Annoucements

Ninth Month of Syrian Revolution Ends, UN Raises Death Toll to Over 5,000

Today marks the end of the Syrian revolution's ninth month and nonviolent civil disobedience and activism among members of the opposition continue to rise, irregardless of the Syrian government's intensifying use of lethal force against its detractors. At the same time, the ranks of the Free Syrian Army, the armed element of the uprising, are slowly swelling, fueling concerns that the power of violence will soon overwhelm that of peaceful resistance. For their part, major players in the international community, Turkey, France, and the US among them, appear to be edging toward recanting their noninterventionist views on Syria's crisis, thereby ratcheting up fears that foreign military intervention in Syria is indeed on the table. 

Syrian President Denies Responsibility for Violence and Political Turmoil, Country Braces for Continued Tumult

During his first interview with American media since the start of the revolution, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad claimed no responsibility for the violence and political turmoil in Syria, reiterating Damascus's official line. President Assad told ABC's Barbara Walters this week that only a "crazy person" would kill his own people and indeed, the violence that has taken hold of Syria must only be attributed to armed gangs and efforts by the Syrian government to quell them. At the same time, Burhan Ghalioun, head of the leading opposition group, the Syrian National Council, made a number of missteps during an interview with the Wall Street Journal, leaving some concerned about the extent of his political acumen. The first week of December was a violent one, with well over 100 people killed amid ongoing turmoil. It came on the heels of the deadliest month thus far in the revolution: over 950 people were reportedly killed across the country during the month of November.

Arab League, Turkey Impose Sanctions Against Syria, UN Terms Crisis "Civil War," Ups Death Toll to "Much More" than 4,000

Damascus's recalcitrance before mounting regional and international pressure to bring an end to country-wide violence prompted both the Arab League and Turkey to impose sanctions against Syria this week. Syria's international isolation has taken on profound dimensions as the beleaguered government fights at all costs to remain at the country's helm. The UN Human Rights Committee has now charged the Syrian government with committing systematic "crimes against humanity" while the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, upped the death toll from the uprising on December 1 to "much more" than 4,000 and declared Syria in a state of "civil war".

UN General Assembly Votes in Favor of Resolution Against Syria, Violence Continues Unabated

Arab League efforts to deploy a pan-Arab observer force to Syria collapsed over the weekend following the League's refusal to accept Damascus's proposed amendments to the protocol. Violence spiked mid-week, with some 28 people killed in security crackdowns and clashes on Tuesday. The same day, the UN General Assembly voted in favor of a resolution against Syria condemning "the continued grave and systematic human rights violations by the Syrian authorities" and calling upon Damascus to "immediately put an end to all human rights violations" and protect Syrian civilians. 

Syria's International Isolation Deepens, Armed Opposition Grows Increasingly Brazen

A move by the Arab League to suspend Syria's membership and related League efforts to unify the Syrian opposition, extended clashes between armed members of the opposition and military forces in Daraa, and an opposition-led assault on Syrian air force intelligence facilities in the capital Damascus, place the last seven days in Syria among the country's most significant and foreboding since the revolution began in March. 

Apparent Collapse of Arab League Peace Deal Amid Continued Violence

Lingering hopes that the Syrian government would implement the peace deal brokered by the Arab League were shattered by unrelenting violence across the country this week. Over 60 people have been killed in crackdowns and clashes since the deal was agreed upon. An address by head of the Syrian National Council, Burhan Ghalioun to the Syrian nation on the eve of Eid al-Adha, however, has left some speculating that a plausible political face of the opposition has been borne from its divided ranks. Nevertheless, the uprising's death toll continues to climb, with the United Nations now estimating that over 3,500 Syrians have perished since the start of the revolution in March.

The Syrian Revolution

The Syrian government agreed on November 1st to a plan by the Arab League to bring an end to the violence that has shaken Syria for the last 7 months. The League's plan, which calls for the immediate withdrawal of military forces from all residential neighborhoods and the release of all individuals detained since March, has been met with considerable skepticism at home and abroad. Indeed, the estimated 20 deaths that have occurred across the country since the 1st, serve as compelling fodder for skeptics. Meanwhile, following one of the bloodiest Friday's in recent weeks wherein some 40 people died amid crackdowns and clashes, The Sunday Telegraph published an interview with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, in which the President warned that "any problem in Syria will burn the whole region". 

The Syrian Revolution

This week, protestors in Homs, Daraa and Idlib provinces implemented sweeping strikes on the intensification of security crackdowns against members of the Syrian opposition. The death of former Libyan leader Moammar Gaddafi last Friday left many in Syria feeling emboldened to continue taking to the streets. At the same time, the spate of violent attacks against Syrian security and military forces by armed elements of the opposition continued, resulting in a substantial increase in fatalities among government forces. On Monday, the US State Department called back US Ambassador Ford amid concerns of "credible threats to his security". Two days later, senior officials from the Arab League arrived in Damascus to hold talks on ways to bring an end to the crisis that has overtaken Syria for the last 33 weeks. 

The Syrian Revolution

Violence deepened markedly in Syria this week, with clashes between the Syrian armed forces and its defectors igniting in Homs, Daraa, Idlib and Deir ez-Zor. Aiming for a semblance of relevance to Syria's growing woes, the Arab League issued a deadline on October 16 giving the Syrian government 15 days to implement a ceasefire - lest its membership be suspended. The following day, however, ushered in some of the worst violence the country has seen since March 15 - with well over 40 people killed in clashes in a number of locations. At the same time, cross-border raids by Syrian security forces moving into Lebanon and a spate of violent attacks by armed elements of the opposition, are steadily eroding any lingering hopes that Syria's troubles will be resolved in the absence of protracted conflict - and within the country's own borders.

The Syrian Revolution

Syria's security crisis intensified this week with clashes between the military and army defectors reported in Idlib, Homs and the southern province of Daraa. Security crackdowns against unarmed elements of the opposition were also reported in numerous cities and towns, including the capital Damascus. In total, over 60 people were killed in the last seven days of violence. Nevertheless, in a statement during official meetings on October 12, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad charged that "Syria has been able to overcome the hardest stage" of the country's recent tumult, "thanks to its people's awareness". Meanwhile, officials from both Russia and China stepped forward this week to urge the Syrian government to push forward with still unimplemented comprehensive reforms. 

The Syrian Revolution

In the face of growing international and local concerns of Syria's potential slide into civil war, the Syrian National Council announced its official formation on Sunday October 2 in Istanbul, Turkey. With a broad base of support across the country's disparate opposition groups, the Council's formation marks a key development in the Syrian revolution, giving members of the opposition a representative body and the international community an official organization with which to meet. At the same time, hopes for a powerful international response to the violence that has shaken the country for almost seven months were severely dashed on Tuesday October 4, when Russia and China stepped forward to veto a United Nations Security Council resolution against Syria. 

The Syrian Revolution 

The outbreak of armed conflict in Homs between Syrian security forces and armed members of the opposition on Monday September 26, marks the first large-scale battle between the opposition and the government since the start of the Syrian revolution over six months ago. While the opposition has not officially announced its intent to take up arms and many argue fervently against such a move, the momentum unleashed by the opposition's use of violence will be difficult to control. This development threatens to push the country into the throes of civil war whilst also fueling the government's claim that it is fighting armed groups, not unarmed civilians. Nonviolent opposition rarely succeeds in the face of security forces willing to take up arms against civilians, however, thus rendering alternatives to insurrection increasingly unacceptable to those confronting violent security crackdowns out on the streets. 

The Syrian Revolution On September 18, the Syrian opposition held a crucial six-hour meeting in Syria, bringing young protest organizers and demonstrators together with well-known older generations of dissidents. While meeting participants called upon Syrians to continue protesting in peace, international reportage from around the week suggested that the numbers of protestors out on the streets are dwindling while those still willing to fight for the cause, are increasingly taking up arms. At the same time, rights groups Avaaz and Insan released a report indicating that the death toll from the unrest could be as high as 5,360 - not the 3,004 reported just a week earlier.

The Syrian Revolution

Thursday September 15 marks the start of the sixth month of the Syrian revolution. The preceding 183 days of social upheaval and corresponding security crackdowns have resulted in the deaths of over 3,000 Syrians - with some 113 killed last week alone. Since the uprising began on March 15, 112 Syrian cities and villages have seen deaths amid security crackdowns, over 80 children have been killed in related security incursions, and over 95 adults have reportedly died whilst under torture in Syrian prisons. Activists and foreign officials estimate that more than 15,000 have been imprisoned, several thousand of whom were effectively 'disappeared'.

The Syrian Revolution

Violence across the country took a marked turn for the worse this week, with over 80 people killed in security crackdowns and violent attacks across the country in just seven days. International reportage suggests a shift in the violence, perhaps moving beyond security crackdowns by government forces to include a spike in violent attacks against members of the military and security forces. The continued media blackout leaves the nature and scope of the violence a challenge to ascertain. At the same time, the EU moved forward with the implementation of its oil embargo against Syrian crude on Saturday, the French Foreign Minister termed the actions of the Syrian government as "crimes against humanity," and US Ambassador Ford issued another Facebook note stating that, "given the extent of the government’s brutality, neither the Syrian protest movement nor the international community will believe that this Syrian leadership desires or is capable of the deep, genuine and credible reforms that the Syrian people demand."  

The Syrian Revolution

Ramadan came to an end this week with activists charging that some 473 people were killed amid security crackdowns during the 29 days that spanned the holy month. 360 civilians and 113 members of Syrian security forces were among the dead. Though the violence that shook the month was anticipated by many who predicted that daily antigovernment protests would be met with fierce suppression by security forces, those who expected the protests and violence to bring about the collapse of the government have instead found that the standoff between the opposition and the Syrian government remains strong. Deepening US and EU sanctions and the growing prospect of a European oil embargo against Syrian crude - which will undoubtedly destroy the last vestiges of the Syrian economy - likewise suggest that while the international community rallies against the Syrian government, the Syrian people will continue to pay the price for official decisions made at home - and abroad. 

The Syrian Revolution

On Thursday August 18, the US and its European allies Britain, France, Germany and the European Union, called upon Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to "step aside" for "the sake of the Syrian people". Days later, the United Nations Human Rights Council issued a resolution in condemnation of the Syrian government's "grave" human rights violations and called for the immediate dispatch of an independent international commission of inquiry. The US and EU also imposed further sanctions against key Syrian officials last week as President Assad gave his fourth public statement since the start of the unrest, shunning the opportunity to announce new political reforms. Meanwhile, over 350 people have died amid security crackdowns since the start of Ramadan on August 1 and international commentary on the Syrian crisis is edging toward broad scale concurrence: in the absence of the implementation of profound, systemic reform, the Syrian government is unlikely to weather the revolution intact. 

Syria's Protest Movement

As international rhetoric in condemnation of the violence in Syria roars, the Syrian government continues in its unflinching suppression of the country's deepening unrest. The Turkish ultimatum issued last week - end the violence and implement reforms within two weeks or expect an intensification of Turkish interference - appears to have fallen on deaf ears. On Saturday, the Syrian military initiated a new assault on the coastal city of Lattakia, leading to more deaths, detainments and international condemnations. Tunisia has withdrawn its ambassador to Damascus, Switzerland has imposed more sanctions against Syrian officials, and Jordanian officials have urged for an end to the violence. Now deep into the summer, the deadlock between the government and the opposition continues with no signs of abatement in the near or distant future.

Syria's Protest Movement

Twenty-two consecutive Friday's into the Syrian revolt, Damascus finds itself increasingly encircled by international condemnation. Saudia Arabia, Kuwait and Qatar all withdrew their ambassadors from Damascus early last week, following a speech by Saudi King Abdallah urging an end to the violence and the implementation of real reform, and weekend statements from both the Arab League and the Gulf Cooperation Council denouncing the country-wide violence. Turkish Foreign Minister Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu met with President Bashar al-Assad on Tuesday to demand the cessation of violence within two weeks, while the US imposed further economic sanctions against the country's financial system. At the same time, another estimated 150 civilians were killed in crackdowns across the country between August 7 and 12. 

Syria's Protest Movement

Grave military campaigns in Hama, Homs, Daraa and Deir ez-Zor ushered in the first week of Ramadan. The Sunday crackdown, the worst since the start of the Syrian revolution in March, resulted in the deaths of an estimated 136 - some 100 of whom, were killed in Hama. Though the month of Ramadan is meant to be characterized by charitable acts and well wishes, fears of broad scale unrest and violence following daily prayers have only been confirmed as no day since August 1, the first day of Ramadan, has passed without considerable fatalities. As the city of Hama reportedly lay in severe duress, and after months of diplomatic wrangling, the United Nations Security Council responded to the crisis in Syria with a Presidential Statement condemning the "widespread violations of human rights and the use of force against civilians by the Syrian authorities" and calling for an "immediate end to all violence".