Reply #79: Fleeing Syrian activists are finding a haven in Libya

[pinboy3niner]

Posted on Thursday, 09.22.11

By HANNAH ALLAM
McClatchy Newspapers


BENGHAZI, Libya -- Syrian activists fleeing persecution for taking part in the 6-month-old revolt against their government are flocking to Libya, where they face no visa requirements and can find work easily because of the exodus of foreign laborers during the uprising against Moammar Gadhafi.

With fresh bullet wounds, emotional trauma and little cash, the Syrians trade experiences with one another largely without fear of Syrian President Bashar Assad's security apparatus. They also are consulting with Libyan activists on the merit of armed rebellion, with many now convinced that taking up weapons is their only hope for toppling Assad, who remains firmly in place despite months of peaceful protests, tougher sanctions and calls from the United States and Europe for his ouster.

Several Syrians who hail from the flashpoint towns of Deraa, Homs and Hama, interviewed here this week, said a minority of protesters already had used weapons against Assad's forces. They described rogue attacks on checkpoints and convoys, and one told of his role in bombing a bus that was carrying militia members.

The only obstacles to wider violence, they said, are a scarcity of guns and the threat of regime airstrikes.

"We're discussing weapons, but we don't even have weapons," said Amer Abdelkarim Rifai, 47, a carpenter from Homs who fled to Libya a month ago after serving time in prison for protesting. "Our cities are ghost towns now, with schools closed and shops empty, but we'll die of starvation before we stop this revolution."

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http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/09/22/2420460/fleeing-syrian-activists-are-finding.html