THE BATTLE FOR AL-ATAREB IN ALEPPO. ASSAD’S FORCES HAVE BEEN ATTACKING THIS TINY TOWN FOR MONTHS YET CANNOT MAKE IT’S RESIDENTS BOW TO ASSAD. Aleppo (Al-Atareb): May 29, 2012 - This town is no larger than one square kilometer. It lies about 25km west of Aleppo city and is on the road to Idleb, where the FSA has it’s strongest presence in Syria.

This town has been through hell. They have been occupied on several occasions, suffered brutal assaults by Russian helicopter gunships and have been shelled constantly for months. Yet Assad’s forces cannot take the town.

An Assadist helicopter gunship roams the skies as a burnt-out tank smolders. 

Another video of the fighting.

***LEAKED VIDEO*** ASSAD’S FORCES FILM THEMSELVES AS THEY SHELL THE ANCIENT CITY OF MADIQ CASTLE, BUILT IN 350BC. Hama (Madiq Castle): As highlighted in previous posts, Assad’s forces have done their best to destroy this ancient citadel, which is the only continuously inhabited castle on earth. Dozens were killed when Assad’s forces shelled the town, in response to the protests for freedom.

In this video we can see Assad’s army smile, laugh and joke as the artillery fires away at the town of unarmed Syrians. They have no problems showing their faces, under Assad’s laws, they are free to murder and destroy as they see fit.

Here we can see the shells impacting the citadel itself in this video, this one and this one. Al Arabiya ran a report on the shelling of the ancient city.

Thanks @Hamaecho

***MUST WATCH*** BBC’S LYCE DOUCET TRAVELS TO HOMS WITH UNITED NATIONS MONITORS. Please watch and share. Witness a fraction of the utter destruction and devastation that Assad’s army has brought upon the Capital of the Syrian Revolution.

Thanks @Samsomhoms

ROCKET FIRED BY ASSAD’S FORCES ALMOST HITS THE CAMERMAN. Homs (Jobar): May 24, 2012 - Just like so many mornings in Homs, this one was the same. Residents woke to the shaking and sounds of a rocket attack by Assad’s forces against the city. They - the residents - are the target. 

There is no where to run, there is no where to hide. Assad’s forces are collectively punishing the people of Homs for protesting.

Thanks @Ugariti_Homsi

***LEAKED VIDEO*** “ASSAD OR WE BURN THE COUNTRY!” - A 1ST HAND ACCOUNT OF AN ASSAD LOYALIST ON HIS WAY TO DESTROY MADIQ CASTLE. Hama (Madiq Castle): March 30, 2012 - In this video the cameraman who calls himself “Abu-Shareef, Heart of Assad” describes how they are moving towards the ancient city of Madiq Castle (dating back to c.300BC) to “cleanse” it.

At one point we says (a few times) “(It’s either) Assad or we burn the country!” And burn the country they are. Here we can see in this video the systematic shelling of the castle up-close. Massive explosions as Assad’s forces destroy the ancient citadel. More shelling here.

Madiq Castle is the only castle on earth that has been continuously inhabited since it was built more than 2,000 years ago. Assad’s forces want to destory that record.

A report by Al-Arabiya on the shelling and destruction of Madiq Castle.

Thanks @AmalHanano

“I don’t know what to do now! I feel the whole world is a cup of tea.”

These are the words Trad utters after the Syrian army forced him to leave his home in Al-Madiq Citadel in Hama, Syria. Trad’s fate was the fate of over two thousand people who lived in the historic citadel before the army seized control of it in March 2012.

Al-Madiq Citadel in the province of Hama, was one of the first cities in Syria to rebel against the rule of Bashar Assad’s regime on March 28, 2011. The regime’s attempts to break the resilience of the city and its people had failed for one year. Because of this resistance, the city had to pay a very high price at the end.

Click the title to read more …

Thanks @LeShaque @AmalHanano

HOMS IN 2010 … AND HOMS IN 2012. PART OF BASHAR AL ASSAD’S REFORM PROGRAM.

Thanks @Nora0315

A BODY LAY IN THE STREET FOR MONTHS - IT IS PRACTICALLY DECOMPOSING AWAY INTO THE STREET. Homs (Qusoor): May 20, 2012 - Amid the destruction and sounds of sniper-fire the cameraman zooms in on a body laying the street of this besieged neighborhood. It has been there for months, no one is able to remove this tormented soul as Assad’s snipers have positioned themselves to shoot anyone that approaches the body.

In life they gave this man no freedom and no dignity. In death they attempt to do the same.

Thanks @HamaEcho

YOU WONT FIND ANY U.N. OBSERVERS HERE - BECASUE ASSAD’S FORCES ARE SHELLING THE TOWN TO THE GROUND. Homs (Rastan): May 18, 2012 - In the words of @Arwamenla “Now you watch the town, later you’ll watch the corpses.”

More shelling at the crack of dawn.

Thanks @Arwamenla

THE PITCH BLACK DARKNESS ONLY MAKES IT WORSE - ASSAD’S FORCES SHELL THE CITY IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT. Homs (Al-Quseir): May 15, 2012 - There is no need for a visual, the sounds are terrifying enough. In the words of @HamaEcho “People sit in the dark and wait for their turn to die”

Thanks @HamaEcho

THE FREE SYRAIN ARMY RESCUE A FAMILY FROM THEIR CAR AS ASSAD’S FORCES FIRE ON THEM. Homs (Khalidiyeh): May 13, 2012 - The FSA is quickly becoming the main unifying group to which most Syrians under Assad’s occupation look to not only for protection, but for various aid such as shelter, money and medical attention.

The Syrian National Council (SNC) on the other hand has done little to nothing for Syrians on the ground. They have only managed to fight amongst themselves and give a reason to the rest of the world not to send support since they are not reliable.

In this video we can see members of the FSA rescue a family from their car as Assad’s snipers do their best to kill anything that moves. A daily occurrence across the country.

Thanks @HamaEcho

UN OBSERVERS IN SYRIA

Thanks @HamaEcho

“ASSAD OR WE BURN THE COUNTRY” (الأسد أو نحرق البلد) …. AND THAT’S EXACTLY WHAT HIS FORCES ARE DOING.