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Subscribe to RSSWith the Assad regime directing the full force of its military at Aleppo, Syria's biggest city, the Syrian government is pulling forces out of surrounding towns -- a cause for celebration among rebels there. NBC's Richard Engel reports from inside one of those towns, in northern Syria.
Syria's military pounded a rebel-held district of Aleppo on Saturday, and a BBC News correspondent in the city reported many families were fleeing to the countryside.
"The sound of heavy skirmishing can be heard all around," Ian Pannell reported.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an opposition group, reported helicopter attacks on the central Salaheddine district of Aleppo and fighting elsewhere in the city.
One opposition activist said he had seen tanks and armored carriers heading for Salaheddine.
The battle for Aleppo, Syria's largest city with 2.5 million people, is seen as a crucial test for a government that has committed major military resources to retaining control of its two main power centers, Aleppo and the capital Damascus.
While neither side has managed to gain the upper hand, the outcome of the uprising is being watched anxiously in the region and beyond, amid fears that sectarian conflict could spread to neighboring countries.
Turkey, once a friend but now a fierce critic of the Syrian government, joined growing diplomatic pressure on President Bashar al-Assad.
On the approaches to Aleppo from the north, Free Syrian Army rebels were in evidence, while a military helicopter clattered overhead in the distance.
One man in his forties, carrying his family on a motorcycle, said he was fleeing the fighting in Aleppo and heading to the town of Azaz near the Turkish border.
Rebels in Aleppo shoot at Syrian government helicopters during an intense battle on Saturday.
"We are living in a war zone," he told Reuters. "I and my relatives are just going back and back and forth, trying to stay away from the fighting. We left Aleppo when we saw smoke and helicopters firing."
On the road south from the Turkish border to Aleppo rebel soldiers had set up checkpoints bearing the sign: "This is an FSA checkpoint. May God protect you."
Military experts believe that while Assad's more powerful military will overcome the rebels in Aleppo and other major cities, it risks loss of control in the countryside because the loyalty of large sections of the army is in doubt.
"Assad's forces are likely to achieve a tactical victory that will represent a setback to opposition forces and allows the regime to demonstrate its military dominance," said analyst Ayham Kamel of the Eurasia Group, adding however that the rebels were getting stronger while the military was on the wane.
Three rebel fighters were killed in clashes before dawn on Saturday in Aleppo, the Observatory said. It said 160 people were reported killed in Syria on Friday, adding to an overall death toll of around 18,000 since the uprising began.
Video footage provided by the Observatory showed smoke rising over apartment blocks in the city into a hazy sky on Saturday. The sound of sporadic gunfire could be clearly heard.
Fighting was reported in other towns across Syria: Deraaa, the cradle of the revolution; Homs, the scene of some of the bloodiest combat; and Hama, where a revolt against Assad's father in the early 1980s was suppressed with thousands of deaths.
Syria's commercial capital has been attacked again by government forces. NBC's Richard Engel reports.
At least 10 people were killed on Saturday when Syrian security forces went into Maadameyat al-Sham near Damascus, the Observatory said.
Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan said late on Friday that international institutions needed to work together to address the military assault on Aleppo and Assad's threat to use chemical weapons against external enemies.
"There is a build-up in Aleppo, and the recent statements with respect to the use of weapons of mass destruction are actions that we cannot remain an observer or spectator to," he said at a news conference in London with British Prime Minister David Cameron.
Earlier, Erdogan had cheered on the rebels.
"In Aleppo itself the regime is preparing for an attack with its tanks and helicopters ... My hope is that they'll get the necessary answer from the real sons of Syria," he told Turkish TV.
Cameron said Britain and Turkey were concerned that Assad's government was about to carry out some "some truly appalling acts around and in the city of Aleppo".
In stating this week that it would not use chemical weapons against its own people, but might do so against external threats, Syria caused major international concern about its stockpiles of non-conventional weapons.
Russia said international support for Syrian rebels would lead to "more blood" and the government could not be expected to willingly give in to its opponents.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, whose country has vetoed three U.N. Security Council resolutions intended to increase pressure on Assad, said Western and Arab nations should exert more influence on rebels to stop fighting.
Russia also said it would not allow searches of Russian-flagged ships under new European Union sanctions governing vessels suspected of carrying weapons to Syria.
The increase in fighting in Aleppo follows a bomb attack on July 18 that killed Assad's defense minister and three other top officials in Damascus, a development that led some analysts to speculate that the government's grip was slipping.
Since then, Assad's forces have mounted a strong counterattack against rebels in Damascus as well as concentrating forces for an expected assault on Aleppo.
Reuters contributed to this report.
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Leave a Comment:
Some rebellions need to be stopped.
Assad needs to be stopped!
Some trolls need to be beaten under their bridge........
Assad needs to be treated just like Saddam Hussein was treated.
"big" , jeff and dwight,
feel free to run on over there then. meanwhile leave us out of it both monetarily AND militarily..
While the western world sits around complaining about overpopulation and resource depletion, our Arab friends are taking a proactive role and doing something about it - some even take themselves AND their neighbors with them.. thanks guys!
it doesn't matter Assad will fall. the rebels will keep getting stronger and the gov troops will keep getting weaker.
more and more army troops are leaving, they too have relatives and family members that are getting wounded and killed.
as more people get killed their families and relatives will join the rebels for pay back.
the only thing that is keeping assad in power is Russia which is providing them arms.
but, the rebel have turkey. turkey is giving the rebel a base and a place to re group and get resupplied. along with the help of other arab. nations.
it's just a matter of time, the only thing the rebels need is shoulder fired missiles, just like the afgans had against Russia. either a few dozen stinker missiles to take out tanks and helicopters game over.
Assad will fall for the simple reason that he has allowed or even encouraged this civil war to becoma a war of attrition. When you consider the numbers --- only around 20%, mostly Shiite Alawites and Christians, are trying to control the 80% who are Sunnis. Assad can control the two major cities and beyond that simply does not have enough loyal troops to hold the countryside. And with every attack, he loses a few more troops and gains many more enemies.
There are two factors that are very telling --- Assad appears to be creating a stronghold in Alawite-controlled terrotiry in the mountains that would be a "redoubt of last resort" in case he loses either Aleppo or Damascus. And it appears that chemical agents are being mated with their munitions and being deployed in the field.
It appears that Christians are starting to feel the heat and are sending their families to Lebanon or Cyprus and are preparing to abandon their holdings, especially in Aleppo. They mad a very bad choice when they allied themselves with the Assads decades ago and are beginning to realize that paybacks are going to be pure hell. It will turn out to be a very bad choice indeed in the long run.
Assad has already set up the circumstances for using chemical weapons, often called poor men's nukes, against his own people. He has consistencly declared the rebels to be tools or foreign interventionists, drug dealera and cigarett smugglers. And recently he stated that chemical weapons would only be used against foreign interventionists. Sounds like he does indeed intend to use chemical weapons against his people just as his father did and fellow Baathist Sadaam Hussein did.
Most of Assad's weapons are now coming from Iran via commercial passenger jets (with no passengers.) This is such a poor way of resupplying Assad that it will not help much. The Russians are beginning to see the handwriting on the wall and have pretty much stopped all new aid and are now dragging their feet on old committments. It is becoming evident that Putin chose the wrong side and it will cost Russia their only oversear military base which is critical to the military viability of the Black Sea Fleet.
My guess is that Assad has already arranged for exile in Iran.
Peace on earth, goodwill towards men.
my team is winning ...i hope we get the GOLD...
kind of feels like te good old days .kill kill kill...
these guys really need to be in the olympic's
there so goods at it..
BigSpooky
Some rebellions need to be stopped
...............Why? Which ones? Are you conerned about the 1%? Can you give us specifics so we can underststand what you are afraid of?
Amazing prophecy unfolding before your very eyes...... it was prophesied thousands of years ago that this would happen in the last days and we are in the last days
Jer 49:23 - 26
Concerning Damascus. Hamath( Hama) is confounded,
and Arpad (Aleppo): for they have heard evil tidings: they are fainthearted; there is sorrow on the sea; it cannot be quiet.
Damascus is waxed feeble, and turneth herself to flee, and fear hath seized
on her: anguish and sorrows have taken
her, as a woman in travail.
How is the city of praise not left, the city of
my joy!
Therefore her young men shall fall in her
streets, and all the men of war shall be cut off in that day(no more Syria
Military), saith the LORD of hosts.
Soon (The King of the North) Russia and its allies will make there move
Big, tell that to my x-wife and her lawyer.
I doubt if the U.S. and U.S. media's backing of the Syrian rebels has anything to do with bring "Freedom and Democracy" to that country:
Imperialist powers unveil their proposed Syrian military strongman
by Chris Marsden
28 July 2012
This week, Syrian General Manaf Tlass was mooted as the head of a proposed interim national unity government, to be installed if the US and its allies succeed in overthrowing the regime of President Bashar al-Assad.
Tlass only defected on July 6. Before that he was a general in the elite 104th brigade of the Republican Guard. The son of a former defence minister, he was for years Assad's right-hand man, helping strengthen ties with Syria's Sunni business community.
Behind the scenes he is being sponsored by Washington. The Wall Street Journal reported, "The Obama administration and officials of some Arab and Western nations are discussing ways to place Syria's highest-ranking military defector at the center of a political transition in the Arab state, according to US and Middle East officials."
Tlass read a prepared statement on Saudi-based Al-Arabiya television, calling for unity and stressing that he was speaking as "one of the sons of the Syrian Arab Army" who could reach out to "honourable troops" that must now become "the extension of the [opposition] Free Syrian Army."
He was on a pilgrimage to Mecca aimed at reinforcing his Islamic credentials. His trip was arranged by Saudi Arabia's new head of intelligence, Prince Bandar Bin Sultan.
Whether or not his power grab is successful, the backing Tlass has received blows a hole in all attempts to portray the anticipated overthrow of Assad as the dawn of a new democratic era. The US, France, Britain and other imperialist powers want Assad eliminated because he is seen as too dependent upon Iran. Their goal is to impose an equally militarist and authoritarian regime, but one that is under their control…
http://www.wsws.org/articles/2012/jul2012/pers-j28.shtml
Actually, after reading that al Qaeda is beginning to become more involved in the Syrian rebels' cause, I'm starting to think that our national interest would be best served by having this civil war drag on as long as possible. That way, Iran and Hezbollah might be too preoccupied to stir up mischief elsewhere, and al Qaeda could conceivably find it necessary to redirect manpower and resources from Afghanistan/Pakistan to Syria, making it easier for our troops to eventually turn over military operations to the Afghan forces. I say give the Syrian rebels just enough support that the two sides are able to go on slaughtering each other indefinitely.
Britain should kick out that Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, front end for Sunni Islamic religious Nazis like al-Qaida, MB and other Sunni Islamic militants.
What do the criminals like those of Syrian Observatory for Human Rights know about "human rights"?
Were they dead when the barbaric, beastly, highly corrupt and autocratic Sunni Saudis and co sent their forces to Bahrain?
If the logic of Syria is applied then, Bahrain should have a Shiite ruler.
The same Sunni Saudi bigoted Saudi and co barabarians sent their Arab League human rights group to Syria first.
The human rights group was headed by a Sudanese Gen. responsible for the genocides of 300000 Christians in Darfur!
There limits to double standards and hypocrisy!
Sunni Saudis bigoted beasts and their proxies like Syrian Observatory, al-Qaida, MB and others are getting away with murders all around including justice just by flashing monies and throwing some around!
Ah well - let's just all sit by and watch this slaughter. It's entertaining, like watching the Olympics. We can't even aid the rebals with arms? This is a travesty and as far's I'm concerned, Nato, the U-S and the Arab League are culpable -- thousands are dying and WE ARE CULPABLE. It's like inviting the Nazis back, slapping them on the back and saying, "go ahead and kill as many Jews as you want." Assad is the middle east version of Hitler, and we just sit and watch. It's sickening.
Obama doesn't want to make us look bad. Dude needs to get a pair.
Yeah, all the middle east countries are just lining up to put boots on the ground? No way for them. Russia is giving more military aid to Assad. So, it up to the US to police the world again? The UN is worthless so here we are.
Yes, there will be slaughter, how about 10 other countries putting up a Billion dollars and 100,000 troops? You won't get it, nobody wants to make an Afgan mistake.........
By this time tomorrow they will have killed 1/10 of 1% of their population and counting. That is equivalent to 310,000 Americans. How can anyone watch this and do nothing. I'm a retired Nam vet who has written politicians (hahaha) and people here say and think, "look at all our problems." But none compare with what those poor children are going through, none. We can go bankrupt as a country and still not compare. In one aspect we are bankrupt. There was a time we would never have let this happen. Someone has GOT to threaten Assad and be ready to back it up in order for it to stop. With the same demands to the 'the other side. And not a person lifts a promising hand that I can see.
Population control? Obama believes strongly in it. He's counting all the greenhouse gases that won't be emitted. Don't know what all these people do or did for a living. Economy? Do they live off the oil revenues, manufacturing, farming? Mankind at it's best? Or a global philosophy and Assad didn't want to play in the 'New World Order'?
and
works for me, good ideas...........:)
saturday cartoons dont want to miss that either.
Jeff, want to help Syria. feel free, take your mangy a$$ to Syria, use your time, your life and your money, leave us alone.
We are getting very short on patience with you scumbags willing use the lives of our military and our money to take care of the camel kissers, and we are getting tired of talking to you about it.
Nice to know some are worrying about 18000 Syrians killed.
What about at least a million killed in the business of removing Saddam and saving the bigoted Sunni Saudis, Kuwiati, UAE and other other rulers by Iraqi wars?
Followers of Islamic cult, especially Sunni Saudi inspired Islamic radicals and militants (al-Qaida, Salaffi, Wahhabi, MB and other label ones), are fast marching backwards to their seventh century desert tribal days.
Are the people bothered about them?
Do some look only in one direction of oil companies, lobbyists, extremist Jewish lobbys and monies and monies thrown around?
Sunni Saudi proxies Islamic militants with labels like al-Qaida, MB, and others are indulging in rapings, lootings, killings and genocides of non-Muslims (Darfur, S. Sudan, Nigeria and spreading like wild fire in many regions and Muslims (Mali, Iraq, Syria, Pakistan, Afghanistan and other places.
Sunni Saudi backed Salaffi and MB new chapters are opening up in Egypt. Just watch the fate of Christians, women and Israel as the time goes by.
We see Muslims, especially Sunni Islamic militants, inventing problems in most of the non-Muslim nations.
romney go home
brilliant comment, has absolutely NOTHING to do with this article, but thats ok after all special needs folk need computer time too.............:)
lol:) good to hear from ya scooter!
g0ne4n0w
Obama doesn't want to make us look bad. Dude needs to get a pair.
.....That's as brilliant as Scooters' post, so everyone is stupid!
I thought you would say so about your friend, Assad!!!!
Obama go home!
Do they have oil?...do the make anything?....do they have minerals?.....do they concern our "national interest"....we will get blamed for this anyway help them or not....the Arab Spring...will be blamed on us....Middle East politics stay away from all of it...you cannot win....if they have oil....install a shill for the oil companies.....suck the country dry...and leave......oh wave the flag also.....these guy's better fight harder...as the american indians should have
Sorry Bud unless you want agriculture or livestock then you're getting nothing. Unfortunately Syria doesnt produce enough crude oil to make it desireable nor does it have precious minerals. All we have is eachother, isn't that enough?? :D
I agree with you!
We have no roles in Syria and Iran.
Iraqi wars and Saudi oil price manipulations and their Salaffi and Wahhabi mosques all around the world have devastated us. Europe has PIIGS.
At least British PM, David Camel should mind his business. Tony Blair did enough damage with his dances on Iraqi wars.
British are holding their Olympics games by having missile shields all around and spying on each and every citizen.
The Islamic radicals and terrorists have brought British to this state of affairs and mess.
What democracy, freedom of expression, human rights and other big words British especially their PM, David Camel is talking of?
In the past few weeks, thousands of bearded Muslim fundamentalists from various Arab and Islamic countries have converged on Syria to participate in the fighting against Assad's forces.
Many of these armed extremists who appear every day on Arab TV stations have made no effort to conceal their aspiration to establish an Islamist caliphate in Syria.
The men who are fighting against Assad's army are anything but reformists and democracy-loving activists. Most appear to be ruthless terrorists and militiamen who came to Syria to carry out suicide bombings and massacre innocent civilians.
These are the same Al-Qaeda members who have been waging a war of attrition against the Iraqi government - and before that the United States - and who are still trying to take control over Yemen.
http://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/
I fully agree. At the same time, what Shiites of Iraq, Iran and other places are doing is a disgrace.
"Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan said late on Friday that international institutions needed to work together to address the military assault on Aleppo and Assad's threat to use chemical weapons against external enemies."
Did the Turks take permission from international institutions when they do genocides of Kurds, Armenians and other minorities?
Did they take permissions when they marched their troops to Cyprus?
Here Shiites of Iraq should side with Kurds and open up a front against the Islamic fundamentalist Erdogan led Turkey and block oil supplies.
Shiites of Iran, instead of bragging about their missiles hitting Zionist Israel, their WMD preparations, or doing dances with their beards on stoning of some poor woman or Jew, should support Syria's Assad!
Is Hezbollah dead?
What a bunch of another 10th century desert dancers in harems of women!
Sunni Saudis are barbaric and beastly bigoted seventh century desert dancers!
The other countries are waiting (As usual) for us (USA) to step in so only our soldiers will be killed. It's time to let the other countries take the initiative...we're tapped out!
It's bad enough that Obama & the rest of our Politicians (Dem. & Rep.) have sold our country out and made us broke!
If people leave the town then ? and if there wasn't any guns in said town then ?
There has been news later that some of these gatherings that we see in these vids are people actually being forced by death threats to look like they are for one side or the other. (not saying that's whats going on here ...but ?)
How can someone get shot at in the town if they are not in the town ? he just said that people were leaving so why would the army want to shoot at it ?
Quickly now, send C-130s full of money !!!
damn it dont give the fools in D.C. any stupid ideas, they have enough of their own.......bet the planes are on standby though.....................:)
thats a rich statement coming from cameron
who killed god knows how many innocents in Libya..
gee whom else was involved it that fiasco? and did so without congressional approval, from another country to boot?......gee i just cant quite remember....can you?.......:)
The army is going to shoot at wherever shots are coming from that are aimed at them , pretty sure that's how it works.....when it comes to security/army matters.
Not to mention that in this country (U.S.) anyone who conspires against it especially when they have guns will be put down most likely before one shot is even fired.
BUT, Pres.Obama says "He respects these freedom fighters"..( LOL )
Obama said, "Everything is fine not to worry", It's ARAB SPRING/Summer
Obama can respect them all he wants to, one cent to Syria or one member of our military, it's impeachment time at best.
It seems Syria is splitting with Iran.
nasty divorce alright, but just think of how much their lawyers will make...............:)
Quickly now, send C-130s full of money !!!
they are filling them as quickly as possible but the presses can only print so many worthless bucks at a time, and at the rate obama spends?......this could take awhile, but never fear ya just know they will..................:)
I would look to find Russia sending in military equipment under the cover of the Olympics.
Russia under Putin is not the good guy.
Hopefully Turkey and the rest of the Arab Nations will see the remergence of Russia into the Middle East like Russia did during the Afghanistan War.
Its obvious to me that by Assad seeking military assistance from Russia and with Russia having a naval port in Syria that Russia is secretly massing an advanced assault force where Assad is trying to kill off as many Syrian's as possible so that when Russian forces land the initial beachhead will be less costly for the Russians as they first take Syria and begin to move towards Afghanistan.
The Middle East has nothing to worry about from America, its the Russians who are trying to conquer the Middle East.
Who gives a rat's patoot?
The Russin and chinks and Assad can do what they like, one cent of our money or one member of our military in Syria impeach every one involved in any way.
This is a civil war. We have no business getting involved or interfering.
Agreed, Syria was nothing but a terrorist supporting nation back in the 60's. Russia backed them then, they can take care of what they created now.
NBC made free advertaising to this evil jew Joe Zimmerman and this clown wan the US president go to Israel to present "his respects" mafia style ? or slave-master relations ?
Heavy skirmishing? are you kidding me? the more the PC crowd try's the more asinine they sound. try a few words like, killing, shooting,maiming, blowing the f up and general chaos. its called .....WAR.......
How ironic, the same people in Washington, the media, and all the liberals whining that the US needs to provide weapons and ammunition to the people of Syria, so they can fight and overthrow their government, are the same group of people who whine that guns and ammunition should be banned in America, in direct conflict with our Constitutional rights.
heres your cookie,,,good job
Sorry handouter you're a bare faced lefty liar.
I stand to he right of John Birch, I say impeach anyone respsonsinble for sending money o people to Syria.
If that doesn't work go to DC with tar and feathers
so how much longer before Assad starts giveing out free "gas"?
Death and destruction abound. Dick Cheney has to be close by.
Waaaaaaahhhhhh its bushs fault !!!!!...................:)
Actually, under Bush, no country liberated itself.
Or under the inept lying quasi socialist in the white house, now.
Who the hell is fighting? All I see is interviews of people running away.
Because of the "media", apparently reporting from a bar in Thailand, we don't have a clue.
Guessing that a couple of thousand dedicated Muslims, are going to kick the Syrian army's ass. It appears that every middle east army is designed to intimidate unarmed citizens. Not so good fighting people with arms.
Only 18,000 casualties and they want to call this a Civil War..Really?.....It's time to step up the fighting and let the real killings begin...They are only about 900,000 away from the real Civil War...Atleast Americans can put on a good war...We need to take our que from France and Britian , as they did during our Civil War, and Stay The Hell Away!!...Its time for one of them Syrian commanders to apply Gen. Shermans tactics amd "March to the Sea"...Its time for "Total war"...Everything must be Destroyed!!
Would it be safe to say there are no pictures of furry bunnies or snuggly kittens taped to your refrigerator?
I wonder what Obama would do if there was a rebellion here?
Blame bush............................:)
not, a bad idea. deport him to a muslim country. but,he would call in the bro's from chicago to protect him. come on nov...........
I don't know what Obama would, but lyin Willardo, the Mexican Mormon Moron tax evader, bankrupter, draft dodger, job outsourcer and Etch A Sketch Champion would be tying his dog on theroof of his car and fleeing to his birthplace in Tijuana.
Obama, would, crap his pants, if Michelle weren't there to hold his hand.
People who say we should get involved have no clue what there talking about. If we walked in it would be a disaster just like Iraq. This is a civil war. We are already taxed out from 2 wars. If we go into this war are soldiers will not want to go. They are just as tired as us about wars.
Impeach any one of any party , responsible for advocating intervening, there.
You hear me Obama, Clinton, McCain?