The other victims included women and children in cases were families were known to sympathize with the FSA. The latter had withdrawn from the town before Assad’s forces entered. All 700 victims were known to be alive at that time. At least 1700 more were arrested and have disappeared. Of course, the regime is already blaming the opposition.
The regime seems to have killed virtually every young man of military age, except for supporters. Apparently, as Enduring America points out, its goal was to deter tactics used in the American revolution at Concord, in which townsmen would join revolutionary forces and then return to their trades. In Darayee it’s apparent that every young man was targetted on the assumption he was pro-FSA or would be evrntually except where a family was known to be pro-regime.
In one massacrte alone yesterday, over 300 were killed–including women and children. As Enduring America points out:
To be clear – all indications were that the Free Syrian Army moved out of this city and the regime stormed the city long before these massacres took place. There have been no reports that we’ve seen indicating battles or skirmishes in this city since then. The reports we’ve seen indicate large security presence, with perhaps thousands of infantry and dozens of tanks, not to mention the constant presence of helicopters overhead. Even the regime admits control oveer the city as they “purify… terrorist remnants.” If several hundred people have been killed, the killings were either directly done by the Assad regime or they were allowed to happen under the careful watch of the military. This is very likely the worst single massacre in the history of this uprising.
Prior to yesterday, Assad had begun killing over 200 a day. Yesterday’s known total nationwide was 440. broken down thus:
310 in Damascus and its suburbs (mostly in the Daraya Massacre), 40 in Aleppo, 28 in Deir Ezzor, 24 in Idlib, 15 in Daraa, 9 in Hama, and 4 in Homs
.
To President Obama: THE REGIME HAS CROSSED A RED LINE & MAY AS WELL BE USING CHEMICAL WEAPONS.
Obviously it intends to continue such tactics daily so long as the West ALLOWS it a free hand. I think the West and the USA have no choice but to end their reservations about supplying the people with anti-tank and anti-air, vetting out extreme Islamists in the latter case or using Special Forces if need be. A few prediators would be useful in going after the military units responsible.
Within Syria, James Miller notes one potential repercussion below. Another possiblity is further defections within the government and military. Whether the West helps or not, the regime will continue to slaughter civilians. The big difference will be in the numbers slaughtered otherwise. Still, the number certain to die will be much higher unless the West starts providing them with the means to defend themselves. That will shorten the conflict and spur quick defections. Finally, can you imagine anyone–including Khamenei–giving shelter to Assad after these crimes?
INTERESTING COMMENTS FROM EA SUBPOSTS:
James Miller: if the regime is making a habit of killing ALL fighting aged men in places like Darayya, this could backfire. If you feel like it’s a guarantee that you’ll be murdered in your sleep, it’s easier to make the leap and take up arms. That’s what happened in Homs. Lots of people that have been interviewed said that the more shells landed the more they realized that peaceful resistance was naive. I think we’re about to find out soon enough which of these things happens, because a massacre of this scale always has a reaction.
Kevin (asking a question Iran’s Greens need consider): What were these activists plans for toppling the regime? Do they think that marching in the streets getting mowed down like cattle was going to do the job? I would be sorry to be the one to tell them that if they truly want that regime gone then it will not happen without force. Can they really not see that?
