Crisis in Syrië #15 23.000 doden.

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Op dinsdag 18 september 2012 07:19 schreef Die_Hofstadtgruppe het volgende:
Ook Iran geeft nu toe dat het bomvol buitenlandse militairen van hen zit . Over vd regen in de drup gesproken....

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Syria’s Libyan revolutionary


Over the past few months, growing reports have emerged from Syria of a group of Libyans engaged in the conflict to overthrow the regime of longtime dictator Bashar Al-Assad.

Having lived through the horrors of last year’s revolution in Libya, these young men have travelled to Syria to fight for a second time, out of a sense of solidarity with a country many feel has been abandoned to its fate by the outside world.

Perhaps the most famous of these repeat revolutionaries is Mahdi Al-Harati, commander of the Liwa Al-Ummah, a 6,000 strong body composed overwhelmingly of Syrians but led by a Libyan.

A softly spoken man raised in Ireland, Harati led the Revolutionaries of Tripoli brigade during last year’s uprising in Libya, and his was the first group of fighters to enter the capital from Zawiya, on 21 August 2011. Muammar Qaddafi’s last redoubt, his fortress compound Bab Al-Azizia, fell two days later.

Harati subsequently served as deputy head of the Tripoli Military Council, before stepping down in November and heading to Syria to witness the plight of the people there first-hand.

What he saw there resolved him to use his fighting experience to help Syria’s often-ramshackle revolutionaries to organise themselves into a more effective fighting force.

Earlier this year, he formed the Ummah brigade for that purpose. Here he speaks to the Libya Herald about his experiences and what it means to be a Libyan in a Syrian revolution.

“When I first arrived in Syria, what I saw was a group of people in a terrible condition. I was touched with the response I received and realised these men wanted all the help they could get.

“They welcomed me and requested me to help them”, Harati says. “I accepted and initially started to work on the lines of relief goods.”

What Harati soon realised, however, was that the level of fighting and the loss of life was such that the situation was much more difficult than even what he had faced in Libya.

“The situation was very grim and there was no comparison between the two countries. I realised the fight was tough as the people were being killed in large numbers every day and the Syrians would require all the help possible to succeed.”

After realising the nature of the war Harati knew that it would take help from the broader Muslim community (the Ummah) to topple the Assad regime, and so it was that the Ummah brigade was formed.

“War required a serious contribution from the Ummah and they didn’t disappoint, praise be to God. People contacted me from all over the world to help the Syrian cause,” he said.

“There are now more than 6,000 fighters in the Liwa Al-Umma. We have strictly kept 90 per cent of the members Syrians.”

The remaining ten per cent, Harati says, are drawn from other Muslim countries, including Libya. Many of the Libyans fought with Harati in the Tripoli Revolutionary Brigade and are amongst Harati’s closest confidants, including his brother-in-law Housam Najjair.

“The Syrians were very willing to fight but didn’t have the expertise to do so effectively. So I decided to put my experience from Libya to good use and trained the locals. But the response from around the world was amazing. People were coming from different countries to help their brothers and sisters in Syria. They realised that Syria is the gateway to Quds and the Ummah must contribute to help liberate and protect it.

“Turkey was full of people who wanted to fight. At one point I had to stop them from coming to Syria as I lacked the resources to manage that many fighters.”

Harati says that many people wanted to help the Syrians but did not see a way to do that and his involvement with the cause provided it with much needed international attention.

“It was a big turn for the revolution in Syria as people from all countries started to help them through us. We got the attention and paved the way for large scale humanitarian aid.”

In recent months, numerous humanitarian convoys have been sent by private citizens from around the world, including Libya. Most recently, a convoy from Benghazi docked in Turkey before travelling under armed protection into Idlib province, the scene of some of the fiercest fighting of the Syrian revolution.

Speaking about the role of his brigade and its effect on the revolution, Harati says that much has changed since his arrival last year.

“Things are very different now from when we started. Initially, we trained the Syrians using our Libyan experience and they welcomed us. We connected with the people there. The Liwa-Al-Ummah has a good reputation; people want to join us.

“Liwa is in many cities like Idlib, Aleppo, Hums, Deir Azzour, Latakia and even in Damascus. I’m not exaggerating when I say that Assad’s forces also fear the Liwa.”

Harati also stresses that the brigade is not solely involved in fighting. Throughout its existence, it has also been engaged in the distribution of relief goods to different affected areas.

Speaking about the current situation and the possible outcomes, Harati says that the Assad regime will fall, and sooner rather than later.

“Assad’s time is near. He has already lost control of quite a large area of the country. The only problem stopping the advance of the revolutionaries is the air support he has. But things are changing quickly now and you hear quite frequently the planes being downed by the fighters.

“But the loss is great; so many are dying – hundreds every day. The media is not showing even one percent of what is exactly going down in Syria.”

Harati says that the Syrians feel betrayed by the international community.

“Whole cities have been razed to the ground and the international community is still not doing enough. The damage done to the cities is unimaginable. Assad is still being supported by a few countries, including Israel.” He added, “Assad removed his forces from the Golan Heights and deployed them in different areas to kill Syrian people. It’s very clear who is helping Assad yet people are still silent.”

Harati also says that once the revolution is finished, there will still be some tough choices for the people of Syria. He believes that some powers are trying to split the country into two pieces based on sects but thinks that this will not happen.

“The delay in the response by the international community is only giving Assad more time to kill people. We have to realise the nature and scale of damage, every passing day is costing more human lives.”

Asked about the rumours that have surfaced several times about his death, Harati says that such propaganda shows the level to which the Assad regime has been reduced.

“They show my picture ten times a day on national television and have placed a bounty on me too.

“Every time they start a rumour, my family gets worried and I have to get in touch with them to confirm my safety but it will not last long. Assad’s end is near.”

Source: Libya Herald.com

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Op dinsdag 18 september 2012 14:35 schreef Aloulou het volgende:

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Op dinsdag 18 september 2012 16:27 schreef rakotto het volgende:

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Dappere man en dappere mensen.

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Op dinsdag 18 september 2012 21:04 schreef mr_jack het volgende:

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ik kan niet wachten op een filmpje waarin zijn verminkte lichaam ligt te rottten in de brandende zon...

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Op dinsdag 18 september 2012 22:41 schreef rakotto het volgende:

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Heel dapper van je.

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Op woensdag 19 september 2012 09:53 schreef mr_jack het volgende:

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Niet zo dapper als een libier die even de bevolking in een ander land in een burger oorlog sleept.
Feit is dat hij daar niks te zoeken heeft. Ook een feit is dat de bevolking daar de dupe is van een hele kleine minderheid die de macht wil grijpen. Deze hele kleine minderheid gijzelt in principe de bevolking, want door hun gevechten stokt de economie, liggen er sancties op Syrie waardoor voedsel, brandstof etc duurder zijn geworden.
Na bijna 2 jaar hebben die rebellen nog helemaal niks bereikt, nada noppes.
Maarja, dat soort extremisten zal hun verlies nooit nemen, al zullen ze tot het laatste de bevolking moeten gijzelen en terroriseren. Vandaar mijn mening over dit soort volk : opruimen!

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Op woensdag 19 september 2012 10:49 schreef rakotto het volgende:

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Je bent zeker vergeten dat Assad begonnen is met het afslachten van hele dorpen.

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Op woensdag 19 september 2012 11:24 schreef mr_jack het volgende:

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nee joh je meent het. Assad begon direct na de 1e demonstraties met het afslachten van hele dorpen... Of hebben gewapende groeperingen de demonstraties overgenomen?

Of die massa slachting van houla bedoel je? Waar zelfs in officieelle VN rapportage van wordt gezegd dat niet is vast te stellen wie dit gedaan heeft?
Er wordt gewoon een vies spelletje gespeeld daar, waarbij af en toe gewoon niet te zeggen is wie de gruwelijkheden pleegt...

Feit is en blijft wel dat de meerderheid van de bevolking die terroristen niet steunt en helemaal zat zijn. En hier vanuit het westen wordt wel even gedicteerd wat er aan de hand is in Syrie en wat er moet gebeuren. En feit blijft ook dat een Libieer daar niks te zoeken heeft, volgens mij is er nog genoeg te doen in zijn eigen land....

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Op woensdag 19 september 2012 11:34 schreef rakotto het volgende:

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Ja, Assad begon meteen met afslachten van mensen na de eerste vreedzame demonstratie/protestmars.

Feit is ook dat in het hele land vreedzame protesten uitbraken. Als deze hard worden neergeslagen, dan ga je er niet stil bij zitten.

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Op woensdag 19 september 2012 11:32 schreef Papierversnipperaar het volgende:

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Op woensdag 19 september 2012 11:55 schreef mr_jack het volgende:

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wellus nietus spelletjes heb ik geen zin in.
Laten de rebellen nu eens wat resultaten boeken, anders dan een berg dorpje bezetten, er weer bloedig uitgekegeld worden door het leger, en dan op naar het volgende berg dorpje.
Of laten al die soennieten nu eens opstaan die zogenaamd de seculiere Baath partij zat zouden zijn... Maar nee, diezelfde soennieten zitten allemaal in het leger om die libische, saudische, afghaanse, pakistaanse terroristen af te maken........

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Op woensdag 19 september 2012 13:46 schreef rakotto het volgende:

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Aleppo is niet bepaald een klein dorpje. En ongeveer 70% van heel Syrie onder de controle nemen is geen klein dorpje.

Dit heeft niets met religie te maken.

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Op woensdag 19 september 2012 13:53 schreef mr_jack het volgende:

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Hebben ze Aleppo onder controle dan?
Volgens mij rennen ze daar wat rond, maar is het overgrote deel van de stad in handen van het leger.
De rebellen in Aleppo zijn omsingeld, en hebben heel veel last van ammunitie tekorten.

70% van Syrie onder controle
Nu val je echt door de mand als trol.

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National carrier EgyptAir resumed flights to the Syrian city of Aleppo on Wednesday after battles between regime and rebel forces near the airport caused a two-day suspension of services.

EgyptAir has two daily return flights to Syria, one to the capital Damascus and the other to the country's commercial hub Aleppo.

Wednesday morning's flight to Aleppo departed Cairo with only 20 passengers, but returned completely full, a Cairo airport source told German news agency DPA.

Syrian rebels have been battling the army of president Bashar Al-Assad in Aleppo since late July.

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Op woensdag 19 september 2012 11:24 schreef mr_jack het volgende:

Of die massa slachting van houla bedoel je? Waar zelfs in officieelle VN rapportage van wordt gezegd dat niet is vast te stellen wie dit gedaan heeft?

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132. The evidence collected confirmed the commission’s previous finding that violations had been committed pursuant to State policy. Large-scale operations conducted in different governorates, their similar modus operandi, their complexity and integrated military/security apparatus indicate involvement at the highest levels of the armed and security forces and the Government.

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Hebben ze Aleppo onder controle dan?

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Volgens mij rennen ze daar wat rond, maar is het overgrote deel van de stad in handen van het leger.

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De rebellen in Aleppo zijn omsingeld, en hebben heel veel last van ammunitie tekorten.

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Amnesty: Indiscriminate government attacks are maiming, terrorizing Syria civilians.

BEIRUT — The Syrian government has carried out indiscriminate air bombardments and artillery strikes on residential areas that do not target opposition fighters or military objectives, and instead appear aimed solely at punishing civilians seen as sympathetic to rebel forces, Amnesty International said Wednesday.

Much of the recent fighting has centered on the contested city of Aleppo, but the London-based group said hundreds of civilians in other parts of northern and central Syria have been killed or injured in recent weeks, many of them children, in attacks that struck people in their homes, in the street or while trying to shelter from the bombings.

The conclusions were published in an Amnesty report that followed a visit to Syria by senior crisis researcher Donatella Rovera, who traveled to 26 towns and villages in the Jabal al-Zawiya area and other parts of the northern Idlib and north Hama regions between Aug. 31 and Sept. 11.

The 18-month conflict between the regime of President Bashar Assad and his opponents began with peaceful protests that were attacked by government security forces, and has since evolved into a civil war. Activists say at least 23,000 people have died, many of them civilians who fell victim to the regime onslaught, although rebel factions have also been accused of summary executions and other abuses.

Assad’s regime, which has been subject to international condemnation, says it is fighting terrorism led by foreign fighters. The regime counts Iran and Russia among its few allies.

The Amnesty report included criticism of opposition fighters for alleged violations of human rights, saying both sides have operated in and launched attacks from residential areas, thereby increasing the risk to civilians. But it focused mostly on the conduct of the regime, noting that random bombardments suggested that the aim of the strikes “may be to punish residents of towns and villages which are now under the de-facto control of opposition forces.”

The report said unguided bombs dropped from the air and imprecise artillery shells and mortars are now being used daily against residential areas, significantly increasing the number of civilian casualties.

“Such indiscriminate attacks violate fundamental provisions of international humanitarian law, as they fail to distinguish between military targets and civilian objects,” it added.

The Amnesty report detailed incidents of indiscriminate attacks in other parts of northern Syria that killed civilians in areas where there were no armed confrontations or activities by opposition fighters at the time of the attacks.

In an incident on Aug. 14, four children aged 18 months to 11 years, were killed when an aircraft dropped a bomb on their home in the village of Shellakh, near Idlib, collapsing the second floor onto the first floor, where the children were sleeping and playing.

With nowhere safe, villagers often shelter in old, overcrowded caves for protection from the air bombardments and shelling, Amnesty said. Some families have been digging makeshift underground shelters near their homes.