These are the fruits of “revolution” in Syria

[aris2chat]

ORONTES WEBSITE REPORTS: These are the fruits of ?revolution? in Syria ? Levant Report

The world has forgotten Syria’s Christians and other religious minorities – the world has ignored common Syrians who continually voice demands for a stable, safe, pluralistic, and secular Syria. But we must not ignore what’s happening daily - please join us in spreading the truth about the character and nature of “opposition” fighters in Syria. Remember especially that the governments of the United States, Britain, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar are training, arming, and funding the rebel insurgency in Syria – and this by their own admission! ..................

In Raqqa, Syria ISIS terrorists force all women, Muslim and Christian alike to live under a Talabin like interpretation of Sharia law which includes a harsh dress code.

Contact Lost with Maloula Nuns Abducted in Qalamoun

Raqqa School Girls arrested by Terrorists

ISIS Strangle Girl to Death for breaking Sharia lawISIS Strangle Girl to Death for breaking Sharia law

 

[waltky]

Humanitarian efforts in Syria not gaining much ground...

UN: Syrian Humanitarian Crisis 'Bleak'
March 28, 2014 — The U.N.’s humanitarian chief painted a bleak picture Friday of the situation in Syria, saying the plight of civilians has not improved and that millions remain in dire need since the Security Council united in demanding better aid access five weeks ago.

Valerie Amos told reporters after her private briefing to the 15-nation council that the situation for millions of desperate Syrians has not gotten better and will not improve unless there is “full and unhindered access.” “I told the Council that we need to see a significant step-change in the speed and scale of humanitarian aid, if we are to save lives and keep pace with the ever-growing needs," she said. "This piecemeal approach, despite the best efforts of humanitarian workers on the ground, is not delivering change fast enough.”

On February 22, the council, in a rare show of unity on Syria, unanimously adopted a resolution demanding both sides end attacks on civilians, including the use of barrel bombs, and give unhindered access to humanitarian relief operations. The council also called on the parties to end sieges on cities and towns, lift bureaucratic obstacles, and allow aid convoys to cross conflict lines and international borders to reach the 3.5 million needy Syrians in hard-to-reach areas. Since the resolution’s adoption, limited aid has been delivered to several hard-to-reach areas, but there have been occasions when convoys could not proceed or were prevented from carrying essential items, such as medicines. And of the eight border crossings the U.N. wants to use, the government has only opened one of them to aid convoys in the past month.

U.S. Ambassador Samantha Power said President Bashar al-Assad’s regime is the biggest obstacle to the delivery of aid. “The Assad regime’s murderous appetite for deploying artillery, barrel bombs and air strikes against civilians in Syria - despite this council’s specific call that these types of attacks stop - is the No. 1 factor driving displacement and the broader humanitarian crisis.” Russian Ambassador Vitaly Churkin said on his way into the briefing that while the situation is “very difficult,” he believes there has been “some progress in implementing” the council’s resolution.

Non-compliance with the resolution could lead to further steps. But Najib Ghadbian, the Special Representative of Syria’s main opposition coalition in New York, told VOA by phone that it will be difficult to get strong action in the council because of Russia, which has been the Assad regime’s closest ally throughout the conflict. “We have a case that cries for intervention and we should not allow one country on the Security Council to obstruct the working of this body,” said Ghadbian. The use of so-called barrel bombs by the government has been condemned by human rights groups as a war crime. Asked by a reporter why his government uses them, Syrian Ambassador Bashar Ja’afari, sarcastically asked if they should replace them with missiles, and then denied the government uses them against civilians.

Ambassador Ja'afari: “We drop weapons against terrorist groups, not against civilians.”
Reporter: “So you don’t deny that you are dropping barrel bombs on civilians?”
Ambassador Ja'afari: “No, but we are using this against terrorist groups coming from Turkey and sponsored by…”
Reporter: “But they are landing on civilians.”
Ambassador Ja'afari: “No, we are not killing civilians. These civilians are our own people.” He went on to say that such images were propaganda broadcast by Syria’s enemies and blamed civilian deaths on the “dirty petrodollars” coming from Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Turkey that are financing the regime’s opponents.

UN: Syrian Humanitarian Crisis 'Bleak'

See also:

Turkey Warns of Syrian Intervention to Protect Ancient Tomb
March 27, 2014 — Turkey has warned it will take any necessary steps to protect the Suleyman Shah tomb in Syria if it comes under attack. The tomb, which is protected by Turkish soldiers, is located in the city of Aleppo in Syria near the Turkish border and Ankara considers it to be Turkish territory.

Turkey’s political leadership has reacted strongly to a threat made by the radical group Islamic State of Iraq and Syria or ISIS, to attack the Suleyman Shah tomb protected by Turkish soldiers in Syria. Tensions recently have been on the rise with Ankara strongly condemning ISIS’s tactics in Syria. Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, in a television interview said everything would be done to protect the tomb saying it is Turkish property under the guarantee of international agreements. He said any attack on the tomb would be considered an attack on Turkey. Suleyman Shah was the grandfather of the founder of the Ottoman Empire. In a deal between France and Turkey in 1921 when Syria was under French rule, the tomb and a 25-kilometer area surrounding it became Turkish territory. A Turkish flag flies above it.

Sinan Ulgen, a visiting scholar for the Carnegie Europe institute, says Ankara is serious about its threat to intervene. "There is now a threat to ISIS to that shrine; there are 25 Turkish soldiers currently there and the Turkish government takes this threat seriously because it is Turkish territory," said Ulgen. Since the outbreak of the Syrian civil war, Ankara has strongly backed the Syrian rebels. Turkish forces have been massed along the 900-kilometer Syrian border for more than a year. Diplomatic columnist Semih Idiz of the Turkish newspaper Taraf and Al Monitor website says any incursion into Syria could be for the long term. "I can foresee a period where Turkish forces go in there, but not only go there to protect the tomb; to actually create a safety buffer zone around it and maybe even open a corridor between mainland Turkey and the region," said Idiz.

This undated file image posted on a militant website on Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2014 shows fighters from the al-Qaida linked Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIS) marching in Raqqa, Syria.

Turkish-Syrian tensions have been on the rise. Last week, Turkish fighter jets shot down a Syrian bomber after Ankara claimed it violated its airspace, a charge Damascus denies. In the past few days, the Turkish military has alleged Syrian air defenses locked their missiles on its planes. Ulgen says any incursion into Syria to protect its forces is an extremely risky move. "An incursion deep into Syrian territory [of] Turkish expeditionary forces to reprisal attacks by not only extremists groups but by also possibly by Syrian regime as well and from that point onward Turkey would be implicated in the Syrian war," said Ulgen. Turkish opposition parties oppose the government’s support of the Syrian rebels. They have accused the prime minister of trying to provoke a conflict with Syria in order to change the political agenda, which remains focused on high level government corruption allegations, a charge angrily dismissed by ministers.

Columnist Idiz says the government will have to finely calibrate any intervention into Syria. "Whatever operation Turkey engages in as a result of this tomb will have to be seen as a self-defense operation or an operation in response to an attack rather than as a stepping stone to start attacking Syrian forces; because that could turn public opinion against the government and against an operation," said Idiz. Opinion polls indicate there is little backing for government support of the Syrian opposition. Observers, however, say the government will be looking to the country's strong nationalist sentiments to back any operation into Syria, whatever the dangers.

Turkey Warns of Syrian Intervention to Protect Ancient Tomb