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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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NIGHT OF THE GENERALS : Paul Conroy describes "pure, systematic slaughter of civilians"
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Rebels and Assad’s forces face-off in Zabadani
by Darius Kadivar on Sat Jul 28, 2012 10:27 AM PDTRebels and Assad’s forces face-off in Zabadani (france 24)
A special video report from our correspondent in the village of Zabadani, which has seen fierce fighting between President Bashar al-Assad’s forces and the rebel Free Syrian Army.After Assad falls, could Syria worsen?
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by Darius Kadivar on Sat Jul 28, 2012 06:53 AM PDT'Nonstop shelling' rocks Aleppo - opposition (cnn)
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by Darius Kadivar on Sat Jul 28, 2012 06:51 AM PDTSyria’s most prominent defector pledges to help reunite country (france 24)
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by Darius Kadivar on Sat Jul 28, 2012 06:46 AM PDT‘Mother of all battles’ as Syrian forces attack Aleppo (France 24)
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By Wyre Davies BBC News
What is happening in Syria cannot be taken in isolation. The protracted upheaval in one of the Middle East's biggest, most powerful and most influential countries is affecting the entire region and, most critically, its immediate neighbours.
Like Iraq, Jordan and Lebanon Turkey has already absorbed - almost without hesitation - thousands of Syrians fleeing the fighting, in particular from the northern cities of Hama and Aleppo.
Turkey is understandably concerned that the number of civilians fleeing across its relatively open southern border will increase as the fighting intensifies in Syria.
Some of those refugees also bring their own political baggage with them and there have already been disturbances in the border camps.
Occasionally ethnic and regional tensions spill over as thousands of displaced Syrians live cheek by jowl in tents under the blisteringly hot summer sum.
But for Turkey, the refugee issue is a mere inconvenience compared to what it thinks will be the biggest fall-out of the Syrian crisis - the Kurds and Kurdistan.
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We came into the city last night and since first light, we have been hearing the amplification of artillery bombardment.
There have been gunfights in a number of areas and helicopters flying overhead.
We are hearing that there is a government offensive targeting Salah el-Din, which has been one of the most restive neighbourhoods - perhaps the key district - and which has been in the hands of the opposition Free Syrian Army for a number of days now.
Syria forces launch Aleppo attack
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Beyneh khodemoon Kurda daran Kerm Meereezan
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Sigh ...
Kurdish worries drag Turkey deeper into Syria war
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By Peter Apps and Daren Butler
LONDON/ISTANBUL, July 27 (Reuters) - - Turkey may be some way from acting on Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan's threat to strike Kurdish separatists in Syria, but week by week it finds itself sucked ever further into its neighbour's worsening war.
The shooting down of a Turkish reconnaissance jet last month was seen by many as a turning point, prompting Ankara to join Saudi Arabia at Qatar in semi-covert support for the Free Syrian Army fighting against President Bashar al-Assad.
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The prime minister said Turkey's military is closely monitoring the developments. He warned the Kurdistan Workers Party, or PKK, which is fighting for self-rule in Turkey's southeast, and the Democratic Union Party of Syria, known as the PYD, to avoid any attempt at collaboration.
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by Darius Kadivar on Fri Jul 27, 2012 02:51 PM PDTThe Kurds in Syria: Fueling Separatist Movements in the Region?
Muslims in general and Muslim leaders particularly have often been severely criticized for not more energetically condemning the violent acts of Muslim extremists. The uninformed often assume that extremists represent Islam’s mainstream. Even those who recognize that extremists are on the margins of the worldwide Muslim community do not understand the degree of pluralism within Islam. Islam comes in many forms and interpretations. Violent extremists are on one edge of the Muslim community, but they are counterbalanced by a growing movement of Muslim peacemakers. The purpose of this report is 1) to explore the extent to which Muslim leaders have spoken out publicly to condemn the violent acts committed by extremists; and 2) to identify growing efforts within Muslim communities to reach out peacefully to other communities and to reinforce the peaceful message of Islam. It is also hoped that reports of these efforts in one part of the world will be instructive for Muslims living elsewhere.Syria faces growing Aleppo anger
by Darius Kadivar on Fri Jul 27, 2012 02:24 PM PDTThe international community has stepped up the pressure on the Syrian government to end its assault on the country's biggest city, Aleppo.
Western nations have warned of a potential massacre as military forces press home their attack.
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by Darius Kadivar on Fri Jul 27, 2012 10:27 AM PDTAssad's fall 'only a matter of time' (bbc)
The former head of the UN mission in Syria says President Assad's fall is "only a matter of time", as Syrian forces renew an assault on Aleppo.