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13 Jun 2011 10:47

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World: Syria retakes Jisr al-Shoughour, leading to huge influx of refugees

More than 5,000 Syrians are reportedly in this tent camp in Boynuyogun, Turkey after fleeing the northern town. Tens of thousands more apparently are trying to flee the country. source
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10 May 2011 10:13

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U.S.: Human rights group: Hundreds killed, thousands jailed in Syria

  • 757+ number of civilians the National Organization for Human Rights in Syria says have died in the country’s current crisis
  • 9,000+ number of civilians the group, led by Ammar Qurabi, believes are still in custody as a result of the military crackdown on protests source
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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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05 May 2011 09:55

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World: Syrian unrest: Troops move into other towns, arrest protesters

  • The mess in Syria stays messy: While troops recently started pulling out of the city of Daraa — a flash point for the initial unrest in the country — after doing what it could to “crush” the protesters (though some protesters deny that they’ve left), it appears troops are moving elsewhere. In the clip above, Syrian troops appear to be moving into the Damascus suburb of Saqba. Hundreds were reportedly arrested. A protest took place there last Friday after residents’ weekly prayer, so the timing is of note. Troops also moved into the coastal town of Banias, home to one of Syria’s oil refineries. This is far from over. source
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25 Apr 2011 10:59

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World: Syria: Bashar Al-Assad has a contradictory legacy to shake

  • This is the moment of truth for Bashar al-Assad. He has potentially the ability to impose reforms on his own Baath Party, but has he the will to do so?
  • Columbia University visiting professor Jean-Pierre Filiu • Describing the situation the controversial Syrian leader currently has to deal with. It’s not clear what he’ll do — enact reforms against the party that gives him power or let them keep doing what they’re doing, both putting him at risk of losing his power — but his history suggests a cycle of giving diplomats hopes that he’ll enact real change, but failing to follow through. A tough legacy to shake, and one that has strong implications for the Middle East. 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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24 Mar 2011 20:52

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World: Syrian violence: Huge protests in Deraa, but a very bloody day

  • In the blog entry we’re linking at the end of this post, Andrew Sullivan threw up two videos from Syria. This one shows a wounded man lying on the ground, and another person taking his belt and using it as a tourniquet for his wound. While harrowing, it shows nothing particularly violent. The other clip, however, is bloody. And scary. The crowds today were very large — with some putting the numbers at around 20,000 — but the scene was also very bloody. Dozens have died this week, but the Jerusalem Post says the number could be much higher. source
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23 Mar 2011 11:17

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World: Syrian protests heat up: Security forces kill six in mosque attack

  • Here’s some amateur video, parsed by Euronews, of last night’s conflict at a Omari mosque in the Syrian city of Daraa. Despite bans on protests in the country for almost 50 years, some have cropped up in the southern Syrian city in the past week. A number of protesters were inside attempting to protect themselves from Syrian security forces threatening to attack the mosque. “Brother don’t shoot,” one protester shouted inside of the mosque. “This country is big enough for me and you.” Apparently, Syria disagrees. And this is a problem.  source
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