Syria: unrest, deadly repression escalate
At least seven people were killed overnight by Syrian security forces in the flashpoint town of Homs, rights activists said April 18. The previous day, in the nearby town of Talbisseh, at least four were killed and more than 50 wounded when security forces opened fire on a funeral procession for a demonstrator killed on Friday, witnesses said. In the country's major port, Latakia, around 10,000 people also took to the streets for the funeral of a protester killed on Friday, according to witnesses. Regime supporters are reported to have broken up two rallies in southern Syria.The protests followed a televised address April 16 by President Bashar al-Assad, promising to end emergency rule—in force since 1963 when the Ba'ath party took power—within a week. (Middle East Online, April 18)
See our last post on the struggle in Syria.
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WikiLeaks Syria: predictable non-news
The Washington Post reports April 17 that WikiLeaks cables reveal US State Department support for London-based satellite channel Barada TV, staffed by Syrian exiles, which "began broadcasting in April 2009 but has ramped up operations to cover the mass protests in Syria as part of a long-standing campaign to overthrow the country’s autocratic leader, Bashar al-Assad." Of course it would be much bigger news if the State Department weren't doing this sort of thing. But wait for both 1.) the neocons to crow about how the Syrian protest movement is all their doing; and 2.) the idiot leftists to rail about how it is all US-orchestrated astroturf... The Egyptians are, of course, already having to deal with such nonsense.
See our last post on the WikiLeaks scandals.