The protest movement in Syria delivered on a promised record turnout on Friday, with massive rallies reported in virtually every city nationwide. The regime’s security forces were also out in force, however, shooting massive numbers of demonstrators.
A very preliminary count has at least 88 protesters killed and several hundred others wounded. The toll is almost certain to rise in what has been dubbed by opposition members the “Good Friday Massacre.”
Syria’s state media was largely mum on the protests, but accused “armed groups” (the regime’s chosen term for demonstrators) of injuring firemen in an attack in Damascus. Interestingly for an “armed” group, the attackers were said to have thrown stones at the firemen. They also accused al-Jazeera of “distorting facts” in covering the protests, saying it amounted to “incitement.”
The protesters were by far the most widespread Syria has seen, and the death toll was likewise much larger than in previous days. Each Friday has seen a larger rally than the last, with a tiny demonstration along the Jordan border five weeks ago swelling to a massive rebellion calling for regime change.
Leaders of the protest movement issued a statement today demanding the abolition of the Ba’ath Party’s system of single party rule in favor of full democracy. They also demanded that political prisoners be released and the existing security state replaced.
Obama wades into Syria, he's gonna have to hire some extra help.
Assad is a savage. Apparently it's easier to slaughter people than make reforms in Syria. Bad Karma to him.
What reform you are talking about.., the education is for free in Syria.., so is the case in Libya.., healthcare is for free in Syria so is in Libya.., I want for Obama or for that matter the US "democratic" party to say that.., In US you need to barrow money from the government or privet institutions.., a lots of money to be educated and then for rest of your life you have to work to pay the money back.., on top of that you pay taxes too. It is not the countries in Middle East that needs to be reformed but US and EU are the one that need to reform themselves. Is the foreign policies of US and EU that needs to be reformed.., to start with…, stop being manipulative in all aspects of capitalism economical policies.
"It is not the countries in Middle East that needs to be reformed"
Wow, what a brilliant comment! Hurry – tell the protesters they need to stop protesting! Like Jamal says, everything's OK with Arab and Muslim societies. No reforms necessary! Quick – tell the protesters! They've been protesting for nothing. All is well! Spread the word!
Earth to Jamal: the reason people have been killing each other in the streets of Tunisia, Egypt, Yemen, Bahrain, Syria, Iran and Libya is that COUNTRIES IN THE MIDDLE EAST NEED TO BE REFORMED!!! OPEN YOUR EYES!!!
Agreed. He's just as savage as those Palestinian teenagers who confessed to sneaking into a home and stabbing an Israeli family to death a few months ago. They admitted that, had they known there were other children in the home, they would have stabbed them, too.
This is what the Us and EU wants for the people in Middle East, another turmoil another internal conflicts made possible by US and EU. This is the Obama Doctrine creating momentum for these hired Islamic groups as in Libya to start the turmoil and then a war where US and EU will join and occupy the country.., if that doesn’t work then they always lie about the WMD or they would drone the country to save lives.., This is their last hope cooperating with terrorism and right wing Islamist to prove a point that they are not democrats but rather a war monger party.., that they work for Oil companies.., that they work for Goldman Sachs and others, that they are the servants of Middle Eastern Kingdome Tyrants family, that they are the servants of Zionism.
Yes Jamal, this is all the fault of the Israelis and Americans.
Poor, peaceful Muslims would never fight each other without the west making them do it. Never!
They would never have a problem with their dictators unless we convinced them to rise up.
It's scary to me that so many people have the same warped mindset as you do. This refusal to accept any responsibility for anything is what will doom the Arabs to decades more of backwards economies, poverty and war.
"another internal conflicts made possible by US and EU"
What a sad, predictable reaction. Blame everybody but who's really responsible: the oppressive, demonic regimes of Syria and Iran (the latter for propping up the former). Also responsible is the longstanding cultural acceptance of allowing thugs to take power by force and rule with an iron fist for their entire natural lives. But why put any blame on the anti-democracy, anti-human-rights, anti-freedom tradition of Arab and Muslim nations, when you can pile it all on foreign powers and wallow in your outrage?
The Taliban were guests of honor in Texas but they couldn´t agree on the pipeline. Now they have built some 400 kms of Trans-Afghan Pipeline to bring oil and gas from Turkmenistan through Afghanistan and Pakistan to go by ship to United Bluff. The first thing they did in Benghazi was setting up a national bank and selling oil to Qatar. Blair went to Libya with BP executives to get a contract. It´s always about oil and banking.
So when does Washington start its "humanitarian" bombing campaign?
How is this possible?
Syria is friends with Hezbollah, Iran and the Palestinians. They stand against the imperialists of America and Israel!
They wouldn't massacre Arab protesters, would they? Surely only Americans, Jews and their allies do that.