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29 Sep 2011 11:28

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World: U.S. ambassador to Syria pelted with tomatoes, stones in protest

You might remember the assault against U.S. Ambassador Robert Ford, who’s been critical of Assad’s regime, from about a month ago. That one didn’t involve stones and tomatoes. This one did. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

29 Aug 2011 20:27

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World: VIDEO: U.S. ambassador to Syria gets assaulted by pro-Assad demonstrator

  • Note: The clip above is not in English. One thing the highly-produced clip does show,, though, around the two minute mark, is the assault of Robert Ford, the Damascus-based U.S. ambassador to Syria, who was ambushed by pro-Assad demonstrators. One of the protesters tried to wrap him up in a posters that features the Syrian leader’s face. So the real question, of course, is, how did he allow himself to get into such a situation? Just in case you’re wondering since you don’t understand Arabic — the clip they show is something of the Syrian equivalent of a Nancy Grace report, and is totally stilted and biased. “[The clip is] a weak, banal, laughable attempt by the Syrian thugs to have the international community focus on anything but the real story,” a State Department official said, “which is the government’s continuing campaign of terror on its own people through torture, murder and illegal imprisonment.” source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

13 Jun 2011 10:49

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World: That “A Gay Girl in Damascus” hoax enrages Syrian activists

  • I say shame on you!!! There are bloggers in Syria who are trying as hard as they can to report news and stories from the country. We have to deal with more difficulties than you can imagine. What you have done has harmed many, put us all in danger, and made us fearful about (pursuing) our…activism. Your apology is not accepted, since I have myself started to investigate Amina’s arrest. I could have put myself in a grave danger inquiring about a fictitious figure.
  • GayMiddleEast Damascus blogger Sami Hamwi (who works under a pseudonym) • Expressing rage over the finding that the blogger behind “A Gay Girl in Damascus” was actually a middle-aged dude from the States. Tom MacMaster says that he used the pseudonym to focus the attention not on the person writing the blog, but on the information itself. Good to see that one worked out for you. Now you’ve instilled doubt into every true story that’s out there. Nobody would’ve been upset had you admitted you were just a middle-aged white guy who felt the political situation in Syria was worth keeping an eye on. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

07 May 2011 11:51

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World: Syria: Did Assad’s brother Maher start firing on unarmed civilians?

  • Is Assad’s brother pulling the trigger here? In one of the more striking videos to come out of the Syrian protests, a guy in a leather jacket pulls out a gun and starts shooting at unarmed civilians. Protesters say that Maher Assad, brother of Bashar, is the man pulling the trigger in this clip, shot in the Syrian suburb of Barzeh. If it’s true, that’s messed up. source
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22 Apr 2011 10:48

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World: Syrian protests: Security forces open fire on protesters, unprovoked

  • There was no provocation. There were forces being deployed since last night. When people went out in Homs, the security forces stepped out . . . and immediately started shooting.
  • INSAN director Wissam Tarif • Describing the scene in the central Syrian city of Homs, where protesters were met by security forces who opened fire. At least seven were killed throughout Syria. In other towns, like Damascus, police took cell phones away from protesters, so the couldn’t shoot video or take photos of the protests. Fridays have been the traditional day of protest in Syria; they also double as a day of prayer. source
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