Tanks attack crowds in Syria, 3,000 detainees unaccounted for
Eleven people are killed in an attack by tanks in the city of Kanaker. Since the start of the protests, more than 1,600 have died and another 26,000 have been arrested with more than 12,000 still in custody. The new al Qaeda leader refers to Syria’s protest movement in his first message. People are waiting to see what will happen during Ramadan.
Beirut (AsiaNews) – The whereabouts of about 2,918 Syrians are still “unknown”. They are part of the 26,000 people arrested since March when anti-regime demonstrations began. Of these, 12,617 are still in detention, this according to Avaaz, an NGO that has collected information with names and pictures of all those who have “disappeared”.
Avaaz’s report comes a day after the latest bloody crackdown by the authorities. At least 11 people were killed in Kanaker, a town some 30 kilometres from the Syrian capital of Damascus. Tanks attacked protesters and overwhelmed stone-throwing residents. Thus, the death toll has reached 1,634 killed since the start of the protests.
The Syrian National Organisation for Human Rights said that military intelligence also arrested 300 people in Kanaker and took them away in 11 buses.
Al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri spoke about the situation in Syria in his first video message. In it, he praised Syrian protesters who want to topple the regime of President Bashar Assad whilst accusing the United States of trying to impose “another regime against your revolution and jihad with a government that follows America and cares for the interest of Israel.”
As Ramadan is set to begin on Monday, the situation appears even more uncertain.
For some observers, it does not bode well for the regime since the largest protests so far have been associated with days of prayer. Now, more people are expected to take part in daily prayers and mosques should see larger crowds. It will be difficult for the regime to kill large number of people on a daily basis, especially since that might further antagonise Syrians during the holy month.
Others believe the ban on eating and drinking from dawn to dusk might affect people’s ability to take to the streets.
Mamoun al-Homsi, a Syrian opposition activist cited by Al Jazeera, believes the next stage in the revolution will also be the "gravest" as the crackdown is intensified. In fact, Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has reportedly offered US$ 5.8 billion in aid to Syria to bolster its position in the face of growing dissent.
Tehran's financial support comes after press reports indicated an influx of Iranian manpower, including advisors and trainers, to Syria. (PD)
Avaaz’s report comes a day after the latest bloody crackdown by the authorities. At least 11 people were killed in Kanaker, a town some 30 kilometres from the Syrian capital of Damascus. Tanks attacked protesters and overwhelmed stone-throwing residents. Thus, the death toll has reached 1,634 killed since the start of the protests.
The Syrian National Organisation for Human Rights said that military intelligence also arrested 300 people in Kanaker and took them away in 11 buses.
Al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri spoke about the situation in Syria in his first video message. In it, he praised Syrian protesters who want to topple the regime of President Bashar Assad whilst accusing the United States of trying to impose “another regime against your revolution and jihad with a government that follows America and cares for the interest of Israel.”
As Ramadan is set to begin on Monday, the situation appears even more uncertain.
For some observers, it does not bode well for the regime since the largest protests so far have been associated with days of prayer. Now, more people are expected to take part in daily prayers and mosques should see larger crowds. It will be difficult for the regime to kill large number of people on a daily basis, especially since that might further antagonise Syrians during the holy month.
Others believe the ban on eating and drinking from dawn to dusk might affect people’s ability to take to the streets.
Mamoun al-Homsi, a Syrian opposition activist cited by Al Jazeera, believes the next stage in the revolution will also be the "gravest" as the crackdown is intensified. In fact, Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has reportedly offered US$ 5.8 billion in aid to Syria to bolster its position in the face of growing dissent.
Tehran's financial support comes after press reports indicated an influx of Iranian manpower, including advisors and trainers, to Syria. (PD)
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