Syria 1st-Hand: A Letter from Aleppo on Deprivation, Islamists, the Opposition...and Hope (Walls)

It is for this child, it is for Hamza’s memory, for the Qashoush, for nearly 50,000 fifty thousand Syrians, young and old, who were murdered in such cold blood by the Assad gangs --- accompanied with the fanfare barked by ugly and cruel herds of mindless loyalists --- it is for the victims, for Syria, and above all it is for humanity that Syrians can’t lose hope. We can’t afford to lose it, even knowing that this regime might and can easily resort to mass murder weapons in its arsenal.... To the scared child I say, sweet child, they have been bombarding us for forty two years. Little by little, they destroyed our heritage of civility. But my sweet child, we will get that back. Granted, we may lose some of our innocence, but from you dear child, we will learn it again....

Click to read more ...

Syria Live Coverage: So, Are "Al Qa'eda Terrorists" Winning the Civil War?

Insurgents celebrate the capture of the major military base near Shiekh Suleiman, west of Aleppo

See Also Syria Feature: Questions About the "Boy Beheads Two Regime Officers" Video
Yesterday's Syria Live Coverage: "A Political Process to End the Crisis is Still Possible"
Today's Separate Egypt (and Beyond) Live Coverage: Protests and the Opposition's Next Move

---

2032 GMT: Another video reportedly shows an eyewitness account from Aqrab:

Zilal translates the video into this basic narrative:

The man says that elements of regime forces did this. [The boy says "Jish," which means army, and the man clarifies that he means "Shabiha", which has become a catch-all term for pro-Assad armed forces]. Also the second injured boy is saying that "shabiha" were responsible. The man says that there are still 300 people in the hands of shabiha and that probably the shabiha will kill them to accuse the FSA of the crime.

And the child replies that these 300 people have already all been killed.

At the end of the video the man says that these two children, another little girl, and a woman are all under his protection and under the protection of FSA and he calls for the Red Cross to come in order to treat them and take their version of the events. Then he says the date and location (Houla, 11 December 2012).

Storyful's Felim McMahon sends me another eyewitness report, written in Arabic. Another source sends us this narrative, which we believe is just a translation:

The Free Syrian Army surrounding a building belonging to the shabiha in Aqrab village, in which the regime forces had taken women and children captive. They intended on using the civilians as human shields to protect themselves from an attack by the FSA. Afterwards, some of the leaders of the village, including Shaikh Ali al-Omar and Shaikh Saa'do Hamash and the retired Colonel Shaker Akkash, [were in] a group of eight people who went to negotiate the release of the women and children, and to ask the regime forces to turn themselves in, promising their safety. The leaders were kidnapped in an attempt to pressure the FSA, and thus the FSA retreated. Afterwards, the shabiha killed the leaders and threw hand grenades at the women and children who were trying to escape. They took advantage of the FSA's retreat by leaving the building and blowing it up, attempting to frame the FSA for this operation. They also fired missiles at the building, and an air raid on the area left it completely destroyed, killing the 200-250 civilians (including women and children) inside. Some of the wounded Alawites, women and children, were evacuated, and verified this report.

Click to read more ...

Syria Feature: Questions About the "Boy Beheads Two Regime Officers" Video

Yesterday we noted a claimed video of a group of men and a young boy beheading two men who were reportedly "Alawite officers" involved in the Houla massacre.

The video was reportedly taken on Sunday, provided to a journalist by a "commander in Homs".

By the end of the day, however, activists were claiming the discovery of footage, posted on a pro-regime YouTube channel months ago, that apparently had some of the images in the beheading video which emerged yesterday:

@brown_moses Old video. Appeared for the first time on pro regime channel youtube.com/watch?v=rWBpG5…

— الجندي الحر (@FreeSySoldier) December 10, 2012

Click to read more ...

Egypt, Syria (and Beyond) Live Coverage: Protesters Maintain the Pressure on Morsi

Protesters in front of Egypt's Presidential Palace on Friday night

See also EA Caption Competition: Turkey PM Erdogan's Lovely Home-Made Cake
Middle East Feature: Gulf Regimes Crack Down on Dissent in Social Media
Friday's Syria Live Coverage: Is This the End for Assad?
Friday's Egypt (and Beyond) Live Coverage: Morsi Defies Protesters and Warns "Infiltrators"

---

1855 GMT: Bahrain. Leading human rights activist Zainab Alkhawaja tweets about a recent incident involving her and Said Yousif Almuhafda, Head of Monitoring for the Bahrain Center for Human Rights:

Now me and @saidyousif held by riot police in Sitra, they have taken our car keys #bahrain

— angry arabiya (@angryarabiya) December 8, 2012

After taking the car keys the officer started mocking, said to @saidyousif "So wat village is under siege now u liar" #bahrain

— angry arabiya (@angryarabiya) December 8, 2012

@saidyousif asked "well why arnt u letting us in to Mhazza" officer kept getting calls asking if there r journalists with us #bahrain

— angry arabiya (@angryarabiya) December 8, 2012

An hour before, the two human rights activists had gone to Salmaniya hospital to visit Aqeel AbdulMohsen in Salmaniya hospital. Aqeel was severely injured in Bani Jamra on Wednesday night after security forces shot him in the face:

Security stopped us from seeing him & told us anybody who wants to visit Aqeel must get visitation rights from Budaiya police #bahrain

— angry arabiya (@angryarabiya) December 8, 2012

When I ran into the room to see Aqeel security were right behind me, I saw him only for a minute, it was heartbreaking #bahrain

— angry arabiya (@angryarabiya) December 8, 2012

Be4 I was forced to leave I said to Aqeel, not sure if he can hear me "Ur our hero, we're all so proud of u, plz stay strong 4 us" #bahrain

— angry arabiya (@angryarabiya) December 8, 2012

Click to read more ...

The Latest from Iran (7 December): Maintaining the Oil Squeeze

See also The Latest from Iran (6 December): "We're Still Winning"

---

2210 GMT: Oil Watch. An industry source claims Iranian oil exports will fall to a new low of 834,000 barrels per day in December.

This would be a sharp drop from Iran's October figure of 1.3 million barrels per day and a declinemore than 60% from last year's level of 2.2 million bpd.

Iran's recorded low this year was 860,000 barrels per day in the summer.

2200 GMT: Sanctions Watch. We return to our opening entry (see 0720 GMT) of the extension of US waivers from financial sanctions for those countries which reduce imports of Iranian oil.

The State Department announced further six-month extensions for nine countries tonight. As expected, waivers for renewed for India, South Korea, and Turkey before next Tueday's expiration. The US also acted now rather than waiting for the deadline later this month for China, Malaysia, Singapore, South Africa, Sri Lanka, and Taiwan.

Click to read more ...

Syria Live Coverage: Is This the End for Assad?

Anti-regime protest in Binnish in Idlib Province today

See also Syria Audio Feature: Why US and Russia Suddenly Met Thursday --- Scott Lucas with Monocle 24
Syria Opinion: "The US Must Act Soon" --- James Miller in The American Prospect
Egypt (and Beyond) Live Coverage: Morsi Defies Protesters and Warns "Infiltrators"
Thursday's Egypt, Syria (and Beyond) Live Coverage: Protests and Fighting at the Presidential Palace

---

2050 GMT: A curious report from the LCC:

Lattakia: Faranlaq: Fierce clashes between the FSA and regime forces amid attempts by the regime forces to storm the district and the FSA is blocking it.

What's interesting is that we did not know where Faranlaq was, nor were we able to find it on a map. The reason - Faranlaq is not a town or district, but a forest, only 5 milometers north of Lattakia city (approximate location on map).

Usually, fighting in "Lattakia" is in the mountains to the east, many miles from the city, often considered a stronghold of the Assad regime. However, this fighting is located between the city and an important naval base.

How "fierce" are the clashes? We don't know. We have also not independently confirmed the news. If true, it is becoming clear, however, even Assad's strongholds are not immune from the insurgent advance.

Click to read more ...

Syria Audio Feature: Why US and Russia Suddenly Met Thursday --- Scott Lucas with Monocle 24

See also Syria Opinion: "The US Must Act Soon" --- James Miller in The American Prospect

---

I spoke with Monocle 24's Midori House last night about the sudden meeting between US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. 

The immediate topic --- whether the US and Russia were pushed to confer because of Syria's chemical weapons --- was soon accompanied by other considerations, such as the possibility of a de facto "protected zone" for insurgent-held territory and Moscow's stepping away from the Assad regime.

The discussion, which starts with comments by Geoff Dyer of the Financial Times, begins at the 5:49 mark. My contribution starts at 10:13.

Syria Opinion: "The US Must Act Soon" --- James Miller in The American Prospect

Map showing proximity of a Baath Party headquarters, seized by insurgents on Thursday, and a regime base suspected of holding chemical weapons

---

With the insurgents on the advance, and the international community ratcheting up pressure on the Assad regime, time is running out to find ways to end the crisis quickly and with as little bloodshed and instability as possible.

What are the options? A partial no-fly zone, a larger no-fly zone, or a military bluff are among them. But this is the overriding point: if the US does decide to act, it best do so soon.

Click to read more ...

Egypt, Syria (and Beyond) Live Coverage: Protests and Fighting at the Presidential Palace

Supporters of President Morsi clash with his opponents near the Presidential Palace on Wednesday

See also Palestine Analysis: What Did Mahmoud Abbas Win for Palestinians --- and for Himself --- at the United Nations?

Wednesday's Egypt, Syria (and Beyond) Live Coverage: The Protests Surge, But What Next?

---

2125 GMT: Egypt. The Muslim Brotherhood says its headquarters in the Mokkatam section of Cairo, is on fire, with hundreds of protesters surrounding the building.

Journalist Reem Abdellatif sends a picture of demonstrators in Alexandria, "Oh God, Morsi and his clan must leave":

Click to read more ...

Egypt, Syria (and Beyond) Live Coverage: The Protests Surge, But What Next?

2204 GMT: Syria. The FSA has now been in control of parts of Syria for many months, and with each passing week they become more like a government. The Free syrian Army has now been documented giving out aid, delivering medial supplies, and setting up their own police forces. Now, they have been documented stamping passports on the border with Turkey, and attempting to establish law and order in Aleppo:

one FSA unit we saw in #aleppo old city was recording names&car plates&only allowing those who have shops/homes through 2 prevent robberies

— Arwa Damon (@arwaCNN) December 5, 2012

2142 GMT: Syria. Another incredible video from Syria shows the Assad airforce using a completely inappropriate weapon against the Syrian people. The Aviationist has posted video of a Mig-23BN dropping a thermobaric weapon on Darayya, just west of Damascus:

Click to read more ...