Syria Unrest — World Points


Creator and Web page info

  • by Anup Shah
  • This web page Created

On this web page:

  1. Introduction
  2. Information tales from IPS

Introduction

Syria is among the oldest locations the place civilization has thought to have began. Its capital, Damascus, is among the oldest repeatedly inhabited cities on this planet. All through historical past it has seen many modifications, violent and in any other case.

In the present day it’s comprised of numerous ethnic teams, largely Arab, although an affordable variety of Kurds, Armenians are additionally current. There have additionally been numerous Iraqi refugees and the primary Arab group are themselves from completely different sects and denominations.

Round January 2011, following on from the Arab Spring the place protests towards ruling regimes erupted in numerous Center East international locations, protesters in Syria got here out demanding President Bashar al-Assad and his authorities step down. In response, Assad despatched in troops with some cities and areas being besieged for weeks and months. Each professional and anti-government protest gatherings have at occasions been massive.

Picture: Demonstrations in Hom. Credit score: Bo yaser

Criticism of Syria’s crackdown has been fairly widespread. The Arab League has responded by suspending Syria’s membership. Syria claims that it’s preventing an insurgency that’s terrorist by nature and claimed Al Qaeda is concerned. It has not been doable to confirm that declare so many see it as a cynical excuse.

The ruling regime is a sect of Shia, so has help from Iran and Lebanese Hezbollah, whereas the opposition is essentially Sunni, thus receiving help from different Center East international locations, comparable to Saudi Arabia and others.

1000’s have been killed — civilians and armed combatants. Some are asking the West for a army intervention like there was in Libya, however the US particularly will not be eager on one other army intervention although they’ve been brazenly hostile and demanding of the Syrian ruling regime for a few years.

Picture: Professional-Assad Rally. Credit score: Newtown grafitti

China and Russia even have shut ties with Syria and up to now haven’t been eager on any motion condemning Syria and have even vetoed some actions. Some papers have reported Iran and others serving to Syria with weapons, whereas others additionally talked about the opposition being armed by the West.

Mainstream media protection is in fact a part of the difficulty; understandably the brutal regime crackdown has been met with shock, horror, and so on. However the protection has additionally been one-sided within the sense that related varieties of violence dedicated by US-led coalition forces in Afghanistan and Pakistan don’t obtain related criticism, however a lot flatter and measured reporting as an alternative. Media Lens covers this level in far more element declaring many propaganda issues in mainstream media protection and is value studying.

Again to high

Information tales from IPS

Beneath is an inventory of tales from Inter Press Service associated to the Syrian rebellion

  1. Camps of Loss of life, Terror: Syrian Survivors Face Lengthy Street To Restoration