Syria: Beginning of the End of Assad Regime Netizens Say
Region: Syrian Arab RepublicBy Amira Al Hussaini This post is part of our special coverage Syria Protests 2011 [1]. Twitter is abuzz with news of the beginning of the end of the Assad regime, following a bomb explosion in Damascus in which three senior members of president Bashar Al Assad's inner circle were killed. CNN's Arwa Damon reports: @arwaCNN [2]: free #syria army says attack was explosive device planted inside meeting room ... more
Views: 989Syria: Traymseh Massacre Reactions Range from Sorrow to Rage
Region: Syrian Arab RepublicBy Yazan Badran Last year, on the eve of the holy month of Ramadan, Syrian forces loyal to the regime of Bashar al-Assad, massacred [1] around 45 civilians in the central town of Hama. This year, the bloodshed is in a village in the vicinity of Hama, Traymseh, but the death toll is believed to be several times higher. According to activists, around 220 civilians were murdered [2] in the village on 12 July, in... more
Views: 971Syrian Opposition Losing Credibility
Region: Syrian Arab RepublicDisconnect from conflict on the ground saps confidence in overseas political movement. By William Shaw The Syrian National Council, SNC, the main opposition coalition abroad, is losing credibility within the country after being stricken by infighting and failing to get the international community to act, analysts say. The weakening of the SNC threatens its ability to lobby for international action and ... more
Views: 1014Syria:Non- Violence Equals The Best Strategy For Opposition
Region: Syrian Arab RepublicOpposition divided between advocates of violent and peaceful means of resolving conflict. By Siba Barada A recent series of explosions in the heart of Damascus and at intelligence buildings in Idlib came as a blow, and not just because of their demoralising effect, which is something Syrians are pretty much used to by now. They also served as an alarm call which forced ... more
Views: 946Homs Activist Pessimistic About UN Observers
Region: Syrian Arab RepublicRate of shelling has fallen since United Nations team arrived in the area, but locals fear government forces will hit back with a vengeance when monitors leave. By Daniella Peled United Nations monitors have arrived in the central Syrian province of Homs as part of the deal brokered by UN-Arab League envoy Kofi Annan. IWPR Arab Spring editor Daniella Peled asked Abu Bakr, the pseudonym of a 22-y... more
Views: 820Syrian Opposition Sceptical About Ceasefire
Region: Syrian Arab RepublicCritics of peace plan warn it might give President Bashar al-Assad breathing space to consolidate control. By William Shaw Syrian opposition sources say they fear the fragile ceasefire – part of a joint United Nations and Arab League peace plan led by former UN chief Kofi Annan – could serve as a figleaf for the regime, and prompt it to carry out further violence. Activists reported an initial decl... more
Views: 818Syrian Army Continues Idlib Onslaught
Region: Syrian Arab RepublicLocal activist describes destruction in villages and indiscriminate killing. By Daniella Peled - The Arab Spring With the Syrian army continuing its crackdown in the northwestern province of Idlib, IWPR Arab Spring editor Daniella Peled interviewed a 28-year-old activist in the region who goes by the pseudonym Abu al-Barra. What is happening in Idlib now? The situation is very difficult in the ar... more
Views: 997Syria: “The Day We Knew What It Meant to Be Syrian”
Region: Syrian Arab RepublicWritten by Jillian C. York Today, March 15, 2012, marks the first anniversary since the start of the Syrian uprising. One year after protests began in Damascus and Daraa, the Syrian opposition's fight against the Assad regime continues amidst global ambivalence toward the conflict. On Twitter, Syrians and their allies utilized the #Syria and #March15 hashtags to commemorate the day, remember the count... more
Views: 1024World: Global March Against the Syrian Dictator
Region: Syrian Arab Republic
Written by Leila Nachawati Rego This post is part of our special coverage Syria Protests 2011 [1]. In March 2011, when Syrians started taking to the streets [1]to demand freedom and justice, it was hard to imagine that a year later the regime would have killed thousands of people and tortured and arrested countless others. The city of Homs has been besieged since the beginning of February an... more
Views: 1026Syria: Shock and Disbelief Over Murder of Journalists
Region: Syrian Arab RepublicWritten by Amira Al Hussaini Netizens covering the daily carnage in Syria on social media had to take a step back today to soak in news of more atrocities committed against humanity in the Baba Amr neighbourhood, in besieged city of Homs. NPR media strategist Andy Carvin, who is in Tripoli, Libya, tweets: @acarvin [2]: I need to unplug for a bit before I say something I'll regret. I just can't take this rig... more
Views: 972
