Security Council stalemate. "Countries have to take responsibility for the decision that they made ... and any implications it might have on the ground in Syria."

Yet no one in Washington or elsewhere is raising the option of airstrikes – such as NATO's campaign in Libya – or other types of military action to try to cripple Assad's regime.

Libya shows another likely reason why: Gadhafi's security forces battled for six months against rebels despite being hammered by NATO strikes, and they continue to fight in pockets a month after the fall of Tripoli.

Syria is believed to have a much stronger and cohesive military than Gadhafi's. Its arsenal includes Russian-made MiG warplanes and modern air defense systems.

Syria: NATO Will Not Intervene

 

[High_Gravity]

Syria: Security Forces Kill 4 In Homs, Activists Say

BEIRUT — Syrian security forces killed three people and arrested dozens more in house-to-house raids Tuesday in the flashpoint city of Homs, activists said, while a senior regime official accused foreign powers of seeking to incite civil war to topple President Bashar Assad's government.

Homs, located some 100 miles (160 kilometers) north of Damascus, has been a hotbed of dissent and mass protests since the popular uprising against Assad's regime began in mid-March. It has also been the scene of heavy fighting between army defectors and security forces – most recently on Monday – underscoring the difficulty the regime faces in snuffing out protests despite a bloody crackdown that the U.N. says has left nearly 3,000 people dead.

Security forces launched a new assault on Homs over the weekend, and the Local Coordination Committees, an activist group, said shooting has not stopped in the city since late Sunday. An amateur video posted by activists online showed an armored personnel carrier driving through an empty Homs street and firing randomly from a heavy machine gun on top.

Rami Abdul-Rahman, the head of the London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, said two people were killed when troops in Homs opened fire on their car at a checkpoint, while a third was killed by a random bullet. A fourth person died of wounds suffered Monday during a raid by security forces, Abdul-Rahman said.

He added that security forces were snatching suspect protesters from their homes, and detaining people at checkpoints set up on Homs' streets.

Syria's state-run news agency SANA said authorities detained 144 people and confiscated large amounts of ammunition and assault rifles in Homs Tuesday.

The uprising against Assad began amid a wave of anti-government protests in the Arab world that toppled autocrats in Tunisia, Egypt and Libya. Syria's opposition movement has until now focused on peaceful demonstrations, although recently there have been reports of protesters taking up arms to defend themselves against military attacks. The trend toward militarization of the uprising has raised fears that Syria may be sliding toward civil war.

The Syrian government has staunchly defended its crackdown in the face of increasing international pressure to end the bloodshed.

Speaking in Malaysia on Tuesday, Syrian presidential adviser Buthaina Shaaban said the government's offensive was aimed at curbing armed groups sponsored by foreign parties to create chaos in Syria. She did not name elaborate, but sought to stress that Damascus will be able to keep Syria from sliding into civil war.

Syrian officials frequently have said their country is the target of a conspiracy because of Damascus' support for anti-Israeli groups such as Lebanon's Hezbollah and the Palestinian Hamas.

Shaaban said the government will "confidently" press ahead with all political reforms, including plans to rewrite the constitution by the end of the year and calling for parliamentary elections in February.

Syria: Security Forces Kill 4 In Homs, Activists Say

 

[GogUndMagog]

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PLmtWVHHgYU&feature=channel_video_title]Meet the Enemy: Osama's Handler: the CIA's Michael Scheuer - YouTube[/ame]

 

[High_Gravity]

Syria: Pro-Assad Demonstrations Mobilizes Tens Of Thousands

DAMASCUS, Syria — Tens of thousands of Syrians thronged a main square of the Syrian capital and nearby streets Wednesday in a show of support for embattled President Bashar Assad, as he struggles to quell a 7-month-old uprising. Opponents charge such rallies are staged by the regime.

International pressure is building on Assad to step down over his regime's bloody crackdown on anti-government protests. The U.N. says nearly 3,000 people have been killed.

Wednesday's demonstration was intended to show that Assad still enjoys the support of many Syrians. The gathering was huge in comparison with frequent, almost daily anti-regime protests across the country since March which are often met by tear gas and gunfire from police and security forces.

The uprising in Syria has posed the most serious challenge to the Assad family's 40-year ruling dynasty, but it has yet to bring out the middle- and upper-middle classes in Damascus and Aleppo, the two economic powerhouses.

Organizers said the Damascus rally was also meant to thank Russia and China for blocking a U.N. Security Council resolution condemning Syria for its brutal crackdown. Their vetoes last week drew heavy criticism from the U.S.

In rare public comments on the situation in Syria, China on Tuesday urged Assad to move toward faster political reform.

"We oppose the use of violence and do not wish to see more bloodshed. We believe the Syrian government should swiftly enact their reform commitments ... and resolve problems through dialogue and negotiations," said a statement by Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Weimin.

The statement coincided with a visit to Beijing by Russia's Prime Minister Vladimir Putin Tuesday.

The demonstrators converged on the Sabaa Bahrat Damascus square early Wednesday, waving Syrian flags and pictures of Assad. A man suspended by rope from a helicopter flew over the crowd, carrying Russian and Chinese flags.

"America, out, out, Syria free, free," the crowds shouted.

Some wore white T-shirts with a photo of Assad with the Arabic word "minhibbak," or "we love you." Previous "Minhibbak" pro-Assad demonstrations have been mocked by the opposition and dismissed as staged events.

Speakers, including school children, read poetry in praise of Assad.

"We support our leader and we do love him," said Lamia Kinani, a 50-year-old housewife, adding that the newly formed opposition Syrian National Council does not represent the Syrians.

The Syrian National Council, formed last week in Turkey, includes most main opposition factions. No country or international body has recognized it as a legal representative of the Syrian people.

Demonstrator Annas Assad, 23, a university student, denounced the council as a "group of traitors and is a tool of the West."

"Assad will remain in power against their will," he said.

Assad still has the firm loyalty of the armed forces, key to his remaining in power.

His main base of support also includes Syrians who have benefited financially from the regime, minority groups who fear they will be targeted if the Sunni majority takes over, and others who see no clear and safe alternative to Assad.

The Assad regime charges its opponents are foreign-backed terrorists and agitators rather than true reformers. The government claims it is the target of a foreign conspiracy because of its support for anti-Israeli groups like Lebanon's Hezbollah and the Palestinian Hamas, whose leadership is based in Syria.

Syria: Pro-Assad Demonstrations Mobilizes Tens Of Thousands

 

[High_Gravity]

Syria: Defectors Clash With Regime Troops, Activists Say

RASTAN, Syria — Syrian troops clashed Thursday with armed men believed to be military defectors in a southern village and a northwestern town, killing at least 13 people in the latest sign that the 7-month-old uprising against President Bashar Assad is becoming increasingly militarized, activists said.

In an attempt by the regime to show it still had the upper hand, the government took journalists on a tour of a central town where the most serious insurrection in recent weeks drew a crushing response. Many buildings in Rastan were burned, shops were shuttered and soldiers manned military checkpoints.

Several residents told of gunmen who they said terrorized the area. And government escorts displayed rifles and other light weapons they insisted had been seized from gangs or terrorists, rather than army defectors.

Despite the spiraling violence and continuing protests, Assad said Syria has "passed the most difficult period" and is now working to become "a model to be followed in the region." He was apparently referring to promised political reforms, most of which have yet to be delivered. The comments, to a visiting Lebanese delegation, were reported by the official news agency.

Assad, initially regarded as a potential reformer in the Arab world when he came to power upon the death of his father in 2000, responded with a harsh military crackdown when the wave of Arab uprisings reached the tightly controlled country in mid-March. The U.N. says nearly 3,000 people have been killed.

After months of mostly peaceful protests, the growing involvement of military defectors in confrontations has raised fears that Syria may be sliding toward a civil war. There have also been reports of protesters taking up arms to defend themselves against military attacks.

In the latest clashes, troops stormed the northwestern town of Binnish with more than 50 vehicles on Thursday. The sound of explosions and gunfire could be heard. The London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and another activist group, the Local Coordination Committees, said five people were killed.

Rami Abdul-Rahman, who heads the observatory, said six soldiers and two defectors were also killed Thursday in the southern village of Harra in Daraa province, where the uprising began. He said an army force appears to have been ambushed in Harra's main square.

Syrian authorities have prevented journalists from independently visiting places of confrontation in the uprising and have banned all but a few foreign journalists from entering the country.

On Thursday, the government organized a trip for local reporters to the rebellious central town of Rastan, which is home to about 70,000 people.

Troops backed by tanks retook the town on Oct. 2 after five days of heavy fighting with defectors.

Many shops, homes and government buildings bore the scars of heavy fighting. Some buildings were entirely blackened by fire; others were marked with a spray of bullets.

A clock tower in the center of Rastan was surrounded by sand bags.

The governor of the province of Homs, where Rastan is located, said nearly half of all government institutions in the town were damaged and telephone and electricity lines were cut by armed groups.

Governor Ghassan Abdul-Aal told reporters the situation is getting better in the area, pledging that reconstruction work will be finished by the end of this month.

He denied the armed men who had controlled Rastan were defectors. He said those gunmen arrested were Syrians. The government has largely blamed "terrorists" and foreign plotters for the country's unrest.

Journalists were also shown weapons that authorities say they seized, including nearly 200 shotguns, assault rifles, pump-action rifles, military uniforms and rocket-propelled grenades.

Mohammed Syouf, a 24-year-old Shop owner, told an Associated Press reporter that "armed groups stormed banks, military centers and ransacked them," adding that residents appealed to the army to enter the city "to rid it of those gunmen."

Mohammed Najjar, 18, said the gunmen were from inside and outside Homs.

"They torched public properties, terrorized people and prevented residents from going to their jobs," he said.

Since the uprising began, Assad made promises of sweeping reforms but most have not been carried out and the opposition says they will accept nothing short of his departure.

Syria: Defectors Clash With Regime Troops, Activists Say

 

[High_Gravity]

Syria: UN Human Rights Commissioner Calls For 'Immediate Measures' To Protect Civilians

BEIRUT — Activists say Syrian security forces have opened fire on protesters in three different parts of the country, killing at least seven.

The London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and a second activist group, the Local Coordination Committees, both reported one person killed in the Damascus suburb of Saqba and another killed in the northern village of Andan on Friday.

The observatory said seven people were also killed in the southern village of Dael, while the coordination committees put the death toll there at five.

Thousands protested throughout Syria Friday calling for the downfall of President Bashar Assad.

The U.N. estimates that over 3,000 people have been killed in Syria's seven-month uprising and the ensuing government crackdown.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.

BEIRUT (AP) – Thousands of Syrians poured into the streets Friday calling for the downfall of President Bashar Assad and expressing support for army defectors fighting the regime, as the U.N.'s top human rights official urged the international community to take "immediate measures" to protect civilians in Syria, activist said.

The protests were the most explicit show of support offered so far by the country's protest movement to army defectors who have reportedly clashed with loyalists in northern and central Syria in an increasing militarization of the seven-month-old uprising.

Syria-based activist Mustafa Osso and the Local Coordination Committees, an activist group, said the protests spread from the suburbs of the capital Damascus to the southern province of Daraa, the northern provinces of Aleppo, Idlib and Hassakeh, and the central regions of Homs and Hama, as well as to other areas.

The opposition had called for protests after the Muslim Friday prayers in support of the "Free Officers", in reference to army defectors who have been fighting regime troops over the past weeks. Clashes between troops and gunmen believed to be defectors left at least 25 people dead on Thursday, according to the London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

The uprising against Assad's regime began in mid-March amid a wave of anti-government protests in the Arab world that toppled autocrats in Tunisia, Egypt and Libya. Assad has responded with a fierce crackdown.

In Geneva, Navi Pillay, the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, warned that the unrelenting crackdown by the government of President Bashar Assad could worsen unless further action is taken. She said the death toll from seven months of anti-government unrest in the country rose above 3,000.

"The onus is on all members of the international community to tale protective action in a collective and decisive manner, before the continual ruthless repression and killings drive the country into a full-blown civil war," Pillay said in a statement.

She didn't elaborate on what measures the international community could take beyond the sanctions already imposed on Assad's regime.

Her spokesman, Rupert Colville, told reporters in Geneva that it was up to the U.N. Security Council to decide what action was appropriate.

But he added: "What has been done so far is not producing results and people continue to be killed every single day."

"Just hoping things will get better isn't good enough, clearly," Colville said.

Syria: UN Human Rights Commissioner Calls For 'Immediate Measures' To Protect Civilians

 

[hipeter924]

I have been cracking up at Russia Today's coverage of the Syria protests.

The Syrian capital has been the scene of a massive show of support, the biggest for months, for embattled President Al-Assad, with calls for him to be given more time to make the promise of reform a reality.
Thousands of people gathered in the heart of Syria to show their support and loyalty to President Bashar Al-Assad. He is still struggling to quell a nationwide uprising despite promises of reforms.But his supporters say the government needs more time to push through change.

Pro-Assad rally draws thousands to Syrian capital — RT
Remind you of a certain leader in Libya?

I think this has caught RT out, Russian propaganda at it's stupidest.

 

[High_Gravity]

Syria: Gaddafi Death Inspiration For Protesters

BEIRUT — Inspired by the scenes of euphoria in Libya, Syrian protesters poured into the streets Friday and shouted that President Bashar Assad's regime will be the next to unravel now that ousted Libyan dictator Moammar Gadhafi is dead.

Syrian forces fired on protesters Friday, killing up to 14 people, activists said.

"Gadhafi is gone, your turn is coming, Bashar," protesters shouted on Friday in the central city of Hama, long a hotbed of resistance to the regime.

The Syrian uprising has proved remarkably resilient over the past seven months, but has shown some signs of stalling in recent weeks as the government forges ahead with a bloody crackdown that the U.N. estimates has killed more than 3,000 people.

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 has no clear leadership.

Now the armed uprising in Libya that drove Gadhafi from power – albeit with NATO air support – appears to have breathed new life into the Syrian revolt.

"Our souls, our blood we sacrifice for you, Libya!" Syrian protesters chanted Friday.

Others held signs linking Assad's fate to those of other deposed Arab leaders. Tunisia's Zine El Abidine Ben Ali has been driven into exile, and Egypt's Hosni Mubarak is in jail and facing charges of complicity in the deaths of more than 800 protesters in his country's uprising.

"Ben Ali fled, Mubarak is in jail, Gadhafi is killed, Assad ... ?" read one banner.

Gadhafi's death Thursday, after he was dragged from hiding in a drainage pipe, begging for his life, decisively ended the nearly 42-year regime that had turned the oil-rich country into an international pariah and his own personal fiefdom.

In many ways, the Syrian uprising has taken cues from the Libyans recently.

Syria's opposition formed a national council like the Libyans' National Transitional Council, hoping they could forge a united front against Assad that Syrians and the international community could rally behind.

And with the successes of armed Libyan revolutionaries present in their minds, many Syrian protesters say they are starting to see the limits of a peaceful movement, particularly when compared to the armed uprising in Libya. Some Syrians are now calling on protesters to take up arms and inviting foreign military action, hoisting signs that say "Where is NATO?" and urging the world to come to Syria's aid.

For the most part, Syrian opposition leaders have opposed foreign intervention.

There is no central call to arms by the opposition, in part because there is no clear leadership in the movement.

The Syrian opposition is disparate and fragmented, with various parties vying for power as they seek an end to more than 40 years of iron rule by Assad and his late father, Hafez.

There have been some clashes in border regions between Syrian forces and apparent defectors from the military, but they have not been widespread.

Still, the growing signs of armed resistance may accelerate the cycle of violence gripping the country by giving the government a pretext to use even greater firepower against its opponents. Authorities have already used tanks, snipers and gangster-like gunmen known as "shabiha" who operate as hired guns for the regime.

The regime has sealed off the country and prevented independent media coverage, making it difficult to verify events on the ground.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an activist group based in Britain, put Friday's death toll at 14 nationwide. Syria-based activist Mustafa Osso said six people were killed in the central city of Homs, and there were reports of casualties in other areas as well.

Syria: Gaddafi Death Inspiration For Protesters

 

[Katzndogz]

This is following the Libyan line almost word for word. Al Quaeda is dancing in the streets right now.

 

[High_Gravity]

This is following the Libyan line almost word for word. Al Quaeda is dancing in the streets right now.

Dancing in the streets? shut the fuck up you have no clue what you are talking about.

 

[High_Gravity]

Syria's uprising creeps across Lebanese border

A growing number of cross-border incursions by Syrian troops into Lebanese territory has aggravated political rivalries in Lebanon between those who oppose the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and those who support it.

Since the beginning of October, Syrian soldiers have penetrated Sunni-populated areas along Lebanon’s remote and poorly marked eastern border on a number of occasions, reportedly killing and abducting several people.

Unlike Syria’s stronger neighbors – Turkey, Iraq, Jordan, and Israel – Lebanon has long lived under Syria’s shadow and is more vulnerable to interference as the Assad regime pursues its crackdown on the Syrian opposition, elements of which have begun to arm themselves and fight back.

“People here have grown used to [Syrian] violations, but what is worrying us is a large operation by the Syrians in Arsal. We are almost positive it is going to happen,” says Ali Hojeiry, the mayor of Arsal, a town of 40,000 Sunnis tucked into barren mountains along Lebanon’s eastern frontier with Syria.

Repeated incursions, an abduction in Beirut

Two weeks ago, Syrian troops backed by tanks attacked isolated buildings six miles east of Arsal, where farmers cultivate orchards of almonds, apricots, and pears. Days later, a Syrian national was killed on Lebanese soil near Arsal.

Since then there have been further incursions reported elsewhere along the border.

On Tuesday, Syrian troops shot and killed a dual Lebanese-Syrian national and captured another man on the border as part of a security clampdown on towns and villages south of the flashpoint city of Homs, which lies just 20 miles north of the Lebanese frontier. On Wednesday, gun battles between Syrian security forces and army defectors erupted in the border area.

There were mixed reports on the number of casualties (one report said two officers and six soldiers, all deserters, were killed) and the precise location of the incident. Much of Lebanon’s eastern border with Syria is unmarked and, during calmer times, easily accessed in places by residents of both countries.

Syria's uprising creeps across Lebanese border - CSMonitor.com

 

[High_Gravity]

Syria: U.S. Ambassador Robert Ford Leaves Country

BEIRUT — Syrian security forces killed four people in the restive central city of Homs on Monday, while government troops clashed with gunmen believed to be defectors from the military, activists said.

The U.S., meanwhile, pulled its ambassador out of Syria, saying threats against him make it no longer safe for him to remain. Ford has been the target of several incidents of intimidation by pro-government thugs, and enraged Syrian authorities with his forceful defense of peaceful protests and harsh critique of a government crackdown that the U.N. says has killed more than 3,000.

The opposition movement driving Syria's 7-month-old uprising has mostly focused on peaceful demonstrations, although recently there have been reports of protesters taking up arms to defend themselves against military attacks. There have also been increasing reports of defections from the military, highlighting a trend that has raised fears that Syria may be sliding toward civil war.

The British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the clashes Monday pitting Syrian troops against army defectors left casualties on both sides, but there was no precise death toll. The fighting happened in Houla, which is comprised of several villages in the Homs province.

About 25 miles (40 kilometers) away in the city of Homs, security forces killed four people, the observatory said. Syria's third-largest city, Homs has seen some of the most severe violence in the past months.

Syria: U.S. Ambassador Robert Ford Leaves Country

 

[freedombecki]

Apparently, Ford has been critical of Assad's government. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/25/w...ves-damascus-amid-threats-to-safety.html?_r=1

A State Department spokesman, Mark C. Toner, said Monday in a statement that the timing of Mr. Ford’s return to his embassy “will depend on our assessment of Syrian regime-led incitement and the security situation on the ground.”

Ambassador Ford has only been in Syria this year, and we had no ambassador in Syria since 2005.

 

[freedombecki]

The U. S. State Department issued a request for Americans in Syria to depart on September 29, 2011:

Syria

September 30, 2011

The U.S. Department of State continues to urge U.S. citizens in Syria to depart immediately while commercial transportation is available. Given the ongoing uncertainty and volatility of the current situation, U.S. citizens who must remain in Syria are advised to limit nonessential travel within the country. U.S. citizens not in Syria should defer all travel to Syria at this time. Effective September 29, 2011, the Department of State is lifting the Ordered Departure status for U.S. government employees at the U.S. Embassy in Damascus. The Embassy continues to provide passport services, as well as other emergency services to U.S. citizens. As staff levels at the Embassy remain restricted, our ability to assist U.S. citizens in an emergency is limited and may be further constrained by the fluid security situation. This Travel Warning supersedes the Travel Warning for Syria issued on September 15, 2011, to note the lifting of Ordered Departure status at the U.S. Embassy.
Since March 2011, demonstrations throughout Syria have been violently suppressed by Syrian security forces, resulting in thousands of deaths, injuries, and detentions. Demonstrations, and violent government reactions to them, can occur with little or no warning anytime and anywhere. Recent demonstrations have occurred on university campuses, main streets, public squares, mosques, and other places of public gathering. On July 11, 2011, the U.S. Embassy and other embassies in Damascus were violently attacked by people participating in a pro-government demonstration, resulting in the U.S. Embassy closing for one day. We remind U.S. citizens that even demonstrations intended to be peaceful can turn confrontational and escalate into violence. U.S. citizens are urged to avoid the areas of demonstrations if possible, and to exercise caution if within the vicinity of a demonstration.
Several cities, including Damascus, have been placed under heightened security.

I don't think the State Department has updated its message since Ambassador Ford left over the weekend.

It is my prayer that in the last 3 weeks, Americans have been leaving Syria as requested, as now, there is no ambassador there to deal with American issues. Seems once before when ambassadors left a country, messages were left for Americans to seek help from another country's ambassadors, but I am not seeing that in the present state department. Hopefully they will be placing where Americans can go momentarily or at least within a few hours.

 

[freedombecki]

I just found that in Iran, Americans can contact the Swiss embassy. I'm not certain who to contact in Syria, but FWIW, here's the Swiss Embassy info in Syria. At least, until the State Department decides who will help Americans stranded in Syria since the Ambassador left.

My prayers for Americans in the Middle East.

 

[JStone]

This is following the Libyan line almost word for word. Al Quaeda is dancing in the streets right now.

Islam prohibits dancing.

 

[freedombecki]

Oops! Scrub that. Switzerland left Syria very recently also, as it said Syria is too violent.

Syria sounds like it is a powder keg this week.

Where is High Gravity when you need him?

 

[High_Gravity]

Oops! Scrub that. Switzerland left Syria very recently also, as it said Syria is too violent.

Syria sounds like it is a powder keg this week.

Where is High Gravity when you need him?

I am here.