Syria and media: a love story?

DAMASCUS - For several months now, the Syrian regime has been the victim of a massive media campaign for the atrocities and the violence it has been committing against its own people.
Surely, no one can deny the fact that the syrian government is guilty on all counts for the repression of demonstrations, the arrest of innocent men and women and so on and so forth.
After all, the amateur video and pictures taken are proof enough. But did it ever occur to someone that media coverage in Syria by international agencies and newspapers that do not even have eyes and ears there are, well, sort of taking their reporting a little less seriously than they are supposed to?
I mean seriously, "more than 1.2 millions protesters took to the streets" two weeks ago in cities with estimated populations of 1.2 million?
Wasn't anyone, by any chance sick that day? Wounded? Sleepy? Paralysed? A little too old or too young to "take to the streets"?
Frankly, there is no difference right now between the Syrian government's media coverage and the rest of the media's coverage. It's pure lies.
The Syrian news agency has been accusing "armed gangs" of these violences for the past four months, and it's not ready to give up. It seems to me the journalists are convinced and sure about what they are publishing.
On the other hand, the rest of the media seems like it is taking part of the conflict. Without hesitation speculation become facts, rumours make headlines and legends become special investigative reports.
Again, as journalists and as International media none of us have the right to justify the violence or support the revolution.
For God's sake people, all we ask for is some serious news reporting!

Lebanon : The calm before the storm.

bloggingbeirut.com - Jonathan Giesen

BEIRUT - For years now, experts and analysts have been speculating on whether or not a major conflict will erupt in Lebanon. Internal tensions have been high for so long between the two major political rivals, that no one can actually remember when was the last times the political scene had no tensions at all.
With Hezbollah currently in a very tricky situation and the International community preparing itself to officially persecute members of the party in the name of the Hariri clan, the future does not look so bright for Cedar Land.
And Yet, both cheikh Saad Hariri, Ex-Pm Rafic Hariri's son and Hezbollah chief sayyed Hassan Nasrallah have promised that there will never be sectarian strife in Lebanon. It is certain that both parties have asked their members not to resort to violence and not to give in to provocation.
Lebanon will certainly be hit with a storm, but no one knows exactly when. This "calm" could last for several months, and even years. After all, everybody was expected the chiite party to make a move in our to divert attention from the situation is Syria. But nothing happened. Yet.
Hezbollah knows the time is not right, and the situation in Syria does not look like it could be resolved within a couple of weeks or so.
One thing is sure, with all the region witnessing change Lebanon won't be unaffected. At some point or another it will suffer the consequences of new politics of the region. Whether the new regimes or "reforms" set up in nearby Egypt, Syria, Jordan, Irak will impact the situation in Lebanon is not a matter of "if", it is just a matter of "When".

Syria: Friday bloody friday

DAMASCUS - Tomorrow is friday, a bloody day for the past five months in Syria and an ordinary day in the rest of the world.
So many people have died over the past few weeks, and change has yet to take place in Syria. Protests are scheduled for tomorrow, even though a lot of the protesters know that this day might be their last.
According to @France24, "one syrian disappears every hour", while AFP says, quoting local NGOs that the total number of syrians who have disappeared so far is around 3,000 whereas approximately 12,617 have been arrested.
"In Douma, syrians are protesting in front of the courts demanding the release of thos who have been arrested", says @Hamfarouk.
In the meantime, the new Al Qaeda leader slammed president Bachar al-Assad and expressed his support for anti-regime protests.
@RevolutionSyria says that "security forces are opening fires on protesters" in different cities, but this is not discouraging Syrians from taking to the streets.
More on the subject soon and thanks to all syrian tweepers

Why war between Israel and Lebanon is inevitable

Hezbollah chief sayyed Hassan Nasrallah during his speech on tuesday july 26th in Beirut

BEIRUT - Six years after the end of the "devastating" July 2006 war between Lebanon and Israel, tensions are rising (again) between the two states.

There have been different forms of provocations since the end of the conflict that could easily have lead to war, but nothing happened.

1-Numerous Israeli spy networks were uncovered in Lebanon

2-The Lebanese and Israeli army clashed on the border

3-Israel assassinated a Hezbollah general/commander, according to the chiite party

4-Israel kidnapped Lebanese shepherds and fishermen on the border

5-Israel violated Lebanese air space on a daily basis

6-Hezbollah continued to import and stock rockets and weapons

7-Hezbollah spy ring was discovered in Israel

8-An international arrest warrant was issued against members of Hezbollah for the murder of Lebanese Ex-PM Rafic Hariri

Despite all these dangerous events, and up to this moment, the border between the two countries is calm. Threats and accusations are made on a daily basis between the two sworn enemies.
However, everything changed in 2008 when it was announced that huge natural ressources were discovered in the mediterranean sea.
At first, it just seemed like it won't be a big issue between the two countries, but everything changed this year, this month.
Lebanon wants gas and will fight for it at all costs, Israel wants gas and will fight for it at all costs.
Hezbollah hold the parliamentary and ministerial majority in Lebanon.
Hezbollah chief sayyed Hassan Nasrallah said yesterday he will attack anyone who threatens Lebanese ressources.
Well if this isn't a recipe for disaster, then what is?

Israeli map detailing natural ressources in the mediterranean

Hezbollah: Fighting a lost battle?

A destroyed Israeli tank during the july 2006 war.

BEYROUTH - Hezbollah chief sayyed Hassan Nasrallah is expected to give a speech tonight to commemorate the glorious victory of Lebanon and his party against Israel in the july 2006 war.

However, the sucess and prosperity of Hezbollah has slowly diminished over the years especially after the uprising in Syria, experts say.
The party is also in a difficult situation internally, after Lebanon's Special Tribunal issued arrest warrants against four of its members, accusing them of murdering Ex-PM Rafic Hariri in 2005.
The indictment fueled tensions between the two main rival parties of the country: Hezbollah and Future (Mr Hariri's party).
In his last speech, sayyed Nasrallah vowed he will do all that is in his power to prevent civil strife in the country. But he had warned last year that he would "cut the hands" of those who try to arrest any member of his party.
The Hariri clan, which has been waiting for over 6 years to find out who was behind the assassination of the decade, is not willing to abandon Justice, even for the sake of the nation's stability.
Western powers see it as a golden opportunity to eliminate the chiite party once and for all. After all, Syria is at its weakest at the present moment.
But there is, in fact, only one problem: Iran.
If Hezbollah is indeed fragile after a heavy internal coup suffered last month when Israeli agents were found to have infiltrated the internal organs of the party, this does not mean the chiite group is not capable of launching an all out war against its enemy with the help of Iran.
This would be very convenient for Damascus, but the scenario is unlikely at the moment.
As a matter of fact, Hezbollah is trying to take the upper hand within the Lebanese government and proove to the people that weapons is not all the party is about.
In the meantime, the party is crossing their fingers and relying on sayyed Hassan Nasrallah's charisma to maintain the strong image of the Resistance.
Meanwhile, the new Lebanese opposition is waiting to ambush this current Cabinet: Hariri will not and cannot forget the humiliation of being ousted the moment he met US president Barack Obama.
Lets hear what sayyed Nasrallah has to say tonight:
Things do not look good...

 

Syria : number of protesters in concerned areas - estimated population of area = 0

SYRIA - Activists said Friday that "more than 1.2 million protesters took to the streets in the cities of Hama and Deir Ezzor.
Side note: According to estimations in 2009 the population of the city of Hama is "696,863", whereas population in Deir Ezzor was estimated at around "511'000".
You do the math. (Because I think someone, at some point lost count).

Why are syrian security forces killing their own people?

DAMASCUS - According to human rights activists, the syrian government's crackdown has left more than 1,400 civilians dead since mid-March. Thousands more have been jailed.
The world is wondering, how and why would an entire army turn on its own people. How do soldiers have the nerve to open fire on women, children and young men their age?
This situation is hard to understand, and even hard to examine. Media reports are based on unverified testimonies, and the regime itself does not even admit to violence against civilians.
By now, everybody knows that the syrian regime has been saying "armed terrorists" are behind the unrest. While we cannot prove this theory wrong, all the civilians that have been reporting events on social networks have been denying such claims.
Defecting soldiers also claim they were told to fire at will on these armed gangs, which were nowhere to be found.
But the number of defecting soldiers remains minimal in contrast with the size of the syrian army. 
Recent reports have suggested soldiers are threatened unless they do as they are told. Their superiors will not hesitate to shoot them should they refuse to shoot unarmed civilians.
However, numerous videos have emerged showing a whole syrian unit abusing unarmed civilians as they arrest them. These soldiers do not appear to be threatened and seem to be enjoying what they are doing. Why?
Syrian soldiers have a reputation to be ruthless and vicious, but in this case could this be said about 330.000 of them?
Wouldn't they be, at one point, maybe, pointing a gun towards a relative?
Haven't they realised, several month after the start of the uprising, that the story of the "armed gangs" just might not be true?
What do you tweepers have to say?