Syrian protesters demand UN help to oust Bashar al-Assad

[alp227]

Source: The Guardian

On the first Friday protests since Libyan rebels reached Tripoli with the assistance of Nato forces, Syrian protesters have called for international intervention in their struggle against the regime of President Bashar al-Assad.

Until now, most Syrian protesters have insisted they do not need outside help, but on Friday in the western city of Homs video footage showed protesters carrying signs telling the UN its silence was killing them, as they expressed their anger at failed attempts to pass a security council resolution in the face of Russian and Chinese objections.

The lack of a UN resolution has been the target of online activists too, with Twitter users trying to make the term #WakeUpUNSC trend popular.

A growing number of opposition activists are now calling for a no-fly zone or an international protection force. This stands in stark contrast to just weeks ago when most Syrians refused any form of international action other than sanctions and the cutting of diplomatic ties with Assad and his supporters.

Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/aug/26/syria-protesters-demand-un-help

[stockholmer]

1. of course they do! Now if only the US can ship some al-Qaeda 'hired help' in, they can really get to

cooking, Libya style.

On tonight's menu, we have 2000 pound bombs of empiric love, half price.




:argh:

[indurancevile]

2. what would nato's response be if some protesters here asked for help, i wonder?

seems like it's only selected protesters who get that un/nato help.

[pampango]

3. Juan Cole: Fall of Tripoli Echoes Loudly in Damascus

http://www.juancole.com/2011/08/fall-of-tripoli-echoes-loudly-in-damascus.html

Protesters in Syria have cheered on the revolutionaries in Libya, and the fall of Tripoli to a popular uprising last Saturday and Sunday gave new heart to the Syrian reform movement. So far the Syrian demonstrators have been hampered by relative lack of support in the capital of Damascus itself. Damascus is controlled by the ruling Baath Party of Bashar al-Asad.

Syrian troops allegedly surrounded and stormed the al-Rifa’i Mosque in the capital, killing its prayer leader, Usama al-Rifa’i.

There were also significant demonstrations in the Damascus district of Douma and the main square of the suburb of Kafr Soussa. Regime troops attempted to disperse them. Altogether 8 were killed on Friday. Likewise, Syrian troops surrounded a mosque in the southern, rebellious town of Deraa with tanks and prevented the 2000 worshippers there from coming out after prayers for protests.

Since Syria’s regime is secular and the upper echelons of the government and the military are disproportionately drawn from the Allawite Shiite minority, the storming of the al-Rifa’i mosque and killing of its imam is likely to deeply anger Sunnis across the board. If they respond to the call to gather in the historical squares of Damascus, it could be a tipping point in the Syrian movement.

[Fool Count]

4. That's brilliant. If we only asked UN's help in getting rid of George W Bush in 2001

we would have been all golden by now.

[Xithras]

5. Won't happen.

Syria and Iran established a mutual defense pact in 2006, similar to those that existed in Europe prior to WWI. If they honor the treaty, an attack on one leads to an automatic declaration of war by the other. That would get really ugly, really fast.