Syria (and Beyond) Live Coverage: Aleppo --- This Does Not Look Like Regime "Victory"

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Tuesday's Syria (and Beyond) Live Coverage: Gathering Fight In and Around Aleppo

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2020 GMT: Bahrain. Speaking before a Congressional committee enquiring into human rights in the kingdom, US Assistant Secretary of State Michael Posner has called on the regime to take three steps to implement the "reform" sought by last November's report of the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry:

First, there are several hundred pending criminal cases related to the events of February and March 2011. Many individuals have been in detention for over a year. The government continues to prosecute 20 political activists and appeals cases are ongoing in the prosecution of respected medical professionals. In addition to the ongoing cases against doctors and nurses, we are discouraged by the Court of Appeals’ decision to issue a gag-order banning the media from reporting on trials for the 20 high-profile activists. We urge the Government of Bahrain to ensure fair and expeditious trials in appeals cases and to drop charges against all persons accused of offenses involving political expression and freedom of assembly....

Second, we call on the Government of Bahrain to hold accountable those officials responsible for the violations described in the BICI report....

Third,...further efforts need to be made to enhance the professionalization of the police. Ongoing violence in the streets between police and protesters points to the need for professional, integrated police and security forces that reflect the diversity of the communities they serve and that adopt a community policing approach.

However, activists have noticed the limits in Posner's call for change --- for example, Americans for Democracy and Human Rights in Bahrain has noted this exchange between Representative James McGovern and the Assistant Secretary of State:

McGovern: has the administration called for the release of @nabeelrajab ? #bahrain

— ADHRB (@ADHRB) August 1, 2012

Posner: we've said 2 things: in cases where people have been prosecuted for peaceful protests should be released #bahrain

— ADHRB (@ADHRB) August 1, 2012

Posner: @nabeelrajab's case is a bit more complicated #bahrain

— ADHRB (@ADHRB) August 1, 2012

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Syria (and Beyond) Live Coverage: Is Aleppo "A Nail in Assad's Coffin"?

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Sunday's Syria (and Beyond) Live Coverage: Inside and Outside Aleppo

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1921 GMT: Syria. The Guardian has a pair of stories on the growing role of jihadists in the conflict. Martin Chulov, drawing from residents and a Turkish smuggler, reports on the growing number of foreigners crossing into Syria from Turkey in the past two weeks, some saying that they are planning to travel to Aleppo to join the battle.

Many of the men reportedly come from the Caucasus, while others have arrived from Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Gulf Arab states.

Insurgent leaders say about 15-20 foreign fighters have been crossing each day since mid-July, trying to join up with an estimated 200-300 foreigners already in the country.

Ghaith Abdul-Ahad speaks to Syrian fighters who claim connections with Al Qa'eda and car bombings.

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Bahrain Feature: Pushing A Deal with the Crown Prince (Delmar Morgan)

Crown Prince Salman with Al Wefaq's Sheikh Ali Salman (Mazen Mahdi/The National)Ever since the start of the mass protests in February 2011, the US Government's hope has been that the opposition could reach a deal with the regime, notably through the "moderate" Crown Prince Salman, over "reform".

That hope was dashed in March 2011 with the regime crackdown, backed by a Saudi-led military force, on the demonstrations and the subsequent polarisation of support and opposition to the monarchy and the Government. However, after the publication of the Bahraini Independent Commission of Inquiry's report in November, with its call for significant change, Washington returned to the strategy.

There have some discussions between the regime "moderates" and representatives of the largest opposition society Al Wefaq this year. These have been halting in any progress, but Alex Delmar Morgan, US officials, and an Al Wefaq member try to give the initiative a boost in The Wall Street Journal....

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Bahrain Feature: Not So United --- The Regime v. Sunni Political Groups (Al Hasan

Gathering of National Unity rally, February 2012Although conservatives within the ruling establishment will go to considerable lengths to ensure Shiite political movements are kept at bay, expect them to be equally relentless in ensuring an uncontested domination over its core Sunni constituency.

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Syria (and Beyond) Live Coverage: Heavy Fighting in Aleppo

2125 GMT: Syria. We're closing today's live coverage, but it has been an eventful day.

Most of the focus has been on Aleppo. Even though we've repeatedly talked about the strength of the Free Syrian Army, even we are surprised at how well they are fighting in Syria's largest city. The regime has no choice but to launch a full-out attack on the insurgents if they ever wish to free the city. As the BBC says it will soon air footage of jets bombing the city, that has already begun. Despite this, insurgents are closing in on the city, the Syrian military appears to be evacuating parts of Idlib in order to gain more forces for the fight for Aleppo, and the battle will likely rage for days.

In the end, the FSA was never capable of holding Damascus. It just may be capable of holding Aleppo. But this does not matter. The regime has ruined the economy of its two largest cities during this fighting, and the regime is bleeding territory to the FSA elsewhere.

We've lost track of the narrative in two other important areas. The violence in Daraa and Hama provinces is staggering. Despite the heaviest fighting in this civil war being elsewhere, the amount of civilians being killed by regime forces in Hama and Daraa is very high. These areas are constantly under attack, efforts to ensure that the FSA never gains a foothold in these areas. But the opposition still thrives in both cities, and in their suburbs, and in the countrysides. The strategy is not working, and one has to wonder what will happen the minute the thumb is let off of the necks of the two provinces that started this uprising nearly 17 months ago.

EA's intern, Josh Moss, and I have been compiling an interactive map of today's events. Most of the locations of the map link back to the individual updates, and vice versa. Click on the link below the map to see it in its own window:

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Syria (and Beyond) Live Coverage: The Story is Beyond Damascus

Mural on a wall in Aleppo, Syria: "Revolution is A Female"

See also Syria Audio Feature: "Assad May Be Slipping from Power" --- Scott Lucas with the BBC
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Friday's Syria (and Beyond) Live Coverage: 217 Die Amid Question, "Where's Bashar?"

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2113 GMT: Syria. The Local Coordination Committees of Syria claims that 131 people, including 18 defectors and 11 children, have been killed by security forces today.

2051 GMT: Syria. A large anti-regime demonstration tonight in central Aleppo:

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Syria (and Beyond) Live Coverage: The Regime is Shocked and Awed

Protesters in Hama tonight

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Syria Audio Special: The Importance of the Damascus Bomb --- Scott Lucas with Monocle 24
Turkey Analysis: Discussions over Syria in Moscow --- What Do They Mean?
Wednesday's Syria (and Beyond) Live Coverage: UN Talks, Damascus Fights

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2031 GMT: Syria. As the fight for territory heats up, so too will Assad's use of artillery and mortars to dislodge insurgents. But most of the casualties from these events are actually civilians.

Zabadani, northwest of Damascus (map), is a perfect example. As battles rage elsewhere in the city, this shell falls on a residential neighborhood:

2020 GMT: Syria. Earlier today, the CFDPC posted this report, a summary of stories it has received from its contacts in Damascus:

The bombardment is still on for the 5th day in a row, targeting the districts of Damascus more fiercely than ever. The bombardment is the strongest on Al Qaboun and Al Meedan districts as regime's militias are using tanks and helicopters and are attempting to invade the districts.

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Syria (and Beyond) Live Coverage: Fighting Across the Country

A 9-minute video of street fighters in the Midan section of Damascus on Monday

See also Syria Analysis: It's Not Quite "The Battle for Damascus"...But It's An Important Fight
Bahrain Snapshot: The Curious Tale of The American and $11 Million in Cash --- What Does It Mean?
Monday's Syria (and Beyond) Live Coverage: Fighting in Damascus

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1935 GMT: Syria. A map of Damascus, a snap shot posted by the Syrian Uprising 2011 Information Centre:

click for larger image

A snapshot of what is happening in Damascus now. The modern city centre is marked in Green. Strong opposition areas where clashes are reported are marked in Red. Military bases are marked as trucks, intelligence bases as question marks while flags show important government building such as parliament, ministries and Ba'ath Party buildings.

The map is visually striking, but if we were to make our own, it would show an even stronger presence of opposition fighters and popular support in some of those blank areas. Some of the area between the green and the eastern red is also a conflict zone, but the presence of military soldiers and armored vehicles has kept the peace so far today. Also, some of the areas northeast of the green are also heavily embattled. Though these areas are not "opposition strongholds" per se, just because they have not been filled in does not mean that the regime has significant there. By the same token, none of the areas in red are in opposition control, but they have a large presence of opposition fighters, and popular support for the opposition in many of these areas is overwhelming.

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Bahrain Snapshot: The Curious Tale of The American and $11 Million in Cash --- What Does It Mean?

The curious tale of an American and $11 million in cash was "officially" put to bed yesterday with State media publishing a detailed account, following comments by the Acting General Director of Anti-corruption, Economic and Electronic Security.

On Friday, Saudi-owned Al-Arabiya published the claim that an American, coming from Italy, had entered the country with $11 million in cash. Al-Arabiya's report --- now deleted, but archived elsewhere --- quoted an official:

A Bahraini source told Al Arabiya that the sum is linked to a local currency-exchange firm owned by a Jewish-Bahraini family. The source said that the sum is allocated to support a political opposition society.

Within hours, Al-Arabiya published an article retracting the story after Bahrain officials within the Interior and Foreign Ministries told them that "nobody was arrested", that the "cash entered the country legally", and that "the cash belongs to civilian employees who work for the US". The Ministry of Interior also released a denial.

The original rumour likely stems from hardline loyalists, who have been boosting an anti-American stance, fostered by a conspiratorial belief that the US is working with Israeli and Iranian forces to undermine both the Bahraini and Saudi regimes. Typically, their paranoia has focused on the State Department, recently targeting the US Ambassador. The propaganda that follows often goes unchecked by the regime.

The quick and extensive correction of this story suggests the influence the Pentagon is able to wield with allies in the Bahraini regime. However, those Pentagon officials could well be concerned by the fact that both Al Arabiya pieces refer to previous comments by the Commander-in-Chief of the Bahrain Defense Forces, Khalifa bin Ahmed Al Khlifa, accusing US NGOs of working to forment a "Shi’ite coup". The closing paragraph to a story on the $11 million by regime-linked Bahrain Chronicle is also likely to give the Pentagon pause for thought that conspiracy theories by hardliners are now encompassing the Fifth Fleet:

Sources have also confirmed that members of Al-Wefaq Society have been seen entering the American Base in Juffair at late times during the night on different days. The purpose of these visits has yet to be determined as well.

Bahrain Feature: The Underground Network of Doctors (Wellman)

Makeshift Clinic in BahrainIt is Friday night and Dr. Mohamed is on standby.

“It’s always the busiest day of the week for us,” he says as he holds out his cell phone to show a photo he received seconds earlier. The image is of a young man with birdshot embedded in his leg. It is a call for help.

“The government has been using a lot of birdshot on demonstrators lately,” he explains, “and the wounded come to us for treatment.”

Dr. Mohamed, who asked to have his full name withheld, is part of an underground network of medics in Bahrain who provide illegal care for anti-government protesters injured in nightly clashes with security forces. Most of those hurt refuse to go to either public or private hospitals, no matter how grave their wounds, fearing they will be arrested there.

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