Syrian “Civil War” Moves Into Damascus
July 16, 2012
Fierce clashes between antigovernment activists and the Syrian military continue in Damascus for a second day. Troops backed by armored personnel carriers are being deployed in various parts of the city. According to witnesses communicating by cell phone to media outside the country, the deployment in the capital is the largest in the 16-month uprising against the regime of President Bashar al-Assad. A Syrian activist told the Associated Press that the main road to Damascus International Airport in the south has been closed. Speaking to a BBC reporter, one resident stated, “It’s mainly in the southern parts of the city which are effectively besieged at the moment. . . The feeling, among people around me, is that it’s our turn now. We are really feeling this. That this is the final fight, building up to who wins control of the regime.” Yesterday, the Geneva, Switzerland-based International Committee of the Red Cross declared that it now viewed the conflict in Syria as a full-blown civil war.
Clashes between antigovernment activists and the Syrian military, ongoing since March 2011, have recently spread into the capital city of Damascus.
Last week, more than 200 Syrians were massacred in a village near the city of Hama. Helicopter gunships and tanks bombarded Tremseh before militiamen stormed the farming village and carried out execution-style killings, in what could prove to be the worst single incident of violence since the start of the uprising.
In response, Syria’s ambassador to Iraq, Nawaf al-Fares, announced that he had defected from Assad’s government and was supporting the opposition. The diplomat’s move comes just days after another top-level defection. On July 4, Brigadier General Manaf Tlass, a long-time friend and member of Assad’s inner circle, crossed into Turkey with his family and several lesser ranking members of the Syrian military. According to the Turkish government, hundreds of Syrian soldiers have sought refuge across the border.
Kofi Annan, the special United Nations (UN) and Arab League envoy for Syria, arrived in Moscow today (July 16) to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin. He is expected to urge Putin to pressure Syria’s leaders to begin a political transition. A long-time ally of Syria, Russia has vetoed several UN Security Council resolutions for foreign intervention. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon is also expected to discuss the situation in Syria with Chinese leaders when he arrives in Beijing for a China-Africa summit. China has joined Russia in vetoing the Security Council resolutions. Some 16,000 people are believed to have been killed since the uprising began in March 2011.
Additional World Book articles:
- Middle East: From Fall to Spring (a special report)
- Syria 2011 (a Back in Time article)
