Syria (and Beyond) Live Coverage: More than 100 Die as UN Discussion Begins

Interactive Map of Today's Events near Damascus

View Damascus, 2012 Jan 31 in a larger map

See also Bahrain Special: Candles, Balloons, and Molotov Cocktails
Syria Video Special: On the Ground with the Free Syrian Army
Syria 1st-Hand: The Cat-and-Mouse Game in Kafar Souseh
Monday's Syria (and Beyond) Live Coverage: Can the Regime Recapture the Suburbs?

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2130 GMT: At the United Nations, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton focuses on the deaths --- more than 5,400 civilians, according to UN estimates --- and the violence: "The evidence is clear that Assad's forces are initiating nearly all the attacks that kill civilians." She says, "No one in Syria is safe, including women, children, Red Crescent workers," and says the regime is working hard to pit Syria’s ethnic and religious groups against each other, risking civil war. "As Syrians take up arms, violence will spiral out of control."

The take-away line: As Clinton says Assad's "brutal regime will go", she declares "Stand with people of Syria and the region, or become complicit in the increasing violence."

2115 GMT: A snapshot of Syrian Ambassador Ja'afari's speech at the United Nations Security Council....

Syrian patriotism rejects international intervention and stresses our territorial integrity and sovereignty as a red line....The Arab League's activities run counter to the League's charter. They are aggressive interference with a member state....Terrorist groups have used the people's legitimate demands to undermine our security....There is a media political misleading deliberate campaign to distort facts & presence of terrorist groups to destabilize Syria....One cannot be an arsonist and a firefighter at the same time.

2105 GMT: An update from the United Nations Security Council discussion on Syria --- the speech by Arab League Secretary-General Nabil El Araby was tame ("boring" was a regular comment) compared to that of the Qatari delegation. He did not call on President Assad to renounce power, but instead called for "true dialogue" and a national unity goverment.

The Syrian Ambassador, Bashar Ja'afari, has opened his presentation with an Arabic poem and spoken about his childhood, "We would rather sing the song of Algerian liberation than our own national anthem. We'd give our pocket change to Arab liberation movements struggling with British colonialism..

2102 GMT: This video has a more symbolic importance than anything - according to activists, this was taken on the Mezzeh Highway, near the Tishreen Palace (the Presidential Palace), we believe approximately here. Note the tanks in the video:

2042 GMT: Much to the frustration of many in Damascus, the electricity, internet, and or cell phone networks have all been down periodically since this morning, making video very difficult to upload. This video was reportedly taken in the Hammoriyah suburb, earlier today:

2036 GMT: This video was reportedly taken earlier in al Rastan, Homs, immediately after this home was hit by a shell and partially collapsed. Apparently, some people were trapped under the roof.

2025 GMT: The delegation from Qatar is speaking at the UNSC meeting. So far, he has been brutally critical of the Syria regime, placing all blame on the regime for the failure to adhere to the negotiated agreements settled with the Arab League.

The takeaway quote (approximate): "The Syrian government failed to hold up its obligations to the international community and instead turned towards the killing of its own people." HE then went on to defend the peaceful demonstrations of the opposition, and the eventual militarization fo the Syrian opposition in the face of brutal government crackdowns.

2018 GMT: This is a livestream of the UN Security Council session on the crisis in Syria:

So far, they appear to be reading the draft resolution that we've described below (see update at 1555 GMT).

2011 GMT: The LCCS reports a potentially significant escalation outside a mosque in the critical neighborhood of Damascus, Kafer Souseh, home to many government offices and buildings:

Security forces and shabiha encircled the neighborhoods and fired randomly in response to a previous demonstration at Abu Bakker al-Sadeeq Mosque where the Revolutions’ youth burned tires to block off the main road. Massive military presence in the area near Jawze roundabout on the southern Mutahalq Road

1928 GMT: Another leader in the Free Syrian Army has demanded that Hezbollah cease its support of the Assad regime, and has threatened the leader of Hezbollah, Hassan Nasrallah, that the Syrian people would settle a score with the organization in court after the regime falls if Hezbollah fails to stop supporting Assad:

n an interview with the London-based Sharq al-Awsat, the rebel leader urged Nasrallah to put an end to the killing of Syrians, who he said "embraced the Lebanese people during the Second Lebanon War."

He added that it was the Syrian people, rather than Assad's regime, that opened the door to the Lebanese people and to Hezbollah members.

1919 GMT: According to Colonel Riyadh al-Asaad, the head of the Free Syrian Army, the Assad regime is in control of less than 50% of Syria.

"The operations carried out by the FSA amount to guerrilla operations that consist of carrying out quick attacks against regime forces and then making a tactical withdrawal to safe areas," Asaad added.

He said the FSA, made up of army defectors and sympathizers, was now launching daily strikes against regime checkpoints and was managing to destroy military vehicles before retreating.

Asaad said the army for its part had launched a fierce assault in the last week in a bid to reclaim control of suburbs near the capital Damascus, as well as the central flashpoint city of Homs and the northwestern town of Edleb.

1907 GMT: An EA Correspondent in Bahrain forwards us this video of tonight's protest in Sanabis, where protesters demanded the release of political prisoners (see update at 1845 GMT):

1852 GMT: The death toll has once again gone up in Syria. According to the LCCS, 32 people were killed today by security forces, "including two children and 5 defected soldiers, 4 of whom were executed by the security forces in Idlib. Fourteen martyrs fell in Idlib, 11 in Homs, 3 in Damascus Suburbs, 3 in Daraa and one in Damascus."

1845 GMT: An EA correspondent in Bahrain reports from a protest he attended this evening:

A march started in Sanabis village, and I just joined them. There were a few hundred marching in the streets peacefully. There were a few chants; "Hamad, Hamad, you are cursed..you have tortured our youth".

What's very interesting was that the march started very small but when it reached the inside of the village roads, it is getting bigger and bigger by people getting out from their houses and joining the march.

Seems the protest organizers don't wish to clash with police - we are only moving in the village inner roads.

The march just finished no police clashes.

Also, this video was forwarded to us by an activist, reportedly showing peaceful protests in Al Duraz earlier today:

1657 GMT: 28 have been killed today in Syria, according to the LCCS, "among them 2 children and and four soldiers that were executed by the security forces in Idlib. (14) martyrs fell in Idlib, (9) in Homs 2 martyrs in each of Daraa and Damascus Suburbs and a martyr in Damascus." The most intense escalation today was away from the capital, and away from Homs, in Idleb province.

But the video of the day so far was taken in Homs. This armored vehicle, a BMP, was captured by the Free Syrian Army, and while hidden in smoke it opens fire on unseen positions held by the regular army:

1652 GMT: These are homes in the Babs Sbaa district of Homs, on fire today after extensive shelling.

1638 GMT: Multiple sources report an extremely tense situation in Zamalka, an important Damascus suburb. The fist report comes from the LCCS:

Zamalka: A water-tank driver was martyred today with a shot in his head while he was trying to bring water to the residents; after 4 days of water blockage. Snipers are trageting every moving object.

The Coalition of Free Damascenes for Peaceful Change have posted several videos from Zamalka, showing very large military presence in the streets. A second video appears to show police beating and arresting two civilians:

1624 GMT: The CFDPC reports that Rankous and Talfita, north of Damascus, are once again under attack:

approximately 10 tanks in the direction of the Rankous area of Damascus through the Sednaya road.

Heavy shelling right now on the Rankous and Talfeeta areas of Damascus.

Assad army forces raid and blow up the houses in the Western and al-Kawaa areas of Rankous. Violent clashes between the Free Syrian Army and Assad forces in the Talfeeta area.

A source associated with the CFDPC reports that the internet is out over large areas of Damascus, which is why there are very few videos being uploaded so far today.

1610 GMT: The LCCS has again raised today's death toll and is now reporting that 23 have died at the hands of security forces, "among them 2 children and and four soldiers that were executed by the security forces in Idlib. (10) martyrs fell in Idlib, (9) in Homs and and one in each of Dael, Damascus and Ein Tarama in Damascus Suburbs."

The LCCS has also released a statement condemning what it says are the destruction of oil and gas pipelines by regime forces, the regime's "new weapon against its people." The claim is that the regime is destroying the pipelines in order to spread fear, and in order to deny residents of certain towns and cities with oil, gas, or electricity.

1604 GMT: Yet another oil pipeline near Homs has been destroyed. According to reports, the pipeline was in the Baba Amr district of Homs. @Zilal1 translates for this man's speech for EA:

"Homs, Bab Amr, 31-1-2012, effects on the random shelling on this neighborhood since 3 days until now, shelling targeted this oil pipeline ... Addounia Tv says that armed forces did an act of terrorism blowing up this oil pipeline .... 300 meters far from here there is a checkpoint of security forces and the gunfire heard now is from there........This neighborhood is being shelled since 3 days, there are killed, there are injured"

At the end he says to Bashar al Assad, "shell, destroy, demolish, kill...we will go on with the revolution until the victory."

1555 GMT: The Guardian has posted a full copy of the draft UN resolution on Syria. There are a few key things to note.

First of all, it heavily criticizes the Assad regime and claims that it has largely failed to comply with efforts to ensure peace. Repeatedly the draft mentions human rights abuses conducted by the regime. The draft also swings the other way, by reaffirming the UN's belief that Syria is a sovereign nation, and by reaffirming that the stability of Syria is essential for peace and stability in the region.

Then come two key points -

[The Resolution] Condemns all violence, irrespective of where it comes from, and in this regard demands that all parties in Syria, including armed groups, immediately stop all violence or reprisals, including attacks against state institutions, in accordance with the League of Arab States' initiative;

This passage should assure the Russian government, and perhaps the Syrian government, that the goal of the resolution is not regime change. However, it also calls for the regime to end violence regardless of whether their actions are reprisals. The Syrian government had previously stated that it was actually complying with international requests, and was only keeping its army in territory that had been attacked by "armed gangs" and "terrorists." This resolution would seem to eliminate that excuse.

Also interesting are the specific demands being placed on the Syrian government:

(a) ceases all violence and protect its population;

(b) releases all arbitrarily detained persons due to the recent incidents;

(c) withdraws all Syrian military and armed forces from cities and towns, and return them to their original home barracks;

(d) guarantees the freedom of peaceful demonstrations;

(e) allows full and unhindered access and movement for all relevant League of Arab States' institutions and Arab and international media in all parts of Syria to determine the truth about the situation on the ground and monitor the incidents taking place; and

(f) allows full and unhindered access to the League of Arab States' observer mission;

Some of these requests will be very hard for the regime to comply with. The removal of all military forces, and the granting of full access to humanitarian aid, are two provisions that the regime will likely refuse to grant. As such, the resolution is worded in such a way that the regime would then be responsible for a crisis that is threatening the "peace and security" of the region.

As The Guardian noted earlier, the draft does offer Syria (and Russia) a way out, but also leaves open the possibility that in 15 days, or 30 days, or 60 days, the UNSC could take further action.

1526 GMT: This video was reportedly taken at a mosque in the Karam al Zaytoun district of Homs. The smoke and dust fills the air, reportedly the result of a tank shell. At a little after the 1 minute mark, the room fills with the sounds of heavy gunfire and explosions:

1520 GMT: The Guardian's Julian Borger and Martin Chulov have gotten their hands on the draft of the UN resolution on Syria, and here is their analysis:

The draft resolution, obtained by the Guardian, goes out of its way to address Moscow's concerns that the vote could open the door to western military intervention, like a similar resolution on Libya last year.

The draft says the council is "reaffirming its strong commitment to the sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity of Syria, emphasising the need to resolve the current crisis in Syria peacefully, and stressing that nothing in this resolution compels states to resort to the use of force or the threat of force".

The use of language does not exclude future military action altogether, and western diplomats have said they are ready to engage Russia in a debate on the wording. Hillary Clinton, William Hague and Alain Juppe have travelled to New York for the debate and it is likely to be continued tomorrow by security council ambassadors.

The draft expresses "grave concern" over the ongoing bloodshed, and "the continued transfer of weapons into Syria which fuels the violence and calling on member states to take necessary steps to prevent such flow of arms" — a clear message to Moscow, Assad's principal supporter on the world stage, and main source of arms.

1511 GMT: The Local Coordinating Committees of Syria are now raising the death toll to 20, "among them one girl and and four soldiers that were executed by the security forces in Idlib. (10) martyrs fell in Idlib, (7) in Homs and and one in each of Dael,Damascus and Ein Tarama in Damascus Suburbs."

1449 GMT: The LCCS confirm a report that 2 have been killed in Zamalka, one person was killed from tank shelling and the other was reportedly run over by a tank. The Syrian Observatory of Human Rights has confirmed that there are bodies in the streets of Arbeen that residents cannot retrieve because of the gunfire.

And another video reportedly shows the pure destruction in the streets of Saqba:

1440 GMT: This video was reportedly taken in Saqba, a rather large and central suburb that appears bombed out by the conflict in recent days. Distant gunfire and explosions echo through empty streets, an indication of the new realities for the towns just a few miles outside Syra's capital city:

1426 GMT: The Coalition of Free Damascenes for Peaceful Change report that there are arrests and clashes in at least four locations in the eastern "Ghouta" region of the Damascus suburbs: Arbeen, Zamalka, Jobar, and Kafr Batna:

See map at the top of this coverage

According to the reports, there are mass arrests, and civilians shot in the street in some neighborhoods. Also, it does appear that the regular army is facing at least some resistance. Additional defections are also reported, though they have not been confirmed.

1408 GMT: UPDATE: CFDPC reports that this was taken in Saqba: While the exact location of where this video was taken is unknown, this was reportedly taken in Ghouta, the blanket name for the towns east and southeast of Damascus. It shows large amounts of tanks, armored vehicles, and buses and trucks filled with soldiers, deploying in the area. Gunfire and explosions can periodically be heard:

1350 GMT: Focusing on the news on the ground in Syria, the news of the day is that the Free Syria Army has retreated from most of their positions in the eastern suburbs of Damascus. However, the Free Syrian Army has also reportedly put up resistance in Zamalka and Arbeen. We'll track this story as it develops. As of 30 minutes ago, the LCCS still reported heavy fighting in Arbeen.

So far, however, the Local Coordinating Committees are already reporting that 16 have been killed by security forces, "among them one girl and and four soldiers that were executed by the security forces in Idlib. Nine (9) martyrs fell in Idlib, six (6) in Homs and and one (1) in Damascus."

It's early, but these numbers reflect a shift from yesterday's violence. On Monday, the majority of the deaths were in Homs, when the city was brutally shelled for the majority of the day. So far, the reports indicate that the Syrian army raided Idlib, sparking intense clashes with the Free Syrian Army. Also, the city of Saraqeb, Idlib, is currently being shelled. Khan Sheikoun village is also under attack, according to LCCS.

Also, the LCCS posts a graphic video of 4 men, reportedly in Idlib, who appear to have been shot at close range in the head. According to the report, these are the 4 recruits mentioned above who refused to fire on civilians and were shot by their own soldiers. The men appear to have been partially stripped.

James Miller takes the live coverage - thanks to Scott Lucas for taking us through the morning.

1040 GMT: More than 200 Syrian Kurds, coming from 25 countries, have participated in a two-day conference in Erbil, the capital of the Kurdistan region in north Iraq.

The final statement issued Sunday denounced "the violence of the Syrian security forces against protesters" and insisted on "the importance of cooperation among Kurds inside and outside Syria".

However, NOW Lebanon reports that the participants are divided on the issue of seeking foreign military intervention.

1020 GMT: Is the Bahraini regime putting signals for meaningful discussions over the political and legal situation? Government-owned Al Ayam reports that a new dialogue has been initiated, with the regime contacting all the political parties for reform and "Move Bahrain Forward"

Nabeel Alhamar, a consultant to King Hamad, has posted on Twitter that Crown Prince Salman will start contacting the political parties to "find a solution for Bahrain".

0910 GMT: Claimed footage of Bahraini security forces targeting homes with tear gas in AlEker on Monday:

0710 GMT: An EA source in Bahrain reports on Monday's march in Sitra for Mohammed Ebrahim Yaghoob, who died last week, allegedly after he was struck by a police jeep.

The source says police attacked the procession, chasing a group of women and tear-gassing them. When the women took shelter in a house, the police allegedly went inside and beat one of them. They withdrew after the women screamed loudly for help.

Video of some of the 63 fire balloons set aloft in Mehaza village last night:

0700 GMT: The Foreign Ministers of global powers convene in New York today, as the United Nations Security Council discusses the Syria crisis. 

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who will be at the session, indicated on Monday that Washington is moving towards support of some form of international intervention:

The international community should send a clear message of support to the Syrian people: we stand with you. The Arab League is backing a resolution that calls on the international community to support its ongoing efforts, because the status quo is unsustainable.

It is questionable if any substantial measures will emerge from the Security Council, however, especially with likely opposition from Russia. 

So the practical developments are still likely to come from inside Syria. On Monday, the regime launched a series of offensives to retake towns and suburbs claimed by the opposition over the last week. More than 100 people died in the day's fighting, almost 80 of them in Homs Province.

The Syrian military seized some territory easily, with insurgents withdrawing from Ghouta, east of Damascus. However, it is unclear if they succeeded elsewhere. Despite inflicting dozens of casualties with sustained shelling, resistance appears to continue in Rastan, near Homs, as well in Homs itself --- indeed, insurgents claimed that they had taken additional positions, such as a hospital and checkpoint in the Bab al Dreib section of Homs. And there is no word that towns like Zabadani and Kafranbel have gone back to the regime.

Fighting in the Bab al Dreib section of Homs in Syria on Monday