Homs Central Prison, #Homs, 08-09-2013: Regime forces are carrying out a massacre of inmates in Homs Central Prison, shooting detainees
— Free Syria Media Hub (@Fsa_Media_Hub) September 8, 2013
Labels: Bashar al-Assad, chemical weapons, Free Syrian Army, Homs, Nusra Front, Syria, Syrian uprising
posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 10:40 PM
0 comments
Contrary to many media accounts, the war in Syria is not being waged entirely, or even predominantly, by dangerous Islamists and al Qaeda die-hards. The jihadists pouring into Syria from countries like Iraq and Lebanon are not flocking to the front lines. Instead they are concentrating their efforts on consolidating control in the northern, rebel-held areas of the country.
Groups like Jabhat al Nusra, an al Qaeda affiliate, are all too happy to take credit for successes on the battlefield, and are quick to lay claim to opposition victories on social media. This has often led to the impression that these are spearheading the fight against the Syrian government. They are not.
These groups care less about defeating Assad than they do about establishing and holding their Islamic emirate in the north of the country. Many Jabhat al Nusra fighters left in the middle of ongoing rebel operations in Homs, Hama and Idlib to head for Raqqa province once the provincial capital fell in March 2013. During the battle for Qusayr in late May, Jabhat al Nusra units were noticeably absent. In early June, rebel reinforcements rallied to take the town of Talbiseh, north of Homs city, while Jabhat al Nusra fighters preferred to stay in the liberated areas to fill the vacuum that the Free Syrian Army affiliates had left behind.
Moderate opposition forces—a collection of groups known as the Free Syrian Army—continue to lead the fight against the Syrian regime. While traveling with some of these Free Syrian Army battalions, I've watched them defend Alawi and Christian villages from government forces and extremist groups. They've demonstrated a willingness to submit to civilian authority, working closely with local administrative councils. And they have struggled to ensure that their fight against Assad will pave the way for a flourishing civil society. One local council I visited in a part of Aleppo controlled by the Free Syrian Army was holding weekly forums in which citizens were able to speak freely, and have their concerns addressed directly by local authorities.
Moderate opposition groups make up the majority of actual fighting forces, and they have recently been empowered by the influx of arms and money from Saudi Arabia and other allied countries, such as Jordan and France. This is especially true in the south, where weapons provided by the Saudis have made a significant difference on the battlefield, and have helped fuel a number of recent rebel advances in Damascus.
Thanks to geographic separation from extremist strongholds and reliable support networks in the south, even outdated arms sent by the Saudis, like Croatian rocket-launchers and recoilless rifles, have allowed moderate rebel groups to make significant inroads into areas that had previously been easily defended by the regime, and to withstand the pressure of government forces in the capital. In recent months, the opposition has achieved major victories in Aleppo, Idlib, Deraa and Damascus—nearly reaching the heart of the capital—despite the regime's consolidation in Homs province.
At this stage in the conflict, barring a major bombing campaign by the U.S., sophisticated weaponry, including anti-tank and anti-aircraft weapon systems, may be the opposition's best chance at sustaining its fight against Assad. This is something only foreign governments, not jihadists, can offer. Right now, Saudi sources that are providing the rebels critical support tell me that they haven't sent more effective weaponry because the U.S. has explicitly asked them not to.Read the whole thing.
Labels: Aleppo, Barack Hussein Obama, Bashar al-Assad, Deraa, Free Syrian Army, Homs, Nusra Front, Syria
posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 9:58 PM
1 comments
While the warehouse was destroyed, American intelligence analysts have now concluded that at least some of the Yakhont missiles had been removed from their launchers and moved from the warehouse before the attack.
The officials who described the new assessment declined to be identified because they were discussing classified information.
...
After the Israeli attack, the Assad government sought to hide the fact that the missiles had been missed by setting fire to launchers and vehicles at the site to create the impression of a devastating blow, according to American intelligence reports.
The Pentagon did not respond to a request for comment. Israel has a longstanding policy of silence on pre-emptive military strikes.
Another factor that could lead to a military response by Israel is the continuing flow of weapons to the Assad government, some of which Israel fears may make its way to Hezbollah in neighboring Lebanon.
The July 5 attack near Latakia was the fourth known Israeli airstrike in Syria this year.
About an hour and a half ago, there was a huge explosion in Homs, in central Syria, which was much larger than usual explosions there. 40 people were killed and 160 wounded.Providing new details, American officials said that it had been carried out by Israeli aircraft that flew over the eastern Mediterranean, fired air-to-ground missiles and never entered Syrian airspace. The route of the Israeli aircraft led to some erroneous reports that the attack had been carried out by an Israeli submarine.
Activists said the explosion, which appeared to be significantly larger than most bombs used daily by either side in the two-year-old Syrian conflict, ripped through the southeastern neighborhood of al-Nozha.
The neighborhood is majority Alawite, the same sect as President Bashar Assad. Sunni Muslim insurgents have targeted Alawite areas, especially military positions, around the country with bombs and mortars.Let's go to the videotape.
Labels: Bashar al-Assad, Free Syrian Army, Homs, IAF, Latakia, Nusra Front, Syria, Syrian army, Syrian uprising, Yakhont land to sea missile
posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 6:35 PM
0 comments
Labels: Bashar al-Assad, Free Syrian Army, Homs, Nusra Front, Russia, Syria, Syrian uprising
posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 10:51 AM
0 comments
A report has come in on Twitter indicating that shots have been fired at Bashar al-Assad's motorcade in Homs. No confirmation and no report of casualties yet. But the source is Sultan al-Qassemi, who is a journalist with the National (UAE) and is generally reliable.The report did not give further details and did not specify the origin of the shooting.Hmmm.
Syrian state television showed video of Assad, wearing an open-necked shirt with a blue suit, walking casually in the Baba Amr district, which was reclaimed by his forces earlier this month after 26 days of heavy bombardment.
"Life will return to normal in Baba Amr, better than it was before," Assad told a group of people shouting support for the president.
...
Assad, walking slowly through the streets under light rain, saw shattered and burned out buildings. He waved and smiled to small crowds who came out to greet him.
A spokesman for peace envoy Kofi Annan, representing the United Nations and the Arab League, said on Tuesday Assad had accepted basic terms of a peace plan that calls for national dialogue and does not hinge on his agreement to leave office and give up power.
"He thinks he won and scored a great victory," said opposition activist Saif Hurria, speaking by telephone from Homs.
"He wants to show the world he defeated and put down a revolution. But in fact he can't control Homs ... It seems he can't even release the video until he has left Homs. That is not control."
Labels: assassination attempt, Bashar al-Assad, Homs, Syrian uprising
posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 2:31 PM
0 comments
Labels: Bashar al-Assad, Dmitry Medvedev, Homs, Iran, Syrian uprising
posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 6:31 PM
0 comments
Two foreign journalists have escaped from the Syrian city of Homs and made their way to Lebanon. One of them, French journalist Edith Bouvier, was forced to turn back earlier in the week due to her injuries when the escape party came under attack. Bouvier’s journey to Lebanon capped an anxious eight days of intense negotiations and at least one failed attempt to get the injured journalist out of Homs.Meanwhile, opposition forces left Homs after 26 days under fire.
A freelance reporter in Syria for the French daily Le Figaro, Bouvier was wounded in an attack on the Baba Amro district of Homs, which killed veteran American reporter Marie Colvin and French photographer Remi Ochlik.
She was trapped in Homs with French photographer William Daniel. Witnesses told Reuters that Daniel had arrived in Lebanon with Bouvier.
On Wednesday, another journalist who was also in Baba Amro, Spanish journalist Javier Espinosa, arrived in Lebanon. His escape came days after wounded British photographer Paul Conroy braved a perilous journey to make it safely to Lebanon.
Most Syrian rebels pulled out of the besieged Baba Amro district of Homs on Thursday after a 26-day siege by Syrian President Bashar Assad's forces, activists in contact with the fighters said.As horrible as this sounds, it might not be much different if the situation were reversed.
They said a few fighters had remained behind in the shattered quarter to cover the "tactical withdrawal" of their comrades.
Syrian forces again shelled Baba Amro earlier in the day, despite world alarm at the plight of civilians trapped there.
Snow blanketed the city, slowing a ground assault begun on Wednesday, but also worsening the misery of residents short of food, fuel, power, water and telephone links, activists said.
Reports from the city could not be verified immediately due to tight government restrictions on media operations in Syria.
...
A Lebanese official close to Damascus said Assad's government was determined to regain control of Homs, Syria's third city, which straddles the main north-south highway.
"They want to take it, whatever happens, without restraint, whatever the cost," the official said, asking not to be named.
He said defeat for the rebels in Homs would leave the opposition without any major stronghold in Syria, easing the crisis for Assad, who remained confident he could survive.
Labels: Homs, journalists, Syrian uprising
posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 11:59 PM
0 comments
Syrian troops launched a ground attack in Homs on Wednesday in an apparent attempt to overrun the rebel-held Baba Amro neighborhood that has endured 25 days of siege and fierce bombardment, opposition sources said.Of course, reports from Homs cannot be verified.
"The army is trying to go in with infantry from the direction of al-Bassel football field and fierce confrontations with automatic rifles and heavy machine guns are taking place there," activist Mohammad al-Homsi told Reuters from Homs.
He said the military had shelled Baba Amro heavily on Tuesday and overnight before the ground attack started.
Labels: Bashar al-Assad, Homs, Syrian uprising
posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 3:59 PM
0 comments
Labels: Homs, Syrian uprising
posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 7:32 PM
0 comments
I am an Orthodox Jew - some would even call me 'ultra-Orthodox.' Born in Boston, I was a corporate and securities attorney in New York City for seven years before making aliya to Israel in 1991 (I don't look it but I really am that old :-). I have been happily married to the same woman for thirty-five years, and we have eight children (bli ayin hara) ranging in age from 13 to 33 years and nine grandchildren. Four of our children are married! Before I started blogging I was a heavy contributor on a number of email lists and ran an email list called the Matzav from 2000-2004. You can contact me at: IsraelMatzav at gmail dot com
Like what you see? Please hit my tip box below!
Jerusalem |
 |
 |
