Salamieh: A City Just like the Country Living in Fear

            Back in November of 2011 my cousin’s wife was driving her car with her teenage son just outside the city of Salamieh. They were stopped by armed men that told them to get out of the car hand over keys, purse, and phones. They had guns pointed at her and her son. My cousin’s wife then said to them, “I am just like you, opposition.” The men then laughed at her took the car and belongings and left her and her son behind.

            A few weeks back, my friend here in the States was talking to her mom to find out her neighbor who was in her twenties was driving her car in Salamieh and was stopped by armed men. They told her to get out of the car. She told them the same thing as my cousin’s wife, “I am like you against this government.” They replied to her, “We are not opposition or pro-government.”

            Syrian News Agency reported a few weeks ago, that armed men came into a restaurant just outside of Salamieh, kidnapped two people, killed two people, and stole money from everyone.  I later found out that the people that were killed that day were twenty-something boys from Salamieh.

            Many people have not heard about Salamieh but it’s a growing city that is in the governance of Hama. The city and the villages surrounding it are religiously diverse of different Islamic sects that inter-marry and live in peace just like the majority of Syria.

            After March of 2011, Salamieh was split in half, the Communist protested and the pro-government rallied. Blood in Salamieh was not split though there were cars getting broken into by rival sides and threats. The first Salamieh blood that was split was my friend’s cousin back in September. The man drove a truck for the Government oil company; the truck was stopped by armed men and shot and killed. His funeral turn out was both pros and antis trying to blame other side.

            Since last March, I personally know three kidnap victims from Salamieh; including the current victim who’s ransom is at three million Syrian pounds right now. This does not mean there has only been three, just that I know three personally.

            Salamieh is now an overcrowded city, with refugees from Homs and Hama, and no real security yet. A city that hardly ever saw any crime is now overrun by thefts, kidnappings, break-ins. There are two Alawite villages next to Salamieh who have been threatened to be shot up by opposition-armed gangs. Police and security force presence is finally noticeable in the city and surrounding areas. But it does not seem to be enough. Syrian army tanks have been reported to be at the Castle just outside Salamieh on the road to Hama this week. When I spoke to my family in Salamieh they told me it was mainly a precaution. Hama and Homs are no longer safe havens for armed men and with Salamieh strategically in the middle the army is watching the roads.

            But one this is clear, this city just like many other cities in Syria have been experience a crime trend. This truly has nothing to do with the reforms or the “revolution.” This is all about getting money, causing chaos, and gaining power. Yet with all of this right in front of the eyes of the citizens, they still cannot seem to unite and despite their views on the government work together to save their city or their nation.

            Salamieh, just like Aleppo and Damascus, was a city that one could walk around at 3am and not worry about a thing. Now police are on their guard trying to help out the city. But the city is divided which makes keeping the city safe even more difficult.

            Even if external parties were to stop their war against Syria, it will take a long time for Syria to be fixed internally. Armed men are not just going to disappear; thieves and kidnappers are not just going to stop. Citizens will continue to hate each other and blame the other side. But this selfishness needs to stop. This Arab tribal rivalry intuition needs to end. The country again needs to unite not for a government but for a nation for their lives and the lives of their future. 

The New Deal

     The United Nations has now implemented a plan to send former Secretary General Kofi Annan to Syria to help stop the violence and try and implement a 6 point plan. However there is no indication what the repercussions of not implementing the 6 point plan would be or by when does it have to be fulfilled. One things for sure: this was a big win for Syria, for Russia and for China.
     Talk is easy, United States Ambassador to the UN Susan Rice knows this. She with her friends from France and United Kingdom know this, they talked up a good game for the past year. But as they and their administrations failed to sway Russia and China from their positions and the armed opposition started to lose major ground within Syria, they needs some kind of effort to look like they still cared: enter Kofi.
     Significant event that shows this is what Russia wanted, Kofi is visiting Russia before his peacekeeping trip to Damascus.
     As this shift happens those who wanted Assad gone no matter what have choosen not to hide their disapproval of this plan.
     Qatar, which seems to be the leading nation against Assad, publicly denounced the original draft of this plan that was put together by the Arab League and Russia. Partnered with Saudi Arabia, they have both said they would like to help arm the armed opposition in Syria. (As if they have not already done so.) Moscow has denounced such calls saying these (Saudi and Qatar) statements will not help end crisis or help the people of Syria. And personally since then I have not seen much news or statements from either governments after the United Nations took on the idea of this plan.
     But what about the Syrian National Council? What is their response? They were upset and "disappointed" with Kofi's statements about not allowing external military interference to be involved in Syria. And for those that are still part of SNC, they have reject the UN plan just as many members of SNC have defected. Not very smart of SNC since SNC's ally, the United States, is for this plan, what are they suppose to do with no major international support since SNC lacks credible internal Syrian support? Most likely in the near future: the exit of SNC.
     As this has moved forward and as the "FSA" armed opposition continue to tactically withdraw from each area in Syria, my thoughts head to one direction... Is a diplomatic solution gonna happen? Are we going to stop fearing external military operation? Only time will tell. But I and many others inside and outside others truly hope so. Allowing reforms and the Parliamentary election to move forward is what is needed for Syria and the people in Syria right now.
     Only question now is, when will sanctions are to be lifted? Will it be done publicly or quietly? What significant event needs to happen for it to change? Parliamentary Elections? Presidential Election of 2014? When will the people of Syria be allowed to live again? The crisis within the borders of armed terrorist is not near over, it will take years to have complete safety in Syria again; but when they can start to prosper economically again the situation will not feel so dire.
     So now we wait and hope that whatever new deal that just happens works and that this shift will save the people of Syria and their future.
    

I blame us

We are pro-Syria correct? Whether we categorize ourselves as pro-Bashar, pro-regime, pro-reform, we are all pro-syria...

And for that case I blame myself and all of us that are pro-Syria for the way things have gone in Syria.
Please hear me out before you get all pissed...

We wonder why Bahrain, Jordan, and Yemen revolutions have not been covered or sanctioned like the Syrian one... we say religion, the Gulf, Hezb, and/or Iran.

We also need to know, the biggest difference is Syria has more outside opposition/exiled folks than any of these other countries. They are not just anyone, they have built their names and accomplished a lot to make sure they have a lot of money in their pockets.
Money is a driving force in everything.
Our opposition/exiles fund stations, reports, lies, and weapons; they also have written letters to their governments, rallied, met with high officials.

We, pro-syrians, have rallied and attacked their media campaign with the truth. But that wasn't and still is not enough.
Many of us cancelled trips to Syria, rallied when rallies when rallies were scheduled, and cussed online and to family.
But we still need to unite and do more.
For those who can:
1. We need to rally more
2. We need to start sending letters to newspapers and our government officials
3. Those who usually go to Syria this time of the year, I encourage you to go still and if possible take Syrian Airlines.
4. We need money in Syria

How to help Syrian economy from here:
When sending money, I am not saying to put it into banks but to have it move around.
  1. If you are building a house in Syria keep it goes
  2. If you have a house, send money and have family buy something new for it from local merchants
  3. help fund something in your area.
  4. Buy/slaughter sheep from locals and donate the meat to your village.

Our time to fund what we want... our time to try and keep Syria safe, our families safe.
We are late but we need to try now.
Just fighting the media campaign is not enough. Our families in Syria are suffering by the hands of the opposition, Arab League, and West.

We can do more and if we do nothing we are just as much at fault.

my thoughts while i was in syria

As many already know I went to Syria back during Ramadan. Many people had many split views on going. But the fact was anyone I talked to in Syria all told me to come.
When I first got there I was truly shocked. I am one that does not watch Aljazeera or any of their allied stations but I didnt think that I was entering normal Syria when I hit Damascus.
Life was completely normal. People were going to work and staying out all night enjoying themselves.
The one difference I felt was Friday. I was at my uncles house all day, we didnt leave. No one left during the few hours around Salat. (Be safe than sorry.) I remember that day staying on the news. 2 police officers died in the suburb just next to us. Yes I was staying in the Ref Alsham (Damascus Suburbs) for the first few days. Where the majority of the problems supposedly happened. When I turned on the TV to AJA supposedly there was a protest outside the balcony where I was staying. Definitely did not happen.
People weren't lying when they said it is true bullshit by the media.

The problem in Syria when I was there, not now a month later, is not demonstrations. Because these are exaggerated, there is no revolution in the terms of Egypt or Tunisia. There is not an armed rebellion in the terms of Libya.
Though the outside is interferring with the media and sanctions.
The main obstacle for reforms is the people themselves.
There are extremest on both sides... I experienced it myself within my own family.
~One cousin was so extreme he would make statements that he doesnt care if everyone that is against the govt to be arrested. He doesnt care for any kind of change at all.
~Another cousin who is against the govt said he hopes all those who are for the government get killed when the regime falls.
Needless to say neither of these two sat with each other. These r the minorities but these rifts within an household have made the major rift in the country. And their views cannot be altered and they refuse to find a middle and they refuse join in any dialogue.
I noticed those that were in the middle - not extreme; just want reforms. They do not want either extremes and they dont want a complete change in the regime either.
These are the silent majority. One of them being an uncle of mine (he's 35 years old): he actually demonstrated in the beginning. Then he told me he stopped for 2 reasons: 1. He was promised reforms and believes they will come 2. He saw with his own eyes demonstrators he was friends with start taking guns. He did not want to be part of any of that.
I asked him how long will he wait for the reforms: He said until the country is safe again do I expect full implication of reforms. Until they it will be very gradual.

My family makes up for over 20 aunts and uncles (total) and all have at least 3 children. So understand I get all different points of views in just 20 minutes of sitting with them.

A sign of some reforms was when people within my village were released from jail on bond until their court date. 4 people charged with paying people to go out in demonstrate. (They were apparently ratted out by their 5th partner in crime.) They will be getting a public trial.
As Ramadan came to a close it was obvious that there was no revolution but an armed insurgency/rebellion within the borders.

Syria is not in much trouble they will pull out of this in the end. But the damage between the people is what needs to be worked on.

Dear Obama ... and a continue from http://democratic-syria.blogspot.com/2011/07/our-comment-on-obama-description-of.html

Comment and most from: http://democratic-syria.blogspot.com/2011/07/our-comment-on-obama-description-of.html

~Also if you take out the $6 million dollars paid to Syrian opposition since 2005 for the last six years that will be another $36 million dollars since then and since Obama has been in office since 2008, then he could have gotten saved the American people $18 million dollars.
~The American people voted Obama in on a platform of Change, he spoke how you cannot ignore other governments and that you need to engage with them. I was even fooled as I volunteered for your campaign and helped convince many of my hardcore republican friends that this change is needed.
~ Obama, you even had the courage to talk crap about Bush in front of Bush during ur Inaugural speech and the need to throw up old policies. But yet you did not fulfil any of you promises, except a weak health care reform change. But yet I still had faith in you. But then you entered into another illegal war in Libya with the cry of Democracy when the fact was the people should have fought that war themselves. The presence of Democracy and freedom was the platform of Bush and you continued it blindly.
~You, Clinton and all ur department speaks of the Syrian president as if they are within your power to control and in the meanwhile your people are suffering with no jobs and little or no retirement benefits. If you do not get re-elected it will not because the republicans screwed you, it will be because you lost legitimacy as president, not Bashar. You did not fulfill any promise you made to us. You even compromised with Republicans and extended tax cut for the wealthy. Even though you still had control of the House and Senate at the time.
~Guantanamo is still open and your exercise of torture on these prisoners has not come to a halt.
~Your support of the actions of ur Ambassador of Syria is ridiculous. You preached reform for Syria and as reform began Ford when to support an uprising. Your ambassador and your embassy are guests in foreign nations, just like the Syrian Ambassador is a Guest in the United States. If Syrian Ambassador got on TV, radio, and Internet support an uprising against the USA government and talk bout your downfall what would the USA's reaction be? Who are you to allow such things to occur?
~If Army, police, and security forces are being shot at in ANY country they will be responded with with full force of that Government. Do not act you would not do the same thing if you were in Bashar's place. He has been in negotiation with the opposition, which is the minority of Syria, for months now. He has implemented many reforms but they are still collecting arms and ready for an armed rebellion. The majority of Syrians were waiting for their security to be restored and for the Army to start doing their job, which is protect these from any armed rebellion or extremism.
~Do you remember when Turkey complained about refugees? Well you know very well Syria has some of the largest refugees. Iraqi (cuz of the hands of USA), Lebanese (hands of Israel), and Palestinians (hands of Israel, UN, and USA). We did not put them in CAGES as TURKEY did to our Syrian citizens. They live among us, as brothers and sisters, co-workers, and neighbors.
~Do you remember When Turkey threatened to entry Syria? Syrian silent majority who are all pro-reforms and pro-Bashar, choose silence was no longer and option. Everyday after that University group, Youth groups, Christian groups, villages, and many more civilians came together to rally in different years EVERYDAY. They will not listen to foreign countries to threaten their land, their nation, their army, or their president. Enlistment in Syrian army grew after those statements. And if a foreign nation was to enter Syria, enlistment would triple. And Syria already has the largest active army in the Region.
~Army, soldiers, and security forces have been shot at and killed for months now, the Syrian ppl want the government to intervene against this terrorism.
~This was first a media war, of lies and videos being spread and your USA media has only addressed one side of anything. Not looking at opposite view or using common sense that many of us have done to discredit many accounts of 'eye witnesses' and 'videos.'
~So I ask you to worry about the USA and Syrians will worry about Syria. Make statements fair and make them just. You are yet to implement change in foreign policy. Though I have no faith in you and cabinet now, I hope you can prove me wrong.
~My college funds for my school and my stocks are about to get shot to hell because you care more about being the bully of the world then you do about our Debt Ceiling. So please worry about our countries future than that of another country that is more than capable to handle themselves.

Lets show it all!!

It is so depressing that the Day of Dignity was not broadcasted the way it should have been around the world..
Where millions and millions of Syrians took the streets of all major cities and even little villages showing their support to President Bashar and to Syria...
Even to this day there are pro-rallys... but you see so little of it ... and these are worldwide... But yet little coverage...
News stations would rather destroy a country through Youtube rather than show its unity and its beauty...

Let it be known that if another Day of Dignity was to emerge... Still millions and millions would come out..
Just like if Our President gave these so-called "pro-democracy" protestors an election... an overwhelming majority would still vote for Dr. Bashar Al-assad and the Baath Party. And none of this is out of fear- this is out of true love, affection, and Devotion to Our President!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bw3vKYGUKec

Just a clip of the rally with other stuff with the President!! there will be more on the way!

Amnesty

The Great President has given a general Amnesty to political prisons...

Thats something you "pro-democracy" people wanted right?
The release of political prisoners??

Before this he lifted the emergancy law-
He gave more wages, insurance, and much more...

Now you asked for the release of these people...
Because he is FOR the people and he cares for Syria...

Now are you going to ask for something else? As an excuse to continue deteriating our country?

I am sure you will have more demands... because it seems to be more of a pretense for all of you..
As OUR military men and Officers die- you continue to issue demands

I hope you are finally satisfied and I hope I am wrong... but your actions have spoken to the millions of Syrians who just want you to stop

God Protect the Syrian President, The Syrian Army, The Syrian Police, and the Syrian People....
We are all One!!