city:talbiseh

Syria, the Times and the Mystery of the "Moderate Rebels" - David Bromwich
▻http://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-bromwich/syria-the-times-and-myste_b_8236164.html

After a two-year absence from the international stage — during which the mainstream media dispatched them to the realm of nonexistent entities — on October 1 the “moderate rebels” of Syria were back. The New York Times said so. Russian attacks were targeting moderates rather than ISIS, a man with a camera was quoted saying; and the Times story by Anne Barnard appeared to confirm his suspicion; even as a companion report on Russian actions in Syria by Helene Cooper, Michael R. Gordon, and Neil MacFarquhar revealed that these are the same moderates who were carefully vetted by the CIA, and concerning whom little was heard ever after. Their numbers are put at 3,000 to 5,000, though the Cooper-Gordon-MacFarquhar article leaves uncertain if that is their original or their present strength. This illumination, after so long a blackout, will doubtless be a subject for inquiry in coming days. Why it would seem worthwhile for the Russians to attack so small a force, neither of the Times stories bothered to say; nor did they explain why, if the moderate rebels are anti-Jihadist, they were allowed to garrison in the town of Talbiseh in a region north of Homs that (according to the veteran Middle East reporter Patrick Cockburn) has been “ruled” for the past two years “by Jabhat al-Nusra and associated extreme Islamist groups.”

One cannot help being struck, in the Barnard story, by a disparity between the thinness of the evidence and the cocksure tone of the analysis.

Syrian Revolution News Round-up ملخص أحداث الثورة السورية
Day 455: Monday, 11 June 2012 اليوم ٤٥٥: الاثنين، ١١ حزيران/يونيو ٢٠١٢
Regime Violence Escalates Triggering More Massacres

http://gallery.mailchimp.com/556aeef60722f6e5811ea2519/images/11_June.jpg

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The regime intensified its violence across the country as it killed over 101.
UN observers visited the city of Talbiseh in the province of Hama which was heavily shelled by helicopters upon their departure.
The Syrian government decreased the weight of the gas cylinder used by households as cooking fuel by 20% without changing the price.

Summary of Events

The regime intensified its violence across the country after the international community’s inability to stop it, as it killed over 101 today; 35 fell in the province of Idlib, 19 in the province of Deir Azzour, 15 in the province of Hama, and 12 in the province of Homs. Regime forces intensified its artillery and rocket shelling of most of the revolting areas. It shelled the towns of Jeser Shoghour and Heesh in the province of Idlib, the towns and cities of Ashara, Shahil, Muhasan and Deir Azzour, the cities of Karnaz and Halfaya in the province of Hama, and the cities of Talbiseh, Rastan and Homs.

UN observers visited the city of Talbiseh in the province of Hama which was heavily shelled by helicopters upon their departure. UN observers tried to visit the Damascus neighbourhood of Jobar but were stopped by regime forces.

The regime’s operations continued across the country, as it shelled the town of Inkhel in the province of Daraa amid torching of local crops to starve residents, while its helicopters continued to shell the city of Haffeh in the province of Latakia as more reinforcements arrived in the city. The US and Annan have warned of an imminent massacre in the city. Annan further requested that UN observers be permitted to immediately visit the cities of Haffeh and Homs.

In the capital, regime forces besieged and raided the neighbourhood of Barzeh amid clashes with revolutionaries, and shelled the suburbs of Douma, Saqba, and Hamouriya.

The Syrian government decreased the weight of gas cylinders used by households as cooking fuel by 20% without changing its price. The decrease in weight came after a previous hike in prices that changed the price tag to 400 Syrian pounds. In total, the regime has doubled the price of gas cylinders since the start of the revolution.

Syrian forces renew Homs assault, kill 35: activists

►http://s1.reutersmedia.net/resources/r/?m=02&d=20120610&t=2&i=617214024&w=460&fh=&fw=&ll=&pl=&r=CBRE85913D

The army bombarded opposition strongholds in the city of Homs and the towns of Qusair, Talbiseh and Rastan. Free Syrian Army rebels had been intensifying attacks on army patrols, roadblocks and missile batteries in the area, the Syrian Network for Human Rights and other opposition campaigners said.

Abu Qassem, an activist in Rastan, 25 km (15 miles) north of Homs, said at least 500 rockets and shells had fallen on the town since Saturday, and army helicopters were firing machineguns into the area

to read more
►http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/06/10/us-syria-crisis-killings-idUSBRE85907R20120610

Syrian Revolution News Round-up ملخص أحداث الثورة السورية
Day 451: Thursday, 7 June 2012 اليوم ٤٥١: الخميس، ٧ حزيران/يونيو ٢٠١٢

Regime Restricts the Movement of UN Observers

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Sources with the UN observers’ mission disclosed that the regime prohibited them from heading to the villages of Qubeir and Marzaf in Hama to investigate yesterday’s massacre.
The general strike and civil disobedience continued in the capital and spread to reach the suburb of Wadi Barada.
Activists said that regime helicopters dumped materials over Jabal Shahshabo in the province of Hama believed to be phosphoric cluster bombs

Top Videos

Al-Qubeir, Hama: Alawite militias attack Sunni village and massacre 140 civilians among which were 40 women and children, P2
Kafarsouseh, Damascus: The capital raises banners and chanting for a free Syria without the gang of Assad’s family
Leaked video shows happy Assad’s forces humiliating and beating a teenager while saying “we are the sons of Assad”
Talbiseh, Homs: Al-Arabiya TV reporter takes live footage of the regime’s air force shelling the town while horrified civilians flee their houses searching for shelter, P2, P3, P4

Summary of Events

Sources with the UN observers’ mission disclosed that the regime prohibited them from heading to the villages of Qubeir and Marzaf in Hama to investigate yesterday’s massacre. The sources added that they were fired upon on their way to the villages. Ban Ki Moon has announced that heavy weaponry, armour-piercing bullets, and UAVs were used against the UN observers in Syria almost daily to force them to retreat from areas where regime forces are in action.

The general strike and civil disobedience continued in the capital and spread to reach the suburb of Wadi Barada.

Activists said that regime helicopters dumped unknown materials over Jabal Shahshabo in the province of Hama. The material is believed to be phosphoric cluster bombs aimed at limiting the movement of revolutionaries. Other sources disclosed that regime helicopters dumped white chemicals over the areas of Sahel, Bosr Harir, Sour, Hamer, and Lajat in the province of Daraa. The white chemicals are believed to be infectious and contagious and aimed at targeting refugees fleeing to Jordan.

Regime forces killed at least 44 people today; most fell as a result of the regime’s shelling on the city of Haffa in the province of Latakia and the city of Talbiseh in the province of Homs.

Regime forces opened heavy fire in the cities of Boukamal and Mayadin in the province of Deir Azzour, shelled the towns of Talbiseh, Rastan, Homs and Tal Kalakh, raided the town of Ghabagheb in the province of Daraa amid heavy fire and shelled the town of Tafas, opened heavy fire in the neighbourhoods of Barzeh and Rukn Addin in the Capital, and shelled the suburbs of Tfail, Assal Wared, Hama, and Rankous.

#Homs , #Syria :

Breaking: SRGC:

Al Khaldeye district, Homs: Extremely heavy shelling is targeting the district, which is the most heavy since the beginning of the revolution. A massive number of houses got destroyed because of the bombardment. Up till now, no exact death toll could be given because it is nearly impossible to move in the neighbourhood’s streets because of the severity of the bombardment.

–-Video showing the bombardment targeting the district. More than 13 shells fall on the district in this 2 minute video - 8/6/2012
►http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7MCZZsTycCU

Regime’s militias continue to heavily bombard the city of Talbiseh for the 2nd day in a town. Farmlands also caught fire because of the heavy bombardment that is targeting everything.

–-Farmlands on fire because of the bombardment:
►http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rDqAAnbSi8g&feature=plcp

–-A rocket falling on Talbiseh - 8/6/2012
►http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DC5VZzUpj70&feature=youtu.be

–-A civilian injured by the heavy bombardment - 8/6/2012
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OFXOQxiwjg0

Al Qusour district is also being heavily bombarded by mortars and tanks. Several buildings caught fire because of the continuous, savage bombardment targeting everything in the district. The pace of the shelling is very harsh since the early morning and continue to target the district like that.

–-Heavy bombardment targeting Al Qusair - 8/6/2012
►http://youtu.be/18464w4SQF8

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