BUCKNACKT'S SORDID TAWDRY BLOG
We should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive & well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, chocolate, bier or wein in hand, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming "WHOO-HOO, WHAT A RIDE!!!!!!"
THIS is what Russia and the prc and the assad regime are doing to the people of Syria. From the Washington Post and Al Jazeera (click the links for more on the post in the blog)..I have to point out this post from today on the Al Jazeera blog since the assad government is guilty not only of encouraging sectarian violence between Sunnis, Shiite, Druze, Kurds and Christians.....
Ali Ibrahim, an activist in Zabadani, a mountain town near Damascus, told Al Jazeera that the military campaign by government forces has continued the seventh day.
“Tens have so far been injured but transferring them to hospitals is impossible. Snipers are shooting at any moving body.
He said it is difficult to assess the number of those killed because the bombing is continuous.
“Many families have been displaced. Many were welcomed by the families in the Christian-dominated city of Bloudan.
By Alice Fordham
DAMASCUS, Syria — Syrian government forces launched a mortar and rocket assault on the country’s third-largest city Friday night that activists said killed more than 200 people, intensifying pressure on the U.N. Security Council as it prepares to vote on a measure aimed at ending a bloody government crackdown.
If the death toll is confirmed, the military assault on Homs would be the single deadliest attack of the 10-month-old uprising that has devastated Syria.
The Security Council vote, which comes after months of swelling international outrage over the crackdown, is expected Saturday.
Military forces began to fire shells and rockets on the neighborhood of Khaldiyeh, a hotbed of protest, in the late evening, said activist Omar Shakir, speaking by telephone from the city. He said he heard hundreds of missiles strike the area.
The assault then spread to the Baba Amr and Bab al-Sebaa neighborhoods, with buildings collapsing on top of wailing residents. He estimated that at least 220 people were dead and more than 700 injured.
It was not possible, he said, to take the injured to hospitals because roads were blocked by security forces. Armed pro-government gangs had taken injured and dead people from the al-Amal hospital near Khaldiyeh, apparently to remove evidence of the offensive, he said.
People were being treated in makeshift field hospitals, he said, but he feared that many with head and chest injuries would die.
“Assad has lost control of this city and became mad, he became crazy to do these crimes,” he exclaimed.
Rami Abdulrahman, head of the British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, said he had tallied the deaths in the city at 217 after speaking with residents. He added that Homs had been rocked by fighting between the Free Syrian Army opposition group and government forces before the assault began in the evening.
“From the 19 of March till now, this is the bloodiest day in Syria,” he declared, referring to the start of the uprising against the government of President Bashar al-Assad.
A government spokesperson declined to comment Saturday on the events of the previous night. The Syrian Arab News Agency, a state media outlet, said that footage of bodies said by the opposition to have been killed in Friday’s bombardment were in fact “the corpses of the innocent citizens kidnapped, tortured and slaughtered by the armed terrorist groups.”
The agency cited a resident of Homs who said that she recognized the corpses of two of her relatives among those shown in videos, who had been kidnapped more than two months ago. If those killed had been hit by mortars, the agency article said, “their bodies would have been turned into tiny pieces.”
The attacks in Homs and other places across Syria, an anonymous source reportedly said to the agency, had been fabricated by the opposition ahead of a crucial U.N. vote on a resolution condemning Syria.
It was not possible to independently confirm the casualty estimates or details of the attack on Homs, which is about 100 miles north of Damascus.
In Washington, President Obama issued a statement Saturday strongly condemning what he called an “unspeakable assault” by the Syrian government against the people of Homs.
“Assad must halt his campaign of killing and crimes against his own people now,” Obama said. “He must step aside and allow a democratic transition to proceed immediately.”
British Foreign Secretary William Hague also condemned the reported killings, saying they displayed Assad’s “cold-blooded cynicism” in the face of mounting international pressure for the United Nations to take action to end the bloodshed.
“The escalating violence underlines the critical importance of the U.N. Security Council adding its weight to the Arab League’s efforts to end the crisis in Syria,” Hague said.
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, speaking to reporters at a European security conference in Munich on Saturday, said that the United States stands with Europe alongside the Arab League “in demanding an end to the bloodshed and a democratic future for Syria.”
Dima Moussa, a U.S.-based Syrian American born in Homs, said she had spoken to several city residents, who described a scene of horror.
“At least four buildings have collapsed. There are still people under the rubble. It’s the middle of the night — they can’t get to them,” said Moussa, a member of the Syrian National Council opposition group.
Moussa said the timing of the attack was significant. Opposition groups across the country had used their weekly Friday protests to commemorate the 30th anniversary of a notorious assault on an uprising in the city of Hama. At least 10,000 people were killed in that fighting, according to rights groups’ reporting at the time, and the date was highly emotional for protesters.
“I don’t think that it was a coincidence that it was the 30th anniversary of the events in Hama,” Moussa said. “The regime is saying that this is what we do, we will do it again, and they are disregarding every human rights law that’s out there, and obviously they are disregarding all the people’s demands.”
However, she predicted that the protest movement would remain resilient, saying that already in the city of Idlib, people were holding nighttime demonstrations in support of the victims in Homs.
She added that activists were reporting that there had also been a large-scale assault on Zabadani, an area near Damascus where armed opponents of the government had negotiated a cease-fire with Syrian officials more than two weeks ago. It was not possible to immediately confirm details of either operation.
The assault on Homs comes as the U.N. Security Council prepares to vote on a contentious resolution condemning the Syrian government’s response to the opposition demonstrations. Russia has strongly opposed such a move and called for a number of concessions to the proposed draft resolutions. One measure under discussion is a process of dialogue between the opposition and the Syrian government.
“It seems that the regime has read the stalling by the Russians as a license to stomp this out very quickly and then try and dictate the process of dialogue with the opposition,” said Andrew Tabler of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy.
“I don’t understand how this resolution in New York can arrest what is happening in Syria,” he added. “The idea is that the Russians would use their influence to constrain the regime, but it seems that the regime is reading it the other way.”
The violence of the crackdown against an initially largely peaceful, if now increasingly armed, nationwide protest movement has drawn international condemnation. One Western diplomat, speaking in Damascus this week, said: “The regime has no moral scruples, no shame. They subordinate all that to a sense of honor.”
In Washington on Friday night, dozens of protesters waving Syrian flags gathered outside the Syrian Embassy to protest the killings in Homs. They chanted “Down, down with Assad” and “Free, free Syria.” The Reuters news agency reported protests at Syrian embassies in Britain, Germany and Egypt, where a crowd stormed the building.
Staff writer Karen DeYoung in Washington contributed to this report. SYRIA LIVE BLOG FROM AL JAZEERA 8FEB12
A Syrian soldier, who defected to join the Free Syrian Army, holds up his rifle and waves a Syrian independence flag [Reuters]
People continue to take to the streets across Syria, where the uprising is becoming increasingly militarised. Activists say more than 7,000 people have been killed since protests began in March last year. The government blames "armed gangs" for the unrest and says more than 2,000 members of the security forces have been killed.
We bring you the latest news from various sources. Al Jazeera is not responsible for content derived from external sites.
Ever since the Syrian government began its violent crackdown on the opposition, the city of Homs has seen the worst of it.
The situation in the city is getting worse, as neighborhoods are surrounded and people are worried that the military will move in any day now.
In this exclusive report, Jane Ferguson, who has recently been in Homs for Al Jazeera, says there is a real sense that the city is on the verge of a major human catastrophe.
The United States hopes to meet with international partners soon to agree upon the next steps to halt the killing of civilians in Syria and this would likely include humanitarian aid, the White House said on Wednesday.
White House Press Secretary Jay Carney told reporters that a "friends of Syria" meeting could be held in the near future, but did not give details.
The onslaught in the Syrian city of Homs has prompted Turkey to call for an international conference.
Ahmet Davutoglu, the Turkish foreign minister, said on Wednesday that if the UN cannot protect Syrian civilians, then like-minded countries need to find another way.
Syrian government forces have been shelling Homs for a fifth day, with the district of Bab Amr being the main target.
Activists said three families were killed by armed men loyal to the Syrian government who stormed their homes overnight. Troops have also targeted the residential areas of Al Inshaat and Al Khalidia.
Al Jazeera's Omar al Saleh reports on events in Homs.
Russian leaders under fire for a UN veto Wednesday rejected outside interference in the Syrian conflict, with Prime Minister Vladimir Putin warning against behaving "like a bull in a china shop".
"Of course we condemn violence from whichever side it comes, but we must not behave like a bull in a china shop. We need to allow people to decide their own fate independently," Putin said in televised remarks.
The Russian strongman, who is standing for a third presidential term on March 4, spoke after Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov met Syrian President Bashar al-Assad for talks in Damascus on Tuesday.
Talking to religious leaders during his presidential campaign, Putin warned that intervention in Syria could lead to a situation similar to that in Libya after the overthrow of its leader Muammer Gaddafi.
"I know very well the quality of the regime in Libya and it was talked about a lot. But today for some reason no one shows or talks about what is happening in Sirte and other cities that supported the former leader," he said.
"Terrible crimes are happening there... These are the awful consequences of outside interference, most of all when it is armed." [AFP]
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev told Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday that the search for a way to end bloodshed in Syria should continue, including in the UN Security Council, but that foreign interference was not an option, the Kremlin said.
In a telephone conversation, Medvedev "underscored the need to continue - including in the UN Security Council - the search for agreed approaches with the aim of fostering the resolution of the crisis by Syrians themselves, without external interference," the Kremlin said in a statement. [Reuters]
European Union governments have reached an agreement in principle to impose sanctions on the Syrian central bank this month as part of new measures intended to force President Bashar al-Assad out of power, a senior EU diplomat said on Wednesday.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, the diplomat said details of the new sanctions were still being worked out but the EU's 27 capitals were behind the push, which should be formally approved by February 27.
"Obviously, details are crucial. But (EU) member states agree on the principle," the diplomat said.
"It is still a matter of discussion to what extent we can take such a measure without damaging overall trade, because it is not the intention to halt trade completely."
The EU was likely to move quickly in adopting the sanctions despite such concerns, he said, amid growing acknowledgement in Europe that it is difficult to completely avoid hampering civilian trade through sanctions. [Reuters]
The Syrian Revolution General Commission, a coalition of 40 Syrian opposition groups, is saying 2814 people have been killed in Homs since the beginning of the uprising.
Two leaders of the main Kurdish-Syrian opposition group have been arrested after returning to Syria following an opposition meeting in Iraqi Kurdistan, according to activists.
According to the Kurdish National Council, Ibrahim Biro, political bureau member at the Ibrahim Biro, and Mohammed Youssef from the Kurdish Youth Movement were arrested by Syrian security forces in Qamishli on Tuesday.
The two appeared at a press conference of the Kurdish National Council, the main Syrian-Kurdish opposition group, after a two-day co-ordination meeting last week hosted by Massoud Barzani, the president of Iraqi Kurdistan.
The state-run SANA news agency reports that 13 soldiers were killed by what it called "terrorists" in Damascus, Daraa, Lattakia and Homs.
DAMASCUS, (SANA) – The bodies of 13 army martyrs on Monday were escorted from Tishreen Military Hospital to their final resting place.
The martyrs were killed by the armed terrorist groups while on duty in Damascus Countryside, Daraa, Lattakia and Homs.
Solemn funeral ceremonies were held for the martyrs, as they were carried on shoulders while the music of the "Martyr" and "Farewell" was playing.
British Prime Minister David Cameron said on Wednesday he had little confidence in promises made by Syria to Russia over the violent crackdown by the regime in Damascus.
"I think we have very little confidence in that," Cameron told parliament when asked about Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov's talks with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in the Syrian capital on Tuesday. [AFP]
Homs is witnessing a military campaign for the fifth day since February 3.
Activists said that at least 50 people have been killed overnight and tens of others have been injured. Internet, land-lines and mobile lines have mostly been cut for the past few days.
Below is a map that indicates the location of some of the neighbourhoods making the news today.
Danny Abdul Dayem, an activist in Homs, was filmed in a field hospital in Bab Amr neighbourhood next to the body of a little girl reportedly killed as a result of the government forces military campaign on the city.
Turkey plans an international conference "as soon as possible" with regional players and world powers to solve the Syrian crisis, its foreign minister said on Wednesday.
"We are determined to establish a broad-based forum to promote international understanding with all countries concerned" with the developments in Syria, Ahmet Davutoglu said in a televised interview.
The conference could take place in Turkey or in another country but emphasised that it must certainly be "in the region" and "as soon as possible", he added.
Turkey has been trying to create a "new roadmap," on Syria, said Davutoglu, adding that Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan would speak on the phone with Russian President Dimitri Medvedev on Wednesday.
Later in the day, Davutoglu will fly to the United States for a meeting with US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton for further discussions on the Syrian crisis.
This videos below show tanks in front of Hikma Hospital in the residential neighbourhood of Inshaat. Residents say that government forces stormed the hospital and broke the medical machinery there.
Organisers of Kuwait's annual shopping festival, "February Nights," have cancelled all musical concerts in solidarity with the Syrian people, an organiser said on Wednesday.
"The situation is not suitable for staging concerts now since we are in a state of sorrow for what is happening in Syria," the head of the festival's celebrations committee, Abdullah al-Kaud, told Al-Anbaa newspaper.
"The organising committee decided that it was unacceptable to stage musical parties while people are dying daily," Kaud said.
A number of top Kuwaiti and Gulf singers who were due to perform during the month-long festival had already withdrawn. They include Kuwait's Nabeel Shuail and Abdullah Ruwaished and Saudi Arabia's Rabeh Sager. [AFP]
Ali Ibrahim, an activist in Zabadani, a mountain town near Damascus, told Al Jazeera that the military campaign by government forces has continued the seventh day.
“Tens have so far been injured but transferring them to hospitals is impossible. Snipers are shooting at any moving body.
He said it is difficult to assess the number of those killed because the bombing is continuous.
“Many families have been displaced. Many were welcomed by the families in the Christian-dominated city of Bloudan.
Speaking to Al Jazeera from Homs, activist Hadi al-Abdallah said that at least 43 people were killed overnight in the central city.
“Homs woke up this morning on the sounds of shelling, blood and a massacre,” he said on Wednesday morning.
Abdallah said that the deaths occurred in the neighbourhoods of Bab Amr, Al Khaldiyeh, Wadi al-Arab, Karm el- Zaitoun, Waar and al-Sabeel.
However, he said the death figures are initial.
“Some areas are completely sieged. There is no internet, no landlines or mobile lines. We hear sounds of shelling but we have no idea what is going on there.”
“In Al-Sabeel area, three families were slaughtered by knives. Eight people were killed from al-Tirkawi family, six people from al-Mheeni family and five people from al-Zamel family.”
He said there has been no retaliation by the armed opposition in Homs because the government forces are shelling from a distance of between two to seven kilometres.
Tanks entered the Inshaat neighbourhood and moved closer to Bab Amr district, which has been the target of the heaviest barrages by loyalist troops that have killed at least 100 civilians in the last two days, activists said.
"Tanks are now at Qubaa mosque and soldiers have entered Hikmeh hospital in Inshaat. They also moved closer to Bab Amro and shelling is being heard on Karm al-Zeitoun and al-Bayada," activist Mohammad al-Hassan said by satellite phone from Homs.
"Communications have been cut in many parts of Homs and it is difficult to put together an overall picture. But tanks are in main thoroughfares in the city and appear poised to push deep into residential areas," he added.
The US is sending mixed messages on Syria:
Jay Carney, the White House spokesperson, said today that the US government is not considering arming the Syrian opposition forces “right now”. Humanitarian aid is on the cards, he added.
Off-the-record, however, the US military is gearing up for possible conflict, according to this report from CNN.
Thanks to Avaaz,we have this account of Tuesday’s events in Baba Amr as reported by a citizen journalist going by the pseudonym of Mohammad:
The missiles and heavy artillery were fired at Baba Amr throughout the night and through the morning hours. As soon as they stopped, a T72 tank began bombing the neighbourhood. Heavy machine guns mounted on armoured vehicles were also used in attempts to take the neighbourhood.
"So far, elements of the Free Syrian Army have been able to stand up to these attempts. The internet is completely cut off from Homs, making access to information about victims difficult. In Baba Amr we have confirmed the death of at least 80 in the past 24 hours. The number of wounded has exceeded 300."
With Syria's makeshift hospitals unable to keep up with the growing rate of casualties, many of the wounded are left with little choice other than to travel to Jordan.
Al Jazeera's Nisreen el-Shamayleh reports from the Jordanian capital, Amman, on those Syrians seeking treatment across the border, including a one-time Olympian.
Speaking at the party's headquarters in Cairo, the Muslim Brotherhood has denounced the Russian and Chinese UNSC veto on Syria.
"The Syrian people alone are the decision maker through a peaceful revolution. The same as we did...we are denouncing the killing by the army to the civilian demonstrators and we also denounce with the same force the Russian-Chinese veto which give this regime an umbrella of protection, as the same veto was passed two hundred people were shot dead by the same killing armaments" said Brotherhood spokesman, Mohamed Badie.
The party's presidential candidate, Amr Moussa speaking of President Bashar al-Assad, went on to say "it is a matter of time, it is the history in the making of Arab region. Change will continue to be the real driving force in the life of the middle east and in the Arab world. What is being done by the Arab league now should be supported and that the Syrian people will not be suffer for long time."
Vitaly Churkin, Russian ambassador to the United Nations called an impromptu press conference at the United Nations where he addressed the fallout over Russia's role in last week's United Nations Security Council vote:
“We had a vote in the Security Council. We now have to absorb the impact of that. We have to have a fresh look at the situation. If there is an opportunity to do something in the Security Council which will not create another falling out, we’ll try to take that opportunity. But at this point, unfortunately, I don’t think there is any room for constructive work in the Security Council.”
Al Jazeera's Omar al-Saleh reports on the crowds that greeted Russian Foreign Minister, Sergei Lavrov upon his arrival in Damascus.
Syrian state television says a million people took to the streets of Damascus and Haleb to thank Russia for its unwavering support of Syria.
Speaking to the AFP news agency, Dutch foreign ministry spokesman, Job Frieszo said the Dutch have recalled their ambassador from Syria on Tuesday.
Following the steps of several other European nations Frieszo said "Minister (Uri) Rosenthal has recalled the Dutch ambassador for consultations".
Speaking at a news briefing in Beijing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Weimin said he Beijing is considering sending envoys to Syria for discussions on an end to the violence in the country.
"We have recently been considering sending people to North Africa who can play an active and constructive role in promoting a ceasefire and solving the political disputes in Syria," Liu told the media.
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