Dimpool Team August 2, 2012

KIMBERLY JONES

02 August 2012

(This article was first published at Kimberly Jones’ blog – The Global Attitude)

Syria heated up in the last week or so on a number of fronts. At the same time, news media sent mixed messages of the situation depending on where the media originated.

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If someone was watching Syria State TV, they could expect to see re-runs of old shows or news letting people know how wonderful everything in Syria is other than the occasional terrorist incident which is quickly put under control. Clearly, Syrian TVproducers are either producing their shows at gun point or are high on drugs.

Western media outlets report the Syrian situation in snipets. However, they are getting a more complete story more recently than earlier in the year. Still … if you ask any number of Syrians they would ask why our media is overtaken by rough weather or a killer in a movie theater, but we continue with silly programming when +/- 19,000 Syrians are being systematically and brutally massacred across Syria.

The most interesting stories I heard this week were not widely spread on the news, although they did get a mention. For those that are not tuned in to Syria news, the information might have passed in one ear and out the other.

  • President Assad was slightly injured in the attack that killed several of his key advisers / government ministers, including his brother-in-law. Amongst the commotion, Assad seems to have been whisk off to his family home town of Latakia.
  • Assad’s mother Anisa Makhlouf and his newly widowed sister Bushra travelled with the body of his brother-in-law Assef Shawkat to Latakia in the dark of the night on a private jet, according to a Free Syrian Army source who said the group had “insiders” informing them of the ruling family’s movements.
  • The Free Syrian Army took advantage of an opportunity to make a move on Damascus. This resulted in a mass exodus of cars and trucks full of people from Syria to Lebanon. Instead of taking up residence as refugees, they traversed Lebanon to the eastern coast and re-entered Syria heading for the protection of Tartus, the Russian Naval Station. (Oh yes, those darn Russians again!)
  • Finally, there is the good looking, but ever so elusive General Manaf Tlas. Although he defected about a month ago to Paris, no one had heard anything from him. Then seemingly, but certainly not coincidentally, he turns up in Saudi Arabia during Ramadan to make the holy visit to Mecca. It just happens, he conveniently made himself available for a fairly extensive (and exclusive) news interview, during which he discussed his “defection” (which he described more like a self-exclusion from the regime over time) due to a difference in philosophy. The General is asked if he left the Assad government so he could have a role in the post-Assad transition government. Answer – “No”. But, he then goes on to say he sees his role as a type of facilitator bringing Sryria friends like Saudi Arabia and the “Noble People” of Syria together to talk. Sounds to me like he may be chasing a political role — maybe Foriegn Minister?

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As we have seen over and over, the Syrian government is willing to kill it’s people one at a time or by massacre. The word is out that if Assad decides to let all his “guns” go on Aleppo and Damascus, thousands will die. Activists are saying that there could be over one hundred thousand trapped in Aleppo alone. The situation for these two cities is dire. Syrians continue to call for help on two fronts. They need help from the international community (governments) to provide support to the Free Syrian Army so they are able to defeat the Human Monsters that are in control of the government of Syria.

Equally as important, the People of Syria need help from the international community (all caring citizens) to provide charitable giving to help with medicines, surgical supplies, sterile dressings, syringes, emergency medical kits, mobile surgical units, emergency transport carriers, food, baby formula, diapers, temporary shelter / tents, clothing. The list is too long to continue. Please go to the Charity Page on my blog to locate a reputable (fully vetted) charity that you can support. All are doing amazing work in Syria.

A recent demonstration in Aleppo, a town under fire from Syrian Security Forces is the video below. The People of Syria are not afraid of dying in this fight for FREEDOM. There is nothing worse than continuing as they have been living under the tyranny of Bashar al- Assad.


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