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SYRIAN TROOPS have been firing on the western city of Homs as President Assad’s government continues its violent crackdown on political dissent.
Protests erupted in the middle of March last year as protesters called for political reform and for Assad, who took power after his father President Hafez Assad died in 2000, to step down.
In December, the Arab League brokered a peace plan with Assad to end the violence, but Syria has failed to adhere to the terms of that plan and its security forces continue to target protesters. Syrian news agency SANA reports that the interior ministry has blamed armed terrorist groups for the violence, saying they were given a chance to stand down and authorities have been forced to act against them.
So what’s happening in Homs?
The violence between protesters and troops has been escalating in recent weeks, and the armed forces have particularly targeted the rebel stronghold city of Homs in an effort to quash the unrest. Hundreds of people, including children, have reportedly been killed since tanks began shelling the city last week, although death tolls are difficult to confirm because of restrictions on international media.
Graphic footage from Homs shows charred remains and body parts on the streets, and people lying crushed beneath fallen masonry. Locals have also been filmed risking their lives to pull bodies from the streets during the ongoing bombardment.
Here, a Syrian activist tells CNN that there are dead and injured trapped in buildings who cannot be removed or helped because of the danger from shelling and the shortage of medical supplies. “No one is helping us,” he says. “The UN isn’t doing anything about it, the Arab League isn’t doing anything about it”:
(Video by SooriyaHurriya)
Al Jazeera’s report of yesterday’s shelling, which contains some graphic images, shows carnage on the streets of Homs:
(Video via AlJazeeraEnglish)
This amateur footage reportedly captured in Homs city today shows several buildings going up in smoke after being fired upon:
(Video via Souria2011archives)
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Brilliant idea.
True, but the retailers ain’t gonna like it!
Can I bring my heart? Someone broke it…
Sounds a bit like the Mens’ Sheds idea, the more of these things that spring up the better IMO. People have got used to the throwaway society but there is great satisfaction to be had from repairing things.
Can I bring irish water ?
Idiot
Why would you want to fix that ?
Not exactly the type of cafe from Amsterdam I was hoping for but its a start.
This is a great idea and frankly one that should be adopted countrywide. I would love to learn new skills that would give many old items a new lease of life . We really need to move away from the throwaway culture. When I could afford it I always tried to buy better quality items that are repairable . I am a big fan of upcycling too and would love more techniques on that. The attitude of maintains and repairing and caring for what you own us the ONLY good thing to come out of this recession I think .
Me too, Catherine. I’d rather buy good quality secondhand than bad quality new.
Excellent idea, Fixing stuff when it broke or mending the odd rip in your clothes ( patching your jeans before it became fashionable not to) was taken for granted in my youth. Even taking things apart before they broke, ya know just in case it did break in the future.
A little excess money tends to negate the necessity which of course is the mother of all invention.
A great idea for those people that just need a kickstart to get going,I learned to do repairs many moons ago when I bought my first car,a late sixties Morris minor that had pop up indicators that got stuck, I not only do a lot of my own repairs but also like a lot of DIY addicts learned to recycle and invent new solutions to problems, thereby saving large amounts of dosh in the process, it’s neither compulsory nor is it desirable to pay through the nose for everything, there are alternatives but you do need a good tool kit.
It’s a good idea, would you have to sign a disclaimer that if you got a shock from a broken lamp etc that you wouldn’t sue otherwise I could see the council shutting it down.
I’m not sure they would advocate a lay person doing electrical repairs . You need to be RECI certified for to attempt those.
Well, how did it go?
have your say