Yahoo: Assad predicts disaster if West meddles in Syria

[visionary]

http://www.thenational.ae/news/uae-n...ld-war-victims

Emirati volunteers' heartache at Syria's child war victims

Little Ahmad's story drew tears from Emirati volunteers.

The eight-year-old Syrian refugee was smuggled into Jordan by his neighbours from his hometown in Homs. His parents had died, but he did not know how.

Mariam Al Darmaki, a nurse from Sharjah with the UAE Red Crescent, said it was the hardest case she had dealt with since her arrival in Mafraq three weeks ago to help in the UAE's relief work.

"He was telling us the story and he seemed fine, but we were all in tears," she said. "This eight-year-old boy has seen more in his life than what a 60-year-old man would."

The relief work at the refugee camp has proved to be emotionally draining for those volunteering with the Red Crescent and Sanid, an Emirati emergency unit team that arrived in Jordan earlier this week.

http://leloveluck.com/2012/09/20/wha...an-opposition/

What’s non-lethal about aid to the Syrian opposition?

As pressure increases on western governments to bring an end to the bloodshed in Syria, “non-lethal” assistance has become the promise of the hour. The term is ubiquitous, cropping up in White House press briefings and the European Union’s arms embargo on Syria.

Yet despite the pervasive nature of the term, it does not yet have a widely accepted legal definition. Broadly speaking, it is used to describe equipment and intelligence that cannot be directly used to kill. This can encompass anything from helmets and body armor to more facilitative assistance such as encrypted radios and satellite imagery. In practice, the lines between non-lethal equipment and its lethal counterparts are more blurred. In fact, both are required for a soldier to maximize the use of his weapon. As Pieter Wezeman, a senior researcher at the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, points out, “a guy with a helmet and a radio is more likely to use his gun effectively because his protection increases his survivability and his radio [improves] his targeting through better communication.”

Nevertheless, the distinction between lethal and non-lethal weapons is a crucial one for the governments involved in their supply. According to Wezeman, any move toward arming the rebels would be “very politically sensitive indeed.” As Britain’s Foreign Secretary William Hague has emphasized, the British position is “not about taking sides.” How the move toward assisting the rebels will be seen within the Assad regime’s inner chambers is perhaps another story.

http://www.lrb.co.uk/v34/n18/nir-ros...g-the-alawites

Among the Alawites

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/...88K0ZA20120921

Syria's neighbors seek extension of U.N. war crimes inquiry

Arab countries proposed on Friday extending the mandate of U.N. investigators documenting war crimes in Syria and said that more experts were needed for the growing task.

A draft resolution submitted to the United Nations Human Rights Council by a group of Arab states, backed by Western powers, calls for the investigations to carry on for the next six months.

The U.N. body launched the commission in August 2011 after a majority of member states out-voted four countries that opposed it, including Russia and China.

Its current mandate expires at the end of the Council's three-week session next Friday, on September 28 by which time the vote on extending the mandate should have take place.

The investigators, led by Brazilian Paulo Pinheiro, said on Monday they had added more names to a secret list of Syrians suspected of committing war crimes during the 18-month-old uprising against President Bashar al-Assad.

https://twitter.com/MidaniSpeaks

Call it a salafi revolution all you want but Jesus is on our side...
pic.twitter.com/kYGaR3gZ
4:06 PM Sept. 20

https://twitter.com/NMSyria

Daraya had a party for the children of martyrs today. Children of victims from the city came and had a fun time.
1:23 AM

The kids with their party hats on! Daraya Damascus pic.twitter.com/mN82d8OZ
1:24 AM

Even though it was a fun day for them, you can still see the sadness in their eyes. They all lost their parents.
1:24 AM

https://twitter.com/omarsyria

In many private schools, the sons of generals and businessmen act as shabeeha, beating up opposition and silencing everyone.
2:05 AM

https://twitter.com/ayaelb

AP: Iraqi official says Baghdad banned a North Korean plane from using its airspace on suspicion it is carrying weapons to war-torn Syria
1:05 PM

https://twitter.com/NuffSilence

The neighborhood of Bustan Al Basha, a front line in the fighting between FSA and regime, is pretty much gone http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gfTzLp24BbI Aleppo
1:09 PM

Yesterday:

http://www.lccsyria.org/10217

Local Coordination Committees in Syria (LCC)

LCC was able to document 250 martyrs on Thursday. 71 martyrs were reported in Raqqa (including 55 martyrs due to warplane shelling at Ain Easa and the number is expected to rise, and 15 bodies were found in the Military Security Headquarter), 58 in Aleppo, 50 in Damascus and its Suburbs, 37 in Homs, 15 in Hama, 7 in Deir Ezzor, 6 in Idlib, 5 in Daraa, and 1 in Hasakeh

Today:

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?p...17848338242310

Local Coordination Committees in Syria (LCC

LCC was able to document 117 martyrs on Friday. 48 martyrs were reported in Damascus and its Suburbs; including 17 who were martyred in a massacre in Bwaida town, 17 in Aleppo, 15 in Homs, 15 in Idlib, 9 in Deir Ezzor, 9 in Daraa, 2 in Hama, 1 in Lattakia, and 1 in Raqqa
5:12 PM

http://www.extremeskins.com/showthre...=1#post9046975
30,351 people killed so far in Syria

[visionary]

http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middle...126206166.html

Rebel group 'moves command centre to Syria'

Syria's main rebel group says it is moving its command centre from the Turkish border into Syria itself in preparation of an offensive against President Bashar al-Assad's troops in Damascus.

Riyad al-Asaad, commander of the Free Syrian Army (FSA), announced the move on Saturday in a video message from Syria, the first since the group founded its command centre in Turkey at the beginning of the 19-month conflict.

"To the Syrian people, its freedom fighters and all the armed factions, we are glad to let you know that the leadership of the FSA has moved into Syria following arrangements made with other brigades that included securing liberated areas with the hope of launching the offensive on Damascus," Asaad said.

In Saturday's other developments, Syrian government troops and rebels clashed near a border crossing with Jordan, opposition activists said.

The fighting, accompanied by heavy shelling from government troops, raged on Saturday near the busy Al-Nasib border crossing located on a highway linking the Syrian and Jordanian capitals, according to the activists.

Egyptian Middle East News Agency (MENA) quoted a high-ranking Jordanian official as denying the reports about clashes between Jordanian and Syrian armies.

The official confirmed that Jordanian soldiers shot in the air to distract the Syrian soldiers from chasing refugees during their attempts to cross the border.

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationwo...,5077419.story

In Syria, fierce fighting reported in Raqqah province

Fierce clashes were reported Thursday in an area of north-central Syria where antigovernment rebels earlier seized a border post across from Turkey.

Word of fighting in Raqqah province suggests that the tribal region, long regarded as a bastion of support for the government of President Bashar Assad, could be the latest battle zone in a conflict that has spread across much of the nation.

The region of Raqqah sits strategically between two heavily contested provinces: Aleppo and Dair Alzour, both featuring raging battles and large swaths of territory in rebel hands.

https://twitter.com/SyrianSmurf

Regime forces capture 40 men in Idlib city and torture and humiliate them in public until armored vehicles took them to security stations.
7:02 AM

Reports indicate that the FSA in Idlib and Aleppo have seized control of the Syrian Army's 46, the division that has terrorized the region.
7:08 AM

The Syrian Army's 46th Regiment is one of the fiercest and most important regime force. Clashes there and reports of complete FSA control.
7:27 AM

2 MiGs were shot down today. One in Atarib, Aleppo suburbs. The other in Saraqib, Idlib. All part of the attack on the 46th regiment.
7:56 AM

[the 46 regiment is located in] Northern Idlib...but they operated in Aleppo as well. Some defected, some were arrested, others killed. Clashes ongoing still.
8:19 AM

[visionary]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012...rs-joining-war

Syria: the foreign fighters joining the war against Bashar al-Assad

Soldiers! Soldiers!" The man hissed his warning as he hurried past, two bullets from a government sniper kicking up dust from the dirt road behind him.

It was enough for Abu Omar al-Chechen. His ragtag band of foreign fighters, known as "muhajiroun brothers", was huddled in the doorway of a burned-out apartment building in the university district of Aleppo. One of the brothers – a Turk – lay dead in the road around the corner and a second brother lay next to him, badly wounded and unable to move. They had been unable to rescue him because of the sniper.

Abu Omar gave an order in Arabic, which was translated into a babble of different languages – Chechen, Tajik, Turkish, French, Saudi dialect, Urdu – and the men retreated in orderly single file, picking their way between piles of smouldering rubbish and twisted plastic bottles toward a house behind the front line where other fighters had gathered.

Their Syrian handler stood alone in the street clutching two radios: one blared in Chechen and the other in Arabic. Two men volunteered to stay and try to fetch the young injured man.

The fighters sat outside the house in the shade of the trees, clutching their guns and discussing the war. Among them was a thin Saudi, dressed in a dirty black T-shirt and a prayer cap, who conversed in perfect English with a Turk sitting next to him. He had arrived the week before and was curious about how the jihad was being reported abroad.

"What do the foreign news organisations and the outside world say about us?" he asked. "Do they know about the fighting in Aleppo? Do they know that we are here?"

Hundreds of international fighters have flocked to Syria to join the war against Bashar al-Assad's government. Some are fresh-faced idealists driven by a romantic notion of revolution or a hatred for the Assads. Others are jihadi veterans of Iraq, Yemen and Afghanistan

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000...medium=twitter

Rebels to Use Syrian Territory for Training

Syrian rebel fighters on the Turkish border are pushing ahead with a plan to turn territory in Idlib province that has been mostly under their control since early summer into a logistics and training base for fighters across the country.

The move, which could draw the regime's attention back to this swath of northwestern territory, shows how Syria's rebels are trying to consolidate control over pockets of liberated land along the Turkish border even as war rages farther north in Aleppo.

http://blogs.aljazeera.com/blog/midd...e-continues-un

Syria stalemate continues at UN

http://blogs.aljazeera.com/liveblog/topic/syria-153

a day ago
Amid the battles in Syria, thousands of civilians are struggling to find food and water.

Doctors are also in short supply, as are medical supplies. In Aleppo, volunteers have been risking their lives to provide as much aid they can to the rebels.

about 20 hours ago
Syrian opposition figures are holding a rare meeting in Damascus during which they have called for the overthrow of President Bashar al-Assad's government.

Some 16 opposition parties are taking part in the conference, headed by the National Coordination Body for Democratic Change in Syria, an internal group that differs sharply with the better-known and expatriate Syrian National Council.

The rare opposition gathering in a regime-held city was to discuss peaceful ways to end Syria's raging civil war and help unite the fragmented opposition.

Sunday's meeting at a hotel in the capital was held under tight security and was attended by ambassadors of Russia and Iran, two allies of Assad

about 18 hours ago
Embattled Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's only sister, Bushra, whose husband was killed in a July bombing, is now living in Dubai with her children, Syrian residents told AFP on Sunday.

Bushra's husband General Assef Shawkat, an army deputy chief of staff, was killed along with three other high-ranking officials in a July 18 bombing at the National Security headquarters in Damascus.

The president's elder sister, a pharmacist in her 50s, has five children she has enrolled at a private school in Dubai, according to Syrian expatriates in the emirate.

Ayman Abdel Nour, editor-in-chief of opposition news website all4syria.com, told AFP that Bushra, who did not hold any position in the Syrian regime, left after "differences" with her brother whose troops are locked in a deadly conflict with rebels.

Bashar has "accused her of being closer to the opposition because she did not entirely agree with his policies," Abdel Nour said.

about 16 hours ago
Syrian aircraft carried out strikes on rebel bastions across the country on Sunday, especially in central Homs province and Deir Ezzor in the east, a watchdog said, as 31 people were killed nationwide.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said apartment blocks in Albu Kamal were targeted as rebels and soldiers battled on the ground in several districts of the town on the Iraqi border.

"The insurgents are trying to wrest control of this strategic town" in the oil-rich province of Deir Ezzor as well as the nearby Hamdan military airport, said the group's head, Rami Abdel Rahman.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-19694896

Suffering in Assad-supporting village
23 September 2012
Last updated at 14:50 ET

While many of the casualties in the Syrian conflict are civilians, the region of Latakia in the west of the country is seeing more of its men die in the government's service.

The area is a stronghold for President Assad's minority Alawite Muslim sect, and as rebels claim further victories against government troops funerals in the region are becoming more frequent.

Lyse Doucet, who was granted official access to the area, reports from the village of Addalia.

Saturday:

http://www.lccsyria.org/10233

The Local Coordination Committees in Syria

The LCC was able to document 220 martyrs on Saturday. 66 martyrs were reported in Damascus and its suburbs, and include 16 martyrs in Jobar, 13 martyrs from when a bus was shelled in Hajira, 6 martyrs who were field-executed in Qadam, and 7 in Kafar Batna; 60 martyrs in Aleppo, including 9 during shelling in Maysar and 7 who were targeted when they were traveling by bus in Al-Bab; 43 martyrs in Hama, including 40 from Mashaa Al-Arbaeen; 26 martyrs in Homs; 10 in Idlib, including 7 from a single family during shelling in Maar Tamater; 9 in Daraa; 3 in Quneitra; 2 in Deir Ezzor; and 1 in Raqqa

Sunday:

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?p...17848338242310

Local Coordination Committees in Syria

Sunday has ended with our documentation of 85 martyrs including 22 martyrs in Damascus and its suburbs, 21 martyrs in Aleppo, 14 martyrs in Daraa, 12 martyrs in Hama, including a mother and her 5 children, 7 martyrs in Homs, 6 martyrs in Idlib, and 1 martyr in each of the cities Deir Ezzor, Qamishli, and Lattakia
6:20 PM

The first time in months that less than 100 people were killed in a day.
Unfortunately, despite that, the past two days death toll's combined is more than 300 people killed....

http://www.extremeskins.com/showthre...=1#post9046975
30,656 people killed so far in Syria

[visionary]

http://www.thenational.ae/news/world...y-ripped-apart

Alawite FSA supporter whose father backs Assad tells of a Syrian family ripped apart

Loubna Mrie is one of the few who belong to the minority Alawite sect of Syria’s president, Bashar Al Assad, and oppose his rule.

The 21-year-old activist, from a village near Latakia, said the country’s conflict has torn her family apart. She fled to Turkey in August after hearing security forces knew about her role in smuggling bullets to the opposition Free Syrian Army (FSA). En route, she was recorded talking to an FSA rebel in a video that was uploaded to YouTube. Within days, her mother was kidnapped from her home and has not been heard from since.

Ms Mrie blames her father, Jaodat Kamel Mrie, for the abduction.

“He is ready to do anything to show his loyalty to the government and Bashar Assad,” she said in an interview last week.

At the beginning of the uprising, her father, 69, a wealthy businessman, became a member of the dreaded shabiha, armed Alawite groups accused of acting as government sponsored militiamen.

Ms Mrie said he felt his financial success was due to privileges granted by the regime. He began arming unemployed Alawi men, paying them to carry out attacks, and training them.

http://seattletimes.com/html/nationw...naZzfI.twitter

Syrian rebel groups united only in fight against Assad

When members of the Farouq Battalions first began to wear distinctive green T-shirts with their fighting unit's logo in the spring, you could see them only around Homs, more than 100 miles south of the crossing point of Bab al Howa along the border with Turkey.

Now, however, they can be seen not only in Bab al Howa, one of two crossing points the Syrian rebels control, but also all over northern Syria, a sign that as the war goes on, some of the rebel groups that began as local rebellions now stretch throughout the country, with a chain of command that's national in scope; in Farouq's case, stretching all the way to Damascus.

Farouq's T-shirts identify their wearers as part of the Free Syrian Army, but Farouq itself has no operational links to the former army officers who defected to Turkey and who nominally claim leadership of the rebel fighting force. Neither do a number of other battalions and brigades, big and small, that have emerged across the country. By one count, there are more than 600 battalions, though fewer than 10 are organized across large swaths of territory.

The news-media convention of referring to all these groups as the Free Syrian Army is accurate only in that they all oppose the government of President Bashar Assad. In reality, they're independent actors, sharing little in ideologies or resources.

http://blogs.aljazeera.com/liveblog/topic/syria-153

about 7 hours ago
Syrian warplanes targeted several residential districts of the northern city of Aleppo on Monday, killing at least five people including three children from one family, a rights watchdog said.

The five were killed and others were wounded in the central district of Maadi in the country's second city and commercial hub, a focal point for the fighting since mid-July, the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

"Three children from the same family were killed when their building collapsed in Maadi district, which is located in the Old City of Aleppo, 600 metres (yards) from the citadel," the watchdog's Rami Abdel Rahman told AFP.

"There are still people buried under the rubble," he added.

Videos posted to YouTube by activists, which AFP was unable to authenticate immediately, showed a mountain of rubble and men trying to clear away slabs of debris to free trapped residents. - AFP

https://twitter.com/Turk4Syria

14 schools in Akcakale, Turkey are still closed as fighting in nearby Tal Abyad on the Syrian side of the border continues.
10:57 AM

https://twitter.com/SyrianSmurf

800,000 buildings destroyed in Homs. 500,000 buildings destroyed in Idlib. 425,000 buildings destroyed in Damascus. These numbers were reported by the SHRO (Syrian Human Rights Organization)

Complete electric blackout on almost the entire province of Idlib for the 2nd straight day. No electricity. No water. No gasoline. No diesel. No propane. Due to a complete electricity blackout...there are almost no casualty reports coming from Idlib...despite the increase in shelling.
12:00 PM

https://twitter.com/LeShaque

Enough with the bull**** excuse of unifying the Syrian opposition. That's like asking Democrats and Republicans to unify.
12:09 PM

[visionary]

https://twitter.com/MahirZeynalov

At least 4 Syrian generals, 2 colonels have defected, fled to Turkey since Saturday. Total number of Syrian generals in Turkey is now 37.
12:29 PM

https://twitter.com/WilliamsJon

In public, UN's Brahimi says Syria "extremely bad and getting worse". In private, tells dips Assad rejects reforms. http://webtv.un.org/watch/sc-preside...1858846841001/ …
4:01 PM

https://twitter.com/WashingtonPoint

I watched some CNNInternational Syria coverage last week. Saw mostly "radicalism" "foreign fighters" "scared minorities," little else..
5:45 PM

https://twitter.com/Mou2amara

BREAKING: Activists report an explosion from within the 3rd Division HQ in Qutayfa RifDimashq Damascus suburbs
6:00 PM

https://twitter.com/columlynch

Brahimi:The opposition "say that there is no turning back, like in Tunisia and Egypt, the Syrian people want to see the end of this regime."
6:59 PM

Brahimi:i says it is a fact that many in the opposition "believe that the only solution would be a mil intervention from abroad."
7:00 PM

Brahimi:"It bears repeating that the solution of Syria's problem demands a clean break with the past How does that happen is al the question
7:02 PM

It sounds pretty clear that Brahimi is saying, without actually saying it, that President Assad has to go.
7:20 PM

Brahimi; One Syrian refugee asked Brahimi: "Please tell me, Sir, are we humans?"
7:23 PM

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?p...17848338242310

Lattakia: Jabal Akrad: A women was martyred and several wer wounded when barrel bombs were dropped on th city by helicopter gunships

Two more towns in Aleppo province freed by the FSA today

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?p...17848338242310

Aleppo: The Free Syrian Army declares its complete control over the town of Orem Al-Kubra after it freed it from the regime's forces
5:23 PM

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?p...17848338242310

Aleppo: The Free Army has freed up the town of Aradeh and gained full control over it
5:45 PM

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?p...17848338242310

Local Coordination Committees in Syria:

LCC has recorded 123 martyrs on Monday distributed as follows: 42 martyrs in Aleppo, 37 martyrs in Damascus and its suburbs, 18 martyrs in Daraa, 14 in Homs, 7 in Hama, 3 in Lattakia and one martyr in each of Deir Ezzor and Idlib
5:54 PM

http://www.extremeskins.com/showthre...=1#post9046975
30,779 people killed so far in Syria

[visionary]

http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles...UK1Mu0.twitter

Rebels make huge gains in Syria’s north

Syria’s rebels have captured hundreds of kilometres of territory in the country’s north in the past six months, an AFP correspondent who visited the area in March reported yesterday.

The journalist, who was in the northwestern province of Idlib in March, verified that the rebel Free Syrian Army had gained significant ground in the period since.

It is now possible to travel hundreds of kilometres in areas controlled by the FSA, only making infrequent detours to avoid nearby garrisons still in the hands of the regular army.

The rebels refer to these as “liberated” areas.

According to the reporter, the rebels have captured many villages in Idlib and the northern province of Aleppo, and forced troops loyal to Damascus to retreat on many fronts.

Most crossroads are controlled by small contingents of rebels, sleeping in a tent, calmly observing the traffic and intercepting cars with unknown passengers.

Al-Atarib, a small town west of Aleppo whose buildings bear the scars of fierce battles, was taken by the FSA three months ago. In the town centre, several charred carcasses of tanks remain.

Rebel leaders said their forces have encircled an important military base en route to Aleppo, which according to them is the last obstacle to Syria’s second city, where battles have raged for the past two months.

They claim to control all of the axes around the northern metropolis and say their only fear is aerial attacks.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012...war?CMP=twt_gu

Tortured, traumatised, scarred: the children caught up in Syria's war

Ohood was sitting at her school desk when bullets started flying, inches above her head. Hassan saw severed heads and limbs lying in pools of sticky blood following the shelling of a funeral. Mohammed's skin and hair caught fire when a nearby car exploded. Kareem's next-door neighbour was killed by a shell as she nursed her baby. Moussa was kept in a prison cell alongside decomposing bodies. Eleven-year-old Mohamed writes poems about death and freedom.

In the bleak, windswept landscape of the rapidly swelling Za'atari camp and the overcrowded towns and villages of northern Jordan, child refugees from Syria are struggling to cope with the weight of their experiences during 18 months of bloodshed.

Some are haunted by the deaths of relatives, friends and neighbours. Some hear the sound of shelling and shooting constantly replaying in their heads. Many have seen their homes and communities turned to rubble. A few have been abused or tortured in detention. Some exhibit the physical scars of conflict. Almost all bear the psychological scars.

Children have flooded across the border from Syria in recent weeks, most in family groups but an increasing number making the difficult and dangerous journey without a parent or close relative. At Za'atari, where dust-caked tents stretch in long rows across a vast desert plain, children are up to two-thirds of the current population of 31,000 refugees.

Kareem, a 14-year-old with a cherubic face, mimics the sound of shells and gunfire while describing attacks on his and his neighbours' homes. "I could hear the rockets passing our house. Next door to us a woman was hit by shrapnel in her chest while nursing her baby. Three children also died. We stayed in the bedroom of our house, about 30 or more of us. The bombing went on all night."

He pulls up the leg of his jeans to show burn scars on his leg. "There were fires in the street, they were burning petroleum. I was running because I thought a tank was coming. I fell into a fire." Kareem was taken to a field hospital for basic treatment, but a year on his leg still causes pain. Despite his ready smile, he anxiously pulls at his lower lip while describing what happened.

Making constant gunfire noises, Kareem follows us through the rows of flapping tents to find Mohamed. An engaging 11-year-old writer of poetry, he arrived at Za'atari camp around a month ago, shortly before his mother gave birth to Mohamed's new brother. The baby, he says, is "skinny and doesn't nurse. We're all sick from the dust, we can't breathe normally."

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/...88O09V20120925

Syrian mortar bombs land in Israeli orchard

Mortar rounds fired from Syria hit the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights on Tuesday in a spill-over from the conflict in the Arab country.

The Israeli army said the rounds landed harmlessly in an orchard and were not aimed at Israelis.

Israel had lodged a complaint with the United Nations observer force that monitors the de facto truce between the two countries, a military spokesman said.

A source in the area said the orchard belonged to an Israeli agricultural community which lies close to Syrian villages where fighting has flared between Syrian rebels and forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad.

The rounds were apparently fired at the Syrian village of Jubata Al Khashab in response to rebel activity in the area, Israeli media said. A similar incident occurred in the same area on July 23, the army said.

https://twitter.com/NMSyria

BREAKING: Reports of a very large explosion near Damascus International Airport.
3:12 AM

The Revolutionary Council in Damascus has claimed responsibility for blast that hit Palestine Branch of Syrian Intelligence. Tens of military personnel killed in the explosion that targeted the Palestine Branch of Syrian Intelligence in Damascus.

Those targeted in bomb attacks on Palestine Intelligence branch were 'responsible for burning of 100+ homes in Hajar al-Aswad"
3:26 AM

The explosion targeted a school on the Airport road - The school is occupied by Assad forces, it's not a 'school' any more.
3:32 AM

BRK: FSA Brigade: A conspirator helped us by planting explosives in fuel tanks inside the Palestine Branch of Syrian Intelligence bldg.
3:33 AM

https://twitter.com/Mou2amara

It will be a major success to the revolution if the much hated Palestine Branch of the Moukhabarat was obliterated.
3:36 AM

https://twitter.com/Psypherize

Apparently this is the first video taken right after the explosion in Damascus http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=plcp&v=Cl1ipoodn-c
3:49 AM

https://twitter.com/THE_47th

Correction: 'The Prophet's Grandsons Brigade' is claiming rspnsbility of explosion in Damascus, saying it targeted a school-turned-army base
3:31 AM

Apparently, the "Martyrs Son's" School (ironic name) bombed by FSA ws a base used by Assad Army to bomb Tadamon & Qadam neighborhoods
4:23 AM

"Operation was carried by Grandsons of the Prophet Brigades, with assisstance from the Engineering Platoon of the Habeeb AlMustapha Brigade"
4:27 AM

https://twitter.com/katebt3000

Sad to be leaving Syria. Beautiful country, warm and generous people. Such a shame to see it ripped apart by war.
4:12 AM

https://twitter.com/hhassan140

Qatar PM: we should have a Plan B in a few weeks under Lakhdar Brahmin's mission. Safe havens for around 2m internally displaced Syrians.
4:18 AM

[visionary]

http://www.aljazeera.com/news/americ...=MasterAccount

Ban: Syria 'calamity' threat to world peace

Ban Ki-moon, the UN secretary-general, is demanding international action to stop the war in Syria, saying that it is "a regional calamity with global ramifications''.

"The international community should not look the other way as violence spirals out of control," Ban told world leaders, adding that "brutal" rights abuses were being committed by President Bashar al-Assad's government.

"I call on the international community - especially the members of the Security Council and countries in the region - to solidly and concretely support the efforts" of UN-Arab League envoy Lakhdar Brahimi.

"We must stop the violence and flow of arms to both sides and set in motion a Syrian-led transition as soon as possible," Ban added.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/...8KP6OW20120925

Qatar calls for no-fly zone in Syria

Qatar has called on world powers to prepare a "Plan B" for Syria within weeks and set up a no-fly zone to provide a safe haven inside the country in case international mediator Lakhdar Brahimi fails to make progress in the crisis.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim al-Thani said he believed that Arab and European countries would be ready to take part, despite their public reluctance to commit the forces needed for such a mission.

Qatar, along with Saudi Arabia and Turkey, strongly supports the mainly Sunni Muslim Syrian rebels, while Shi'ite Iran backs Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, whose Alawite minority is an offshoot of Shi'ite Islam.

Western powers, meanwhile, have made clear that they are opposed to direct intervention and the United Nations Security Council will not sanction action against the wishes of Russia and China.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012...-aleppo-rebels

Syria civil war: 'We expend the one thing we have, men. Men are dying'

Three weeks after Syrian rebels entered the northern town of Aleppo, ammunition supplies had dwindled to 600 bullets and six rockets, resulting in a very bloody stalemate with Assad's forces. But despite a 'rotten' process, supplies are finally on their way

The rusting green Mercedes truck could have been mistaken for a removal lorry. It was parked in a narrow street outside a luxurious villa a short distance from the Turkish border, and the arms and legs of chairs and tables protruded from the tarpaulin that covered the back. Beneath the furniture, however, was 450,000 rounds of ammunition and hundreds of rocket-propelled grenades destined for the Syrian rebels in Aleppo.

Inside the villa two rebel commanders and a chubby civilian in jeans and T-shirt were exchanging pieces of paper, which the civilian signed. He issued a series of instructions to the men outside, who began transferring crates into the commanders' white Toyota pickup.

"All what I want from you is that you shoot a small video and put it on YouTube, stating your name and your unit, and saying we are part of the Aleppo military council," the civilian told one of the commanders, who fought with the Islamist Tawheed brigade. "Then you can do whatever you want. I just need to show the Americans that units are joining the council.

"I met two Americans yesterday in Antakya (Turkey) . They told me that no advanced weapons would come to us unless we were unified under the leadership of the local military councils. So shoot the video and let me handle the rest." Looking in the back, it was clear the ammunition was new. The RPG rounds were still wrapped in plastic.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-19710486

The difficulties of reporting from Syria

The BBC's Lyse Doucet explains how reporting from Syria is becoming increasingly challenging.

She has found that, on camera, people are afraid to speak out because of undercover Syrian forces.

The government is preventing reporting from neighbourhoods in Damascus which have been under attack.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?p...17848338242310

Daraa: Ibta': Regime forces field-executed 9 people after being arrested during the military campaign they carried out yesterday
5:40 AM

https://twitter.com/LccSy

Tour Free Army in Kvrnaha Aleppo after its liberation
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IL4IYYo9kuQ

[visionary]

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/...8KPECF20120925

France's Hollande urges UN to protect Syria liberated zones

The United Nations must "immediately" provide protection to areas liberated by rebels in northern Syria, French President Francois Hollande said on Tuesday, adding that President Bashar al-Assad's government had no future on the international stage.

"The Syrian regime ... has no future among us," Hollande said in his first speech at the United Nations General Assembly. "Without any delay, I call upon the United Nations to provide immediately to the Syrian people all the support it asks of us and to protect liberated zones."

https://twitter.com/THE_47th

Alarabiya is saying Fred Hoff just resigned.
4:53 PM

Frederick Hoff is the U.S State Dept. special envoy to Syria.. Sort of a transition coordinator, does a lot of behind the scenes work.
4:55 PM

[whether it's indicitive of something] not really... But I always heard he's a hard worker and he knows Syria & Syrians very well.
4:58 PM

[visionary]

http://www.cnn.com/video/?/video/wor...key-border.cnn

Syrian refugees living in olive orchards

Added on September 25, 2012
CNN's Ivan Watson shows squalid living conditions for Syrian refugees living in an olive orchard on the Turkish border.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/...88P08F20120926

Syrian rebels bomb army command in Damascus

Syrian rebels bombed a military complex in Damascus on Wednesday, striking at the heart of President Bashar al-Assad's power and igniting a fire which gutted the army command headquarters.

The Free Syrian Army, the main rebel force fighting to overthrow Assad, claimed responsibility for the attack which it said killed dozens of people.

But an armed forces statement said military leaders were unhurt and only a number of guards were wounded in the blasts, which shook the whole city at around 7 a.m. (0400 GMT) before regular working hours.

Internet footage of Wednesday's fire at the General Staff Command Building in central Umayad Square showed flames engulfing its upper floors, indicating explosives were planted inside the building itself.

The main gate was completely blackened from the fire while all the windows of the building were blown out. Shards of glass littered the nearby streets, Reuters television foootage showed.

The blast gouged a deep crater, apparently where the explosive-laden car blew up.

Residents reported that gunfire rattled out around the district for at least two hours after the explosions. Roads in the area were blocked off as ambulances rushed to the scene.

https://twitter.com/NMSyria

BREAKING: Intense gunfire heard near site of explosion on Chief of Staff building in Damascus. Yesterday's explosion targeted an occupied school near the Palestine Security Branch - today's explosion targets Chief of Staff building.
1:02 AM

VIDEO: Footage following second explosion at Chief of Staff building in central Damascus. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fht9vtl-eHw Thick smoke over Military Chief of Staff building, fire rages on one hour after explosion. - Damascus, Syria http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LXpqP5BETKI …
1:42 AM

Pick-up trucks with mounted guns reportedly have closed down road in Muhajreen leading towards President's house. Checkpoints everywhere.
2:16 AM

BREAKING: Syrian Ministry of Information denies the killing of any military commanders in Damascus bombing this morning. Which to me translates into the following: Someone important got smoked in the bombing.
2:21 AM

Any sounds of explosions heard in Kafarsouseh are as a result of clashes in nearby areas. Definitely something other than these explosions going on. Clashes taking place around Damascus.
2:38 AM

https://twitter.com/omarsyria

The two explosions happened at 7 AM, literally shook the city. Sounds of gunfire haven't stopped since then.
2:49 AM

https://twitter.com/MidaniSpeaks

This is the Press TV reporter killed today —> @nasermaya
7:09 AM

I’m torn on one hand it’s still a life lost on the other hand he was spreading lies and protecting the regime. Helping slaughter continue.
7:12 AM

they said a sniper shot him but I heard he died in the explosion. I guess wait til pics are released.
7:19 AM

if they don’t release photos of him shot. Consider it a lie.

https://twitter.com/SyrianSunnyBoy

Syrian information minister claimed no injuries from blasts only property damage! So all the ambulances transporting broken desks & chairs?
7:38 AM

https://twitter.com/billneelyitv

Shooting continues after Damascus bombs, killing 1 journalist, injuring another. Dead Journo was from Press TV of Iran.
5:28 AM

Gun battle at Damascus bomb site seems 2 B over. Exchanges spanned 4 hours-rebels say thr men attacked w guns after bombs.
8:05 AM

Damage to the Syria Army HQ extensive. Clearly v large bomb inside-building wrecked & charred. Crater outside whr vehicle bomb exploded
8:07 AM

Syrian Army/state media insisting no dead @ HQ.I saw pools of blood in Guardhouse-hard 2 blv,given damage,thr R no dead.1 Journo killed.
8:09 AM

Yesterday:

http://www.lccsyria.org/10250

Local Coordination Committees in Syria

The Local Coordination Committees in Syria was able to document 148 martyrs on Tuesday: 44 martyrs in Damascus and its suburbs, 37 martyrs in Aleppo, 25 martyrs in Deir Ezzor, 15 martyrs in Daraa, 10 martyrs in Qunaitra, 5 martyrs in Homs, 8 martyrs in Idlib, 3 martyrs in Hama, and 1 martyr in Lattakia

http://www.extremeskins.com/showthre...=1#post9046975
30,927 people killed so far in Syria


Today so far:

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?p...17848338242310

Local Coordination Jaan in Syria

The number of Martyrs has risen up to 123 until the moment including 81 martyrs in Damascus and its Suburbs, 50 of them were martyred in a massacre in Thaiabieh, 15 martyrs in Barzeh, 6 martyrs in Douma, 4 martyrs in Assali, 23 martyrs in Deir Ezzor, mostly were executed in the neighborhood of Joura, 7 martyrs in Daraa, 4 martyrs in Hama, 5 martyrs in Homs, 2 in Aleppo and martyr in Idlib
8:06 AM

[visionary]

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/...88P1A020120926

Egypt cancels regional Syria talks because of Turkey's absence

Egypt's Islamist President Mohamed Mursi has canceled a meeting of four regional powers on the Syria crisis because of the absence of Turkey's prime minister from this week's U.N. General Assembly, according to Egypt's presidential spokesman.

The quartet of Egypt, Iran, Turkey and Saudi Arabia arose from an initiative by Egypt, whose new president is looking to make his mark with what he has described as a balanced foreign policy.

"There was supposed to be (a) meeting this week, but due to the absence of the Turkish prime minister it's now canceled," presidential spokesman Yasser Ali told reporters late on Tuesday, referring to Turkey's Tayyip Erdogan.

Saudi Arabia stayed away from the quartet's last meeting, which Cairo hosted on September 17. Saudi Arabia's decision was seen by diplomats and Western officials as a reaction to the presence of Shi'ite Muslim Iran, the major rival of the Sunni Muslim kingdom.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/...88P1SR20120926

Lack of access in Syria hinders humanitarian aid: EU

Escalating violence in Syria and limited access to civilians in need hinder the distribution of humanitarian aid in the country, the European Union's crisis chief said on Wednesday.

An 18-month uprising against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's rule has killed approximately 27,000 people, according to Syrian activists. The revolt has escalated into an armed insurgency with sectarian overtones that could drag in regional powers.

The European Union estimates 2.5 million Syrians need humanitarian assistance, compared to 1 million in March. They include 1.2 million people forced from their homes.

"To do more, we need more access in Syria," EU humanitarian affairs commissioner Kristalina Georgieva said after talks on the issue with heads of U.N. and other international aid agencies at the U.N. General Assembly in New York.

http://blogs.aljazeera.com/liveblog/topic/syria-153

about 8 hours ago
Nabil al-Araby, secretary-general of the Arab League, has addressed the issue of the Syrian conflict at a press conference in the United Nations.

Speaking in New York on Wednesday, the Arab League chief told reporters he does not think recent demands for Arab intervention by the Emir of Qatar are a call for war:

My understanding from discussions with the Emir of Qatar is that this proposal doesn’t mean it will be a fighting force. It doesn’t mean he is calling for a war ... my understanding is that the French are interested, rightly so, since last year, about safety corridors or zones … but to be honest I have no idea that anyone is calling for a fighting forces to go and end the regime.

about 6 hours ago
In his first address to the United Nations General Assembly, Mohamed Morsi, the Egyptian president, has said his government opposes foreign intervention in the Syrian crisis.

Instead, Morsi, speaking on Wednesday, said Cairo would prefer an inclusive, negotiated settlement:

Egypt is committed to pursue the sincere efforts it has been exerting to put an end to the catastrophe in Syria, within an Arab, regional and international framework ... One that preserves the unity of this brotherly state, involves all factions of the Syrian people without racial, religious or sectarian discrimination and spares Syria the dangers of foreign military intervention that we oppose.

Not particularly original or likely. Good luck with that though.

about 2 hours ago
Hillary Clinton, the US secretary of state, has called on the "paralysed" United Nations Security Council to take renewed action on the conflict in Syria.

The atrocities mount while the Security Council remains paralyzed and I would urge that we try once again to find a path forward.

Clinton said on Wednesday that a new initiative will be needed in order to stop the violence in Syria from spreading to other nations in the region.

https://twitter.com/NMSyria

Here is an eyewitness account from an activist with a church-based HR group after he was arrested last year in Syria.
2:17 PM

Another women was arrested on a checkpoint in Homs and was moved to the Palestine Security Branch in Damascus...
2:23 PM

As part of the torture, she alleges, rats and mice were used by interrogators to violate women. She describes assault on other woman.
2:23 PM

NMSyria also tweeted some accounts of the Syrian military using children strapped to tanks as human shields when going into villages.

https://twitter.com/MarcyHersh

Leaving this weekend for a trip to the Middle East to assess the situation of Syrian refugees. Follow me for updates and photos!
3:12 PM

https://twitter.com/Psypherize

Syria - Where humanity perished.
7:07 PM

There were a lot of massacres across Syria today

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?p...17848338242310

Local Coordination Committees in Syria

The LCC was able to document 343 martyrs in Syria by the end of Wednesday. 162 martyrs were reported in Damascus and its Suburbs (including 107 martyrs in the massacre in Thiabieh, 19 in Barzeh, 8 in Hajar Aswad, 6 in Douma, and 4 in Assali), 48 in Deir Ezzor; most of them were field-executed in Jora, 37 in Hama; most of them in Masha Al-Arba'een, 34 in Homs (including 18 martyrs in the massacre in Bayada),29 in Aleppo; 27 in Daraa (including 15 in Ibta'a) and 6 in Idlib
5:37 PM

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?p...17848338242310

Urgent: Regime Forces Raid Ibataa town in Daraa

Dara: Ibataa: Regime forces launched a barbaric military campaign in the town where they detained and slaughtered dozens of residents.

Fifteen bodies were just recovered from the rubble after regime forces shelled civilian homes with heavy artillery stationed in the surrounding areas.

In addition, regime forces used warplanes and gunship helicopters to comb areas surrounding Babtaa, Daeel, and Shiek Miskeen. Intermittent gunfire was also reported by helicopter machine guns across the area which has led to a massive exodus, internal displacement, and the complete destructions of dozens of homes, including underground make-shift shelters.

The humanitarian situation was dire before the strike and has worsened even further since. Residents are facing starvation due to the regime siege and blockade of all food items. In addition, the area is experiencing a complete power outage, a communication and water cut-off. A curfew has been imposed by regime forces in the town.

Regime forces raided several neighborhoods and looted, ransacked, and set fire to personal belongings and property. Dozens have been kidnapped by regime forces leading to an increase in the number of missing residents in the area. Manar School has been transformed into a detention center where detainees and bodies are held. Residents reported witnessing dead bodies being collected inside the school.
7:12 PM

http://www.extremeskins.com/showthre...=1#post9046975
31,270 people killed so far in Syria

[visionary]

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/27/wo...acks.html?_r=0

Rebels Make Gains in Blunting Syrian Air Attacks

ABU AD DUHUR, Syria — The rebels huddled before darkness near the edge of the Syrian Air Force base. They were about 40 men, hiding beside small buildings on the flatlands south of Aleppo.

Each man carried little more than a rifle and several dozen cartridges. They had gathered for an effort that illustrated the lopsided nature of the fight for Syria: Lightly armed men trying to remove Syria’s attack jets from the skies.

Roughly two months into this important yet scarcely documented battle, Syria’s antigovernment fighters have succeeded in laying siege to the heavily fortified Abu ad Duhur Air Base. They have downed at least two of the base’s MIG attack jets. And this month they have realized results few would have thought possible. Having seized ground near the base’s western edge, from where they can fire onto two runways, they have forced the Syrian Air Force to cease flights to and from this place.

“We are facing aircraft and shooting down aircraft with captured weapons,” said Jamal Marouf, a commander credited by the fighters with downing the first MIG-21 here. “With these weapons we are preventing aircraft from landing or taking off.”

But air power has remained a large advantage for President Bashar al-Assad, whose air force has pounded many cities and towns.

For the rebels, managing to deny the use of this airfield has undermined the government’s ability to exert its full authority in some parts of the country. It has also improved the morale of fighters who remain severely outgunned.

The rebels’ boldness, and their success, have not been painless. The army units inside the base have tanks, artillery and mortars. When attacked, the soldiers often respond by firing barrages of high-explosive rounds into the nearby town, in what amounts to a tactic of collective punishment against civilians. The effects are evident in the center of town, where block after block of buildings have been shattered. “This is the army, taking revenge,” said another fighter, Abu Razaq.

http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/world...ey2_09-26.html

Turkish Minister Says Violence in Syria is Threat for Turkey's Internal Security

Turkey's prime minister Tayyip Erdogan voiced his outrage over violence in Syria, accusing Syrian President Bashar al-Assad of "state terrorism." Margaret Warner talks to Turkish foreign minister Ahmet Davutoglu for more on Turkish concerns over the Syria's civil war and why this is also a matter of internal security for Turkey.

http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middle...=MasterAccount

UN Assembly remains divided over Syria

Whereas Hillary Clinton, the US secretary of state, decried Syrian President Bashar al-Assad for "murdering his own people," Sergey Lavrov, the Russian foreign minister, accused the US and other countries of encouraging terrorism.

Clinton appealed on Wednesday for the "paralysed" council to make a new attempt to reach an accord on taking measures over the conflict.

"The atrocities mount while the Security Council remains paralysed and I would urge that we try once again to find a path forward," Clinton said.

The Russian foreign minister, however, showed no sign of changing tack and said violence by the government and opposition had to be condemned.

"A significant share of the responsibility for the continuing bloodshed rests upon the states that instigate the opponents of Bashar al-Assad to reject a ceasefire and dialogue and demand an unconditional capitulation of the regime," Lavrov said.

Meanwhile, Arab ministers have met with UN-Arab League envoy Lakhdar Brahimi on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, and Tunisia's President Moncef Marzouki said later his country could support an Arab peacekeeping force in Syria.

"A peacekeeping operation by Arab nations is something we could well imagine," Marzouki told AFP, calling President Bashar al-Assad "a bloodthirsty dictator."

"We have really pushed for a peaceful solution, but if it is necessary, it must be an Arab peacekeeping force, yes."

Not so long ago Tunisia was talking about giving Assad asylum if he chose to go into exile.

Western diplomats say they do not expect Russia, Syria's main ally, to weaken its defence of Assad. But they say China, which does not have the same strategic interests, may now be feeling pressure from Arab and other nations over its position.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/27/op...?smid=tw-share

5 Reasons to Intervene in Syria Now

WHETHER you agree or disagree with President Obama, there is no doubt that he has formulated a coherent approach to the use of American power. The Obama Doctrine involves getting into a conflict zone and getting out fast without ground wars or extended military occupations. This approach proved its effectiveness in Libya last year.

But the president is not applying his own doctrine where it would benefit the United States the most — in Syria. One can certainly sympathize with his predicament. Syria is a mess, and it is tempting to stay out, especially in an election year. Yet inaction carries its own risks. There are five reasons to bring down President Bashar al-Assad sooner rather than later.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/...3bf_story.html

Hezbollah increases support for Syrian regime, U.S. and Lebanese officials say

Hezbollah, the Lebanese Shiite political and militant group, has ramped up its support for the Syrian government, sending in military advisers to aid in the bloody struggle against the opposition, U.S. and Lebanese government officials say.

Hezbollah’s involvement is a clear indication that the uprising, now a year and a half old, is drawing in Syria’s neighbor and broadening a conflict that has the potential to destabilize the entire region. It also marks a worrying turn for the Syrian rebels, who already face one of the region’s most potent armies and now must contend as well with a disciplined and sophisticated militia.

https://twitter.com/jfoleyjourno

heavy tank shelling alArqoob as FSA try to hold off regime push into center of free city. Young fighter nearly blown in half Aleppo
10:16 AM

One Iraqi fighter amongst Syrians in alQoob frontline. But definitely knew how to fight and lead younger shebab. Told him I was Canadian
10:39 AM

The Damascus Double Bombing: Is the Syrian Capital Back in Play?
Damascus double bombing proves opp can once again reach into heart of security system http://ti.me/SmeAdx
2:35 AM

seems like "honorable officers" like ones who covertly help planting bombs damascus hqs best weapon FSA now has
2:43 AM

https://twitter.com/Avend93

group of FSA entered the Kurdish Eshrefiye- Aleppo and clashed with regime forces for several hours last night.
2:49 AM

[visionary]

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/...88J0X720120927

Syrian refugee wave set to grow as violence rages: UNHCR

Up to 700,000 refugees may flee Syria by the end of the year, the U.N. refugee agency said on Thursday, escaping a conflict which is killing hundreds every day and dividing world powers meeting at the United Nations.

The UNHCR forecast is almost four times higher than its June prediction, reflecting spiraling violence in Syria where President Bashar al-Assad has responded to rebel military gains with air strikes and artillery bombardment.

"This is a significant outflow taking place, 100,000 people in August, 60,000 in September and at the moment 2,000 or 3,000 per day or night," Panos Moumtzis, Regional Refugee Coordinator for UNHCR, said in Geneva.

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories...MPLATE=DEFAULT

Syria tells rebels on mobile phones: "Game over"

Syrian authorities on Thursday sent text messages over cell phones nationwide with a message for rebels fighting President Bashar Assad's regime: "Game over."

The messages signed by the Syrian Arab Army also urged the rebels to surrender their weapons and warned the countdown to evict foreign fighters has begun. The texts appear to be part of the regime's psychological battle against the rebels, but are highly unlikely to have any effect on fighters intent on toppling Assad.

Syrians say they began receiving the messages a day after rebels bombed a military command center in Damascus - a major security breach of the heavily guarded capital that highlighted the regime's growing vulnerability in the face of a rebellion growing in confidence and capabilities.

http://blogs.aljazeera.com/liveblog/topic/syria-153

about 4 hours ago
Military prosecutors have charged eight Syrians with "unlawful assembly" after protests erupted this week at their refugee camp in northern Jordan, a judicial official said on Thursday.

"State security court prosecutors on Wednesday accused eight Syrian refugees of unlawful assembly and carrying out riots" at the UN-run Zaatari refugee camp near the border with Syria, the official told AFP on condition of anonymity.

The men, who face up to three years in jail if convicted, have been remanded in custody for 14 days, he said.

On Monday night, Jordanian anti-riot police fired tear gas to quell a demonstration by angry Syrians protesting their living conditions after they torched a tent and destroyed property in Zaatari.

The next day, the government said it would isolate unmarried men at the camp, which houses more than 30,000 Syrians, to avoid more problems, insisting that Amman "will not tolerate such acts." - AFP

http://brown-moses.blogspot.com/2012...terrorist.html

Syrian State Propaganda - From Terrorist To Peacemaker

At a conference organised by the opposition groups tolerated by Assad’s regime in Damascus a group of what was claimed to be 11 former rebels, led by a "Captain Khaled Abdel Rahman al-Zamel" declared their intention to turn their back on the armed opposition and to "return to the army and cooperate with the Ministry of National Reconciliation".

As the Russia Today articles points out:

Al-Zamel’s statement sparked debate among anti-regime activists – some argued that al-Zamel was forced to make his statement; others claimed that they had no idea who he was.

Which really isn't that surprising when one of the other people speaking at the press conference appears to be unsure of whether or not he's a Salafi terrorist or recently handing in his guns to become a peacemaker. The other question to ask is how complicit the organisers of the conference were, seeing they are meant to by the only opposition that's viable in the eyes of the Assad regime, and if they are helping to produce propaganda it says a lot about where their loyalties lie.

https://twitter.com/THE_47th

SYRIA STATE TV IS SO STUPID..SOOOO STUPID….they used the same "FSA defector" imn previous films..but forgot http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJtiM9AVzpk
10:22 AM

Basically, Syrian State TV has been bragging about a "major FSA Commander" who has defected to join Assad Gov. Turns out: guy is an actor.
10:25 AM

that's the key: in March he was presented as captured convicted, in this vid he's saying he voluntarily repented.
10:43 AM

All reports from Homs & Aleppo speak of major FSA offensives there.
12:00 PM

https://twitter.com/DamascusSYR

BREAKING: AFP: FSA announces the start of a major attack on Syria'n regime forces in Aleppo
11:19 AM

https://twitter.com/martinchulov

2 developments in Syria today: 1/ FSA says attack on Army Command HQ 'collaborative' i.e.: with Islamists (who used a suicide bomber)
11:36 AM

And 2/ A major rebel push in Aleppo underway after 6 weeks of stalemate. Tonight looms as important in battle for city.
11:38 AM

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?p...17848338242310

Local Coordination Committees in Syria

The number of martyrs in Syria ha risen to 71 thus far. 18 were reported in Aleppo, 18 in Damascus and its Suburbs, 16 in Idlib, 7 in Homs, 5 in Daraa, 4 in Deir Ezzor, 2 in Lattakia and 1 in Hama
12:00 PM

[visionary]

http://in.reuters.com/article/2012/0...8KS3WJ20120928

Syria rebels struggle to advance in new Aleppo offensive

Syrian rebels struggled to make headway against government forces on Friday in a battle for Aleppo, the country's largest city.

On the second day of an offensive they have billed as decisive, the rebels also threatened to take on local Kurdish militants - a move which would further complicate a war that has already spilled over Syria's borders.

Fighters reached by telephone from Beirut described fierce combat in several neighbourhoods of Aleppo, Syria's commercial hub and the site of a two-month-long stalemate in the conflict.

Armed with machineguns and homemade rockets, they said they faced a difficult task against an enemy hitting them with artillery and fighter jets.

"We reached the middle of Suleiman al-Halibiya and liberated some neighbourhoods so I am still optimistic. But I'm worried about our organisation. We can't force the regime out. At best, I think we can advance some of our positions," one fighter said, requesting anonymity.

Other rebels told Reuters that one of the units fighting in the city had been surrounded. Another said some battalions were pulling out of the front line or had never joined the battle.

http://blogs.aljazeera.com/topic/syr...t-breakthrough

Syrian rebels advance in their campaign to seize Aleppo, but without significant breakthrough, commanders say

Syrian rebels advanced on several fronts in their campaign to seize Aleppo, but without a significant breakthrough after hours of fierce fighting, commanders in the northern city said on Friday.

"On the Salaheddin front (southwest), we took one of the regular army bases. At least 25 soldiers were killed in this attack," said Abu Furat, one of the leaders of the Al-Tawhid Brigade, the most important in the city.

The rebels unleashed an unprecedented barrage of mortar fire against troops in Aleppo after announcing on Thursday a "decisive" battle for Syria's second city.

As Al Jazeera's Omar Al Saleh reports, it is a fight that has united the opposition.

http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middle...535962927.html

Golan's Druze divided over Syria unrest

The Druze community in the Golan Heights still consider themselves Syrian, even though Israelis have occupied their land for more than four decades.

They have been supporting the Syrian government for years, but as the conflict between forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad and rebels continues to intensify, divisions are appearing among them.

Al Jazeera's Charles Stratford reports from the village of Majdal Shams in the occupied Golan Heights.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worl...ebel-army.html

One of Syria's richest men to help fund a rebel army

In his first interview with a western newspaper since leaving Syria, the country's biggest industrial tycoon has told the Daily Telegraph of how the ownership of his conglomerate of huge companies is to be given to a panel of leading opposition figures, and the profits used to help to build a democratic society in Syria.

"I am supporting a complete program [to oust the regime]. I am putting my fortune behind this, totally, until the end," said Mr Tlass. "But this is nothing. If I give all my money it is not worth one gram of the blood spilt by the Syrian people."

The Tlass family has long been a stalwart of the Syrian regime. Mr Firas' father Mustafa Tlass and Bashar al-Assad's father Hafez, worked together to bring the Assad family to power. His brother is the defected Brigadier General Manaf Tlass who was a close childhood friend of the Syrian president.

For decades the family benefited from its insider status. Firas Tlass was thought to have been influential on the privatisation process started by the regime in recent decades. Named Min Ajl Suriyya (MAS), or 'For the sake of Syria', Mr Tlass' empire spans several industries in Syria, from roasting coffee beans to construction and is thought to be worth billions of Syrian pounds.

"What Syria gave me I will give it back to Syria," said Mr Tlass.

http://www.thenational.ae/thenationa...a-grim-reality

The heady days of revolution in Syria give way to a grim reality

One night in mid-March, activist Rami Jarrah and I - in our typical Damascus versus Aleppo rivalry - were bickering. Our dispute was about the date of the "real" anniversary of the revolution. But as we argued, and later as we discussed the sad events of the day in Syria, there was a lightness, a slight joyfulness that we did not discuss. Yet it lingered and I knew why. We couldn't believe we had really made it - the revolution had survived an entire year.

The feeling of elation was nothing compared to what we had felt the day the students of Aleppo University took over the campus, or the evening the brave people of Homs reclaimed Clock Square. Still, it was a revolution high.

Moments like those have become scarce, dissolving into memories. Those days when hope was enough - when a witty sign from Kafranbul could lift millions out of despair; when the spirit of the Syrian people seemed unbreakable - are over.

Now the lows exceed the highs. Now we talk about what has been lost more often than what will be gained. And the losses have been heavy: some of the people we once spoke to daily are no longer in Syria; some have abandoned the revolution; many have died. Peaceful protests have dwindled as the bombs drop onto our cities and villages. Civilians are caught in the crossfire; thousands have become refugees - outsiders just like us.

And everyone is depressed.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012...e3eab0be4929fb

FSA fighters 'to come under unified command'

The disparate rebel fighting groups in Syria are about to be brought under unified command, according to the spokesman for a group in Aleppo who told the Guardian an announcement is imminent.

Abu Muhammed al-Muhandis of the Suqur al-Sham ["The Falcons of Syria"] brigade said:

In an hour we will have breaking news about the unification of all brigades and battalions of the FSA with the endorsement of senior leaders.

There are some brigades with Islamic doctrine, others are secular. At the beginning military councils were formed to lead the jihad in each province but now a joint military command for all the FSA brigades will be established today.

Interviewed via Skype by our colleague Mona Mahmood, he also talked about the latest fighting in Aleppo.

There are many battles are going on with Syrian army in different districts in Aleppo. The mujahideen were able to attack [the Syrian army's] Battalion 46 which is considered the death battalion [because of its aggressive reputation].

The [rebel] fighters were able to progress in al-Arqoub, Maysaloon, Abdulla al-Jaberi square, Hamdaniya and Jamiliya. All the fronts are fighting now in Aleppo. Fighting is getting very tough now.

The Syrian army is using planes and barrels of explosives to strike all the districts in Aleppo. They want us to lose people's support.

The battle is still going on. We do not have the total figure for casualties, but I know that many tanks have been destroyed and many Syrian soldiers were killed, in addition to the destruction of many army sites.

The most important achievement so far in the battle is the progress in Abdulla al-Jaberi square – it is the centre of Aleppo. It has the branch of the Ba'ath party and a few security headquarters.

There were ferocious battles in Salehaden and al-Ameriya and al-Sukari. It is a guerrilla war. The Syrian army would come forward 10 metres, we would move forward 50 metres and then if we need to pull back, we pull back.

https://twitter.com/SyrianSmurf

Regime forces shelled the town of Hass in Idlib at exactly midnight...as of now there are 5 martyrs and 35 injured.
7:18 PM

https://twitter.com/NMSyria

Fierce clashes between the FSA and regime forces in Yarmouk Camp - Damascus. Clashes at Lobia Street near Abo Hashish Square.
7:51 PM

https://twitter.com/Avend93

Shex Meqsud- Aleppo Clashes story according to pro-PYD source: the clashes started first between FSA and some Shaiha.
10:01 AM

apparently, PYD then tried to stop them both clashes, "that's why we stopped more FSA to enter the neighborhood" they say.
10:10 AM

"We closed the neighborhood to stop more fighters from entering".. Shabiha sent more fighters as support to their group, "w estopped them as well, and we lost a member trying to do that", so PYD here is trying to say: we didn't [attack] the FSA.
10:16 AM

FSA: we have clashed with Shabiha &"PKK" gunmen today in Shex Meqsud, we want the PKK to lay down it's arms or to expect more attacks.
10:22 AM

Yesterday:

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?p...17848338242310

Local Coordination Committees in Syria:

The LCC has documented 133 total martyrs for Thursday: 35 martyrs in Damascus and it's suburbs, 29 martyrs in Aleppo, 20 martyrs in Idlib, 13 martyrs in Homs, 11 martyrs in Daraa, 5 martyrs in Hama, and 2 martyrs in Lattakia
6:50 PM

http://www.extremeskins.com/showthre...=1#post9046975
31,403 people killed so far in Syria



Today:

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?p...17848338242310

Local Coordination Committees in Syria

The number of martyrs in Syria has risen to 110 thus far, among them 15 due to aerial shelling, 2 women and 4 children. 48 were reported in Aleppo, among them 25 field-executed in Rashedin; 23 in Damascus and its Suburbs, among them 10 field-executed in Barzeh and 5 in Qudsaya; 9 in Idlib; 11 in Deir Ezzor; 9 in Daraa, among them 2 martyred in Damascus; 6 in Hama; 2 in Raqqa; and 2 in Homs
10:42 AM

[visionary]

http://www.todayszaman.com/newsDetai...?newsId=293746

Turkey blasts UN Security Council over Syria inaction

The Turkish foreign minister is blasting the United Nations Security Council for its stalemate over the Syrian civil war, saying the powerful UN body's inability to take action "becomes a tool in the hands of despots."

Turkey has become home to thousands of refugees who have fled Syrian in the 18 months of chaos that has raged since opposition groups rose up against the dictatorship of Bashar Assad.

"If not now, then when are we to act in unity," Ahmet Davutoğlu said Friday in an address to the UN General Assembly.

http://blogs.aljazeera.com/liveblog/topic/syria-153

about 5 hours ago
A Syrian shell crashed into a town on the Turkish side of the border, wounding a Turkish national, as fighting raged in a nearby Syrian town, a local official said.

The shell fired from the Syrian border town of Tall al-Abyad landed in Akcakale in the province of Sanliurfa, smashing into the walls of two buildings and slightly wounding one person, governor Celalettin Guvenc told the Anatolia news agency.

"I can clearly say the shelling did not target Akcakale," Guvenc said, adding that Syrian shells sometimes ricocheted into the town.

The area was sealed off following the incident as security forces hunted for unexploded shells on Turkish soil.

about an hour ago
Syrian rebels said they were struggling to make headway against a barrage of government jet and artillery attacks in their latest attempt to take control of the country's largest city Aleppo after weeks of deadlock

21 minutes ago
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Friday unveiled a total of $45 million in new funding for humanitarian aid and to help the civilian opposition in Syria.

Some $30 million will go towards aid, bumping up the total US funding for humanitarian relief to $130 million with a further $15 million for the civilian Syrian opposition, she told a meeting of the Friends of Syria.

"Today I am announcing an additional 30 million dollars to help get food, water, blankets, critical medical services to the people suffering under the relentless assaults," Clinton told the meeting.

"Today I am also announcing an additional $15 million to support Syrian civilian opposition groups, bringing out total support to the unarmed opposition to almost $45 million."

The talks were attended by nine Syrian activists, who have been working with local coordination committees in cities such as Homs, in a bid to help civilians caught up in the 18-month conflict which has left some 30,000 people dead.

Some of them had traveled from within Syria to New York to spell out to leaders of about two dozen countries - out of the 90 nations which make up the group - what their needs are.

Washington, however, stuck by its insistence that it will not bow to calls to arm the rebels, fearing it will further complicate the situation on the ground.

https://twitter.com/SyrianSmurf

The FSA in DeirEzzor reports shooting down a military helicopter and a MiG.
2:54 PM

Airstrikes on Lattakia suburbs leaves several martyrs.
7:22 AM

Many areas in the Lattakia countryside have been getting shelled for quite a while. The city itself however is regime controlled.
7:26 AM

70 soldiers defect from the Rahjan checkpoint in eastern Idlib near Hama. They are now safe and have joined the FSA.
4:01 PM

https://twitter.com/HannahAllam

With new aid SecClinton announced today, US giving total > $132 million in 2012 for humanitarian help inside Syria, neighboring countries
3:44 PM

Syrian opposition delegates who met w/Clinton today upset, offended bec kicked out of mtgs after 30 mins so she could talk privately w/FMs
4:00 PM

Some delegates made risky trips out of Syria to meet w/Clinton, given 3 mins to say their piece, then asked to leave. 'Everyone frustrated"
4:02 PM

[visionary]

http://blogs.aljazeera.com/liveblog/topic/syria-153

about 4 hours ago
Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari proposed a two-stage plan on Friday to bring both sides of the Syrian conflict together to discuss a political transition in hopes of ending the 18-month war that has killed more than 30,000 people.

Zebari said in an interview with The Associated Press that he made the proposal at a ministerial meeting of 20 countries mainly opposed to the government of President Bashar Assad of Syria.

The closed meeting of key members of the so-called Friends of Syria was chaired by US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Arab League chief Nabil Elaraby.

"The discussions were very good," he said. "I think everyone ... recognized the need for a political transition - no preconditions - not to adopt maximalist positions."

The first stage would be to bring together the countries that endorsed a blueprint leading to a political transition that was adopted in Geneva on June 30 to now focus on implementing its planks, Zebari said.

The second stage would be to invite representatives of the government and the opposition, both inside and outside Syria, to a conference in a neutral country outside the Middle East.

He said that international envoy Lakhdar Brahimi would have to carry the plan forward.

This doesn't really sound like anything new.
How is this different than the failed Geneva plan?
Just more games and nonsense that will go nowhere.
Nice of Iraq to claim it as their own though.

https://twitter.com/DamascusSYR

BREAKING: URGENT: Huge battles between FSA & Syria'n regime forces in most of Hama's areas. Situation is very heated there now.
4:25 PM

https://twitter.com/NMSyria

NMSyria: A very clear message from Aleppo today. Epic. pic.twitter.com/siOLqDAK

Daraa: The FSA has announced that they have liberated the Air Defense Barracks and declared full control over the area.
7:49 PM

FSA seized control of the neighbourhoods of Ameriya, Ithaa, Bab Antakiya and Sheikh Maqsoud in the city of Aleppo.
10:52 PM

FSA claims to have killed at least 35 regime soldiers this Friday.
10:49 PM

FSA claims to have shot down two helicopter gunships and one fighter jet over DeirEzzor on Friday.
10:50 PM

FSA also destroyed two tanks and one other armored vehicle in Aleppo on Friday.
10:50 PM

https://twitter.com/SyrianSmurf

60% of the homes in Kafranbil are destroyed. Idlib https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZLS1...layer_embedded
11:17 PM

http://www.lccsyria.org/10269

The Local Coordination Committees in Syria was able to document for Friday 167 martyrs including 15 martyrs due to the aerial shelling, 4 children and two women. 57 martyrs were reported in Aleppo (including 25 who were field-executed in Al-Rashideen); 48 in Damascus and its suburbs (including 10 who were field-executed in Barzeh, and 17 in Qudsaya) 22 in Deir Ezzor, 14 in Aleppo; 10 in Daraa (including two who were martyred in Damascus); 7 in Hama, 5 in Homs; 2 in Raqa and 1 in Lattakia

http://www.extremeskins.com/showthre...=1#post9046975
31,570 people killed so far in Syria