Syria - President Bashar Assad’s bloody crackdown on protesters who are now openly seeking regime change took an ominous turn over the weekend. In the city of Hama, an armored attack on thousands of protesters killed at least 150 civilians on Sunday. There were also reports of attacks by the army in at least four other cities with dozens more killed. The severity of this latest confrontation has been attributed to the onset of the holy month of Ramadan, during which time protests are expected to greatly intensify. Some observers are questioning whether anti-regime protesters will actually be able to deal a serious blow to the Assad government during this volatile month — or whether the regime’s brutality will be too much to withstand. The escalation appears to be part of an emerging strategy by Assad to increase the brutality in hot spots across the country in an attempt to intimidate and cow regime opponents. The government is particularly concerned that the month of August will see massive protests daily, as worshipers attend prayers at their local mosques and, as has been the custom, pour into the streets afterward. The prospect of huge demonstrations breaking out all over the country at once has the government worried about the stability of the regime and the loyalty of the conscript army. Those demonstrations will be carefully documented by a small, courageous group of amateurs whose dramatic footage posted to YouTube and other media sharing sites are the only real evidence we have of the barbarity of Assad’s crackdown. Without the images they record at risk to life and limb, it is doubtful the extent of the regime’s bloodletting would be known. Full Story>>
Syria's Killing Fields http://frontpagemag.com/2011/08/01/the-killing-fields-of-syria/
