"Airstrikes, shelling in Syria kill at least 100; Attacks indicate Assad digging in" by Ben Hubbard | Associated Press, August 21, 2012
TEL RIFAT, Syria — In Washington, President Obama said US thinking on military involvement in Syria would change if chemical or biological weapons came into play in the civil war. He told reporters that the use of such weapons of mass destruction would widen the conflict considerably.
‘‘It doesn’t just include Syria. It would concern allies in the region, including Israel, and it would concern us,’’ Obama said, warning the Assad regime and ‘‘other players on the ground’’ against the use or movement of such weapons.
‘‘We have put together a range of contingency plans,’’ Obama said. “We have communicated in no uncertain terms with every player in the region that that’s a red line for us.’’ The United States has been reluctant to intervene militarily so far.
He's been hanging around Netanyahu too much.
He's been hanging around Netanyahu too much.
Last month, the Syrian regime confirmed for the first time that it possessed chemical weapons by threatening to use them in case of any foreign aggression.
The warning was seen as a sign of desperation as Assad’s grip on power slipped. It came shortly after rebels assassinated four of the president’s top security officials, the biggest blow to the regime in the entire uprising.
Please keep in mind this article is from way back in August.
Please keep in mind this article is from way back in August.
Since the holiday began on Sunday, an air of gloom has blanketed the nation, and activists said there have been no signs of jubilation.
Adding to the despair, two main activist groups — the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and the Local Coordination Committees — said that 12 bodies shot execution style were found in the Qaboun district in the capital Damascus....
--more--"
Related:
"Hollande also said that France, like the United States and Britain, would view any use of chemical weapons by President Bashar Assad of Syria as a legitimate justification for military intervention, even without a UN Security Council resolution."
"Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius of France said that if Syria uses such weapons, ‘‘our response . . . would be massive and blistering.’’
Sort of like chemical weapons.
Well, the Russians are guarding them so no need to worry.
!!!!
They told me they hadn't yet, and A FALSE FLAG is COMING, folks!
It’s been a month since U.S. intelligence learned that Assad’s forces were mixing some of their precursor chemicals for sarin gas, as Danger Room first reported. The Syrian military even loaded aerial bombs with the deadly agent. Assad hasn’t used the weapons — yet. Should he change his mind, there’s little chance the U.S. would know it before it’s too late to stop the first chemical attack in the Mideast in over 20 years
That explains the emphasis the Obama administration has given, from President Obama and Defense Secretary Leon Panetta on down, to publicly warning Assad that using his chemical weapons would cross a “red line.” Dempsey said that “messaging” seeks to establish a deterrent, since Assad might think it would prompt outright U.S. or international intervention leading to his downfall. But that’s different from preemption.
It is obvious these gentlemen have CHOSEN to forget the horrific chemical weapons assault against Palestinian civilians during Israel's Operation Cast Lead, using white phosphorous in 2008-2009, which was the most recent chemical weapons assault in the region to date."-- WHAT REALLY HAPPENED
Local activists in the city say warplanes are continuously overhead, and entire villages are largely deserted and peppered with destroyed homes.
The texts appeared to be a kind of psychological warfare against the rebels by the regime of President Bashar Assad. In August, army helicopters dropped leaflets warning rebels in Damascus to disarm and seek amnesty.
U.S. does it all the time.
Violence scattered during cease-fire in Syria
‘‘terrorist groups’’ — the Syrian Army's blanket description for all the armed opposition"
It's the same thing AmeriKa does in Afghanistan and Pakistan when it comes to "Taliban."
Related:
"Hollande also said that France, like the United States and Britain, would view any use of chemical weapons by President Bashar Assad of Syria as a legitimate justification for military intervention, even without a UN Security Council resolution."
"Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius of France said that if Syria uses such weapons, ‘‘our response . . . would be massive and blistering.’’
Sort of like chemical weapons.
Well, the Russians are guarding them so no need to worry.
"Rebels, militants seize base in Syria; Al Qaeda group joins in attack" by Ben Hubbard and Zeina Karam | Associated Press, October 13, 2012
BEIRUT — The capture of the base also plays into fears about extremists acquiring Syria’s chemical and biological weapons — particularly if the Assad regime collapses and loses control of them.
Well, the biological isn't confirmed, but who wants to quibble?
Neighboring Jordan’s King Abdullah II fears such weapons could go to Al Qaeda or other militants, primarily the Iranian-allied Lebanese Hezbollah.
Excuse me while I put my waders on because the s*** is getting mighty deep.
The United States has sent about 150 troops to Jordan, largely Army special operations forces, to bolster the kingdom’s military capabilities in the event Syria’s civil war escalates.
Syria is believed to have one of the world’s largest chemical weapons programs, and the regime has said it might use the weapons....
!!!!
--more--"
"Turkey reinforces its recognition of Syrian rebel coalition" New York Times, November 16, 2012
ISTANBUL — Meanwhile, the Pentagon has told the Obama administration that any military effort to seize Syria’s stockpiles of chemical weapons would require upward of 75,000 troops, amid increasing concern that the militant group Hezbollah has set up small training camps close to some of the chemical weapons depots, according to senior US officials.
I'm wondering if you have had it with the s*** innuendo and implied garbage.
The estimated size of the potential effort, provided to the White House by the military’s Central Command and Joint Staff, stunned top administration officials.
It called into question whether the United States would have the resources to act quickly if the movement of chemical weapons forced President Obama, as he said in August, to ‘‘change my calculus’’ about inserting US forces into the most brutal civil conflict to emerge from the Arab uprisings. So far Obama has avoided direct intervention.
No, he's just arming them as I'm told he isn't.
The Pentagon has not yet been directed to draft detailed plans of how it could carry out such a mission, according to military officials.
That's a lie. They always have war games and plans drawn up for every contingency. Remember when they said they hadn't decided on Iraq when they already had the whole thing planned?
There are also contingency plans, officials say, for securing a more limited number of the Syrian chemical weapons depots, requiring fewer troops....
And by now -- three months later -- they have them in place.
"US says Syria signaling use of chemical weapons; Obama threatens punishment for any deployment" by Peter Baker | New York Times, December 04, 2012
WASHINGTON — President Obama warned, in a speech at the National Defense University in Washington, “Today I want to make it absolutely clear to Assad and those under his command: The world is watching,’’ Obama said ‘‘The use of chemical weapons is and would be totally unacceptable. If you make the tragic mistake of using these weapons, there will be consequences and you will be held accountable.’’
Well, first of all, it DEPENDS on WHO USES THEM. When the EUSraeli empire dumps the stuff on Vietnam, Libya, Palestine, Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Yemen, Somalia, and all apologies to those I've left out, past and present, no one raises a fuss.
“This is a red line for the United States,’’ Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said, using the same language that the White House would use later. ‘‘I am not going to telegraph in any specifics what we would do in the event of credible evidence that the Assad regime has resorted to using chemical weapons against their own people. But suffice it to say we are certainly planning to take action if that eventuality were to occur.’’
So WHEN is the FALSE FLAG?
There have been signs in recent days of heightened activity at some of Syria’s chemical weapons sites, according to US and Israeli officials familiar with intelligence reports....
When and where have we heard that before?
(Even the blog editor -- despite the years resulting in jaded cynicism -- is astonished at this brazen war bulls*** after all that has happened the last decade)
"Pressure on Damascus rises as clashes erupt; Advance raises fears of chemical weapons use" by Ben Hubbard | Associated Press, December 05, 2012
BEIRUT — The increased pressure has raised worries that Assad or his forces will resort to desperate measures, perhaps striking neighbors Turkey or Israel, or using chemical weapons.
Why in the world would they do that? How would they benefit by calling down upon their heads the exact thing they are trying to avoid?
Sorry, guys, but THIS S*** will NO LONGER STICK to the WALL!
NATO foreign ministers approved Turkey’s request for Patriot antimissile systems to be deployed along its southern border to defend against possible strikes from Syria.
‘‘We stand with Turkey in the spirit of strong solidarity,’’ NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen told reporters after the meeting in Brussels. ‘‘To anyone who would want to attack Turkey, we say, ‘Don’t even think about it!’ ’’
I like to think I'm pretty thick-skinned regarding the war propaganda these days, but even I'm struggling with this outright war-mongering.
Before the meeting, Fogh Rasmussen said he expected any use of chemical weapons to get an ‘‘immediate reaction from the international community.’’
On Monday, President Obama said there would be consequences if Assad made the ‘‘tragic mistake’’ of deploying chemical weapons, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he agreed with the US position.
That's because he and his told us what it was going to be.
‘‘We are of the same opinion, that these weapons should not be used and must not reach terror groups,’’ Netanyahu said.
I agree. That's why I'm opposed to every and all intelligence agency false flags, of which Israel is a specialist and world champ.
US intelligence has seen signs that Syria is moving materials inside chemical weapons facilities recently, though it is unsure what the movement means.
These the same guys who saw mobile biological weapons labs and UAVs off the East Coast of the U.S. before Iraq? Yeah, throw all that in the dumper -- along with my Jewish war paper.
Read that paragraph a second time and you realize what empty accusations and insinuations are implied in that horrible piece of nothing innuendo, because that's all it is. We say we saw somebody moving something inside a building(?), but we don't know what it means(?).
Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!!
Thank you, AmeriKan media; I haven't laughed that hard in a long, long time.
Still, US officials said the White House and its allies are weighing military options should they decide to secure Syria’s chemical and biological weapons.
In July, Foreign Ministry spokesman Jihad Makdissi told a news conference that Syria would only use chemical or biological weapons in case of foreign attack, not against its own people.
They may not even have them and are bluffing in the hopes of averting an invasion. Ya ever think of that?
The ministry then tried to blur the issue, saying it had never acknowledged having such weapons....
Oh, so they were acting just like an agenda-pushing, war-promoting, AmeriKan jewspaper, 'eh?
--more--"
I can't see a damn thing. Globe makes everything all blurry.
"Panetta signs deployment order to aid Turkey" by THOM SHANKER and MICHAEL R. GORDON | New York Times, December 15, 2012
INCIRLIK AIR BASE, Turkey — Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta told a gathering of US Air Force the United States was working with Turkey, Jordan, and Israel to monitor Syria’s stockpiles of chemical weapons, and warned of ‘‘serious consequences’’ if Syria used them, but he did not offer any specifics.
Now it's "stockpiles." Like a snowball rolling downhill, the s***ball of war propaganda just gets larger.
‘‘We have drawn up plans for presenting to the president,’’ Panetta said. ‘‘We have to be ready.’’
They told me they hadn't yet, and A FALSE FLAG is COMING, folks!
Turkey’s worries about vulnerability to Syrian missiles, including Scuds that might be tipped with chemical weapons, were heightened recently by intelligence reports that Syrian troops had mixed small amounts of precursor chemicals for sarin, a deadly nerve gas, at one or two storage sites, and loaded them into artillery shells and airplane bombs.
Then they must still be sitting there on the runway, because....
(I would sigh here but I don't want to breathe the toxic spew of war propaganda)
Intelligence reports FROM WHO?
‘’Their arsenal of chemical weapons has been configured for use at a moment’s notice,’’ Representative Mike Rogers, Republican of Michigan, who heads the House Intelligence Committee, said in an interview on Friday. Panetta, however, said this week that intelligence about chemical weapons activity in Syria had ‘‘leveled off.’’
Now it is an ARSENAL that can be deployed in minutes per Tony Bliar's DODGY DOSSIER!
Readers, please excuse me, but IN-F***ING-CREDIBLE and UN-F***ING-BELIEVABLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The recent Scud missile attacks by Assad’s forces against rebels in northern Syria have only added to Turkey’s concerns. The Scud missiles were armed with conventional warheads, but the attacks showed that the Assad government is prepared to use missiles as it struggles to slow rebel gains.
Related: Syrian Rebels Strike Again
HowTF would I know? I'm reading the Boston Globe.
Syria denied Thursday that it had fired Scuds this week. But NATO’s secretary-general, Anders Fogh Rasmussen, said that the intelligence gathered by the alliance indicated that they were Scud-type missiles.
--more--"
We know take a break from your regularly-scheduled AmeriKan media s***-slop for a brief commentary regarding chemical weapons and their potential use in Syria:
We know take a break from your regularly-scheduled AmeriKan media s***-slop for a brief commentary regarding chemical weapons and their potential use in Syria:
It’s been a month since U.S. intelligence learned that Assad’s forces were mixing some of their precursor chemicals for sarin gas, as Danger Room first reported. The Syrian military even loaded aerial bombs with the deadly agent. Assad hasn’t used the weapons — yet. Should he change his mind, there’s little chance the U.S. would know it before it’s too late to stop the first chemical attack in the Mideast in over 20 years
That explains the emphasis the Obama administration has given, from President Obama and Defense Secretary Leon Panetta on down, to publicly warning Assad that using his chemical weapons would cross a “red line.” Dempsey said that “messaging” seeks to establish a deterrent, since Assad might think it would prompt outright U.S. or international intervention leading to his downfall. But that’s different from preemption.
It is obvious these gentlemen have CHOSEN to forget the horrific chemical weapons assault against Palestinian civilians during Israel's Operation Cast Lead, using white phosphorous in 2008-2009, which was the most recent chemical weapons assault in the region to date."-- WHAT REALLY HAPPENED
And not to be left out, AmeriKan forces have used the stuff in Afghanistan and Iraq.
Now back to your regularly scheduled bulls***:
Syria turns to Scuds vs. rebels
Assad’s decision to fire Scuds — not known for their precision — inside his country appears directly related to the rebel ability to take command of military bases and seize anti-aircraft weapons. The Scuds have been fired since Monday from the An Nasiriyah Air Base, north of Damascus, and are believed to have carried a low-explosive warhead, according to US officials familiar with the classified intelligence reports about the attacks. The target was the Sheikh Suleiman base north of Aleppo that rebel forces had occupied.
The development may also represent a calculation by the Syrian leadership that it can resort to such lethal weapons without the fear of international intervention, partly because Washington had set its tolerance threshold at the use of chemical weapons."
And then we are given this Christmas present by the Jewish war press:
Now back to your regularly scheduled bulls***:
Syria turns to Scuds vs. rebels
Assad’s decision to fire Scuds — not known for their precision — inside his country appears directly related to the rebel ability to take command of military bases and seize anti-aircraft weapons. The Scuds have been fired since Monday from the An Nasiriyah Air Base, north of Damascus, and are believed to have carried a low-explosive warhead, according to US officials familiar with the classified intelligence reports about the attacks. The target was the Sheikh Suleiman base north of Aleppo that rebel forces had occupied.
The development may also represent a calculation by the Syrian leadership that it can resort to such lethal weapons without the fear of international intervention, partly because Washington had set its tolerance threshold at the use of chemical weapons."
And then we are given this Christmas present by the Jewish war press:
"UN envoy worried after talks with Syria’s Assad; Courses of action are discussed but not disclosed" by Ben Hubbard | Associated Press, December 25, 2012
BEIRUT — In the central city of Homs, amateur videos released by activists showed men in hospital beds with breathing problems as doctors placed oxygen masks on their faces. Some of them coughed strongly as they tried to breathe.
‘‘At first, the smell was strong. Then little by little, it got weaker,’’ a man who was identified as a rebel in the area said in the video. ‘‘The smell was like hydrochloric acid, and people started choking and I wasn’t able to breathe.’’ He added.
‘‘My eyes hurt and burned, my head started hurting, I wasn’t able to breathe. I just want to breathe clean air,’’ said the man, who closed his eyes and said he was having difficulty seeing because of the attack.
In nearby Hama Province, where rebels launched an offensive against army checkpoints and posts last week, opposition gunmen entered Maan and raised the opposition flag over the main police station, Hama activist Mousab Alhamadee said via Skype.
--more--"
Okay, if the chemical weapons won't convince you to invade Syria maybe this will:
‘‘At first, the smell was strong. Then little by little, it got weaker,’’ a man who was identified as a rebel in the area said in the video. ‘‘The smell was like hydrochloric acid, and people started choking and I wasn’t able to breathe.’’ He added.
‘‘My eyes hurt and burned, my head started hurting, I wasn’t able to breathe. I just want to breathe clean air,’’ said the man, who closed his eyes and said he was having difficulty seeing because of the attack.
In nearby Hama Province, where rebels launched an offensive against army checkpoints and posts last week, opposition gunmen entered Maan and raised the opposition flag over the main police station, Hama activist Mousab Alhamadee said via Skype.
--more--"
Okay, if the chemical weapons won't convince you to invade Syria maybe this will:
Syria accused of using cluster bombs on opposition
Then they are no better than Israel or AmeriKa, are they?
"Disturbing video uploaded to the Internet.... cluster bombs"
I'm sorry, but I no longer believe videos I'm directed to or that are cited by my lying, war-promoting press.
Then they are no better than Israel or AmeriKa, are they?
"Disturbing video uploaded to the Internet.... cluster bombs"
I'm sorry, but I no longer believe videos I'm directed to or that are cited by my lying, war-promoting press.
"In addition to the air bombardment, Human Rights Watch cited allegations Sunday that Assad’s government has been using cluster bombs, which are banned by most nations. The US-based group cited amateur video and testimony from the front lines. The Syrian military denied the reports, saying in a statement Monday that the allegations were ‘‘baseless and are part of media propaganda that aims to divert international public opinion from crimes committed by armed terrorist groups.’’
"Bombing kills 20 in olive oil factory, Syrian activists say; Civilians again the victim of a regime attack" by Bassem Mroue | Associated Press, November 28, 2012
BEIRUT — Syrian warplanes bombed an olive oil factory packed with farmers Tuesday, killing at least 20 people in the latest regime strike to rip through a crowd of civilians, activists said.
The bombing comes as the civil war takes a devastating toll on an already beleaguered population. Human Rights Watch said it found ‘‘compelling evidence’’ that the regime used cluster bombs in an airstrike that killed at least 11 children earlier this week.
It was not immediately clear whether the olive oil factory was the intended target, or if the plane misfired. The government generally does not comment on rebel statements and there was no official reaction to the latest allegations....
President Bashar Assad’s regime has been relying on air power in recent months....
Hilal Khashan, a political science professor at the American University of Beirut, said, ‘‘This is mass punishment.’’
Now you know how Palestinians feel.
Now you know how Palestinians feel.
********************
As the conflict grinds on, the toll on civilians is growing. New York-based Human Rights Watch said evidence has emerged that an airstrike using cluster bombs Sunday on the village of Deir al-Asafir near Damascus killed 11 children.
Yeah, you already told me that in this article.
Yeah, you already told me that in this article.
Cluster bombs open in flight, scattering smaller bomblets over a wide area. Many of the bomblets don’t explode immediately, posing a threat to civilians long afterward. They have been banned by most nations.
Because they look like toys to kids, and nations that haven't banned them? Try U.S.A. and Israel. And they have the nerve and chutzpah to bitch and moan about human rights abuses and the (alleged) war crimes of others?
Because they look like toys to kids, and nations that haven't banned them? Try U.S.A. and Israel. And they have the nerve and chutzpah to bitch and moan about human rights abuses and the (alleged) war crimes of others?
‘‘This attack shows how cluster munitions kill without discriminating between civilians and military personnel,’’ said Mary Wareham, arms division advocacy director at Human Rights Watch. ‘‘Due to the devastating harm caused to civilians, cluster bombs should not be used by anyone, anywhere, at any time.’’
--more--"
Okay, if the chemical weapons and cluster bombs won't get you into a war mode, American, maybe the airstrikes will:
Okay, if the chemical weapons and cluster bombs won't get you into a war mode, American, maybe the airstrikes will:
"Syrian warplanes pound a strategic city held by rebels; At least 43 dead; carnage seen at mosque, hospital" by Ben Hubbard | Associated Press, October 19, 2012
BEIRUT — Syrian warplanes hammered a strategic city captured by rebels, leaving behind scenes of carnage captured on Thursday on amateur videos that showed a man holding up two child-size legs not connected to a body and another man carrying a dismembered arm....
Reminds me of the photo of the Palestinian girl buried up to her neck and other horrors from Cast Lead. It's at times like these that the Zionist war agenda becomes all too clear.
Reminds me of the photo of the Palestinian girl buried up to her neck and other horrors from Cast Lead. It's at times like these that the Zionist war agenda becomes all too clear.
The scenes from the city provide a window into the carnage being wrought by the Syrian military’s increasing reliance on airstrikes to fight rebels waging a civil war to topple Assad. Rights groups say the airstrikes often hit civilian areas.
Sort of like a low-brow Syrian drone program, huh?
And this week, US-based Human Rights Watch accused Syria of using cluster bombs, which pose grave dangers to civilians.
Depends on who uses them.
Sort of like a low-brow Syrian drone program, huh?
And this week, US-based Human Rights Watch accused Syria of using cluster bombs, which pose grave dangers to civilians.
Depends on who uses them.
The regime contends that it is fighting terrorists backed by foreign powers who seek to destroy Syria, and it denies using cluster bombs.
Yes, there is occasionally a phrase of truth in my mind-manipulating intelligence operation otherwise known as a newspaper.
Yes, there is occasionally a phrase of truth in my mind-manipulating intelligence operation otherwise known as a newspaper.
The latest onslaught from the skies left residents frantically digging through mounds of rubble searching for survivors or bodies trapped underneath.
I don't recall reading those kinds of things the last time Israel went after Gaza, but I'll check.
I don't recall reading those kinds of things the last time Israel went after Gaza, but I'll check.
Amateur videos purportedly filmed after an airstrike there on Thursday showed the men carrying around body parts and 18 white cloth bundles holding the remains of those killed.
Activist claims and videos cannot be independently verified due to restrictions on reporting in Syria. But all videos corresponded to activists’ reports and appeared to have been filmed where they said they were....
Uh-huh.
Airstrikes....
Airstrikes....
a fighter jet dropped a bomb on the Light of the Martyrs Mosque in the Shaar neighborhood....
--more--"
Related:
"Airstrike kills at least 7 near Syrian capital" Associated Press, January 21, 2013
BEIRUT — An airstrike on the village of al-Barika, southeast of the capital, killed at least seven people, including five members of the same family, the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.
The Syrian government does not respond to requests for comment on military actions....
--more--"
Okay, the chemical weapons, the cluster bombs, and the airstrikes haven't convinced you. What else we got?
Okay, the chemical weapons, the cluster bombs, and the airstrikes haven't convinced you. What else we got?
"Gunmen loyal to Syrian regime kill more than 100" by Bassem Mroue and Zeina Karam | Associated Press, January 18, 2013
BEIRUT — Gunmen loyal to President Bashar Assad swept through a mainly Sunni farming village in central Syria this week, torching houses and killing over 100 people, including women and children, opposition activists said Thursday.
Yeah, maybe. Maybe not.
Yeah, maybe. Maybe not.
The reported slayings fueled accusations that progovernment militiamen are trying to drive majority Sunnis out of areas near main routes to the coast to ensure control of an Alawite enclave as the country’s civil war increasingly takes on sectarian overtones.
You know, I once saw a map drawn up by neo-con globe-kickers that had the entire Middle East balkanized with an Ersatz Israel from the Nile to the Euphrates (right where Syria is). It had a Kurdistan made up of Turkey, Syria, Iraq, and Iran. Baluchistan became its own rump province in Pakistan. Iraq had a Sunni and Shi'ite state. Then you read crap like this years later and realize the plan is proceeding apace.
You know, I once saw a map drawn up by neo-con globe-kickers that had the entire Middle East balkanized with an Ersatz Israel from the Nile to the Euphrates (right where Syria is). It had a Kurdistan made up of Turkey, Syria, Iraq, and Iran. Baluchistan became its own rump province in Pakistan. Iraq had a Sunni and Shi'ite state. Then you read crap like this years later and realize the plan is proceeding apace.
Activists said the attackers were from nearby areas dominated by Shi’ite Muslims and allied Alawites. Assad and most of the top officials in his regime belong to the minority Alawite sect, a Shi’ite offshoot.
The events in Haswiyeh, an impoverished farming area on the edge of Homs, unfolded on Tuesday and Wednesday, but only came to light Thursday as the reported scale of the killings became apparent.
An amateur video posted online showed veiled women sitting on the floor surrounded by children as they described a horrific scene of gunmen killing people and burning bodies.
Propaganda, and it may not even be real. I am really struggling to come to grips with that, but after 9/11 and Sandy Hook.... can you really believe anything you see on your TV or in your newspaper?
‘‘They slaughtered members of the same families then turned the diesel heaters on them,’’ one of the women said, adding that some homes were robbed of money and jewelry. ‘‘We did not fight and we had no gunmen. We are all workers trying to make a living.’’
Another video showed a charred room with what appeared to be two blackened bodies on the floor. A man could be heard weeping in the background. The caption said the video is from Haswiyeh.
The videos appeared genuine and corresponded to other Associated Press reporting on the events depicted, although exact details of what happened were unclear and could not be independently verified because of restrictions on independent media.
A government official in Damascus denied the reports, saying no such killings took place and accusing rebels of using civilians as ‘‘human shields.’’ He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to brief the media.
However, the progovernment daily newspaper Al-Watan reported Thursday that Syrian troops advanced in the countryside of Homs ‘‘cleansing the villages of Haswiyeh and Dweir as well as their fields’’ from gunmen. It did not elaborate.
Oh, that is such a charged term.
Oh, that is such a charged term.
The assault, as described by several activists to the Associated Press, bore a resemblance to the attack last May on the nearby area of Houla that killed 108 people and drew international condemnation of the Assad regime.
The opposition believes the mass killings that have occurred mostly in overwhelmingly Sunni villages that lie near main routes into the Alawite sect’s coastal strip are meant to lay the groundwork for a breakaway enclave....
Haswiyeh is controlled by government forces, but activists said many of its residents have sons in the Free Syrian Army, the main rebel group fighting to topple Assad’s forces.
‘‘This is a purely sectarian attack meant to punish the rebels by targeting their families,’’ said Abu Yazan, an opposition activist speaking via Skype from Houla. Rebels and government troops are known to have clashed in the area around Haswiyeh earlier this week.
There were conflicting reports on the death toll, as is often the case in Syria where information is limited, although all the activists agreed the victims appeared to all be Sunnis.
The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which relies on a network of activists on the ground, said 106 people were killed in the two-day rampage, with some ‘‘burnt inside their homes and others killed with knives’’ and other weapons. It also cited reports that ‘‘whole families were executed, one of them made up of 32 members.’’
‘‘It’s a shocking fact that every day 150 to 200 civilians are killed, and it has almost become part of the background noise.’’
Also see:
Dozens of bodies found in basement in Syrian town
Bombings, clashes leave Syria truce in tatters
‘Free Syria’ rally draws more than 100 at Copley Square
Syrian toddler thought dead reunited with parents
"Mass burials: scores of bodies lined up on top of one another in long, thin graves moist with mud.... a massacre."
"Activist groups said large massacres in the oil-rich eastern province of Deir el-Zour that borders Iraq."
"Among dozens reportedly killed nationwide Wednesday were at least 40 residents of the Damascus suburb of Thiabiyeh, near the international airport, who were apparently shot execution-style by government forces, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights in Britain. Video posted on YouTube showed rows of corpses wrapped in blankets, all of them men of military age who had been shot in the head. Some reports said that the toll was far higher and that women and children were among those killed."
"Scores of muddied and waterlogged gunshot victims, most of them men in their 20s and 30s, were found dead in a suburb of Syria’s contested northern city of Aleppo on Tuesday. Insurgents and the government accused each other of carrying out the killings in what appeared to be the latest civil war atrocity."
A video from Maaret al-Numan in the north showed residents trying to save a boy who was buried up to his shoulders in rubble. Another showed the bodies of a boy and girl.
CAST LEAD!
Analysts say that rampant defections and rising rebel capabilities have lessened the regime’s ability to take back and hold rebel areas, making air strikes its most effective way to fight back.
Doesn't seem to work for US. As for the rebels continuing to gain, see my posts below.
Also see:
Dozens of bodies found in basement in Syrian town
Bombings, clashes leave Syria truce in tatters
‘Free Syria’ rally draws more than 100 at Copley Square
Syrian toddler thought dead reunited with parents
The texts appeared to be a kind of psychological warfare against the rebels by the regime of President Bashar Assad. In August, army helicopters dropped leaflets warning rebels in Damascus to disarm and seek amnesty.
U.S. does it all the time.
Violence scattered during cease-fire in Syria
‘‘terrorist groups’’ — the Syrian Army's blanket description for all the armed opposition"
It's the same thing AmeriKa does in Afghanistan and Pakistan when it comes to "Taliban."
Corroborated by rebel video clips online....
Pfft.
The developments coincided with a sharply higher estimate of total casualties in the conflict — nearly 70,000 — from the top human rights official at the United Nations."
Related: Syria: the Assad family business
Internet is cut, largest airport shut in Syria
The Internet has been a strategic weapon for the uprising and the government alike, allowing activists to organize and communicate but also exposing them to surveillance. Fighters, activists, and ordinary citizens upload video showing rebel exploits and government crackdowns but also exposing rebel atrocities — making the Syrian conflict one of the most documented conflicts with the sheer amount of material available."
The Internet has been a strategic weapon for the uprising and the government alike, allowing activists to organize and communicate but also exposing them to surveillance. Fighters, activists, and ordinary citizens upload video showing rebel exploits and government crackdowns but also exposing rebel atrocities — making the Syrian conflict one of the most documented conflicts with the sheer amount of material available."
Related: Internet, phones restored in Syria
And there is one statement here that is HORRIFICALLY incorrect, which must be set right by the facts, and that is characterizing the potential for this happening as "..the first chemical attack in the Mideast in over 20 years."
Apparently, the writers of this article, Mr Ackerman and Mr. Schactman, suffer from SMD (Selective Memory Disorder), because a chemical attack was waged during the Israeli Operation Cast (Lead December 27, 2008 – January 18, 2009) against Palestinians. White phosphorus was used indiscriminately against Palestinian civilians by the IDF.
This report documents Israel’s extensive use of white phosphorus munitions during its 22- day military operations in Gaza, from December 27, 2008 to January 18, 2009, named Operation Cast Lead. Based on in-depth investigations in Gaza, the report concludes that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) repeatedly exploded white phosphorus munitions in the air over populated areas, killing and injuring civilians, and damaging civilian structures, including a school, a market, a humanitarian aid warehouse and a hospital. White phosphorus munitions did not kill the most civilians in Gaza – many more died from missiles, bombs, heavy artillery, tank shells, and small arms fire – but their use in densely populated neighborhoods, including downtown Gaza City, violated international humanitarian law (the laws of war), which requires taking all feasible precautions to avoid civilian harm and prohibits indiscriminate attacks. The unlawful use of white phosphorus was neither incidental nor accidental. It was repeated over time and in different locations, with the IDF “air-bursting” the munition in populated areas up to the last days of its military operation. Even if intended as an obscurant rather than as a weapon, the IDF’s repeated firing of air-burst white phosphorus shells from 155mm artillery into densely populated areas was indiscriminate and indicates the commission of war crimes. The dangers posed by white phosphorus to civilians were well-known to Israeli commanders, who have used the munition for many years. According to a medical report prepared during the hostilities by the ministry of health, “[w]hite phosphorus can cause serious injury and death when it comes into contact with the skin, is inhaled or is swallowed.” The report states that burns on less than 10 percent of the body can be fatal because of damage to the liver, kidneys and heart. When it wanted an obscurant for its forces, the IDF had a readily available and non-lethal alternative to white phosphorus—smoke shells produced by an Israeli company. The IDF could have used those shells to the same effect and dramatically reduced the harm to civilians.