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