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Pope asks world to stop Syria becoming ‘field of ruins’

By C. J. Refsland on January 7, 2013 • ( 0 )

Pope asks world to stop Syria becoming ‘field of ruins’ – live blog

Bashar al-Assad waves to his supporters after speaking at the Opera House in Damascus on 6 January 2013.

Bashar al-Assad waves to his supporters after speaking at the Opera House in Damascus on Sunday. Photograph: Khaled Al-Hariri/Reuters

Syria – ’33 dead’ today

At least 33 people have been killed in fighting in Syria today, according to the Local Coordination Committees of Syria, part of the opposition National Coalition.

At least 12 of the dead were killed in Aleppo, in the north-west, including the two men shown in this video (warning: extremely graphic), whom the LCCS name as Ahmad Hadad and Abdul Qater Qatam.

There are “fierce clashes” there between the Free Syrian Army and the regime’s forces, the LCCS say. This video purports to show rebels attacking the Minnigh Military Airport in Aleppo.

Three members of the FSA were killed while fighting the government’s 93rd Brigade in Raqqa, in the centre of Syria, the LCCS claim. But the FSA “liberated” Ain Eisa checkpoint there, the LCCS say.

The LCCS also report ongoing shelling in the south of Damascus and its eastern and northern suburbs, and at least 17 people killed in the capital. This video (warning: graphic footage) purports to show two of the dead in Damascus.

Like the Hama Revolutionists Command Council (see earlier), the LCCS post a video (a different one) purporting to show cluster bombs found in Hama.

Meanwhile this video purports to show an attack on Taftenaz military airport in Idlib, in the north-west.

The LCCS also claimed overnight that Pilot Brigadier Khaled Barakat, the leader of the Syrian Reconnaissance Group, defected after Assad’s speech.

None of the LCCS’ videos or claims can be independently verified, because of the difficulties western news organisations face posting journalists to Syria.

Reuters provides the useful summary of the Syrian rebels’ progress so far:

After six months of advances, rebels now control wide swathes of northern and eastern Syria, most of its border crossings with Turkey and a crescent of suburbs on the outskirts of Damascus.

But Assad’s government is still entrenched in the capital and controls most of the densely-populated south-west, the Mediterranean coast, the main north-south highway and military bases countrywide. Its helicopters and jets are able to strike rebel-held areas with impunity.

This map may help you visualise that.

Damascus

There was gunfire in pro-Assad neighbourhoods of Damascus after the president’s speech yesterday, and state TV showed convoys of cars driving through the main streets, the drivers or passengers leaning out and waving flags. Reuters has been talking to pro- and anti-Assad Damascenes.

Loyalist Aliaa said the speech was eloquent but empty:

It sounded more like gloating than making promises. I agree with the ideas but words are really just words until he takes some action. He needs to do something. But even so, everything he suggests now, it is too late; the rebels aren’t going to stop.

Among critics of the president in Mezzeh, a once affluent district that has seen several bomb attacks, one man said: “Here, no one cares about this speech. They care about food and electricity.”

Another said few people had watched the speech and it did not mark a change in direction for the president: “Military operations will continue in full swing, and he is staying.”

Sana, the state news agency, reported that Syria’s prime minister Wael al-Halki called today for a special cabinet meeting to implement the “national programme” Assad announced yesterday.

via Pope asks world to stop Syria becoming ‘field of ruins’ – live blog | World news | guardian.co.uk.