Syria and Libyan Civil War Update, May 20th
New coming out of Libya has slowed down immensely. In order to get enough information, I will also be covering events in Syria.
Libya
The big event of the day was the attack and destruction of Qaddafi’s Naval Forces, after they attempted to threaten Rebel areas. In addition, the Misrata Front has largely stabilized. Tawergha has largely been taken, but NATO as advising the rebels to NOT enter Zlitan, and they are listening. It seems they are waiting for a larger build-up of force. Also, it appears that Qaddafi’s forces between Tawergha and Zliten are shelling some of the suburbs of Misrata, namely Dafniya. In addition, more and more rebels are massing at the Eastern Front. In addition the people of Al-Qalaa have run out of food. This is in the Nafusa Mountains, and they have been sieged for 2 months now.
Politically, the big event today was Senegal’s recognition of the National Transitional Council as the legitimate government of Libya. In addition, it seems to be confirmed the Qaddafi’s wife and daughter have left the nation, with the implication being that Tripoli is no longer safe for them. This seems to corroborate the rumors and stories of frequent and brief fighting in Tripoli.
Syria
As has become a pattern, there was a massive spike in protests in Syria on friday.today was particularly bloody, with around 30 killed. In addition, HRW is calling on Lebanon to give asylum to those fleeing the Syria. Lebanon is a small nation, so they may become overwhelmed quickly. In addition, the Assyrian Christians have now joined the uprising, and as a result, the headquarters for the Assyrian Democratic Association was raided, and 12 members arrested. Finally, there are now reports that some Syrian civilians are firing back at the security forces.
In a side note, some of the Syrian Armed Forces seem to be shooting people based on religious background. From Robert Fisk:
In certain countries, but obviously Syria, we have a danger of a sectarian war. One of the things I learned from the people in Talkalakh is that when the army entered the town, they separated the Allawis and told them to go home, and then opened fire on the Sunnis. Now, is there a better way to start a civil war than to do that? So I’m very worried about Syria. I think there’s a great danger of it breaking apart, but it’s certainly in the Libya bracket for brutality.
Obviously, as one would expect, the scumbag Chavez is defending al-Assad, saying that Syria is the victim of a fascist attack.