Syria, Bahrain (and Beyond) Live Coverage: The Story Gets Out

The moment that Syrian security forces opened fire on a funeral crowd in Mezzeh in Damascus today

See also Tunisia Feature: Islamists, Faith, and Democracy
Egypt 1st-Hand: Nine Views of a Country's Future
Bahrain Movie: "Tn Tn Ttn" --- The Story of a Horn and Its Resistance
Bahrain 1st-Hand: The Deported Irish Activist's Week on the Island "They Are Slowly Killing These People"
Syria Audio Special: A Resident of Homs Speaks to EA Worldview
Yemen Interview: Nadia Al-Sakkaf "The Revolution Doesn't Relate to Daily Lives"
Friday's Syria, Bahrain (and Beyond) Live Coverage: Two More Anniversaries

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2156 GMT: Scenes of clashes in Sitra in Bahrain today --- in the first, a youth is struck by fire from the police:

Youths pursue the security forces, throwing Molotovs:

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Syria Audio Special: A Resident of Homs Speaks to EA Worldview

James Miller speaks to an activist in the Inshaat district of Homs in Syria, amidst gunfire and a shaky Skype connection:

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"Hello, James? Can you hear me? Yes, I am in Homs, and I'm alive."

Sammy (SamsonHoms on Twitter) lives in the Inshaat district of Homs. He connects to the Internet through a network attached to a satellite, but the connection; it is extremely unstable, leading to frequent breaks in conversation. Sammy is charging his laptop every chance he gets, because his neighborhood only has power between three and four hours a day. Some neighbourhoods, such as Baba Amr, are in worse shape for electricity and communications.

Sammy reports that Homs was heavily shelled last night and this morning, perhaps the worst attack in weeks. Baba Amr, right next to Inshaat, has been hardest hit. As Sammy describes it, Baba Amr has been first in everything --- the first area to protest, the home of the largest protests early in the uprising, the site of a major military campaign in May, and the home of the Free Syrian Army since September or October. For this, it is paying the price.

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Syria, Bahrain (and Beyond) Live Coverage: Two More Anniversaries

Protest in Benghazi, Libya, 17 February 2011

See also Syria Audio Special: A Resident of Homs Speaks to EA Worldview

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2123 GMT: Perhaps the Bahraini police did not know that two prominent Western activists heading a peaceful protest towards Lulu Square would be a well-documented event --- but if they read EA, they would have guessed. Here are just a few of the pictures, which complement the videos that we posted below. We'll be following up on this story very soon.

A woman in Qadam challenges police with a peace sign, before the teargas and arrests.

Flash grenades (sound bombs) are thrown at these women, at close range.

Medea Benjamin, after she was arrested.

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From Libya to Bahrain to Syria: Anthony Shadid on Conflict, Protest, and Humanity

Anthony Shadid has died on assignment for The New York Times in eastern Syria.

Shadid was one of the international correspondents whom we most admired. In November, we posted a report from his previous undercover travels in Syria, "The Spectre of Civil War in Homs". In September, he had analysed, "Ankara Offers Itself as the Answer in the Middle East". And in October, he had interviewed people in Sitra in Bahrain --- including an EA correspondent to offer their thoughts, "We Are Still Here. We Are Demanding. We Exist."

This was Shadid's last despatch, "Libya Struggles to Curb Militias as Chaos Grows", published by The Times on 8 February:

As the militiamen saw it, they had the best of intentions. They assaulted another militia at a seaside base here this week to rescue a woman who had been abducted. When the guns fell silent, briefly, the scene that unfolded felt as chaotic as Libya’s revolution these days — a government whose authority extends no further than its offices, militias whose swagger comes from guns far too plentiful and residents whose patience fades with every volley of gunfire that cracks at night.

The woman was soon freed. The base was theirs. And the plunder began.

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Bahrain, Syria (and Beyond) Live Coverage: "Dialogue Sought"?

2156 GMT: The UN General Assembly has passed a resolution on Syria, pledging support for the Arab League's transition plan:

The initial count showed that the resolution, which is similar to one Russia and China vetoed in the Security Council on February 4th, received 137 votes in favour, 12 against and 17 abstentions, although three delegations said their votes failed to register on the electronic board.

Russia and China were among those that voted against the resolution.

2105 GMT: The Syrian activists are noting that while the UN debates Syria (see the live stream here) there are now reliable reports that Al Atareb, in the Aleppo governorate near Idlib, and Al Bokumal, near Deir Ez Zor and the border with Iraq, are both under heavy bombardment as we speak.

2048 GMT: The UN General Assembly is voting on a resolution on Syria that has been co-sponsored by 70 countries. Unlike security council agreements, a simple majority is necessary for the resolution to pass, and most expect that it will pass easily. So far, the UN appears to be readying to grant over $900,000 to fund a special envoy on the Syrian crisis who will cooperate with the Arab League.

Russia, Algeria, Lebanon, Sudan, Iraq and Yemen are expected to vote against the resolution. While the vote in non-binding, it could help lend legitimacy to further international efforts to end the crisis.

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Syria Analysis: The Changing Face of a Guerrillla War

See also Syria Feature: Who are the Free Syrian Army?
Syria Opinion: Who Are the Real Opposition?

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This is another important trend about the increasingly asymmetrical tactics of the Free Syrian Army --- they do not not require national or regional leadership. Each local FSA militia seems to be coordinating their own attacks, and each is doing so with different levels of restraint. In Homs, there are dark rumours that FSA units have resorted to kidnapping and torture of their own. As the crisis deepens, the Free Syrian Army will be forced to conduct more asymmetrical warfare, not less, which will further divorce the local militias from any sort of command structure.

Unless foreign intervention, even if limited, takes place, expect more ambushes and more IED attacks, and expect the regime to react to those attacks by shelling more cities.

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Bahrain, Syria (and Beyond) Live Coverage: The Momentum of Protest, Part 1

2110 GMT: Just when it didn't look like the international community could be more divided on Syria, Syrian President Bashar al Assad has called for a Constitutional referendum that would, in theory, end singe-party rule:

The proposed charter drops Article 8, which declared the ruling Baath Party as the "leader of the state and society", allowing for a multi-party system, state television said on Wednesday.

The president, who must be a Muslim man, can serve a maximum of two seven-year terms, although it is unclear if this would apply to Assad, who is already in his second term.

Russia has praised the move, the US called it "laughable," and the posturing continues. For EA, the question of reform can be boiled down into two points: is the regime serious, and does it matter either way?

Reform - Syria was under an emergency rule between 1963 and last April, but violence has been steadily, or exponentially, increasing every month since that emergency law was lifted. Other agreements made by the Assad regime, for instance with the Arab League, have been broken almost immediately. This regime does not have a great record on reform.

Which brings me to the next point - if large segments of Europe, the US, and several Arab nations do not trust the regime, and the opposition does not trust the regime, will any of the reform efforts even matter?

2011 GMT: According to the Local Coordinating Committees of Syria, today's death toll has risen to 32, "among them three children,one woman and one defected soldier. 12 martyrs fell in Idlib, 5 in Damscus Suburbs (Bloudan, Douma, Harsta) 4 fell in Homs, 3 martyrs in Daraa, 3 martyrs in Hama,2 in Hasakeh and 1 in each of Lattakia ,Damascus and Aleppo."

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Syria (and Beyond) Live Coverage: The Shelling of Homs Continues

Another video of the shelling of the Bab Amro section of the Syrian city Homs this morning:

See also EA's Separate Bahrain Coverage, Bahrain Live Coverage Special: The Anniversary Protests
Syria Opinion: Who Are the Real Opposition?
Bahrain Special: "Responsible Reaction"--- How Police Will "Kettle" Today's Demonstrations
Monday's Bahrain, Syria (and Beyond) Live Coverage: "The Reasonable Reaction to Provocation"

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2203 GMT: At this late hour there are unconfirmed reports that Al Bukamal, in northeastern Syria on the Iraq border, is under attack. According to one activist, Al Jazeera's Arabic network is also reporting the assault. The city is being defended by the Free Syrian Army, and clashes have been ongoing since earlier in the day, but the fresh reports suggest that they are now more intense.

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Bahrain, Syria (and Beyond) Live Coverage: A Year Ago at Pearl Roundabout

Editor's Note (1349 GMT) --- because of the pace of events in Bahrain today, we have split this entry into "Bahrain Live Coverage Special: The Anniversary Protests" and "Syria (and Beyond) Live Coverage: The Shelling of Homs Continues".

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Syria Opinion: Who Are the Real Opposition? (Idaf)

Syrian National Council, December 2011Syrians who want a solution should focus on channeling their energy towards reducing the impact of the fall of the regime rather than supporting the Syrian National Council/Free Syrian Army or supporting the regime out of fear of the “FSA”, the Islamists or the militants. Everyone should stop simply forcing the Syrians to chose between the Regime or SNC/FSA/Islamists. These are not the only options. Far from it.

They are multiple movements shaping and reshaping on weekly basis. Most activists are learning and maturing with time. They change their views and jump from one group to another according to events and developments. When one’s friend or family gets detained or killed, they move from peaceful to supporting violence. When you argue with those supporting violence they change their mind, etc. The movements are in constant change but you can notice the fast organic maturity.

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