Dying for democracy in Syria or for naught?

5Years later now what do you think? Then: Dying for democracy in Syria: Syria has been ruled ruthlessly by one party for nearly 50 years. Sooner or later the Assad regime will end. The international community must help the opposition by funding various opposition leaders to build political parties, so we can be ready to govern. It must help build democratic institutions and educate the population about political accountability, an alien concept to most Syrians, who have known only the anti-democratic Assad regime.

In short, we need all the help we can get to build a free, fair nation, one that represents all Syrians and respects human rights, the judiciary, international law and human life. Syrian lawyer and former judge Haitham Maleh has been awarded many prizes for his human rights activism. He lives part time in Europe and part time in the Middle East.

Aleppo blast: 'Several hurt' in new Syria unrest: At least three people were killed in the blast, which targeted a bus in the Tall al-Zarazeer district, said the opposition Syrian Observatory of Human Rights.At least four people were killed in the city on Thursday when security forces fired on protesting students.
In Damascus, two blasts caused damage on Saturday, but no-one was hurt. It is not known whether the people hurt in the Aleppo explosion were civilians or members of the security forces, a Syrian Observatory of Human Rights spokesman told AFP.

Two bombs explode on Damascus highway: Two bombs detonated on a central Damascus highway on Saturday, destroying nine cars, residents said, in a further sign that rebels fighting to topple President Bashar al-Assad are shifting tactics towards homemade explosives.

Deadly blasts have shaken major cities as insurgents seek to even the odds between their outgunned forces and the tanks, artillery and helicopters in Assad's military arsenal. On April 30, explosions blew the fronts off buildings in the northern town of Idlib, where state TV reported nine people killed and 100 wounded, including security personnel. Three days earlier, a suicide bomber killed nine, including security men, at a Damascus mosque, the Interior Ministry said.

We knew Al Qaeda has been calling its fighter to come to Syria for a Jihad against the Government and suicide bombings are their calling card but they have become the calling card in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Pakistan not because Al Qaeda is spreading but what works is. Plus you can bet Assad is killing some of his own to gain favor so he can continue and worsen the slaughter.

It is the growing rebel force of military deserters that are turning into the most potent fighting force. I tried to find figures as to how many soldiers have now defected but could not. At last count 25,000 had defected but as of late despite atrocities by pro Assad forces the defections are increasing.

Hundreds at once and by a lead force so close to the palace has got to be making Assad nervous. I wish I had saved the link but I read a story from Syria that the Alawite minority was getting nervous. Some were getting nervous in Latakia and other Alawite areas that the other religions were going to come chop off their heads.

I now believe they have reason to worry. In the beginning we knew it would take the whole military to defect were this insurrection to have a chance and it looks like it is happening despite knowing Assad followers would put them to death if caught. At the very least the rebels will in the end know they are not fighting only the Alawite minority but Lebanese and Iranian IRG.

Any way you look at it the Russian's and Chinese have drawn the line on what they view as US hegemony and with the blood of the Syrian people. Taking us on is why Putin stole himself an extended election. This is just the opening battle in the war to determine who is going to lead the way into the future. It will not be short or good. As time progresses wars do not get easier they get much worse. Be very concerned!



James Joiner
Gardner, Ma
http://anaverageamericanpatriot.blogspot.com

Rebels kill seven pro-Assad militiamen after convoy carrying observers for protection was hit, 40 killed in 2 huge Damascus explosions?

Rebels kill seven pro-Assad militiamen: Syrian rebels killed at least seven pro-government militiamen in a Damascus suburb on Wednesday, activists said, and a large explosion hit a convoy accompanying United Nations ceasefire observers in the southern province of Deraa. The Damascus attack with rocket-propelled grenades on a bus carrying the fighters through the suburb of Irbin prompted the army to seal off the area and respond with shelling, activist Mohammad Saeed said. They were carrying observers to protect Assad's murderers so good!

Damascus carnage points to al-Qaeda:More than 50 people are dead and some 370 wounded after a pair of massive bombs exploded during the morning rush hour near a military intelligence building in Damascus, the deadliest attack since the Syrian uprising began 14 months ago.The blast fuelled fears of an expanding Islamic militant element among the forces seeking to oust President Bashar al-Assad.

We knew Al Qaeda has been calling its fighter to come to Syria for a Jihad against the Government and suicide bombings are their calling card but they have become the calling card in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Pakistan not because Al Qaeda is spreading but what works is. Plus you can bet Assad is killing some of his own to gain favor so he can continue and worsen the slaughter.

It is the growing rebel force of military deserters that are turning into the most potent fighting force. I tried to find figures as to how many soldiers have now defected but could not. At last count 25,000 had defected but as of late despite atrocities by pro Assad forces the defections are increasing.

Hundreds at once and by a lead force so close to the palace has got to be making Assad nervous. I wish I had saved the link but I read a story from Syria that the Alawite minority was getting nervous. Some were getting nervous in Latakia and other Alawite areas that the other religions were going to come chop off their heads.

I now believe they have reason to worry. In the beginning we knew it would take the whole military to defect were this insurrection to have a chance and it looks like it is happening despite knowing Assad followers would put them to death if caught. At the very least the rebels will in the end know they are not fighting only the Alawite minority but Lebanese and Iranian IRG.

Any way you look at it the Russian's and Chinese have drawn the line on what they view as US hegemony and with the blood of the Syrian people. Taking us on is why Putin stole himself an extended election. This is just the opening battle in the war to determine who is going to lead the way into the future. It will not be short or good. As time progresses wars do not get easier they get much worse. Be very concerned!



James Joiner
Gardner, Ma
http://anaverageamericanpatriot.blogspot.com

Syrian uprising shifts toward suicide bombings. Al Qaeda's handiwork? Assad? (+video):

Fresh attacks target symbols of Syrian state power: In fresh attacks on symbols of state power, twin suicide bombs exploded Monday near a government security compound in northern Syria and rockets struck the central bank in Damascus, killing nine people and wounding 100.

The regime and the opposition traded blame, accusing each other of dooming a United Nations plan to calm violence that has largely failed so far. The head of the U.N. observer mission acknowledged that his force cannot solve the country's crisis alone and urged both sides to stop fighting. The attacks are the latest in a series of suicide bombings that started in December and have mostly targeted Syrian military and intelligence positions.

Syrian uprising shifts toward suicide bombings. Al Qaeda's handiwork? (+video): Twin suicide bombings today in the restive city of Idlib in northwest Syria left at least eight people dead and suggests that the nascent insurgency against the regime of President Bashar al-Assad could be shifting to jihadist tactics that have been a hallmark of conflicts in Iraq and the Palestinian territories.

Violence erupted in two Syrian provinces on Tuesday, with a rights group reporting 10 civilians dead in an army mortar attack and 12 soldiers killed in a fire-fight with rebel gunmen: An activist on the Turkish border, Tareq Abdelhaq, said 35 people had been wounded and that some were being carried 25 km (15 miles) along mountain tracks to receive emergency treatment in refugee camps dotted along the frontier.

"Some are being smuggled over the border to Turkey. They had to carry the wounded and go through the mountains to avoid checkpoints on the road," Abdelhaq said. "One guy died on the way. He was 19 years old and had very bad injuries." In the eastern Deir al-Zor province, troops hit back with mortar and heavy machinegun fire after losing a dozen of their own to insurgents, killing at least one villager and destroying a school.

We knew Al Qaeda has been calling its fighter to come to Syria for a Jihad against the Government and suicide bombings are their calling card but they have become the calling card in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Pakistan not because Al Qaeda is spreading but what works is. Plus you can bet Assad is killing some of his own to gain favor so he can continue and worsen the slaughter.

It is the growing rebel force of military deserters that are turning into the most potent fighting force. I tried to find figures as to how many soldiers have now defected but could not. At last count 25,000 had defected but as of late despite atrocities by pro Assad forces the defections are increasing.

Hundreds at once and by a lead force so close to the palace has got to be making Assad nervous. I wish I had saved the link but I read a story from Syria that the Alawite minority was getting nervous. Some were getting nervous in Latakia and other Alawite areas that the other religions were going to come chop off their heads.

I now believe they have reason to worry. In the beginning we knew it would take the whole military to defect were this insurrection to have a chance and it looks like it is happening despite knowing Assad followers would put them to death if caught. At the very least the rebels will in the end know they are not fighting only the Alawite minority but Lebanese and Iranian IRG.

Any way you look at it the Russian's and Chinese have drawn the line on what they view as US hegemony and with the blood of the Syrian people. Taking us on is why Putin stole himself an extended election. This is just the opening battle in the war to determine who is going to lead the way into the future. It will not be short or good. As time progresses wars do not get easier they get much worse. Be very concerned!



James Joiner
Gardner, Ma
http://anaverageamericanpatriot.blogspot.com

video of Syria burying rebel alive as Syrian forces, rebels clash in Latakia when 100's of armed Syrians defect

Syrian troops video'd burying rebel alive, Rebels attack Syrian soldiers from sea, several killed, ‎Hundreds of soldiers defected from the Syrian armed forces on Sunday in the outskirts of Damascus and in the port city of Latakia,

Rebels attack Syrian army from sea, several killed: ‎Gunmen in inflatable dinghies killed several security officials in an attack on a military unit on Syria’s Mediterranean coast, state media said on Saturday, the first seaborne assault reported during the revolt against the government of President Bashar Al Assad as the Lebanese navy intercepted three containers of weapons destined for Syrian rebel forces on board a ship originating from Libya.

Syria’s official Sana news agency said several gunmen and soldiers died in fighting that followed the coastal attack near the northern port of Latakia, 35 km south of the Turkish border.

Syrian forces, rebels clash in Latakia: At least 10 military defectors died during clashes in a village in the Damascus countryside, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. Three civilian fatalities were reported in various cities, including Homs, where a man died after a gang supporting the regime attacked him with knives, according to the London-based Syrian Network for Human Rights.

Defectors also clashed with forces in the coastal city of Latakia, where a presidential palace is located, according to the observatory. The new attacks came a day after a bomber struck near a mosque in the capital of Damascus, killing nine people -- most of them government forces, Syrian state-run media reported. It described the attack in Midan district as a "terrorist bombing."

Hundreds of soldiers defected from the Syrian armed forces on Sunday in the outskirts of Damascus and in the port city of Latakia, where large explosions were heard near the presidential palace, the Syrian Media Center reported. Sima Malaki, spokesperson of the center, which represents the Syrian opposition, said dozens of soldiers defected from an army unit that was positioned near the presidential palace in Latakia.

The official news agency SANA reported that “one of the military units stationed off the coast of Latakia thwarted an attempt by an “armed terrorist group” trying to infiltrate from the sea,” quoting an unnamed military source. The Syrian Observatory for Human rights and activists confirmed that clashes broke out between Syrian troops and armed opposition forces in the village of Borj Islam near a presidential palace early Saturday morning. Activist Sema Nassar said the fighting began as “officers and soldiers of a military base near the presidential palace ... deserted with their weapons.”

I tried to find figures as to how many soldiers have now defected but could not. At last count 25,000 had defected but as of late despite atrocities by pro Assad forces the defections are increasing. Hundreds at once and by a lead force so close to the palace has got to be making Assad nervous. I wish I had saved the link but I read a story from Syria that the Alawite minority was getting nervous. Some were getting nervous in Latakia and other Alawite areas that the other religions were going to come chop off their heads.

I now believe they have reason to worry. In the beginning we knew it would take the whole military to defect were this insurrection to have a chance and it looks like it is happening despite knowing Assad followers would put them to death if caught. At the very least the rebels will in the end know they are not fighting only the Alawite minority but Lebanese and Iranian IRG.

Any way you look at it the Russian's and Chinese have drawn the line on what they view as US hegemony and with the blood of the Syrian people. Taking us on is why Putin stole himself an extended election. This is just the opening battle in the war to determine who is going to lead the way into the future. It will not be short or good. As time progresses wars do not get easier they get much worse. Be very concerned!



James Joiner
Gardner, Ma
http://anaverageamericanpatriot.blogspot.com

Iran Quds Force to aid Syria if outside forces interfere, Assad's political, military foes step up pressure

Assad's political, military foes step up pressure :The Syrian National Council, an umbrella group, said in a statement the decision was taken in talks on Saturday night with the Syrian Free Army (SFA), formed of deserters from the military.

A liaison office was set up and "a hotline to follow internal political developments on the ground," it said.
The statement said further meetings would be held involving military experts "to strengthen the capacity of the SFA against regime forces and to protect civilian regions which the regime wants to raid or pillage."

'Quds Force to aid Syria if outside forces interfere': The source said that Iran believes that the situation in Syria is different than "other countries that saw similar protests," adding that the Revolutionary Guards "surround" Syria through their allies in Iraq and Lebanon.

The Iranian military official also said that "sources" in Syria have assured Tehran through official channels that the situation in Syria is "stable," despite reports of continued deaths in clashes between anti- and pro-government forces. Qatar's emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani became the first Arab leader Saturday to express interest in sending troops to stop Assad's "killing."

Only Syria can recieve outside help: Russian weapons ship arrives in Syria: The cargo ship MV Chariot, flying the St. Vincent and Grenadines flag, was en route from St. Petersburg to the Syrian port of Latakia carrying from 35 to 60 tons of ammunition and explosives meant for the Syrian Defense Ministry.The Russian Foreign Ministry said the ship carried a “dangerous cargo,” but did not elaborate. According to the documents, the cargo sender was the Russian state arms trader Rosoboronexport.

'Iran arming Assad to suppress protests':Major-General Qasem Soleimani, head of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps' Quds force, visited Syria this month, AFP reported. "We think this relates to Iranian support for the Syrian government's attempts to suppress its people," the senior US official said.

Dahida Abdul-Rahman a 50-year-old housewife at prayers, said the Arab observers should be thrown out of the country. "Since they came, terrorist attacks started," she said. She is dead right and it is being done by the Government to gain sympathy for their murder of civilians and their deserter protectors.
I said when soldiers first defected that it would take the whole army as they are fighting the IRG too even though for now itt is denied.The Government is blaming this attacks on terrorist or more likely protesters.

This really brings the confusion in Syria and the middle east and the world full swing for me. Once again I am left dumbfounded. From the beginning with the occurrence of 9/11 we were told and we knew that we were in a different world that required a new way of thinking. Meanwhile we routinely prove incapable of doing that when confronted with the so called terrorists.

However we have done exactly that when it comes to the average well intentioned citizens of the world. In every Government in the world today lying has become the new truth. Governments including the United States routinely lie in order to create a grey area in which to hide the truth from the people of the world so we do not know who is telling the truth, what the truth is, and they can follow their deceitful destructive agenda.

Syria and Bashar Al-Assad appear to be the masters. From the beginning of the chaos in Syria we have been saying that Iran more specifically the IRG (Iran Revolutionary Guard) was in Syria helping if not leading the way in trying to quell the uprising. You know Bashar's only friend Iran is dictating that this slaughter is a necessity though Syria knows how to brutalize its people all to well. Iran will not allow a Democracy at her door step further isolating her.

That in itself defies logic because Iran is Shiite and Bashar and the ruling minority is Sunni like Al Qaeda and Saudi Arabia who we said would come to the aid of the citizens who are largely Shiite. It is all very confusing. Al Qaeda would not destroy Sunni security offices killing Sunni forces or would they?

However Bashar has already proven capable of killing his own to blame it on protesters and further his cause. He is also flat out lying saying protesters have killed 2000 of his security forces, a number pulled out of the air in order to kill and quell those against him. This Bashar created civil war is barely starting unless he leaves and he will not.




James Joiner

Gardner, Ma

http://anaverageamericanpatriot.blogspot.com

Syrian Muslim Brotherhood turns down Iran offer to run Syria while rebels take their first town

Iran offered Syria’s Brotherhood power if it agreed to Assad staying on: official: Iran has offered the Syrian Muslim Brotherhood a deal that includes giving the Islamist opposition group all of the government, but under the condition that President Bashar al-Assad remains as the country’s premier, an official said in a newspaper interview published on Wednesday.

Syrian Muslim Brotherhood leader: Isolate Assad: The leader of Syria's Muslim Brotherhood said world powers should pile diplomatic pressure on President Bashar Assad and he called for a no-fly zone and "safe zones" to be set up to help the Syrian leader's opponents.

"The Syrian people are determined. Nobody will go back to their homes unless Bashar leaves. There is a determination and God willing the people will reach this goal," he said in a telephone interview late on Wednesday.

:Rebels hail 'first free town in Syria' as Assad troops flee:THEY have called it the “first free town in Syria”. Opposition forces claim to have beaten back the soldiers of president Bashar al-Assad from the mountain border town of Zabadani and plan to turn it into a hub of armed resistance against the regime in Damascus.

After five days of intensive battles, dozens of government tanks and armoured vehicles pulled back from Zabadani – only 17 miles from Damascus on the border with Lebanon – after a reported ceasefire agreement. But the insurgents heralded it as an unprecedented victory – the first population centre the government has been unable to take control of even a part of.

We know Iran has been helping and guiding Syria from day one and will never allow a Democracy there. Dahida Abdul-Rahman a 50-year-old housewife at prayers, said the Arab observers should be thrown out of the country. "Since they came, terrorist attacks started," she said. She is dead right and it is being done by the Government to gain sympathy for their murder of civilians and their deserter protectors.

I said when soldiers first defected that it would take the whole army as they are fighting the IRG too even though for now itt is denied.The Government is blaming this attacks on terrorist or more likely protesters.

This really brings the confusion in Syria and the middle east and the world full swing for me. Once again I am left dumbfounded. From the beginning with the occurrence of 9/11 we were told and we knew that we were in a different world that required a new way of thinking. Meanwhile we routinely prove incapable of doing that when confronted with the so called terrorists.

However we have done exactly that when it comes to the average well intentioned citizens of the world. In every Government in the world today lying has become the new truth. Governments including the United States routinely lie in order to create a grey area in which to hide the truth from the people of the world so we do not know who is telling the truth, what the truth is, and they can follow their deceitful destructive agenda.

Syria and Bashar Al-Assad appear to be the masters. From the beginning of the chaos in Syria we have been saying that Iran more specifically the IRG (Iran Revolutionary Guard) was in Syria helping if not leading the way in trying to quell the uprising. You know Bashar's only friend Iran is dictating that this slaughter is a necessity though Syria knows how to brutalize its people all to well. Iran will not allow a Democracy at her door step further isolating her.

That in itself defies logic because Iran is Shiite and Bashar and the ruling minority is Sunni like Al Qaeda and Saudi Arabia who we said would come to the aid of the citizens who are largely Shiite. It is all very confusing. Al Qaeda would not destroy Sunni security offices killing Sunni forces or would they?

However Bashar has already proven capable of killing his own to blame it on protesters and further his cause. He is also flat out lying saying protesters have killed 2000 of his security forces, a number pulled out of the air in order to kill and quell those against him. This Bashar created civil war is barely starting unless he leaves and he will not.



James Joiner
Gardner, Ma
http://anaverageamericanpatriot.blogspot.com

Scores more soldiers defect from Syrian army to protect citizens as Bashar Al-Assad labels them terrorists

                                 The free Syrian Army Logo

Scores more soldiers defect from Syrian army : A senior military officer in the Syrian city of Hama has defected along with up to 50 of his soldiers, in protest against the government’s ten-month crackdown on peaceful demonstrations that has claimed thousands of lives across the country. Colonel Afeef Mahmoud Suleiman, who is from the air force logistics division, announced his defection live on Al Jazeera's Arabic news channel on Saturday.

Suleiman said he and his men had taken on a new mission to keep protesters in Hama safe during demonstrations. "We are from the army and we have defected because the government is killing civilian protesters. The Syrian army attacked Hama with heavy weapons, air raids and heavy fire from tanks," Suleiman said. "We ask the Arab League observers to come visit areas affected by air raids and attacks so you can see the damage with your own eyes.



HEAVY clashes have broken out between the Syrian army and deserters, leaving 11 of its soldiers dead, human rights activists said. Another 20 soldiers were wounded in the fighting in Daraa province, south of the capital, while nine soldiers defected to join the rebel troops, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

In addition to the deadly clashes in the village of Basr al-Harir, the Britain-based watchdog also reported heavy machinegun exchanges between the army and deserters in the Daraa town of Dael. There was no immediate word on any casualties.

Syrian regime: We are being targeted by "terrorists": Coffins bearing 11 policemen, covered with Syrian flags, were brought into the Al-Hassan mosque for the prayers, a day after the explosion ripped through a Damascus intersection, killing 26 people and wounding 63. Officials said the attack was a suicide bombing, the second in two weeks to hit the normally quiet Syrian capital.

The regime of President Bashar Assad has touted the attacks as proof that it is being targeted by "terrorists." But the country's opposition demanded an independent investigation, accusing forces loyal to the Syrian regime of being behind the bombing to tarnish a 10-month-old uprising against Assad. The bombings have coincided with a mission by Arab League observers investigating Syria's crackdown on the protest.

I agree with the opposition that there should be an investigation but by an independent source so one side or the other will not purposely be found at fault. Dahida Abdul-Rahman, 50-year-old housewife at the prayers, said the Arab observers should be thrown out of the country. "Since they came, terrorist attacks started," she said. She is dead right and it is being done by the Government to gain sympathy for their murder of civilians and their deserter protectors.

I said when soldiers first defected that it would take the whole army as they are fighting the IRG too.The Government is blaming this attack too on terrorist or more likely protesters. Read the report and you will agree that once again the Government did it killing a few of their own and mostly civilians to gain world sympathy for their brutal slaughter of her own people.

This really brings the confusion in Syria and the middle east and the world full swing for me. Once again I am left dumbfounded. From the beginning with the occurrence of 9/11 we were told and we knew that we were in a different world that required a new way of thinking. Meanwhile we routinely prove incapable of doing that when confronted with the so called terrorists.

However we have done exactly that when it comes to the average well intentioned citizens of the world. In every Government in the world today lying has become the new truth. Governments including the United States routinely lie in order to create a grey area in which to hide the truth from the people of the world so we do not know who is telling the truth, what the truth is, and they can follow their deceitful destructive agenda.

Syria and Bashar Al-Assad appear to be the masters. From the beginning of the chaos in Syria we have been saying that Iran more specifically the IRG (Iran Revolutionary Guard) was in Syria helping if not leading the way in trying to quell the uprising. You know Bashar's only friend Iran is dictating that this slaughter is a necessity though Syria knows how to brutalize its people all to well. Iran will not allow a Democracy at her door step further isolating her.

That in itself defies logic because Iran is Shiite and Bashar and the ruling minority is Sunni like Al Qaeda and Saudi Arabia who we said would come to the aid of the citizens who are largely Shiite. It is all very confusing. Al Qaeda would not destroy Sunni security offices killing Sunni forces or would they?

However Bashar has already proven capable of killing his own to blame it on protesters and further his cause. He is also flat out lying saying protesters have killed 2000 of his security forces, a number pulled out of the air in order to kill and quell those against him. This Bashar created civil war is barely starting unless he leaves and he will not.




James Joiner
Gardner, Ma
http://anaverageamericanpatriot.blogspot.co