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General News    H2'ed 9/4/13

Which Americans will arrive first to Syria?

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Franklin P. Lamb
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There Are No Humanitarian Weapons - biggest lie of these days .THE GRADING OF KILLING METHODS IN SYRIA. as if Chemical Weapons are worse than Conventional Weapons
There Are No Humanitarian Weapons - biggest lie of these days .THE GRADING OF KILLING METHODS IN SYRIA. as if Chemical Weapons are worse than Conventional Weapons
(Image by Imaginary Museum Projects: News Tableaus)
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There Are No Humanitarian Weapons - biggest lie of these days .THE GRADING OF KILLING METHODS IN SYRIA. as if Chemical Weapons are worse than Conventional Weapons by Imaginary Museum Projects: News Tableaus


Which Americans will arrive first to Syria?

Will 1000 American "human shields' stop another criminal war?

Damascus

A sort of roller coaster atmosphere pervades Damascus these days with "good" and "bad" news rising and falling, often by the quarter hour. Much of the population is monitoring closely the news and quickly expressing their interpretations of the latest media reports and rumors as well as predicting the fairly precise timing of the now assumed American attack on their country.

In the very popular, and normally crowded Abaa Coffee House on the edge of the old city in what is called the Sarugha section, students and others enjoy the fine cool mist, as Damascenes have done for years, that is sprayed from ceiling pipes to provide welcome relief from the 37 degree Celsius (98 degrees F) outside temperatures. Many are clued to their laptops and/or in animated conversation analyzing the likely extent and timing of the soon believed to be arriving American missiles.

This observer often meets interlocutors in the Abaa because it's very pleasant, large with dozens of tables, cheap and two blocks from my hotel.  I have noticed that common greetings are changing from "kif hallack" (how are you?) and "Arak lahekan" (see you later) to "Get   home safely" and "Good luck with the checkpoints."

But there is also a distinct growing esprit de corps and a broad coming together of much of the population here as the countdown to the American attack on Syria begins.   An evident rallying around the Assad regime, which one presumes is the opposite of what the White House was hoping would result from its threats.

A good friend from the Syrian Arab Red Crescent Society (SARCS) an humanitarian organization doing amazing rescue, and medical services for Syrians and Palestinians during this expanding crisis, described one way that her friends are preparing for the American attack.  "We gathered our important documents, birth, marriage certificate and passport and made photo copies.  Then we leave them with friends in "safe" areas or even bury them somewhere. No one knows how bad the Americans will bomb us.  At work we have been told during our final practice drill last Saturday that the next siren will be the "real thing' and we will do as we have planned for." She added, "Many of my friends and family are leaving but it's not easy and is very expensive now to go to Lebanon and they don't want us-- and my family has decided to stay in our home no matter what happens in the coming days."

One common topic being discussed is the reluctance of the American public to attack Syria and how Obama can ignore it.  "What kind of Democracy do you have that your President can ignore the will of the American public?" this observer is frequently asked.  One soldier who is stationed with his unit just outside my hotel seemed to speak from his heart: "You Americans claim you are trying to help the Syrian people.   Every child knows, both here and in your country I think, that the coming attack will make things much worse for the Syrian people and many others. The American people are good and we hope they can control their government, but we are preparing for the worst and there will be consequences you will come to regret as with Afghanistan, Iraq and Libya."

The government here is assuring the public that Syria is ready for the American attack and that public services will continue.  TV channels show around the clock images of heroic Syrian army exploits with martial and patriotic music. Youngsters, students and workers are gathering at presumed targets offering themselves as Human Shields in solidarity with their countrymen while challenging President Obama to bomb their beloved Syria.

Interestingly, an International Human Shield movement is coalescing according to informed sources here and abroad. One initiative is to bring 1000 Americans and thousands of others, to Syria within the next ten days to guard likely bomb sites reminding one of the International Solidarity Movement international volunteer's efforts in Occupied Palestine in order to try to protect homes of Palestinians from Government bulldozing.

Some redacted specifics have been disclosed to this observer from an international organizing committee working around the clock on this Human Shield initiative.

Some descriptive excerpts:  

 "International Human Shields are planning on coming to Syria in solidarity with the Syrian people and in an effort to send a global message and hopefully deter an American attack next week."

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Since 2013, Professor Franklin P. Lamb has traveled extensively throughout Syria. His primary focus has been to document, photograph, research and hopefully help preserve the vast and irreplaceable archaeological sites and artifacts in (more...)
 

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