E-mail updates
Follow on Twitter
Subscribe to RSS
Shaam News Network via Reuters
Syrians demonstrate in the al-Tadamun area in Damascus on Sunday. Editor's note: Image released by the opposition Shaam News Network.
Fighting between opposition and government forces in the Syrian capital Damascus erupted for a second day Monday, activists said, one day after the International Committee for the Red Cross declared the conflict to be a civil war.
The decision by the Geneva-based group to label the situation in Syria as a civil war is significant because it means that international humanitarian law now applies throughout the country and attacks by either side on civilians and detainees could constitute war crimes.
"We are now talking about a non-international armed conflict in the country," ICRC spokesman Hicham Hassan said.
Fierce fighting in capital
Monday’s fighting was reportedly some of the fiercest to hit Damascus since the 17-month-old revolt against President Bashar al-Assad began.
The clashes briefly closed the highway linking the capital with Damascus International Airport to the city's south — an unprecedented development, Mustafa Osso, an activist based in Syria, told The Associated Press.
"It seems there is a new strategy to bring the fighting into the center of the capital," Osso said, referring to the rebels who fight under the banner of the Free Syrian Army. "The capital used to be safe. This will trouble the regime."
Red Cross: Syria conflict is now a civil war
Amateur video posted online has shown clouds of black smoke billowing above residential buildings where opposition rebels and government forces battled. The authenticity of the video could not be independently confirmed.
The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and Osso said the fighting was concentrated in the districts of Kfar Souseh, Midan and Tadamon.
The International Red Cross has declared the conflict in Syria to be a civil war. NBC's Ayman Mohyeldin reports on the significance of the designation.
There have been sporadic clashes in Damascus in recent months, although Assad's forces remain firmly in control of the capital. Many of the Damascus suburbs, however, have risen up against the regime, prompting a ferocious response from the military in an attempt to clear out rebel fighters from the towns that ring the capital.
The spread of fighting in the capital came as U.N. peace envoy Kofi Annan starts a two-day visit to Moscow. He will meet Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has resisted Western calls to increase pressure on Assad.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov signaled no change in its position on the conflict before talks with Annan.
UN investigates Syria massacre site
Lavrov said Western efforts to pass a Security Council resolution to extend the U.N. monitoring mission in Syria, which includes a threat of sanctions, contained "elements of blackmail." He called for support of Moscow's resolution instead, which does not call for sanctions.
The monitoring mission was suspended due to rising violence in Syria, where activists say more than 17,000 people have died.
At least five people were killed and dozens more wounded in Sunday's fighting, according to activists who said they expected more casualties from the violence on Monday.
The latest massacre began with a military bombardment of the village of Tremsi. After the heavy artillery and shelling, villagers said pro-government militia men swept in to kill at close range. NBC's Richard Engel reports.
Accounts in Syria are difficult to verify because the government has restricted access to international media.
Ambassador expelled
Pressure on Assad has been growing both from outside the government and within.
Morocco asked Syria's ambassador to the country to leave and declared him persona non grata. The move comes days after the Syrian ambassador to Iraq defected to the opposition, and a week after top general and Assad insider Manaf Tlas fled Syria.
The Guardian newspaper cited reports Monday that Maj. Gen. Adnan Sillu, the former head of Syria's chemical weapons program, had defected to the opposition.
Rising violence in Syria, including several alleged massacres in the country, has increased outrage in Syria. What began as peaceful protests has morphed into an armed insurgency fighting back fiercely against Assad's heavy crackdown.
Annan is visiting Moscow just days after opposition reported a new massacre in the village of Tremseh which prompted a fresh wave of denunciations in the West, where diplomats still hope Russia might ease support for Assad.
US source: Syria is moving its chemical weapons
Moscow, along with China, has blocked tougher U.N. Security Council action and the West has shown no appetite for the kind of intervention it undertook last year when NATO helped topple Libya's Moammar Gadhafi.
Annan said Friday he was "shocked and appalled" at the government for breaking a promise not to use heavy weapons in populated areas, and that it was confirmed that helicopters and artillery had fired on the village of Tremseh on Thursday.
Donatella Rovera of Amnesty International discusses reports of bloodshed on a major scale in the central part of Syria.
U.N. monitors who managed to enter Tremseh have said that the fighting there did not constitute a massacre, as alleged by opposition activists, but that it could more likely be described as a lopsided flight between the Syrian military on the one side and army defectors and residents who tried to defend the town on the other.
The Syrian government said it killed several dozen enemy fighters in Tremseh but denied carrying out a massacre or that its forces used heavy weapons.
Syrian Foreign Ministry spokesman Jihad Makdissi criticized Annan for jumping to conclusions by accepting opposition reports of the incident last week.
Complete international coverage from NBCNews.com
"Government forces did not use planes, or helicopters, or tanks or artillery," he told a news conference in Damascus. "What happened was not a massacre. ... What happened was a military operation."
NBC News' Ayman Mohedin, Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
More world stories from NBC News:
- Red Cross: Syria is now in civil war, humanitarian law applies
- Egypt seeks release of Mass. pastor abducted by Bedouin
- Clinton holds first meeting with Egypt's Morsi amid political standoff
- Afghan minister survives assassination attempt
- UN team investigates massacre in Syria village
- Surfer presumed dead in Australia shark attack
- The ghosts that haunt China's economic landscape
Leave a Comment:
1st Post. Ha Ha
I don't understand why the media is harping on a Syrian civil war. Now the media is building the case for US involvement, with news stories about Syria's chemical weapons and "what happens if it falls into terrorist hands" as justification for invading syria, just like Iraq. Funny, Syria has undeclared chemical weapons just like Iraq had undeclared "wmd's"
Sorry, i don't buy it nor does the american people. Don't fall for this baloney.
I'm an American and I believe Syria has chemical weapons.
Okay Matty, do you advocate invading Syria to secure the chemical weapons as if its America's duty to police the world?
If so, No one is stopping you from putting a uniform on.
1) you don't speak for "all" americans, not even the small minority that supports Assad instead of the syrian people seeking freedom and the right to elect their leader instead of their current leader electing himself while the rogue dictator adopt Stalinist logic: kill or imprison every voice of dissent, no matter how young. In a UN monitor's report in Jan. this year, the monitors revealed that 403 Syrian children have already been killed in Bashar al-Assad's nine month crackdown on democratic dissent. At least 39 of them died in the country's torture dungeons.
Since then, Assad continues to slaughter children in the most inhumane manner, for this, Assad deserves to die a harsh death like Saddam and Gadhafi, and history will show that Assad will be remembered as a evil dictator nicnamed "Assad the Butcher"
The issue is that the General in charge if the chemical weapons, defects to the opposition, the next day we read that the unit that has the weapons has a "new" commander and the unit is mobilizing (moving).
So the question is "What are these guys doing? "
What was it that the general was ordered to do that he felt he had to defect?
ask yourself that, and while you're at it figure out what they intend to do with those weapons!
My understanding from all I have read of soldiers and inspectors accounts is that during the Clinton administration Syria accepted Iraqs chemical weapons stashes. So to my limited knowledge, they do have them.
It is a civil war and the regime of Bashad "The Butcher" Assad will fall. In the end that is almost always the fate of dictators. We just don't know whether he will escape to Iran at the last moment or be dragged out and shot like a dog like Moammar Gadhafi. Stay tuned. In the menatime, it is not our war nor should it be, but we should arm the Syrian Rebel Army so they know who their friends are when they take power. That way, we will be able to bring more pressure on the Ayatollahs of Iran who are the most dangerous gangsters in the neighborhood. The Russians are backing the wrong dog in this fight and they will be completely shut out of the area because of their stupidity.
, but we should arm the Syrian Rebel Army so they know who their friends are when they take power. That way, we will be able to bring more pressure on the Ayatollahs of Iran who are the most dangerous gangsters in the neighborhood.
@ Big Black Dog who is we you are talking like you know who those thugs are the so called rebels. You talk bla bla bla without understanding what is going on over there. why don't you go and help them intead sitting here and give us your ignorant plans...
Stay out!!! The only reason the POTUS would consider going to Syria in a military manor is if he can gain votes in November by doing so.
ya mean, like bush did ?
The opposition consist of rebels including Al Queda which are the USA mortal enemies. Is the USA and Nato arming them? if so Why?
fact: thousands of syria, from town to town, from city to city, protested against Assad regime encouraged by arab spring, Assad's forces kill thousands of unarmed citizens in vain to crush the movement, thousands of Assad's forces refused to kill citizens and either tried to defect (but was shot by their own forces) or they did defect and now joined up doctors, lawyers, teachers, professors, students, shop owners, farmers, and many other syrian seeking their freedom and willing to die for it.
exactly i still don't get it...
Syrian Foreign Ministry spokesman Jihad Makdissi...
The guy's 1rst name is Jihad - come on, REALLY?
Assad "the butcher" needs to pay for his crimes - and really, I mean, a spokesman for Foreign Ministry with THAT name? lol - they must think we are so stupid not to notice that. Everybody knows whose side Assad is on now I bet.
Hey Jihad - thanks for making that clear to us. I hope you go down along with your boss.
How much more can our troops take? Soon we will have major combates in 4 countries. Seem like the military is running short of men and now want women in combat. This madness has to stop, every empire collapsed because they spread the military to thin trying to control the world natural resources. Thats right all these invations are for the resoursecs of those countries.
While I in no way advocate our intervention in yet another conflict, I certainly don't believe our military is stretched too far, if it were all they would have to do is re-instate the draft.
It is the peoples fight---the oppresed against the oppressor. Who will win? What does history tell us?
We have things that would blow your mind! Never under estimate the U.S.A. !
And no, we are not streched too thin, but we are a bit tired.
Please support us at GLM420.org Thank you!
The above is an advertising page.
DELETE !
The POTUS seeks a war to boost his chances in November's election. But I'm not biting. One and done!!!!!!!!!
That war would be and should be the death of any candidate running for the Presidency. Do not understand why these dictators hang on when they could leave with their millions (billions?) and live the rest of their lives comfortably. Guess it is the corruption of power.
U.N. monitors who managed to enter Tremseh have said that the fighting there did not constitute a massacre, as alleged by opposition activists, but that it could more likely be described as a lopsided flight between the Syrian military on the one side and army defectors and residents who tried to defend the town on the other.
I guess this sheds some light on what the opposition activists say. I wonder how many other so called massacre's were fabricated by them. Just because someone is not wearing a uniform doesnt mean he is a non combatant. The Taliban, Al Queda dont wear uniforms. Remember Vietnam.....the VC wore civilian cloths and they were fair game. NOT OUR FIGHT!!! Let's keep our nose out of this one. Regardless of which side wins we are still the bad guys
It's not a question of fabrication but rather interpretation of the facts on the ground, did they "massacre" them? Yea, was it a massacre, No !
(as in one side had a very lopsided victory - yes)
(as in an illegal killing of people prosecutable as a war crime - No)
That's the way to do it... Bring the fight to them... Bring it to the RICHEST neighbohoods so that Asad has to bomb his won neighborhoods and his own allias... Once the fighting hits the RICH you will see just how quick the COWARD and MURDERER runs like the RAT HE IS... Go after his family and extended family... All his supporters as well... Start going after those THUGS that have committed the attrocities and are more lightly armed... Don't go after the regular army who have tanks and artillary... Make it a fight the RATS can NOT WIN... Shut off his money supply as well... I'm SURE that has to be SOME bankers over there who are supporters of the revolution??? If not, go after his banking buddies and murder them one by one... Some times you have to get down in the mud with the pigs in order to kill them... If Asad is willing to use tanks and artillary, then the rebbels should start using "hit squads" to take out his supporters... It won't take long for him to RUN LIKE THE RAT HE IS... Hit and run tactics are what is required when you are out gunned as the rebbels are here... Small elite death squads killing his supporters and his death squads.. Those THUGS that come in after the military has bombed the town... KILL THEM ONE BY ONE... AS WELL AS THEIR FAMILIES... Lets see how long it goes on after a few hundred of their families are summarily murdered as the civilians in those towns... Time to get down in the mud with the pigs...
Good luck and may Allah bless each and every BRAVE FIGHTER FIGHTING THIS TYRANT...
From what I've read the Assad regime has allowed the Alquida to have sites there to move people into Iraq to attack americans when we were there, but now that we have left Iraq, the Alquida are Assads henchmen so who's the real "BAD GUY"?
I suggest that the world shoot the middle finger at russia and china (both are known for killing their own citizens by the thousands if they protest or advocate for their freedom), several countries could donate a couple or several drones to give Assad a taste of his own medicine, this would not endangered any soldiers from their country and cost a fraction of normal war costs.
John M have you read what's happening in Saudia and Bahrain today and every day buddy , they are killing innocent people for just demonstrating for their rights , not armed , and you are talking about Russia and China , show where china and Russia going and attacking other countries for not agreeing with them , The Saudis told Russia today not to interfere in their internal affairs , because Russia showed concern about the Saudis killing an armed civilians , But its OK for these SOB'S to go to Syria and pay the salaries for all these thugs in Syria , I hope the Saudis try to F-----K with Russia , I think Russia will teach a thing or two , not like us , we have not even asked them about the 19 hijackers they send to the US on 9/11 , wouldn't you want to know man , or you just like Bush and all these politicians that took the man and shut up .
BigPoppaP ARE you an Alqaida member , because you sure are talking just like one , these thugs you are talking about which your Hillary and McCain calls them freedom fighters , are the same freedom fighters were in Afghanistan better known now by Alqaida , these are the same thugs that we helped the Saudis and Qataris with the help of Turkey and Lebanon and Jordan to bring into Syria to join couple of the other thugs there , these thugs are killing civilians and Christians and destroying their churches just like the Saudis and Qataris want them to do , I hope Assad and his army kill all these thugs and do the job for us , because our politicians are too busy sending our troops to countries that done nothing to harm us , I wonder if you had some thugs coming into your neighbor hood killing and raping , I wonder what you want your government troops to do , that's what's wrong with people like you and politicians that getting paid by foreign countries to do their dirty job .
1) I support obama, and obama would never slaughter even one american, much less thousands olike Assad is currently doing. 2) supporting Assad is like support hitler's genocide, both are evil mass murderers
Fact: thousands of syria, from town to town, from city to city, protested against Assad regime encouraged by arab spring, Assad's forces kill thousands of unarmed citizens in vain to crush the movement, thousands of Assad's forces refused to kill citizens and either tried to defect (but was shot by their own forces) or they did defect and now joined up doctors, lawyers, teachers, professors, students, shop owners, farmers, and many other syrian seeking their freedom and willing to die for it.
my turn- you are supporting a mass murdering dictator bent on stopping "average citizens of syria" aim to gain their freedom and the right to elect their leader, Assad is far worse than Gadhafi (for torturing children to death) and you are supporting Assad to continue to slaughter children and also to torture them
John M After 40 years of Assad ruling you all decided he is a bad man , then where are you getting your news buddy , all i hear our honest media quoting the rebels not one time the get the other side , and then they say , We can not confirm the reports , so why in the hell you run them , and by the way , Saddam was our buddy , Rumsfeld was hugging on him when he was fighting the Iranians , we gave him all these chemical weapons , the US and Germany did , that's how we knew he had them , he was our friend then , and our Honorable Senator McCain visited Qaddafi and said he was a good man not long before he became a bad man , Taliban's were freedom fighters when they fought the Russians , they did the same thing to the Russians that they are doing now to us , how come they were still freedom fighters then , we trained them and armed them , see the problem with people like you , along the way they forget things , you might keep on talking and you will sound real good to allot of these people on this site , because they never kept up with all these countries and BS our politicians do , but I do and I know what happens with all these crooked politicians we got , with all the lost jobs we got , and all the bad times our country going through , you got McCain and Lieberman going to Lebanon to secure a path way for the rebels from Lebanon , and secure the arms smuggling way , and asking for money for the rebels and weapons , and Clinton been all over the world to drum up support for these thugs , simply because these Saudis and Qataris ( Alqaida supporters ) wants to do that . you know I get tired of talking to people like you , because you do not see pass your nose ( if that far ) .
From my turn- "John M After 40 years of Assad ruling you all decided he is a bad man"
anyone that commits genocide on his own people to prevent them from gaining their freedom.....is in fact guilty of being a "bad man" , I made no mention of Assad being a bad man b/c Assad's family has ruled for over 40 years. Assad has killed and in some cases tortured children in toture chambers, that surely would make Assad not only a bad man, but a mass murderer that deserves to die a harsh death like Saddam and Gadhafi.
Inserted in the UN report of Syria conflict (Jan. 2012)
As Arab League monitors to begin their limited inspection, they can reveal that 403 Syrian children have already been killed in Bashar al-Assad's nine month crackdown on democratic dissent. At least 39 of them died in the country's torture dungeons – their mutilated little bodies, in some cases, returned home to grief-stricken parents. These new figures are drawn from Avaaz's painstaking analysis and cross-checking of reports emerging from the country. Assad's killing machine has targeted protests, homes, even hospitals. The rogue dictator has adopted Stalinist logic: kill or imprison every voice of dissent, no matter how young. Killing children Just last week, regime forces attacked the house of young Mohamed Arwany in Hama. The house was shelled in the raid and 10-year-old Mohamed was fatally wounded. A Syrian activist, whose name we are protecting, shared [the video of the boy's death. You can hear his moans, he died as the cameraman was filming. These incidents are daily occurrences in Assad's Syria. One of the most horrific stories comes from outside Deraa, where in May Hamza al-Khateeb was arrested by security forces at a protest. Hamza was a 13-year-old boy who raised homing pigeons at his family home in Saida. After a month in government custody his [broken body] was returned to his parents. He had been tied, beaten, shot, burned, and his penis had been cut off. Stalinist logic According to our triple-verified numbers, one out of every 300 Syrians has either been killed or imprisoned since the uprising began. The vast majority of the violence has happened in the flashpoint regions of Hama, Deraa, and Homs, which have seen 40 per cent of the killings. But death squads roam the entire nation, from Damascus suburbs to the Turkish border. 6,237 Syrians – including 876 women and children – have been killed in the uprising. This figure includes the 917 Syrian security forces and paramilitaries that have died. Another 69,000 civilians have been detained. Nearly half have been released, many bearing signs of torture and abuse. And at least 617 civilians in detention have died from torture. A month ago, the Arab League drafted a proposal to curb violence in Syria. Under its provisions the government would pull troops from the streets, release political prisoners and open a dialogue with the opposition. Assad agreed to the proposal and then set about violating each of its conditions, ramping up the killing and abuse. Now, under threat of sanctions and a referral to the UN Security Council, Syria has again [agreed] to an Arab League initiative, this time to send 150 observers, in increments of 50, into the country. Activists are understandably pessimistic and the Syrian government has already said that the League will not be permitted to visit militarily sensitive sites. There were 20 points of protest in Hama today, one Hama-based activist told Avaaz on Friday. Armoured cars and Shabeha [plain-clothed paramilitaries] were already at the demonstrations to shoot protestors, he said. "There will be 30 observers in Hama: 30 persons is not enough for Hama, not enough for one part of Hama," he said. "They will be watched all the time by regime thugs, the activist added. How can I meet with them? I will be discovered. **Take Action:** Russia has supported the Assad family for decades and now Moscow is underwriting the violence in Syria by giving the army weapons and the regime diplomatic cover. But international pressure is slowly forcing Russia to change course. We can help. Join more than 400,000 Avaaz members and [tell Russia to stop sponsoring the killing. Every death we report has been verified by three independent eyewitnesses, one from the victim's family and the imam performing funeral rites.
From what I've read the Assad regime has allowed the Alquida to have sites there to move people into Iraq to attack americans when we were there, but now that we have left Iraq, the Alquida are Assads henchmen so who's the real "BAD GUY
John M you are just as full of it as the Arab league , the Arab league is the problem in Syria , Saudis and Qataris control the Arab league and they are the ones that arming and financing the rebels , do not believe me just read what's going on , and for your wrong information the monitors of the Arab league report was not permitted in the UN meeting because it showed clearly that the Alqaida rebels were in Syria and they were responsible for most of the killings there , specially the killing of the Christians in HOMS and destroying their churches , but I guess you are just like Richard Engle all of his reporting comes from the rebels side , and why not , they have pictures of him hugging the leader of Alqaida rebels in Libya and what a coincident , he is in Syria now , maybe they are dating or something , but if you look at Arawa Damon the reporter from CNN and Richard Engel , they got to be on the Qataris and Saudis pay roll just like these thugs in Syria . just read big boy look pass your nose please , you might learn the truth one day , not unless you are an Israel's supporter that does not believe anything but what Israel and these honest media tells them , I think I am right on both just from reading all of your comments .
From what I've read the Assad regime has allowed the Alquida to have sites there to move people into Iraq to attack americans when we were there, but now that we have left Iraq, the Alquida are Assads henchmen so who's the real "BAD GUY" ? check it out for yourself !
Assad is a "VERY BAD GUY "EVERY BIT AS BAD AS Sadam, or Alquida so let's not forget who is deserving of a firing squad!
Obama will do nothing. As Hillary said we wont arm the rebels because the majority belong to groups classified as terrorist groups and therefore enemies of the U.S. Unlike Bush, Obama isn't chomping at the bit for another chance to show our muscle. And no I wouldn't accept any reports from the rebels as valid. They're just as capable of committing atrocities and blaming it on the government. As reporters have reported on, rebels have deliberately led reporters into area's government troops were attacking hoping they were killed to get international outrage. Can't trust any of them.
From what I've read the Assad regime has allowed the Alquida to have sites there to move people into Iraq to attack americans when we were there, but now that we have left Iraq, the Alquida are Assads henchmen so who's the real "BAD GUY"
So, Danno -
This so profound you need to post it four times? Give us a break!