New Initiative
for a UNSC Resolution
Condemning Assad’s
Brutality
Banner: "Students of the
University of Homs will
not attend classes while
their colleagues are
imprisoned."
Today’s Top Stories
- The US, UK and
France are leading a new
initiative for a UNSC
resolution condemning
the Assad regime.
- Military forces
continue their campaign
against defectors.
- Defectors form a new
regiment in Homs, and
kidnap a colonel in
Assad’s army and smuggle
him outside of Syria.
Today’s Top Videos
- Leaked video of
Assad loyalists tanks
shelling a mosque and a
historic castle in
Talbisa.
- Security forces
arrest and beat a school
student in
Al-Sabil
- Student protesters
tear up and burn the
Baath textbook in
Tseel,which includes
photos of Bashar and his
father.
Today’s Summary of
Events
A UNSC resolution condemning
the Assad regime is being
drafted and circulated by
the US, Turkey, UK and
France. The resolution
sanctions all arms trade
with the Assad regime, and
threatens more sanctions
against Syria. The
resolution includes the
dispatch of a special envoy
to Syria, but falls short of
calling for Assad to step
down.
In the meanwhile, reports
have surfaced of the
deployment of Iraqi tanks
and units along the Syrian
border in Deir Azzour to
stop civilians from fleeing
the warzone. Some of these
tanks crossed into Syrian
territories to replace the
positions of Syrian tanks
that are shuffled around to
other towns with
demonstrations.
Additionally, the Iraqi
government has been opening
its borders to all Syrian
products from the factories
of Assad’s supporters. Those
include Tlas, Anbouba, and
Makhlouf.
Military operations
continued throughout the
country, especially in Homs.
Security forces invaded
Rastan again after being
forced to withdraw earlier
this month following clashes
with defected units from the
Fifth Regiment. The regime
shelled the city randomly
with tanks, warplanes and
artillery before storming
it. The regime has also been
attacking cities and towns
in the suburbs of Damascus
searching for defectors.
Reports surfaced of the
murder of Hussein Harmoush
of the Free Syrian Army
(FSA) under torture.
Harmoush was arrested in
Turkey and smuggled to Syria
two weeks ago. He had been
forced to an interview by
the Syrian Television where
he was dictated answers to
certain questions aimed to
discredit the opposition and
the FSA. Nonetheless,
defections are still taking
place, as a new regiment of
army mutineers has been
announced in Houla in Homs.
The announcement, which took
place in Houla amidst
hundreds of civilians,
stated that the regiment
would be called Ali Bin Abi
Taleb. Defections also
occurred in Deraa that
continues to live under
extraordinary conditions of
heavy military operations.
Army troops defected at the
headquarters of Unit 15 in
Sanamain. The regime
retaliated by dispatching
warplanes to bomb their
base; dozens of soldiers
have announced their
defection in Deraa in the
past two days.
The suburbs of Deraa are
still under siege, as well
as the suburbs of Aleppo,
Damascus, Deir Azzour and
Hama, whose people have been
demonstrating daily since
Ramadan.
