Mideast Dispatch Archive: Video Dispatch 6: Carrying out acts of terror is nothing new for the Assad family

Video Dispatch 6: Carrying out acts of terror is nothing new for the Assad family

April 26, 2011

This is the sixth in a series of “Video dispatches”.

(Update note, 2017: This dispatch was written and posted a month after the peaceful Syrian pro-democracy protests had began, long before the Islamic State came into existence, and is a reminder that from start to finish the Syrian war has primarily been a result of the genocidal-like brutality of the Assad family and the Iranian government to which he answers. They have done the overwhelming majority of the killing and torture throughout, whatever the BBC and New York Times might tell us in their “fake news”-like manner.)

MASSACRING THEIR OWN PEOPLE

By Tom Gross

This dispatch is a follow-up to my recent article on Syria.

Because some in the international media are still not covering the six-week-old Syrian uprising properly, and indeed certain journalists are still taking Assad regime propaganda at face value, I attach four videos below.

(As recently as yesterday, the correspondent for The New York Times, for example, was still referring to Bashar Assad as though he was some kind of moderate reformer who may have little or nothing to do with the current crackdown in Syria, much in the same way that for years other writers at The New York Times made excuses for Yasser Arafat, deluding themselves that Arafat had nothing to do with the terrorism which he was in fact initiating.)

Bashar Assad, even more than his father, has formed an ever closer alliance with the regime in Tehran, hence U.S.President Obama’s reference yesterday to the role of Iranian advisors in the present massacre of Syrians.

Israel is on high alert in case Assad and his partners in Tehran create a crisis in Lebanon or Gaza. We should not forget that the cause of the crisis that led to the 1967 Six-Day War was Syrian instability, and the willingness of Syria’s Alawite rulers to act against Israel in order to maintain their rule.

Carrying out acts of terror is nothing new for the Assad family, of course. They have been aiding and abetting terrorism against Israelis, Lebanese, Kurds, Iraqis and others for decades.

Al Jazeera is carrying interviews with witnesses in the city of Daraa, and in the Damascus suburb of Duma, saying that after Syrian security forces have shot unarmed demonstrators, they have then executed many of the injured, and shot anyone trying to help them. The authorities have turned off water and electricity in the area, so the injured can’t be treated properly in hospitals in any case.

Meanwhile, Syria is still in line to become the newest member of the (cruelly misnamed) U.N. Human Rights Council when a vote takes place on May 20 at the UN General Assembly in New York.

Be warned, this first video (filmed over the weekend) is one of the most graphic I have ever posted. (The other two videos after that are not nearly as gruesome. In particular I recommend watching the second video. There are some other notes after the three videos.)

-- Tom Gross

Update: Please also see the following dispatch: As Syria slaughters hundreds, its ambassador gets British royal wedding invite denied to Blair and Brown

WITHOUT MERCY

SYRIA'S CYBER REVOLUTION

This is an interesting interview with a Syrian, Rami Nakhle, who has fled to Beirut where he is helping post videos from Syria online, despite threats by Assad’s secret police operating in Lebanon.

THE GOOD FRIDAY MASSACRE

Video courtesy of Al Jazeera English:

MESSAGE FROM AN ORDINARY MAN IN BANIAS

AND FROM THE OFFICIAL SYRIAN MEDIA…

Meanwhile, I have been monitoring the Syrian government news agency SANA every day.

Here is an example of SANA’s propaganda, from their English-langauge newswire:

http://www.sana.sy/eng/21/2011/03/25/338441.htm

Syrian Governorates, (SANA) -- Tens of thousands of Syrians from all Syria’s 14 Governorates flooded into the streets in mass popular rallies voicing their satisfaction and joy over President Bashar al-Assad’s decrees and decisions.

AND ANOTHER EXAMPLE...

President al-Assad receives calls from King of Bahrain, Emirs of Kuwait and Qatar, Iraqi President, supporting Syria in face of conspiracy

March 27, 2011

http://www.sana.sy/eng/21/2011/03/27/338834.htm

DAMASCUS, (SANA) -- President Bashar al-Assad on Sunday received phone calls from King of Bahrain Hamad bin Issa al- Khalifa, the Emir of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Jaber al-Sabah, President Jalal al-Talabani of Iraq , Emir of Qatar Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani.

King of Bahrain, Emirs of Kuwait and Qatar, Iraq’s President expressed their countries’ standing by Syria in the face of conspiracy to which it is exposed, targeting its security and stability.

They underlined confidence in Syria’s capability, as leadership and people, to foil that conspiracy.

AND ANOTHER…

Turkey: We Will Not Accept Any Attempt at Destabilizing Syria
April 3, 2011

http://www.sana.sy/eng/22/2011/04/03/339641.htm

Ankara, (SANA) -- Turkey stressed that it cares for the security, stability and prosperity of the Syrian people as much as it does for its own people.

Spokesman of the Turkish Foreign Ministry on Saturday said in a statement, “Turkey can in no way accept, at this critical and sensitive time, any attempt that may lead to destabilizing Syria or harm the will of reforms in this friendly and brotherly country.”

The statement continued, “In Turkey, we firmly believe in the attention that the Syrian state and leadership accord to fulfilling the demands of people.”

The spokesman reiterated Ankara’s full and strong support to what President Bashar al-Assad has offered in terms of the political, social and economic reforms, expressing full confidence that the Syrian leadership has a pioneering role in this regard.

“It is evident that Syria will set the reforms in motion soon to meet the aspirations of the Syrian people,” the statement said.

“WHERE IS YOUR SYRIAN HUMANITARIAN FLOTILLA, ERDOGAN?”

Tom Gross adds:

Farid Ghadry, the exiled leader of the Reform Party of Syria (who is a subscriber to this mail list) sent out a mass email yesterday titled, “Where is your Syrian Humanitarian Flotilla, Erdogan?” in reference to the Turkish leader who is again organizing a flotilla full of Hamas sympathizers, set to sail soon for Gaza.

Ghadry writes:

“Are Gazans better people than Syrians? Is Assad too dear a friend for you to bother? And where are the Hamas Palestinians who seem to forget everyone else’s tragedy except their own? Where are their voices? Never expect Syrians to come to your aid again.

“And where is King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia? What kind of leader is governing over Makah and Medina who is afraid of his own shadow?

“Where are all the Arab leaders and the Arab League? The cowards hosting dinners to celebrate their fat bank accounts while our people die in front of their eyes?”

***

Update: This article in The Washington Post helps explain the lack of any serious action by the Obama administration.

Other dispatches in this video series can be seen here:

* Video dispatch 1: The Lady In Number 6

* Video dispatch 2: Iran: Zuckerberg created Facebook on behalf of the Mossad

* Video dispatch 3: Vladimir Putin sings “Blueberry Hill” (& opera in the mall)

* Video dispatch 4: While some choose boycotts, others choose “Life”

* Video dispatch 5: A Jewish tune with a universal appeal

* Video dispatch 6: Carrying out acts of terror is nothing new for the Assad family

* Video dispatch 7: A brave woman stands up to the Imam (& Supporting Bin Laden in London)

* Video dispatch 8: Syrians burn Iranian and Russian Flags (Not Israeli and U.S. ones)

* Video Dispatch 9: “The one state solution for a better Middle East...”