Der arabische Aufstand hat jetzt auch Syrien erfasst

AMMAN | Tue Feb 12, 2013 5:36am EST

(Reuters) - Syrian opposition fighters
captured a military airport near the
northern city of Aleppo on Tuesday, an
opposition organization said.

The airport is the latest military facility in
the region between Syria's industrial and
commercial center and its oil and wheat
producing heartland to the east to fall
under rebel control.

The Jarrah air base, 46 kms (28 miles) east
of Aleppo, came under the control of rebel
units who have been surrounding it for
weeks and the highway linking Aleppo to
the east of the country is in opposition
hands, the Sham News Network said.

Staudamm unter Kontrolle

Derweil setzt die bewaffnete Opposition mit
der Einnahme von zwei Militärflugplätzen im
Norden von Syrien die Regierung von
Staatschef Bashar al-Assad unter Druck. Die
Flugplätze Dscharrah und «Brigade 80»
bildeten wichtige Abwehrstellungen der
Regierungstruppen in den seit Wochen
andauernden Kämpfen um den
Zivilflughafen von Aleppo.

Ein von den Rebellen veröffentlichtes Video
zeigt mehrere Kampfflugzeuge in einer
Umgebung, die den Aufnahmen anderer
Filme vom Flugplatz Dscharrah entspricht.
«Diese Kampfflugzeuge sind nun in der
Hand der Islamischen Bewegung Ahrar al
Scham», sagt einer der Rebellen in dem
Film. Der Flugplatz liegt in der Nähe des
Staudamms Furat, den die Rebellen gestern
unter ihre Kontrolle gebracht haben.

Heftige Strassenkämpfe

Die Offensive der Assad-Gegner konzentiert
sich offenbar auf die drei Nordprovinzen
Aleppo, Rakka und Deir el Sur. Dort, in der
Nähe der Grenze zum Irak, kam es in der
gleichnamigen Provinzhauptstadt zu
heftigen Strassenkämpfen mit Soldaten.
Wenn die drei Provinzen vollständig in die
Hand der Regierungsgegner fielen, «wäre
dies ein strategischer Schlag gegen das
Regime», sagte heute der Leiter des
Syrischen Beobachterzentrums für
Menschenrechte, Rami Abdul-Rahman.t

„ Bei den Gefechten in den Stadtteilen
Eshrefiye und Shexmeqsud ist die Zahl der
getöteten Soldaten des Baath- Regimes auf
48 gestiegen. Dutzende Soldaten der
syrischen Armee wurden bei den Kämpfen
verletzt, aber wir konnten die genaue
Anzahl nicht ermitteln. 14 Soldaten des
Baath- Regimes, 2 Kommandanten und 6
Polizisten haben wir als Geisel genommen.
Auch viele schwere Waffen und Munition
wurden beschlagnahmt. Bei den enormen
Widerstand unserer Einheiten, sind unsere
Freunde mit den Namen Şoreş, Çîlo, Îbo,
Xelîl,Çiya, Şêxo und Elî gefallen. Bei den
Kämpfen wurden auch 17 unserer
KämpferInnen verletzt. Das Baath- Regime
hat fünf unserer Freunde als Geisel
festgenommen und diese wurden durch
schwere Folter umgebracht.“

Am Ende der Erklärung rief die YPG die
Kurden und Jugendliche in Westkurdistan zu
Unterstützung auf.

Syria rebels claim northern airbase
takeover

Last updated: 5 hours ago

Fighters say they overran military base in
Sfeira town near Aleppo international
airport , amid reports of more fighting .
Syrian rebels have captured a military
airbase in the north and geared up for a
major battle against regime forces as the
opposition says it refuses to accept
President Bashar al - Assad in talks on the
23 - month conflict.

The rebels on Friday said they overran the
base in the town of Sfeira , east of Aleppo
international airport , and captured a large
stockpile of ammunition .

Activists reported intermittent clashes
around the Aleppo airport itself as well as
around Nayrab airbase and another military
complex , as the two sides squared up for a
major fight .

Moskau fordert Assad zum Handeln auf

Handelsblatt - vor 2 Std.

Russland und die Arabische Liga haben
gemeinsam die Führung in Damaskus
aufgefordert, ihre Pläne für einen Dialog
mit der Opposition in die Tat umzusetzen.
"Den Worten sollten konkrete Taten folgen",
sagte der russische Außenminister Sergej
Lawrow am Mittwoch in Moskau. Russland
sei bereit zu einem Treffen in Moskau. Der
Generalsekretär der Arabischen Liga, Nabil
al-Arabi, forderte Russland auf, seinen
Einfluss auf die Führung in Damaskus zu
nutzen, damit die Krise in Syrien friedlich
gelöst werde.

The 47th @ THE_47th 9 Min.
Looks like FSA just shelled Hizbollah
positions in Hermel, Lebanon.
Location not confirmed yet.

2303 GMT: Surface-to-Surface
Missiles.
Tonight there are reports that
more "Scuds" have launched from the
regime's 155th Brigade base in Quteifeh,
northeast of Damascus ( map ). Last
week, when there were similar reports,
dozens died in Aleppo province when
several missiles hit residential areas,
crumbling buildings and trapping
residents. Those rockets fell on areas
just north of Aleppo's airport, an airport
that was reportedly being overrun by
rebels. Today the airport was once again
under attack. No word yet what was
targeted by these latest strikes, however.

Earlier today ballistic missiles were
reported in Hama province, and near al
Raqqah. It's unclear what model weapon
these weapons are, perhaps a Scud, or
maybe the medium range Frog 7 which
has been used recently in Hama
province. However, all of these weapons
have one thing in common - they are a
terribly expensive way to deliver a
payload.

"Scuds," the catch-all term used by
Syrians to describe most surface-to-
surface rockets, or any other ballistic or
artillery rockets in the Syrian arsenal, are
only capable of delivering payloads that
are similar in size to many bombs that
can be dropped by Assad's airforce.
However, they cost significantly more
money to produce. So why are we seeing
so many reports of these being used
now?

Desperation - Assad is losing ground in
Aleppo, Deir Ez Zor, and Al Raqqah. His
airforce is constantly in motion, but has
taken more losses recently. Assad's air
power is stretched too thin, and it now
cannot even reach some areas under
rebel control. Long-range weapons like
Scuds or Frog 7s can reach some of
these areas, potentially destroying rebel
forces, punishing civilians in rebel-won
areas, or at least spreading fear - both at
the launch and the landing sites.

There's another reason - these weapons
are primarily useful as a deterrent
against foreign invasion because there's
nothing to risk once they've been fired.
Whether the weapon hits or misses its
target, there is no airplane or pilot to
lose. Furthermore, though they are
expensive, they've already been paid for.
And if Assad is really fighting for his
survival, he's not worried about the price
tag, he's just looking to get every weapon
he has into the fight.

While I was writing this update, the LCC
has reported that rockets have
landed in Al Raqqah , and "ten
missiles" have reportedly hit Jisr al
Shughour in Idlib province - both rebel-
held areas where Assad needs all the
help he can get but where he can't spare
airplanes. We're not sure if these
reports are all related

U.S. moves toward providing direct aid

Syria: Gains by rebel forces come as
fighting escalates in the conflict, which
has killed an estimated 70,000 people.

By Karen DeYoung, Published: TUESDAY,
FEBRUARY 26, 6:07 PM ET


The Obama administration is moving toward
a major policy shift on Syria that could
provide rebels there with equipment such
as body armor and armored vehicles, and
possibly military training, and could send
humanitarian assistance directly to Syria’s
opposition political coalition, according to
U.S. and European officials.

The administration has not provided direct
aid to the military or political side of the
opposition throughout the two-year-old
conflict, and U.S. officials remain opposed
to providing weapons to the rebels.

Elements of the proposed policy, which
officials cautioned have not yet been
finalized, are being discussed by Secretary
of State John F. Kerry in meetings this week
and next with allies in Europe and the
Middle East as part of a coordinated effort
to end the bloody stalemate, which has
claimed about 70,000 lives.

The 47th @ THE_47th 26 Min.
Hizbollah's Official News Station 'Al
Manar': Nasrallah to speak at
6:30pm Beirut time on "latest
developments" almanar.com.lb/
english/adetai…

Scud missile fired in Syria lands near
Iraqi village - mayor

Fri, 1 Mar 2013 14:21 GMT
Source: Reuters // Reuters

MOSUL, Iraq, March 1 (Reuters) - A
Scud missile fired from Syrian
territory landed near a village in
Iraq's Nineveh province on Friday,
causing no damage but terrifying its
inhabitants who fled, the mayor said,
identifying the rocket as Russian-
made.

The conflict in neigbouring Syria has
previously spilled over the border
into Iraq. In September, a five-year-
old girl was killed when three rockets
struck a border town in the al Qaim
area.

"A Russian-made Scud landed near
the village of Yoush Tapa, 3 km from
the Iraqi-Syrian border between
Telafar and Baaj," said Abdul Aal
Abbas, the mayor of Telafar.