Syrian Civil War 2011-2012 - Societa italiana di storia militare

Hamad continued that he has seen proof that Iran and Iraq are aiding the Syrian government's crackdown. Hamad also praised the
FSA. [19] Meanwhile, the LCC reported at least five deaths and numerous injuries it described as "serious" as a result of security forces'
actions. [20] The SNC announced a new official website at syriancouncil.org. [21]
SANA reported that a gas pipeline and a bridge were bombed near al-Rastan. Mihajja Bridge in Daraa Countryside was also
reportedly damaged by a bomb, which targeted a police patrol. The blast and gunfire that followed reportedly killed one policeman
and wounded five. Meanwhile, a Baath Party worker was shot dead as he drove his car in Hama Countryside, SANA said. [22]
5 January Qatari Prime Minister Hamad bin Jassim al-Thani criticized the Arab League mission in Syria, saying after a meeting with
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in New York City, "I said we must evaluate the types of mistakes it made and
without a shadow of a doubt I see mistakes, even though we went in to observe, not to stop the violence." He said he had suggested to
Ban that the UN could take a role in training Arab League personnel in how to monitor human rights situations in the future. Despite
Sheikh Hamad's remarks, Reuters reported citing sources within Arab governments that the Arab League was likely to decide over the
weekend to keep the observers in Syria. [23] Meanwhile, SNC President Burhan Ghalioun suggested a military intervention in Syria
would not need to be NATO-led and could be done on a more limited scale than in the Libyan civil war. [24] Influential Iranian
parliamentarian Alaeddin Boroujerdi took the opposite tack, accusing Turkey of threatening the "stability" of the region by criticizing
the Syrian government and harboring the FSA and other political dissidents. Boroujerdi called for Ankara to modify its stance to be in
line with Tehran's approach of rejecting all international criticism of Damascus' handling of the uprising. [25] In Syria itself, the
government reported it had released 552 detainees "whose hands were not stained with blood". [23] Kurdish media reported the death of
a young Kurdish man in Harasta and three injuries to Kurds in Qamishlo, all allegedly at the hands of loyalist snipers. The accounts
could not be independently confirmed. [26] According to SANA, a policeman and two bystanders were killed in a drive-by-shooting in
Homs, while another two policemen were injured by an explosive device in al-Tarnabeh, Idlib province. Two rebels were allegedly
killed when a bomb prematurely exploded in Idlib city industrial zone. Meanwhile, the mayor of al-Sina'a, al-Tadamon and Basatin
Saleh district was shot dead outside his house in the city of Jableh, SANA reported. [27]
6 January – "Friday of Victory from God" Syrian state television reported that dozens of people died in a suicide bombing in the
al-Midan quarter of Damascus (see January 2012 al-Midan bombing). The attack allegedly targeted a police bus, [28] leaving 25 people
dead and 46 wounded. [29] The Syrian government immediately called the attack a "continuation of the terrorist acts targeting innocent
civilians" and said it "reflects the criminal mentality of perpetrators and their antagonism towards moral heritage and national
values", [30] while Colonel Asaad and the SNC both issued statements accusing the government of staging the attack to sully the
opposition's image and deter a planned protest in the area, one of the hubs of the uprising. [31] Later in the day, SANA reported that an
explosion caused by "terrorists" had severed an oil pipeline between Hama and Idlib governorates. [32] Meanwhile, according to Al
Arabiya, an Arab League team of monitors withdrew from the Damascus suburb of Arbeen after loyalist forces shot at them as they
toured the streets. [33] CNN reported that the incident occurred when protesters surrounded the monitors, chanting slogans against the
government, and security forces opened fire on them, endangering the observers. [34] A Syrian opposition member claimed that he
learned from anonymous security forces in Aleppo that the Syrian government was planning an orchestrated bombing in Aleppo. [35] In
Friday protests, activists said at least 35 were killed throughout Syria, including in the Kfar Souseh neighborhood of Damascus,
according to a witness who said he saw security forces open fire on unarmed demonstrators. [36] Major protests also took place in
Aleppo, Idlib, Qamishli, Deir ez-Zor, Homs, and elsewhere in Damascus, among other parts of Syria. [34][37][38] Three soldiers
attempting to defect were shot dead in Rastan, according to the LCC. [34] According to SANA, men in military uniform launched a gun
attack on Sur police station in Deraa Countryside, killing two policemen and wounding six. It also reported that a colonel and
lieutenant were shot dead as they drove through Homs, that a policeman was shot dead in Idlib city, and that the mayor of al-Amqieh
Municipality in Hama province was assassinated. [39] General Mustapha Ahmed el Sheick of the SA defected to join the FSA on 6
January; the highest-ranking defector so far. [40]
7 January Colonel Afeef Mahmoud Suleima of the Syrian Air Force logistics division defected along with at least 50 of his men,
ordering his men to protect protesters in the city of Hama. "We are from the Army and we have defected because the government is
killing civilian protesters. The Syrian Army attacked Hama with heavy weapons, air raids and heavy fire from tanks...We ask the Arab
League observers to come visit areas affected by air raids and attacks so you can see the damage with your own eyes, and we ask you
to send someone to uncover the three cemeteries in Hama filled with more than 460 corpses," Colonel Suleima said in a statement. [41]
In Damascus, thousands of pro-government protesters gathered at a mosque for the funeral of 11 policemen the government said died
in the previous day's bombing. [42] Opposition activists accused the government of making fake television footage of the aftermath of
the bombing, pointing to three clips they said were "mistakenly" aired by Syrian state TV. One shows what seems to be an injured
man on the ground standing up just before the end of the clip. Another shows a man with a microphone (allegedly a reporter for
Syrian state TV) placing "bags of vegetables" in the street to give the impression that some of the victims were civilians shopping in
the nearby market. The third video shows a person putting police shields in one of the damaged vans. [43]
8 January More than a dozen people, including 11 soldiers, were killed in clashes between rebels and loyalists in Basr al-Harir, a
town in southern Daraa Governorate, according to the SOHR. [44] The LCC reported shelling and gunfire in Deir ez-Zor. SANA
reported that rebels fired at a police vehicle in the al-Khalidiyeh neighborhood of Homs, wounding 11 policemen. It also reported that
another four policemen were wounded by gunfire near the National Hospital and that gunmen fired at a vehicle belonging to the
Military Housing Establishment in Ashireh neighborhood, wounding the driver. [45] A chief police officer was stopped by gunmen
while he was driving on the Harasta-Douma road. He was shot dead but his passenger was allowed to leave unharmed, SANA
reported. [45] In Cairo, Arab foreign ministers met at the Arab League to discuss the monitoring mission in Syria and hear the first
official report from Lieutenant General Mohamed Ahmed Mustafa al-Dabi, its leader. [46] The Arab League decided to extend their
mission after having heard the first rapports of their observers. They called for an end to the violence by both the Syrian government
and opposition. [47]
9 January Opposition activists said at least 21 people were killed in clashes throughout Syria. SOHR said most of the deaths were in
the city of Homs and Idlib province. [48]
10 January Opposition activists said that security forces killed at least 31 protesters, most of them in the cities of Deir al-Zour and
Homs. [49] SANA reported that rebels fired at a vehicle carrying Syrian soldiers in Rif Dimashq. It said that three soldiers (including a
colonel) were killed and three were wounded. [50] Syrian president Bashar al-Assad addressed a crowd at Damascus University in a
speech. He said that he would remain in power because he felt he had the support of the people of Syria. He claimed that victory was