Syrian government airstrikes target strategic opposition held town

Syrian government airstrikes hit the opposition controlled town of Maaret al-Numan in Idlib province killing at least 44 people and leaving massive destruction on Thursday. The opposition secured the town last week after intense fighting, and had begun providing basic services for residents. Maaret al-Numan is located on a strategic highway and supply route connecting Damascus and Aleppo. A missile hit a residential area, damaging four buildings, four homes, and a mosque. Over 20 children were reported to have been killed in the attack. The strike on Maaret al-Numan signals a shift of government tactics according to some analysts. Rather than trying to win back territory gained by the opposition and the "hearts of the people," the regime is merely destroying and abandoning towns so that the population will resent the opposition. Over 200 people were reported killed across Syria on Thursday. Meanwhile, after a regional tour seeking international support for implementing a ceasefire over the Muslim holiday Eid al-Adha, U.N. and Arab League envoy, Lakhdar Brahimi is scheduled to arrive in Damascus on Saturday. Turkey and Germany have backed the ceasefire. The BBC has reported several of its channels have been deliberately jammed in Syria in what the network has described as a "blatant violation of international TV regulations."

Headlines  

• A car bomb has exploded in the eastern Ashrafeah district of Beirut, Lebanon during rush-hour Friday killing several people.
• Libyan militia commander, Ahmed Abu Khattala, implicated in the September U.S. consulate attack, said he was at the scene, but didn’t lead the attack. He added that he hasn’t gone into hiding.
• U.S. officials have said that the C.I.A. station chief in Libya reported within 24 hours of the U.S. Benghazi consulate attack that there was evidence of a militant attack, and not a spontaneous mob.
• At least 14 soldiers and 12 al Qaeda militants have died in clashes at a military base in Yemen’s southern Abyan province.
• The U.S. TV series "Homeland" has generated anger amongst Lebanese and Israelis. Lebanon’s tourism minister is considering a lawsuit.

Arguments and Analysis

‘Among the Snipers of Aleppo‘ (Benjamin Hall, The New York Times)

"In the Syrian city of Aleppo, there are neighborhoods that are almost entirely abandoned; blocks of buildings with their facades blown off, apartments open to the street; and other buildings, intact but empty, their curtains billowing out the windows. Broken water pipes have turned roads into debris-clogged rivers. And tribes of cats stalk around like predators; every now and then you pass one lying dead on the ground, its body torn apart by sniper fire.

The snipers, both rebel and regime, are everywhere. The MIG jets are always overhead, and shelling continues day and night. You cannot escape the smell of dead bodies, and it feels as if it is only a matter of time before you are hit, too.

This is life on the ground for the remaining residents of Aleppo. With only this in mind, it is easy to argue that the West should intervene – arm the rebels, help them overthrow the vicious rule of the Assads, and try to create something good from the chaos. After all, the rebels are outgunned, outsupplied and outfinanced. They are battling a force that is aligned with Iran and Hezbollah, and one that commits daily atrocities."

‘The Jordanian Spring Has Begun‘ (Zaki Bani Rashid, The Guardian)

"The call for reform started in Jordan well before the Arab spring. However, it has intensified since – not only because of the Arab revolutions, but also in response to widespread state corruption. Jordan’s reformers are demanding constitutional changes; in particular, changes to our election law so that a truly representative parliament is possible, together with an elected prime minister who is accountable to parliament.

The national demonstrations that took place earlier this month exposed the attitude of Jordanian officials toward reform. The demonstration was organised by the Muslim Brotherhood together with more than 70 independent initiatives. The announcement that the opposition was to hold a peaceful demonstration was met with a concerted campaign to disrupt it. The media even reported that radioactive pollution was present in the area of the demonstration. Various officials prepared a counter demonstration under the title "Loyalty to the King" in the same place, and at the same time."

–By Jennifer Parker and Mary Casey