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MASADA: Will The Battle For Aleppo Decide The Fate Of Assad ?
27-Jul-2012
While the deemed « civilized » world will be treated at the Olympic Games with it’s share of « bread and circus », I cannot help but think of another far more dramatic spectacle in the making. The Syrian rebels under siege in the city of Aleppo known for it’s ancient archeological sites already heavily bombarded by the troops of Syrian President Assad are about to face their most Deadly challenge yet. (Source: persianrealm.com)
As the siege of Aleppo continues, already dubbed by both sides as « the mother of all battles », I am sadly reminded of all the tragic and desperate acts of resistance against all odds and one in particular that of Masada (72 B.C.) in a region which has witnessed so many others in it’s long history.
Although the brave Syrian rebels are far from suicidal, their desperate situation as a poorly equipped rebellious lot facing a brutally professional killing machine led by Bachar Assad’s henchmen (including his own brother) will definitively be remembered as a tragic bloody milestone in this already year long confict.
As BBC War Correspondent Ian Pannel describes it : « It is almost inconceivable that President Assad could allow his government to lose control of the city, so it is reasonable to expect that they are going to throw everything they possibly can at the city.
And that is what they are preparing for here. One of the neighbourhoods is appealing for more blood supplies. We are hearing reports of hundreds, possibly thousands of families leaving some districts. Everybody is bracing themselves for an intensive campaign.
The way it has worked in other cities is that there is an intensive bombardment by artillery and mortars, and then when it starts to go calm, tanks begin to roll in. This is a very congested heavily populated area, so it will be bloody. » (Seerelated News).
Battle for Aleppo 'crucial' for Syria's future (Daily Telegraph, Jul 23, 2012):
Speaking from a village on the outskirts of Aleppo in Syria, the Telegraph's
Foreign Affairs Correspondent says that the rebels "think they have
nothing to lose" in the battle for the city.
Crac des Chevaliers holds out against Assad troops (AFP, Jul 4, 2012):
The Crac des Chevaliers, Syria's best preserved castle from the Crusades of the Middle Ages, is once again providing shelter for armed forces. The Free Syria Army have been holed up in and around the hilltop the fortress for over a year as they resist the advance of forces loyal the President Assad. An exclusive AFPTV report.
(NOTE : To Watch Double Click Here)
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MASADA’s DO OR DIE :
The Mother of All Battles ?
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The siege of Masada was among the final accords of the First Jewish-Roman War. The long siege by the troops of theRoman Empire led to the mass suicide of the Sicarii rebels and resident Jewish families of the Masada fortress. The siege has become a controversial event in Jewish history, marking radicalism on the one hand and heroic struggle on the other. (More Here) The Siege of Massada:
Documentary revists the myth of Massada in the light of new archeological discoveries
Peter O'Toole and Peter Strauss star in the Emmy Award-winning mini-series about the Romans' siege of the Jewish fortress at Masada. In first century A.D., Flavius Silva (Peter O'Toole), commander in Roman Palestine, leads his forces in combat against the remaining Jewish Zealots who have taken refuge in the seemingly impregnable fortress of Masada. There, the engineering and military might of Rome faces the passion and ingenuity of Eleazar Ben Yair (Peter Strauss) and his people. Based on the novel "The Antagonists" by Ernest K. Gann, this 4-part mini-series was shot on location in Israel.
Retribution :
Masada "The Leaders Meet" :
Generals Meet before Assault :
Recommended Readings:
Conflict threatens Syria's archaeological heritage (France 24) With its ancient fortresses, castles, mosques and markets, Syria bears the imprint of millennia of Middle Eastern history. But the current uprising is threatening some of the world’s most valuable heritage sites.
Profile of the City of Aleppo (bbc)
The Old Quarter of Aleppo is listed by Unesco as a World Heritage site. Its population of two million is made up mainly of Sunni Muslims, most of whom are Arabs but some of whom are Kurds. It also has the largest population of Christians in the country, and along with a mix of other religious and ethnic communities, the city's demographics largely mirror those of the country as a whole.As one of the oldest continually inhabited cities in the world - along with the capital, Damascus - and coloured with the stories of the many ancient travellers and merchants who passed through on their journeys along the famous Silk Road, Aleppo's beauty is hard to compare.
The medieval citadel and covered souk are two of its famous landmarks - both listed by Unesco as world heritage sites, which said it mirrored the rich and diverse cultures of its successive occupants.
Related Photo Essay:
In pictures : the Battle of Aleppo (bbc)
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Rebels 'attack key Syria airbase'
by Darius Kadivar on Sat Nov 03, 2012 02:55 AM PDTRebels 'attack key Syria airbase' (bbc)
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Gunmen have ended their siege of Libya's parliament, having been given the chance to meet the prime minister to air their grievances.Activists: Assad using 'vacuum bombs' say's Opposition
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(CNN) -- An array of explosives, from shells to barrel bombs, fell on Syrian cities in another day of bloodshed Thursday, according to activists fighting to overthrow President Bashar al-Assad.
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STORY HIGHLIGHTS
Syria rebels 'take key Damascus-Aleppo checkpoints'
by Darius Kadivar on Thu Nov 01, 2012 10:22 AM PDTSyria rebels 'take checkpoints' (bbc)
Rebel attacks on army checkpoints on the main road between Syria's biggest cities, Damascus and Aleppo, have left 28 government troops dead, reports say.
Five opposition fighters were also killed in the attacks, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based activist group.US warning over Syrian extremism
by Darius Kadivar on Thu Nov 01, 2012 12:21 AM PDTUS warning over Syrian extremism (bbc)
US Secretary of State Hilary Clinton has urged Syria's opposition to resist efforts by extremist groups to "hijack the revolution".
Speaking on a trip to Croatia, she said the rebel leadership needed to be more inclusive of those fighting in Syria.
The Turkey-based Syrian National Council (SNC) has been powerless to stop the escalating violence.
Mrs Clinton also revealed the Obama administration has suggested who should feature in the rebel leadership.Is Iran behind Syria drone attacks?
by Darius Kadivar on Wed Oct 31, 2012 04:22 PM PDTIs Iran behind Syria drone attacks? (cnn, video)
Tehran is supplying the Assad regime with drones, say opposition activists. CNN's Nick Paton Walsh reports from Beirut.
Syria warplanes bomb rebel areas
by Darius Kadivar on Wed Oct 31, 2012 05:08 AM PDTSyria warplanes bomb rebel areas (bbc)
Warplanes are bombarding opposition strongholds around Damascus and in the north, activists say, as government forces seek to reverse rebel gains.
Qatar accuses Syria of genocide
by Darius Kadivar on Tue Oct 30, 2012 06:23 PM PDTQatar accuses Syria of genocide (cnn)
Syria's government is waging "a war of extermination" against its own people, the emir of Qatar said, according to state media, hours after a failed four-day cease-fire left hundreds of Syrians dead
Syrian air force general 'killed by rebels'
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A senior Syrian air force general has been shot dead by rebels in a suburb of the capital Damascus, state television reports.
Deadly car bombing rocks Damascus
by Darius Kadivar on Mon Oct 29, 2012 05:40 AM PDTDeadly car bombing rocks Damascus (bbc)
At least 10 people have been killed in a car bombing in the Syrian capital Damascus, state media report, on the fourth day of a supposed ceasefire.
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The Syrian government has heavily shelled several areas of the country, say activists, despite a UN-backed ceasefire for the festival of Eid al-Adha.
Bloodshed in Syria despite truce
by Darius Kadivar on Fri Oct 26, 2012 04:43 PM PDTBloodshed in Syria despite truce (bbc, video)
A temporary truce agreed by Government forces in Syria and rebels to mark a Muslim religious holiday has already been broken.
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The BBC's World Affairs Correspondent Paul Wood reports.
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A car bombing hits the Syrian capital Damascus, with reports of many casualties, shattering a ceasefire that came into force hours earlier.
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A four-day ceasefire to mark the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha comes into effect in Syria, but there are reports of fighting in several areas.
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Syria crisis: Discord grows between Islamist and secular rebels
by Darius Kadivar on Thu Oct 25, 2012 08:10 AM PDTUm Ahmad was the first woman to join the protests in Douma, a town on the eastern outskirts of Damascus.
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Wearing a veil under her pink coat, she lights a cigarette and recalls the first days of the movement.
"I used to go door-to-door knocking on women's houses to encourage them to take to the street," she said.
Though Um Ahmad presents herself as a member of the conservative Islamist Salafi movement, she and her fellow protesters were not calling for a state ruled by Sharia law.
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Funeral blast: Children's bodies 'burnt'
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Doubts loom over Syria cease-fire plan
by Darius Kadivar on Thu Oct 25, 2012 04:23 AM PDTDoubts loom over Syria cease-fire plan (bbc)
Syria 'to give truce decision'
by Darius Kadivar on Thu Oct 25, 2012 04:19 AM PDTSyria 'to give truce decision' (bbc)
Syria's government is expected to announce its decision on a ceasefire proposed for this weekend's Eid al-Adha holiday by UN envoy Lakhdar Brahimi.
Jon Leyne's take on the "cease fire"
by Darius Kadivar on Wed Oct 24, 2012 07:40 AM PDTJon Leyne BBC Middle East correspondent, Cairo
Lakhdar Brahimi's surprise announcement of a Syria ceasefire raises as many questions as it answers.
As he made clear, while he believes the Syrian government has agreed to the ceasefire, only some of the rebel groups are on board. There are so many different rebel groups it may be impossible to win unanimous agreement from them. It could also be true that the Syrian government actually has more interest in a ceasefire, while it remains in power.
There is also the question of when the ceasefire would come into force - some Arab countries begin the Eid al-Adha holiday on Thursday, others, including Syria, mark it from Friday - and how long it would last. Nevertheless this does seem to be a rare glimmer of good news in a conflict which has been getting more intense by the day.
Assad 'agrees to Eid ceasefire' with Jimmy Carter's benediciton
by Darius Kadivar on Wed Oct 24, 2012 07:39 AM PDTWatch Jimmy in the Video ...
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The UN's envoy to Syria says President Bashar al-Assad's government has agreed to abide by a ceasefire during the Islamic holiday of Eid al-Adha.
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Syria 'agrees to Eid ceasefire'
by Darius Kadivar on Wed Oct 24, 2012 03:23 AM PDT
Syria 'agrees to Eid ceasefire' (bbc)The UN and Arab League envoy to Syria says the Syrian government has agreed to abide by a ceasefire during the Islamic holiday of Eid al-Adha
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by Darius Kadivar on Tue Oct 23, 2012 08:41 PM PDTDozens killed in Syrian bakery attack (cnn)
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Dozens killed in Syrian bakery attack
by Darius Kadivar on Tue Oct 23, 2012 08:38 PM PDTDozens killed in Syrian bakery attack (cnn)
The latest horrifying video from Syria shows yet another attack on a bakery where innocent people were just trying to buy bread.
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by Darius Kadivar on Sun Oct 21, 2012 08:20 AM PDTThe battle for control of Syria's media (bbc, video)
Reporting from inside Syria is becoming increasingly difficult for foreign journalists.
But all forms of media - particularly Syrian state TV - are strictly controlled to serve the interests of the regime, and Syria currently ranks 176th out of 179 countries in the International Press Freedom Index.
BBC Monitoring's Mike Linstead explains how social media sites are becoming the new battleground for control of news and information as pro-government and anti-government activists use the internet to get their side of the conflict across.
Syria car bomb 'target police
by Darius Kadivar on Sun Oct 21, 2012 08:18 AM PDTSyria car bomb 'target police' (bbc, video)
International peace envoy Lakhdar Brahimi has met Syria's embattled president Bashar al-Assad.
Mr Brahimi, who represents the UN and the Arab League, is in Damascus to press both the government and the rebels to observe a truce over the Muslim festival of Eid al-Adha.
Meanwhile Syrian state media report that several people were killed in an explosion in a Christian area of Damascus on Sunday.
James Reynolds reports from Turkey Syria border.