Syria: violence, violence and more violence

While the violence in Syria has heaped international condemnation on the Assad regime, everyone has so far stopped short of demanding Assad step down. While various sanctions by various countries have attempted to curtail the movements of government officials and impact the economy of the country through international trade, this has proven to have little or no effect in the actions of the Syrian government against its own people.

Latakia is the third major centre to be targeted by security forces in their brutal crushing of any and all dissent. After four days of assault aiming at several neighbourhoods which were the scene of mass protests, the city has become a chaotic war zone where no one is safe. U.N. officials are now saying that the 10,000 inhabitants of a Palestinian refugee camp that came under the wrath of government forces have fled. It is reported that they were pursued because of protests held in the camp against Assad.

The Telegraph writes that the refugee neighbourhood, Raml, was set up after 1948, when Palestinians fled or were expelled from their homes during the fighting at the creation of Israel. It grew into one of the city’s largest neighbourhoods, drawing poor job-seekers but still lacks some basic services. Demonstrations have erupted there and in nearby neighbourhoods since the country’s uprising began in March, and activists there insisted the crackdown would fail to quell the spirit of dissent.

Forces had directed heavy fire into the neighbourhood and that Syrian security officials had told some of the residents to leave, suggesting an impending military operation. By Tuesday, Raml was apparently all but deserted.

The response from the Palestinians was immediate. Nabil Abu Rudeineh, a spokesman for the Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, was quoted as saying, “We urge the Syrian authorities to stop the attack on the refugee camp immediately. It is unacceptable, we cannot accept it.”

Another senior Palestinian official, Yasser Abed Rabbo, spoke of the attack on Raml as “a crime against humanity” while adding that the Syrian regime had “lost rationality.” He went on to say, “It is a regime that slaughters its people and practices the ugliest forms of suppression including displacement and bombardment.”

The Guardian reported on the Syrian government’s continued propaganda about fighting armed gangs that have infiltrated various centres and are terrorising locals but went on to paint a different portrait of events as told by those local themselves.

A man from the al-Ramel neighbourhood said: “Today the shabiha (plainclothes armed regime supporters) and security came into the neighbourhood and went around houses.

“They have stolen items when they go in. There are some people who can’t get out because of the checkpoints where they are arresting people; they have lists and no one can tell if they are on it or not. We think there are 40 dead people from the last few days.

“There is provocation by the security forces and shabiha saying ‘Bashar is our God’ and ‘We will teach you about freedom’. It is horrible.”

The Guardian printed another description of what’s happening on the ground: “There are many snipers on the rooftops around the areas that are besieged. We can see them. Armoured vehicles are still here but they stopped shooting and there is less gunfire. The shabiha and security forces this morning were cleaning the streets, taking any dead bodies and removing bullets and everything. We think they will destroy the neighbourhood. What happened was a massacre, a massacre.”

The Telegraph reported on Syria’s last ally, Iran, and the precarious nature of its relationship with a government in trouble. It is a telling sign that even Iran may have to admit that its ally will not be able to withstand this assault on its rule. An opposition website in Tehran linked to the “Green Movement” claimed that the Iranian ambassador to Damascus was seeking to pull out, citing an unnamed diplomat who said that embassy staff were concerned about violent retribution for Iran’s backing of President Assad if he were toppled.

Even if the Assad government stopped all violence now, would it be able to remain in power? The anti-government movement seems to now have a life of its own and it may be that nothing except the removal of Assad himself will quell their desire for change. The level of violence would indicate that Assad is a man fighting for his life.

Uploaded by AlJazeeraEnglish on Aug 16, 2011

Syria protests continue despite crackdown

The Syrian army continues to crack down on dissidents across the country. Activists say the assault on Latakia has continued for a fourth day, with troops raiding and destroying houses in the al-Ramel neighbourhood. But protesters continue to take to the streets across the country, despite reports of deaths and mass arrests. Al Jazeera’s Nisreen el-Shamayleh reports from the Jordanian side of the Jordan-Syria border.

Uploaded by NiserSyria on Aug 16, 2011

a young man killed while trying to bring water, 3 Aug 2011- Hama Syria

Uploaded by sanharibf on Aug 11, 2011

Syrian Forces Fire Live Bullets at peaceful protesters.

Friday of Freedom-Hama, Syria- 20/5/2011, Immigration and Passport Office Roundabout. This clip shows the Syrian peaceful protesters getting shot heavily by militias and security forces loyal to the ruling regime known as “Shabeeha”. This clip is clear evidence that it is the Syrian regime’s forces that are killing the Syrian protesters and doing brutal actions in order to suppress the protesters’ peaceful shouts.

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