Back in August 2011 the Arab nations joined the international condemnation of Syrian protesters and President Obama asked President Bashar Al-Assad to step down. On October 24 Gadhafi’s son was on Syrian TV promising to avenge his father’s and brother’s deaths. On November 4 it was reported that the Syrian peace talks broke down; this was surprising until we found out on November 15 that Iran had reportedly been holding talks with Syria for the past month. On this same date Syria demanded an Arab League emergency summit after having its membership suspended. On November 16 Syrian Army defectors launched an attack on its President’s army; the rebels want democracy and Jordan’s President asked Al-Assad to step down. On November 19 critics said that Syria’s agreement to allow Arab observers into the country to oversee a peace plan was a stall tactic to ease international pressure. On this same day Syrian military defectors strike a pro-regime office building with grenades and the Arab League rejected Syria’s proposed changes to the peace plan; Al-Assad said he won’t bow to foreign pressure and the Arab League maintained sanctions against Syria.
On October 24 we withdrew the Syrian Ambassador and on December 6 US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton met with Syrians that were exiled due to supporting the uprising and told them the ambassador would be sent back to Syria to witness the terror. On December 7 Al-Assad denied that he gave the order for violence against the rebels. Barbara Walters in her interview with Al-Assad pointed out that when the protesters first came they were carrying olive branches and did not want him out. Al-Assad denied that Syria was on the brink of a civil war and that he is only there because of the support of the people.
Printed on the December 10 website called ‘the National’ – Earlier in the day, the Syrian National Council had warned of an impending "massacre" in Homs, saying government troops and pro-regime militia forces were gathering around parts of city, apparently marshalling for a major assault after an attack on Thursday that targeted an oil pipeline near the city. With violence apparently on the rise, thousands of dissidents in jail and key urban areas under military lockdown, questions have been raised about how municipal elections, scheduled to begin tomorrow, can actually be held. Opposition groups have called for a nationwide campaign of civil disobedience and a general strike to start on the same day. National holidays have been called to allow people to vote, and requirements for prior registration have been waived, in an effort to boost participation. The authorities - keen to stress they remain firmly in control of the country - seem set on pressing ahead with the ballot. But anecdotally there was almost no interest in the polls, which will select local representatives, even among potential candidates themselves. In Damascus the wooden boards hung for campaign posters were largely empty. "No one is interested in local elections at the best of times and under the circumstances, I can't see many people will bother to vote," said one independent analyst in Damascus. "There is a battle underway for the whole country, a fight for the president's chair. These elections are irrelevant." Syrian officials have been keen to point out that the municipal ballots would be the first in a series of promised elections, part of what they said was a comprehensive transition to democracy. President Bashar Al Assad has promised a parliamentary vote in February or March with real opposition parties allowed to compete, followed in 2014 by Syria's first open presidential election in more than 50 years. In a rare interview this week, the Syrian president denied a crackdown was underway, dismissed the UN casualty figures (4,000) as baseless and said he was not responsible for any of the deaths. He blamed foreign-backed insurgents. Ahmet Davutoglu, the Turkish foreign minister, yesterday warned that Ankara would consider intervention if the violence in Syria threatened to spill over the border, saying it had the "responsibility and the authority" to take action (Turkey has been taking Syrian refugees). On December 12 we heard that Syria went ahead with local election despite the clash between security forces and protesters.
The killing has continued daily and on December 22 the US reduced its embassy staff due to security concerns. On this same day the Arab League arrived to again find a peaceful solution but the next day 44 people are killed in Syria’s capital of Damascus; the Syrians blamed Al Qaeda. On December 24 the UN condemned the terrorist attacks and on December 27 10s of thousands of protesters were calling for the execution of President Assad; many Syrians are risking their lives to take videos of the violence and put them on YouTube to prove its happening. The killing continues and on January 10, 2012 Syrian President Assad threatens to use an iron hand to stop the uprising in his country that according to the UN has claimed over 5,000 lives. On January 11 the Arab monitor quits his Syrian mission in disgust saying he saw scenes of horror that he felt helpless to prevent. On January 16 a Syrian legislator is the 2nd highest profile official to defect this month. On January 27 it’s reported that 11 Iranian pilgrims were kidnapped in Syria. On January 23 it’s reported that Syria once again rejected the Arab League’s plan to end its 10-month crisis and Syrian forces are firing at residential buildings and into the crowds. On January 28 the Arab League pulled its people out of Syria as the violence is escalating and on January 29 we hear over 100 Syrians were killed over the weekend. Before the UN Security Council can talk about Syria’s president stepping down Syrian forces retook Damascus suburbs.
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