Protests were again active in the southern city of Daraa, in Syria. Hundreds took to the streets there, and also in the nearby town of Nawa. Daraa has been the site of several protests over the past week and security forces have killed and wounded a number of people.
And Wednesday unfortunately, was no different, as an attack on protesters who had gathered inside the Omari mosque in Daraa left at least 37 people dead, including a prominent city doctor who went to treat the wounded. Witnesses say security forces cut off electricity and telephone service to the mosque around midnight, and then launched the attack.
The Syrian government confirmed violence at the mosque, and the death of the doctor, but insisted that an “armed gang” snuck into the mosque and carried out the attack after midnight.
Blaming random gangs for killings has been a common tactic across the region when dealing with protesters. In this case, it seems particularly ridiculous, however, because the mosque was surrounded by security forces at the time. Witnesses likewise appear unanimous in saying that it was security forces that opened fire on the mosque.
A Horrific Israeli crime. Down with Zionism!
So it begins….
A lot of people assumed, amidst the early joy of early successes, that the pro-US regimes in Tunisia and Egypt were among the worst of Arab dictatorship. NOT EVEN CLOSE!
Those regimes fell quickly because they were the least willing to use brute force. Libya is proving to be another matter entirely, and Syria will likely dwarf the carnage unleashed by Ghadafi.
The Alawites are an entrenched minority who fear (with some justification) that the Sunni majority will oppress them should they lose power.
They will slaughter THOUSANDS before they give up power.
Soooooooo…… when can we expect a No Fly Zone to be established over Syria, and the government forces responsible for this taken to task by the West? I'm sure Congress is debating a Declaration of War right this very minute- oh, wait… Obama doesn't think he needs one! Okay, we're good to go- the bombing begins in five minutes.
Hey, that's about our speed these days- shoot first and maybe think about asking questions later (as long as they're not too uncomfortable to answer).
Merely a historical point – Daraa was where T. E. Lawrence was arrested and tortured by the Turks in WWI. Sad that tragedy strikes again.