Latakia Massacres: Rebel Deaths Correlated by Groups

Latakia Massacres: Rebel Deaths Correlated by Groups 
And Overview of the Groups
November 14, (incomplete)
last edits Dec. 3

 "Martyr" "Abo Abdulrahman" from Libya,
Member of ISIS or FSA - lists disagree

Still struggling with my post on ISIS-FSA teamwork, I need some work space for this project to compare rebel deaths recorded in the HRW report (read or download page) compared to entries in the VDC database. A couple of interesting details were emerging, and it deserved a space to see how many more and to compare them.

HRW found 20 opposition groups groups were involved, and I see 17 listed, besides "FSA under Salem Idriss' command," which was claimed to be present but may not have been. Named fighters killed in the operation are provided for most groups.

For the VDC side, first, I'll use the entries collected here at ACLOS, (rebel "martyrs" with martyrdom location: Latakia), and later I'll look for further VDC matches.

I'll also use this a space where all groups can be listed, to provide basic details and some specifics for each.

1 Ahrar al-Sham

-Wikipedia page, as Harakat Ahrar ash-Sham al-Islamiyya (Arabic: حركة أحرار الشام الإسلامية ‎ Ahrār ash-Shām, meaning "Islamic Movement of the Free Men of al-Sham" (greater Syria/Levant) A coalition of Islamist brigades that "cooperates with the Free Syrian Army and other secular rebel groups; however, it does not maintain ties with the Syrian National Council." With a "strict and secretive leadership” and funding from Kuwait, Ahrar al-Sham was a founding and leading member of the Syrian Islamic Front, and was a member of the Turkish-sponsored 2015 Idlib "army of conquest" along with Al-Nusra. HRW heard that Ahrar al-Sham was a leading group in the offensive, and its local leader Abu Taha was deputized with dispersing the funds provided by Suqour al-Izz. They announced their role in “liberating” four villages," (Isterbeh, Nabata, Hamboushia, Abu Makka) and posted video of them breaking into homes in a fifth (Balouta). Ahrar al-Sham initially held no hostages, in September "assumed responsibility for the hostages taken during the offensive," somehow securing their transfer from fellow groups JMA and Daesh (ISIS).
Reuters, Oct. 11 reports a sort of denial from the group: "If someone uses a weapon against you, you have to fight them. If they do not, you must not kill them," and that's it. The unstated half could be that the Alawites raised the sword against them (all Sunnis) so the Alawites have to die. That vague statement was from "Ahrar al-Sham's political office in Raqqa." Raqqa was taken over by Islamists in March, 2013, and then taken by Daesh (ISIS) as their capitol in mid-August, just as this Latakia offensive was ending. So if Ahrar al-Sham had its offices there two months later, it suggests they were working with the Islamic State at that time (the Wikipedia entry doesn't mention any alliance or breaking of it, as it does with the other two).

HRW found "three Moroccan fighters from Ahrar al-Sham that were killed in Esterbeh on August 4." These overflows from "Sham al-ISlam", I'm guessing, are named:

-  Abu Omar al-Maghrabi
= Abu Omar al-Maghrebi, died in "Astrabeh Village" "Rank: FSA"
- Abu Moaz al-Maghrabi 
= Abu Moaz al-Maghrebi, died in Astrabeh Village. Also "FSA"
- Abu Adam al-Maghrabi 
= Abo Adam al-Maghrebi, died in "Astrabeh Village". Also "FSA"

So, Ahrar al-Sham, who cooperates with the FSA (besides with al-Nusra and, in this case at least, with ISIS) but isn't a member or beholden to any of their rules or commands, is listed by the VDC under a simplified "FSA" heading. From this and the rest, it seems "FSA" means against Assad, not ISIS, and not even al-Nusra. Except the one guy that was Nusra and the one that was Daesh ... (see each entry below). Everyone else is under that vague umbrella. Or, considering joint command, etc. ... "FSA" might mean more in this case, like some "free" fighters deputized by agreement just before the deal (who knows?).

Also of note: HRW reports "In one of the videos, lieutenant colonel Hussein al-Harmoush, the brigade commander from Harakat Ahrar al-Sham al-Maghdad al-Aswad battalion, is identified by name and seen shooting in the operation."  That's either a nickname taken in honor of an FSA Godfather, the late Lt. Col. Hussein Harmoush or quite a coincidence.

2 ISIS/Islamic State/Daesh
Should need no introduction... 
four fighters from ISIS killed during the operation:
- Abu Moqatel al-Tunisi (a Tunisian national), killed in Esterbeh on August 4
= Abu Muqatel al-Tunesi From Tunisia. Rank: "Islamic State of Iraq and Sham." Later changed to ISIS. Died in "Astrabeh Village" by Aug. 5.
- Abu A`bed al-Rehman al-Mesra’ni killed in an unidentified location on August 4
=? Abo Abdulrahman al-Libee, from Libya, died in "Lattakia" "Rank: FSA" (photo, dead)
- Hamza al-Shishani (a Chechen)
= no match?
- Abd al-Hakim al-Alaiwi 
=?  Abdul Aziz \ Soud al-Sbaie, from Saudi Arabia. Rank: ISIS. Killed Aug. 4, Lattakia.  Known as (Abdul Hakeem al-Mwahed). photos, alive and dead. 
- no match?
=? Mohammad al-Shahi ISIS, from UAE, killed August 15, doesn't say where
- no match?

3 Jabhat al-Nusra

Al-Qaeda's official affiliate in Syria, identified by HRW as a leading group, involved in hostage-taking, executed captured cleric Badreddin Ghazal. HRW heard about: "three fighters from Jabhat al-Nusra killed on August 4"

- Abu Zabir al-Maghrabi (a Moroccan), killed in Abu Makkeh
= Abu Zubair al-Maghrebi From Morocco. Rank: Jabhat Nusra. Died in "Lattakia: Boumka village" by Aug. 5
- Abu Hamza al-Maghrabi (a Moroccan) killed in Barouda
= Abu Hamze al-Maghrebi, died in 'Lattakia: Baruda' (by Aug. 5) Rank: FSA. (photo, alive)
- Abu Ibrahim al-Libi (a Libyan) killed in Barouda
= Abo Ibrahem al-Lebi From Libya. Rank Jabhat Nusra. Died in "Lattakia: Baruda" by Aug. 5

4 Jaish al-Muhajireen wal-Ansar (JMA)

JMA commander Abu Suhaib al-Libi (as Identified) w/captives

Wikipedia page - (JMA, Arabic: جيش المهاجرين والأنصار‎ Army of Emigrants and Supporters), formerly known as the Muhajireen Brigade (Katibat al-Muhajireen), " briefly affiliated with the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), but after changes in leadership it took an increasingly hostile stance against it. In September 2015, JMA pledged allegiance to the Al-Qaeda affiliated Al-Nusra Front."
JMA-Daesh confusion - formally allied at the time, using the same basic flag (their with extra words added, it seems): SOHR Facebook post "Confirmed reports that a Libyan Emir of the ISIS was killed by the al-Hamboshiya clashes ..." HRW heard he was neither ISIS nor killed (see here for details); he's one of two local JMA commanders, both Libyans. Neither is listed as killed. The VDC lists neither as killed. HRW says he was injured twice, and treated in Turkey. They say he "appears to be" the masked man hosting the hostage video uploaded September 7. His co-commander is mentioned by HRW as an apparent overall operation commander:

On August 13, Sheikh Saqr, the commander of Saquor al-Izz, tweeted that Abu Jaafar al-Libi from Jaish al-Muhajireen wal-Ansar was the leader of the operation and that his deputies were Abu Jaafar from ISIS (see Section on ISIS above) and Sheikh Qahtan from al-Tawheed.

April, 2013, the HRW report states, they established a “mujahedeen operations room” in Jabal al-Akrad, used it to organize with other extremists, and then had the center used to organize the August operation. The activist HRW spoke to (organized the groups, allied with most) said he first entered the villages later in the day on August 4, and told them “The villages fell so easily that the men were free to roam around and slaughter at their leisure…the Libyans [Jaish al-Muhajireen wal-Ansar] did not kill, they slaughtered, even women and elderly.” 

HRW learned of "10 fighters killed from Jaish al-Muhajireen wal-Ansar during the operation, many of them Tunisian and Libyan nationals." Note, none has either of Abu Suhaib's given names.
- Abu Rehmat al-Libi was killed on August 4.
= Abo Rahmeh al-Liby died Aug 4, "FSA" (photo, alive) - Commander Abu al-Farouq al-Libi 
= no match?
- Abu Obeida al-Maghrabi were killed on August 14 in Obeen.
= no match
- Abu Youssef al-Ansari 
= no VDC match
- Abu Ashraf al-Tunisi,
= Abo Ashraf al-Tunsee died in "Lattakia" by Aug. 7 (photo) "FSA"
- Abu Abdallah al-Tunisi,
= Abo Abdullah al-Tunsee died in "Lattakia" by Aug. 7 "FSA"
- Abu Trab al-Libi
= no match
- Abu Hazifa al-Libi
= no match
- Abu Hilal al-Libi
= no match 
- Abu Obeida al-Tunisi 
= no match
were also all reportedly killed (date and place of their deaths is unknown)

One of these may = Abo Rahma al-Libee died in "Lattakia" (photo) "FSA" died (by) Aug 7

Note: VDC apparently didn't get direct reports from JMA activists.


5 Suqour al-Izz

Wikipedia as Suqour al-Ezz - - (Arabic: كتيبة صقور العز‎) - primarily Saudi jihadists - initially cooperated with both Daesh and Nusra, rejected the former and merged into Nusra in January, 2014.HRW adds: "Sheikh Saqr, the leader of Suquor al-Izz, seems to identify himself on what is believed to be his Twitter account as the person responsible for the finances for the operation and that Abu Taha from Ahrar al-Sham was his deputy in this regard. The operation was reportedly largely financed by private Gulf based donors."

 

Suquor al-Izz also lists the names of several fighters killed during the Latakia operation between
August 4 and 16.
- Abu Malkat al-Azdi was killed in Esterbeh,
= Abu Malek al-Azdi unknown origin, Rank: Islamic State of Iraq and Sham (originally) Now says rank:FSA. Killed in Astrabeh, by Aug. 5.
- Abu Moaz al-Jezrawi in Barouda, on August 4.
= Abo Mouaz al-Jezrawee From Saudi Arabia. Died in Baruda "Rank: FSA"
- Abu Malek Mohamed Gharam al-Shehri, who is identified as a frontline commander, August 8 
=   no match?
Abu Medawi Yehya al-A`sseiri, August 8 
= Yehya al-Eseiree FSA, foreign (unknown) Aug 8, known as Abo Medawee, during clashes with regime's army
Abu al-Bara’ al-Si`ayri, August 8 
= no match?
Abu Hazem al-Qsseimi, August 8 
= no match
Abu Sleiman al-Tunisi (a Tunisian)  August 8 
= no match
Abed al-Basset al-Tunisi (a Tunisian) August 11
= no match 
Abu Kahled Bandar al-Kahledi on August 16.
= no match 

Note: VDC apparently didn't get direct reports from SaI activists.

6 Ahrar al-Sahel Brigade

(FSA, app. not under Idriss central command) 

An August 12 video shows FSA's chief Salem Idriss visiting "the commander of the Free Syrian Army battalion (brigade) Suquor al-Sahel, Saeed Tarbush, who was injured in the fighting in the villages," declaring "we will do our best to meet the needs of this battle and provide everything we have…" to this group, or someone else they represented? The report says:

The Ahrar al-Sahel Brigade announced its formation on May 23, 2012 as a unit operating under the FSA in Latakia.218 Based on statements made by the leader of the group, Abu Ahmad, the group does not appear to be under the command and control of Salim Idriss.

 This group is the best fit for Idriss-supported or commanded or worth being seen with anyway. They also claim involvement on the 4th in Isterbeh, Abu Makkah, Hamboushia, Beit Shakouhi, via a sub-unit (the Assad Allah Hamza battalion. Abu Talal, reportedly the commander of the Assad Allah Hamza brigade, was reportedly injured while fighting in Esterbeh on the same day. Amer al-Haddad, an al-Hijra ila Allah fighter, was killed there. HRW saw graffiti in Abu Makkeh - on a house “Liwa Tahrir, Ahrar al-Sahel Battalion”

Amer al-Haddad, an al-Hijra ila Allah fighter, killed in Esterbeh
=  Amer Jamal al-Haddad, FSA, age 25, from Syria, actually - Hiffeh, Latakia, so nearby. died in (blank), Aug. 9 from "shelling by regime's army." Photo (alive).

7 Farouq Brigades

This is definitely a unit of FSA, if not under SMC control - Wikipedia states it was founded by a number of Homs based members of the Free Syrian Army mid-2011, including Abdulrazaq Tlass (Houla Massacre, masturbation), and others including Abu Sakkar (genocidal cannibal/scavenger)… powerful in 2012, sliding by mid-2013, defunct in 2014, helped form the Syrian Islamic Liberation Front along the way. Wikipedia says Farouq is Part of: Free Syrian Army, Syrian Islamic Liberation Front (2012-2013), but HRW's report said "It is not known whether the Independent Omar al-Farouq Brigade operates within the command structure of the Free Syrian Army". … at any rate, involvement here is not very clear: a September 21 video "shows al-Farouq Brigade fighters film the destruction in Barouda and Talla from afar pointing out the locations of the Syrian army. Graffiti referencing the al-Farouq brigade was also left in Abu Makkeh." No deaths mentioned. 

8 The Hassan al-Azhari Battalion

Led by "Abu Taha from Latakia," HRW reported, this battalionand "posted on their Facebook page that they liberated Nbeiteh village and that the fighters were on their way to take control of the Barouda tower."

An "opposition activist" told HRW “Abu Taha protected Alawite women from the foreigners [other fighters] who wanted to kill them.” 

fighters from their unit who died during the operation including
- Ahmad Khaled Khlou (killed in Abu Makkeh on August 6)
= no VDC match?
- Abo Mosaab (killed in Abu Makkeh, date unknown but announcement posted on August 6).
=  no VDC match?

9 The Heroes of Khirbet al-Jawz and the Oussama Bin Zeid Battalion (sub-unit)
(FSA, app. not under Idriss central command, graffiti in Hamoushiya proclaims their approval of a "genocide against the Alawites") No deaths listed.


10 Saif Allah al-Masloul, al-Ansar

HRW reports this group bragged on the 7^th how on “August 5 they raided Blouta killing all the shabiha” (a day late?) A video shows them raiding Abu Makkah on the 5^th.” They claim to part of “Al-Ansar.” Little else seems to be known. They report fighterAmmar Mustafa Mo`mari was also reportedly injured during the offensive on Abu Makkeh and died from his injuries on August 7.

= Ammar Moustafa Meaamaree FSA, died in Lattakia: Boumka village by the 7th.

11 Sham al-Islam (HSI)

A very intriguing group, apparently heavily involved - Harakat Sham al-Islam (HSI - Wikipedia article) (Arabic: حركة شام الإسلام‎, meaning "Islamic Movement of the Levant") is composed of primarily Moroccans. On 25 July 2014 that it became part of the Jabhat Ansar al-Din, which claimed neutrality in the conflict between ISIS and other groups (Syria Comment) HSI was involved in the 2014 Latakia offensive (late March) and then designated as a terrorist organization by the US State Department on 24 September 2014. On 23 September, 2015 Jabhat Ansar al-Din almost marked the anniversary of that by formally joining with al-Nusra, who claim to oppose Daesh. 
The WP states "The group was founded in August 2013 by three Moroccan detainees who had been released from the Guantanamo Bay detention camp, Ibrahim bin Shakran, Ahmed Mizouz and Mohammed AlamiHarakat Sham al-Islam first came to notice because of the role it played in the 2013 Latakia offensive," which was about the same time it first appeared. In fact, HRW (who gives another name for the leader, Abu Ahmad al-Muhajir, Moroccan and former Guantanamo Bay detainee) makes it sound like they were an informal group not yet announced at the time; HSI's formation was only announced publicly with a Youtube video on August 18, it says, as the operation in Latakia ended – waiting to see if any of them survived? Tamimi agrees: they emerged in "mid-August") (also notes "Mohammed al-'Alami, using the name Abu Hamza al-Maghrebi" and "Ibrahim bin Shakaran as its leader, who is known in Syria as Abu Ahmad al-Muhajir" - confusion resolved)

Their reported dead:
- Abu Hamza al-Maghribi (a Moroccan, via Guantánamo Bay), one of the group’s generals, was killed on August 4 in Barouda
= Abu Hamze al-Maghrebi, died in 'Lattakia: Baruda' (by Aug. 5) Rank: FSA
Zein al-`Abedine, a Sham al-Islam fighter as having been killed in Kindah on August 4.
= Zain al-Abden al-Maghrebi died in "Lattakia: Kinda village" Rank:FSA
Three Sham al-Islam fighters also died in Esterbeh on August 4
= ?? (unclaimed foreign FSA entries - any Moroccans left? yep)
=?  Nibras al-Maghrabee Morocco, "FSA" on or before Aug 7 (photo, dead)
= other 2, possibly listed, also as FSA, maybe even Syrian. 

Further, all 3 Ahrar al-Sham fighters, killed on the first day, were Moroccans - likely overflow from this group, loaned out. But note, VDC got all 6 Moroccans with both groups listed.
 
12 Al-Tawhid/Sheikh Qahtan Battalion

HRW: "The Sheikh Qahtan Battalion, formerly al-Tawhid (distinct from the FSA group)," operates "under the umbrella of Ansar al-Sham, a member of the Syrian Islamic Front." They were seen firing rockets on Barouda, and left tags in Aubin (Obeen). This groups started the Latakia offensive named Tawhid, but was renamed after "Sheikh Qahtan Haj Mohamed, a Syrian from Haffeh in Latakia, a deputy commander of the operation, was killed" They immediately renamed it after him. This = VDC's Qahtan Haj Mohammad from Syria, Hiffeh. Rank: "FSA." "Brigadier Leader," died Aug 4, location blank (photo, shown at right). HRW reports ''On August 13, Sheikh Saqr, the commander of Saquor al-Izz, tweeted that Abu Jaafar al-Libi from Jaish al-Muhajireen wal-Ansar was the leader of the operation and that his deputies were Abu Jaafar from ISIS and Sheikh Qahtan from al-Tawhid." This guy was chosen alongside an ISIS commander by the Daesh-affiliated operation leader, for a bit of local flavor.

The rest - Suqour al-Sham (FSA, non-command), Sons of al-Qadisiyya (FSA funding cooperation), Thuwar al-Haffeh, Ibrahim Khalil, Al-Shaheed Sino Rebels Battalion (small local groups) - have no mention of deaths.

13 Sons of al-Qadisiyya

This was formed around Feb. 2013, as “one branch of the “Civilian Protection Commission” in Latakia and its Countryside ... composed of various battalions including al-Farouq and al-Ansar” with a mission is to link the brigades with financial supporters and donors in coordination with the Free Syrian Army abroad.” In a video from August 5 or earlier, Sons of al-Qadisiyya fighters launch three grad missiles at some of the targeted villages. 

14 Suqour al-Sham

Associated with Jabhat Tahrir Suriya. A video “shows Suquor al-Sham clashing

with the Syrian army during the offense on Barouda tower on August 4,” and “graffiti identifying Suquor al-Sham was also left in Obeen village.”

15/16/17 Thuwar al-Haffeh, Ibrahim Khalil, Al-Shaheed Sino Rebels Battalion

These last three are implicated by graffiti, with limited background information, and no specifics on anything but where their graffiti was seen. As the report explains, Thuwar al-Haffeh (revolutionaries of Haffeh, a nearby city) marked a spot in Abu Makkeh, Ibrahim Khalil and his soldiers, in the Sleibeh al-Hamboushieh hamlet, and the al-Shaheed Sino Rebels Battalion in Abu Makkeh. Sino probably doesn't mean Chinese, but Hsino, as labeled on Wikimapia - a town near Salma.

---
18 Front for Authenticity and Development 

The Front for Authenticity and Development (FAD) or Authenticity and Development Front is a U.S.-backed, Saudi-funded, "moderate Islamist" force, using FSA colors and cooperating with them, but not a part of FSA or answerable to the SNC. Co-founded in 2011 by defectors including Farouq's Abdulrazaq Tlass, they maintain a low profile, appearing neither secular nor overtly jihadist. They have controlled territory, if limited to sectors of some cities and no swathes of land (once with sectors of Aleppo, Deraa, and Douma, decreasing from there, but in 2015 granted a prized share in Jis al-Shughour).

Graffiti implicates them, but the HRW report doesn't mention it. They cite a video from August 9 (still available) supposedly showing FSA fighters, as the title says. But the alternating corner stamps says FAD and someone else (unclear) jointly produced the video (among others from the offensive). And the graffiti at their checkpoint says this:

Which we had translated:

Top, easy: Allah Akbar
الله أكبر

Line 2 first half: first brigade
اللواء الأول  
Line 2, second half: an unclear symbol, then "western front"
 الجبهة الغربية

line 3 "belonging to Authenticity and Development Front. (or Front for... FAD)
التابع لجبهة الأصالة والتنمية

"Western front" is probably a unit invented just for this for this joint foray.

The graffiti was seen in a video of theirs, on the wall of a checkpoint at the entrance to the village of Kharata, population 37, suggesting they were in charge there at filming time anyway, which was not very early – the 9th. Other videos, will take more analysis. Some reports (like HRW's) don't mention fatalities there at all, but some say everyone in Kharata died, or only 10 survived.

--- VDC's "FSA," 
Foreign (not listed above)

Kuwait

• Naser al-Dosaree Died in "Latakia"

Qatar

• Moustafa al-Batarnee from Qatar, a Doctor with FSA, age 20, died in "Lattakia"

 

Saudi Arabia

• Mohammad Fahd al-Saied Lattakia, FSA, Aug, 4, Known as (Abo Moaz), documented on 21-6-2014
• Ayoub Mohammad al-Dwaish Lattakia, FSA, Ayg. 4 Known as (Abo Mohammad al-Sbaiei), Documented on 21-4-2014 

Unknown

• Abo Asid died in Lattakia: Hambosheih village by Aug 7
• Abo Hamza al-Zaqawee died in "Lattakia" (updated to Muaz Omar Husain Zakarne, Palestinian via Jordan, photos, engineering student, died by Aug 7 in "Salma," - no HRW mention

"FSA" Syrian
(partial list from ACLOS page - will see if report lists any)

• Abo al-Moughira location blank, Aug. 4 (photo)
• Anas Sheikhani Mount Kurds: Doreen, Aug 4 Video - oddly dramatic, filmed by a dead man. Or fake? Is that supposed to be the camera of Iehab dahou, from the Salma Media center, who is listed as getting shot Aug. 4 in Salma? (will be added somewhere above, later) Wasn't this right at the start of an optional surprise offensive? They make it look like some grim and desperate last stand.
• Ahd Tarboosh, only listed local martyr Aug. 5, from"Hiffeh: Defil" died in Astrebeh (Isterbeh). Has video. (add: May be related to "commander of the Free Syrian Army battalion (brigade) Suquor al-Sahel, Saeed Tarbush, who was injured in the fighting in the village," paid a visit by Salem Idriss, under whose command the battalion did not seem to be, HRW found. Had another fighter die in the same village Aug 9) 
• Haj Asaad Died Lattakia: Mount Kurds Aug 6
• Malek As'ad Lattakia: Mount Kurds, not actually on the list, with death date 00-00-00, but by index number was reported right after the last, app. related martyr...)
• Unidentified, but from Hiffeh. Died Aug. 6 Astrabeh Village

On the 6th, rebels were killed in two areas as government forces pushed back - Astrabeh Village (Isterbeh - several killed) and Kafraya (two killed). Daily deaths (a few) continued until about the 10th, increasingly by shelling, and increasingly back towards the rebel base town of Salma. For example Amer Jamal al-Haddad, age 25, from Hiffeh, died (blank), Aug. 9 by "shelling by regime's army." Local Syrians stopped dying, by the list, about August 10, and non-locals (mostly from Idlib) took over the dying from there, a few a day on average up to about the 20th. Some examples:

• Abo Maweah al-Hamwi From Hama, died Aug 13.
• Amjad Haj Jomea From Khan Subul Idlib, died Aug 17, Documented on 08/25/2013
• Amjad Shareef al-Halaq from Saraqib Idlib, died Aug 18, by shelling

Douma Cages: Genocidal Display, or Twisted Hoax?

Douma Cages: Genocidal Display, or Twisted Hoax?
(or maybe just Humans, Shielding Subhumans, in Douma) 
November 3-4, 2015
(incomplete)

Here's what could be a special entry under precedents for the Douma market attack (August 16) being a false-flag event carried out on captives of the ruling "Army of Islam." It'll go there too, but this clearly deserves its own post. 

My first tip: Leith Fadel, Masdar News, Nov. 1 U.S.-backed “Moderate rebels” put Alawite women in cages to protect themselves from airstrikes (includes 2 video stills, one at right) - Off-Guardian repost of that, with video.

In order to deter the Syrian and Russian Air Forces inside the East Ghouta (collection of farms) region of rural Damascus, the U.S. backed moderate rebels from “Jaysh Al-Islam” (Army of Islam) and the Free Syrian Army (FSA) have placed kidnapped Alawite women in cages to protect themselves from airstrikes.

The U.S. backed Syrian Opposition’s social media activists posted the photos of the six kidnapped Alawite women on Twitter, adding their extra commentary that included sectarian insults to degrade the helpless women and taunt the Syrian President Dr. Bashar Al-Assad.

Al Jazeera has reported on it too: Syrian rebels use caged captives as 'human shields'. They pass on HRW's Ken Roth complaining these rebels "stoop to the level of Assad," who he reminds everyone is the main problem, always bombing Douma and making people have to eat grass, and leading some to think up things like this. The al-Jazeera report doesn't show any images, and they by-line it "Prisoners believed to be regime officers used as shield near Damascus as Assad forces intensify bombing of rebel areas." But they're women, we heard. Actually the video shows some men as well in the three cases shown. And the article does acknowledge: "the prisoners are believed to be officers and their families from the Alawite sect."

Al Jazeera's report has rebels saying it was a democratic decision of the general populace there:

"After what happened in the city of Douma and the whole of eastern Ghouta, most people decided to place those prisoners from the Alawite sect and high-ranking regime officers in cages so they can taste our misery," said Bara Abdul Rahman, a media activist in the video.

New York Times:

The threat was conveyed in video clips and photographs posted on social networks under the hashtag “Cages of Protection,” which offered the macabre spectacle of male and female prisoners being driven through the streets of Douma, in the Eastern Ghouta region outside Damascus.

The captives were being placed in dozens of cages on rooftops and in streets throughout the rebel-controlled territory “so they can taste our misery,” Mr. Abdulrahman said in one of the video clips published online Sunday.

“Human rights and humanitarian organizations will start calling on the opposition to release those officers,” the activist added, standing alongside one cage. “We didn’t hear those organizations calling to save the people of Eastern Ghouta.”

Please, can the Human Rights Groups finally issue just one call to "save the people of Eastern Ghouta?" We're all tired of their endless whining about the Alawites and Christians, getting distracted by ISIS, and ignoring Assad's crimes. Can anyone please just once think about the Sunnis?  </sarcasm>

Observations:

They say this is a brand-new policy, but these captives could be just the kind of people who've died in every other "regime air strike" in Douma, or the x-hundred gassed in rebel basements back in August 2013. Civilians who've been unnaturally segregated by gender dying in bulk with verifiably false explanations are quite likely captives. We can see here rebels are hardened, capable of caging people like this without batting an eyelash. They don't seem to be newcomers to this game.

Jaish al-Islam (Army of Islam) has previously claimed, with every strike in Douma, that they have no presence in Douma, only in easily hit bases outside the city. They say residents won't let them in. That could almost be - JaI has had to "clash with armed residents" before. But someone keeps shelling those roadblcoking citizens, sometimes from 800 meters to the south. Here, JaI (presumably, but not certain) is driving its trucks with prisoners through some war-ravaged city. I'll see if I can place that scene, presumably in their captured stronghold of Douma.

Joshua Landis says, per NYT, that some of the women appear to be Sunni. That could be because they'e been converted, or just held by Sunnis who dress them. The Aalawite men too look like heavily-bearded shaved-head Sunni Islamst guys, besides looking quite lean and underfed.Also, they look to me more like farmers or something than like officers.

Then, having watched the S.N.N. video (also embedded) and how they talk, I don't think the prisoners are clearly under duress as they denounce Assad and Russia and their bombing. It's possible, but I think it's at least as likely these are Sunni pro-rebel actors helping sow this controversy. That may or may not be revealed in time. It involves taking a PR hit, but unlikw the straight reading allows for (and would almost surely get) explained as a hoax and try to score points in the long run, by supposedly showing some anti-Sunni hypocrisy.

I'll try to come back to the size and quality of the man's commentary, the women, etc. and consider more closely.

Consider: NYT report mentioned the activist seen in these videos, Baraa Abdulrahman, had previously arranged just this show:

In February he staged a propaganda message that self-consciously echoed an Islamic State video in which a caged Jordanian pilot, in an orange jumpsuit, was burned alive. In that clip, the activist appealed for help from the outside world by speaking to the camera about the strikes while standing in front of a cage filled with neighborhood children dressed in orange. After waving a torch, Mr. Abdulrahman asked why the killing of the pilot had prompted global condemnation while the deaths of children in Douma had passed almost unremarked on.

Here's a tweet about it with a photo I dug up from Feb 15, Are we just seeing part two of his stupid cages play? The people in cages are saying just about the same thing."Stop the killing of children" in February, in October Alawites themselves are just as sick of the civilian deaths as anyone - and their demeanor suggests it's not just coercion. They all suggest the answer is an end to "Assad," somehow...

Still, whether or not this is a real example, I'm fairly sure the local Islamists do regularly round up heretics and government loyalists, military or otherwise, with their families, and use them in various ways from bargaining chips or fund-raising, to amusement, to raw flesh for more "no fly zone" arguments (often in combination, of course).

If these really are captured Alawi, the coaching and teamwork is exceptional and nuanced. If so, nonetheless, I predict they'll wind up in tatters just to prove Assad doesn't even care about his Alawite slaves. And if they're Sunni actors, then maybe someone else will wind up in tatters and passed off as these people.Hopefully, for once, no one will wind up that way, and hopefully soon it can all end.

October 30 Douma Market Attack

October 30 Douma Market Attack   
November 3-4, 2015
(incomplete)

Previously  at this blog I've analyzed the Douma Market Attack of August 16, and fairly well shown it to be a false-flag incident. In review, the surprisingly solid findings suggest a surface rocket attack, from 800 meters to the south, when rebel were quite clear it was a jet strike. Also, while they remain vague about the attack time, but it seems most victims were already dead before those false-flag rockets landed. And there are various victim clues consistent with their being gender-segregated captives before they were killed. And in some cases, it's pretty clear they died from terrorist execution methods, not from any bombing.

That was neither the first nor the last alleged government attack on Douma public markets. They were allegedly attacked again on October 30 - like yet another entry for precedents article but later. So far much less is known, and it will for now gain more from the August precedent than the other way around. 

Articles and General Observations

(will hopefully be re-organized) 

This time, the victims seem to more mangled (more realistic) than last time. This time they blame jets and/or surface attacks with rockets and/or mortars, complicating any repeat of the same de-bunk I used for the August attack (see below: Locations and Attack Clues). 

This time, Russian and regime bombing are blamed (will try to sort that out) and the body-damaging attack came a day after an alleged Russian air strike allegedly damaged the area's hospital and medical staff, enhancing the death toll by limiting treatment options. They imply this is no accident but clearly a diabolical plan between Moscow and Damascus to bleed Douma's civilians into submission.

AFP via Indian Express
early toll “There were 40 people killed and at least 100 wounded in the centre of Douma,” ... adding that the toll was expected to rise as people were still being pulled out of damaged buildings.

Thursday attack:
"Government air strikes yesterday hit a market and a hospital, killing at least nine people, the Observatory said. An AFP photographer at the scene said Thursday’s attack had wounded hospital staff, limiting the treatment available for the wounded on Friday."

SNC tweet blames Russian bombing

http://970amtheanswer.com/news/articles/attack-kills-dozens-in-syria-as-talks-begin-in-vienna

http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2015/11/syrian-rebels-caged-captives-human-shields-151102203114417.html
Douma is regularly targeted by government air strikes. A medical centre run by Doctors Without Borders (MSF)was bombed on Friday killing 70 and leaving at least 550 wounded.

wrong - the death toll is for Friday, the exact numbers MSF gives. But they and everyone else say the hospital was hit the day before. MSF, Oct 31

"This was an extremely violent bombing,” said the director of a nearby MSF-supported hospital who assisted in the first wave of the mass-casualty response. “The wounds were worse than anything we’ve seen before, and there were large numbers of dead. We had to do many amputations. And a lot of the wounded had massive blood-loss, which means we needed large amounts of IV fluid and blood bags. We did our best to cope, but the number of critically wounded was far beyond what we could handle with our limited means.”

A total of 250 patients required surgery, including for severe, multiple-trauma wounds, and a further 300 patients were treated for wounds not requiring surgery. As the closest makeshift hospital had been bombed the previous day, local medical workers struggled to cope with the influx of injured people. The devastation caused by the initial airstrike on the market was exacerbated by further shelling on the rescue teams who were attending to the wounded.

Victim Records

The opposition Center for Documentation of Violation in Syria (or Violations Documentation Center - VDC) - which id based in Douma, by the way and had its director abducted by the Islamists running the area - still seems to have no problem helping the Islamists launder their massacred captives (as I suspect the bulk of these martyrs are).

For this attack, they list: 79 martyrs from Damascus suburbs, mostly Douma, killed by "warplane shelling" (simplified) from 10/29 to 11/01. 8 on the 29th, 11 after the 30th (may be just died from injuries or include new attack victims), only 60 on the 30th, so 70-71 seems right for the Friday attack, including the expected delayed deaths. Of those 71 listed as dying on Friday and after, 60 are men.  3 boys, 5 women, 3 girls round off what VDC records for who died buying veggies and/or rescuing on this day. As I've previously shown, this is about the usual proportions for such attacks in Syria (by VDC records, which tend to agree with other opposition sources). Boys are a little under-represented here; usually men and teenage boys predominate by far.

Relatively few repeat names (transliterations vary sometimes); four named Haddad (4 men), 4 with versions of Jaroudi (2 men, a woman, a girl, 4 Medawars (3 men and a girl), 4 Delwans, 3 Srewels, another unlucky al-Tout man, etc. ... 

Locations and Attack Clues
In the August 16 incident, a mapping of the 4 attack sites proved supremelt impoertant in showing it could hardly be bthe jet attack activists claimed. In this case, I haven't tried placing anything yet or even analyzing videos, and may not bother. This time they blame an airstrike and/or surface rockets or mortars, and I'd have to learn more about the alleged order besides mapping and analyzing the sites. It miht still happen, but no promises.

Ter Malla Massacre: Al Qaeda or Russia-Syria Bombing?

Ter Malla Massacre: Al Qaeda or Russia-Syria Bombing?
October 17, 2015

(incomplete)
last edits November 1

Note November 1: the core "massacre" part this - 48+ members of an extended family killed in a home or bomb shelter - was not, by reports, in Teir Maela/Ter Malla but in neighboring Ghanto. But a smaller number of civilians were also reportedly killed there the same day by Russian bombs, and the collective area toll (reported as at least 70) is here considered together as related.

Lately in Syria, claims of deliberate up-close massacres of civilians have ebbed - an issue I'll address the causes for elsewhere. In the place of claims like the Houla Massacre by Shabiha militiamen, we now have alleged air attacks by Syrian military forces (artillery, rockets/missiles, jets, helicopters, with or without "barrel bombs") and lately by Russian military jets.

There are a huge volume of such claims, and I've only seriously examined a couple, usually the ones with larger death tolls and media coverage/condemnation. For example, two months ago, I started looking at the Douma Market Attack, allegedly by regime fighter jet. Within a month I had surprisingly solid clues pointing to a rebel massacre underlying the false claims (attack pattern suggests local surface rockets, many victims were apparently dead before those rockets landed, and more - see review). That's newsworthy info, but clearly not fit to the rapid news cycle, where people care about a claim for a couple of days - collectively (most people's shift in that is minutes long).

So, nothing solid yet to report on the Ter Malla massacre of 70+ civilians - which is already a couple days ago. They were allegedly killed by Russian jet attack and/or army shelling, in an ongoing offensive there. But I can start a post and point to a good start on coverage over at A Closer Look On Syria which will grow as possible. 

Competing Claims

And the rebel massacre blame can start early here anyway. Until I can discern my own clues, I'll pass on what the blamed Syrian military says happened:

SANA report, via Global Research:

Terrorists of Jabhat al-Nusra perpetrated a massacre in Teirmaal village in Homs northern countryside on Thursday. A military source told SANA that terrorists committed their crime at 7:00 am in synchronization of the army operations in the area, adding that the act aimed at accusing the Syrian Army and the Russian air force of targeting civilians. "The Syrian Ministry of Defense stresses that the Syrian Army and the Russian air force do not target civilian-populated areas and holds Jabhat al-Nusra and its associates full responsibility for such crimes,” the source said.

Russia categorically denies it bombs civilian-populated areas, and surely has denied or will deny the claim. Syrian official sources seem to acknowledge attacking the area with atillery and then ground forces invasion of some areas, all with Russian Air Force backing. And they acknowledge that civilians were massacred around there at the same time, but specifically claim that terrorists did it to frame them. Details (like death toll and victim types, how they claim to have learned about the massacre, etc.) are still scarce, but precedent, from Houla to Douma, suggests that's most likely true.

Opposition sources blame the Syrian/Russian military offensive in slightly different ways, but mainly the Russian bombing that's the issue of the day to highlight at every chance. The SOHR reports it was a Russian jet attack that killed at least 60 people, of whom 17 were rebels and 30 were women and children. As CNN reported, the SOHR cited "local residents" who told them "the strikes were by Russian forces because the sound of the planes was different from the sound made by Syrian air force planes, and the Russians fly much higher." Their competitors in the VDC blame Russian bombing of a shelter and/or area near a bakery, and list at least 71 victims, including just one acknowledged as a rebel fighter.

The 70 civilians VDC lists are: 32 men, 13 women, 13 boys, and 12 girls. This is an unusually gender-balanced grouping. The most balanced (total) death was visited on the core family; VDC has 35 victims listed with family name Assaf ( عساف ). These are: 10 men, 7 women, 8 boys, and 10 girls (of 12 total). (most of those women will be adult daughters - mothers/wives will have "maiden names," so it's probably higher - and some adult women might be married to other victims, making it higher yet...).

Gender and Age of Victims
A version told to Ziad Fadel at Syrian Perspective clashes with the opposirtion details I'm inclined to believe, but otherwise is consistent with SANA's source. A photo is even provided, although it's not clear if it's from the incident or just to illustrate. (I've got a comment in asking for more info). As he explained:

Tayr-ma’la Village:  Horrific massacre by American-supported rat terrorists of Nusra/Alqaeda against the people of this village.  When the terrorists knew their time was over in this village, they gathered 40 men and shot them all in a line at 7:00 a.m..  Their accusations were that these people were unwilling to fight alongside terrorism.  Some were accused of collaborating with the government.  Don’t believe any of the nonsense about Russian bombers and Syrian Army artillery being at fault. Those two forces do not miraculously kill only males between the ages of 16 and 40.

But this time, the only other concrete allegation of gender breakdown is not almost all men like we all noticed in the Douma case, but a pretty non-miraculous spread. There are still more men than normal, but if 17 are rebel fighters as SOHR heard, the civilian remainder is 16 men, 13 women, 13 boys, 12 girls.  

As established looking into records for "warplane shelling" civilian deaths, especially involving markets, they tend to be high-majority of men. This case stands out as quite different. What else is different? Impending doom on a scale not usually seen; rebel forces there are being seriously squeezed, and might be getting annihilated as I type. They won't have the luxury here of taking the females away as prizes, or the younger boys to be re-educated as Salafist fighters, or any such thing. All they have has to be used up, or left to be rescued. And who want s to go to all the work of rounding up enemy civilian families and taking "care" of them for x weeks, just to let them get rescued in the end? So ... perhaps this is why they just killed everyone in the batch.

 
Core Massacre: An Extended Family

Al-Jazeera heard from their "reporter" Jalal Abu Suleiman, a rebel propagandist who helped launder the Houla Massacre back in 2012, Russian jets were to blame, and...

... one of the raids struck a place of refuge for civilians in the town of al-Ghantu, "killing 37 people - all from the al-Assaf family".

They say just one family was exclusively there - or exclusively enough that no one else died. This sounds like a personal shelter, likely a basement in a home and not a proper bomb shelter.

The same Al-Jazeera running that on Thursday the 15th reported three days later on another strike, on Saturday the 17th which, according to "activists," killed yet another 48 civilians from a single family, again in a bomb shelter.

The bomb shelter where the family was hiding was hit by a rocket on Saturday, activists told Al Jazeera on Sunday. Rescue teams spent over 10 hours trying to recover the bodies of the victims, Al Jazeera was told.

Abu Abbas, a survivor, said the majority of the casualties were children. "The eldest of the victims is a 70-year-old woman; the youngest was a one-month-old child," Abu Abbas said. "They were not terrorists as [Russian President Vladimir] Putin said."

(dead children are "not terrorists" ... throughout this conflict, rebels/"activists" have described the child victims of their own terrorist massacres in just this way.)
 
The stricken family isn't named, but people swear to the details. The problem with this ten-hours of digging on Saturday is no one else reported any reason. The SOHR's first report said of Talbliseh-area bombing only "The Russian warplanes re-struck the outskirts ... no information about casualties," amid area clashes that did take lives on both sides. A next-day SOHR report speaks to some deaths; "the 4 civilians who were killed yesterday in the airstrikes carried out by warplanes, believed to be the Russian’s, on the town of al- Ghanto are the medial (staff) in the town." The entire staff or part of it? That sounds perfectly Russia of them, of course. Still no word about a family of 48 killed.

VDC query: all Homs martyrs killed by "warplane shelling" October 17 and 18 = 4. On the 17th, only one woman killed in Palmyra (distant) is listed. Three civilian men died in the right area but, it says, only on the 18th. One is specified as delayed: died "due to his wounds." All; mentioned late/died late/listed late. That might be a clue.

What seemed like the best support, by the headline, helps explain what's going on: Asharq al-Arabi (Arabic, auto-translated with repairs) proclaims "Russian occupation commits a massacre in Homs 17-10-2015" and claims a massacre of 43 members of a family. But despite the headline, by this it seems they refer to the events of the 15th.

Details of the massacre at the shelter by Russian warplanes missiles in rural Homs ... Documented field hospitals in the countryside North of Homs governorate, killing forty-three people from the same family in the town of alghanto North of Homs countryside. By targeting Russian warplanes with missiles on Thursday, features vacuum bombing ... sophisticated missiles capable of penetrating a consecutive large fortifications, causing severe damage. ...

According to sources on the ground have seen bombing that the first missile destroyed the two-story building with the second missile destroyed the bunker beneath the building. ... This, if anything, it shows already and the determination to implement the massacre, the sanctuary is known to all that the place where civilians congregate, especially women and children, at the time of the bombardment aviation and throw explosive barrels ... The recording showed the media bulletin photographer Imran Ali, a certificate for a survivor of the massacre, which killed a large number of family members inside the sanctuary.

What got al Jazeera or their activists mixed-up about the day is a small mystery, but otherwise it's clear. While measurements for the shelter are given, the family name is not. But a single family dying in large numbers, in a shelter in al-Ghanto on Thursday the 15th, makes it fairly clear they now say 43 or even 48 members of this one "Assaf" family died in that shelter. It adds detail.

One VDC sub-grouping helps explain it more: these 43 entries - a solid majority of the dead - share the note: "A massacre of a number of families due to Russian warplanes targeted a shelter in Ghantto town." These are the 35 Assafs and the 6 Steifs (plus 2 others). Of course the family was once numbered as 43. New information added suggests five were missing, and all these 48 people were part of one extended family, not "several families." And this was a proper reinforced bomb shelter they were in, somehow accorded to just one family among those in need - luckily for the others.

No, this doesn't smell right. Entire families get singled out in other ways, like by terrorists sending a signal to other local families as they face their toughest fight yet and seek new recruits. I think Ziad's sources' explanation is pretty likely, but it wasn't 40 men killed but rather 40+ members of a family whose men refused to fight their countrymen alongside al-Nusra.

Added Nov. 1: CNN reported October 25 that "The deadliest airstrike in Homs was reported to have hit a house in the village of Ghantou, killing 46 members of an extended family, the rights group said, citing first responders and local activists." House, proper bomb shelter, rebel-run basement "shelter" for "displaced people" - that's disputed. But a single, large, extended family was stuffed in there before it was blown up. And a later "we don't have a pre-set number" count says it was 48, not 46, and it might be higher yet. (The VDC, however, still has just the 43 Assaf-Steif family members two weeks later).

Related Deaths

CNN reports besides the one that killed the Assafs in Ghanto, "Another airstrike hit near a bakery in the town of Ter Maaleh, reportedly killing 13 civilians and a local commander of the opposition Free Syrian Army, according to witnesses cited by Human Rights Watch."

VDC has 6 people with the notes "As a result of a massacre by the Russian warplanes shelling targeted crowd of civilians near a bakery." An apparent father and teenage son, a possible wife/mother (different, possibly maiden name), two other adult males, and one rebel - Raed al-Akash, "defected captain." As with Iyad al-Deik in Rastan two weeks earlier, the commander apparently died without any of his fighters, instead dying alongside mostly unrelated civilians. This time, picked out in the middle of a crowd near a bakery.  

VDC lists another 12 with the general note "Due to Russian air forces shelling of the town." 11 civilian men and one girl from 6 families. Outside that Assaf-Steif shelter, the usual pattern of mostly-men seems to hold in this rebel town.

Blast Video Analysis
forthcoming, perhaps. Many videos claim to show jet strikes nearby. Places and times, etc. would be handy to know, could be found out, but hardly seems worth it at the moment. Chances are, these are jet strikes by whoever. We don't know where the alleged shelter was to compare if any of these is centered right there. So far it seems all we can do is question whether or not any of these is related to the dead civilians.

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YhG0U7lnaZA fighter jet passes, two blasts seen
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0xzayNGr6xI smoke rises from blasts nearby as people dig in a blasted home
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kdwq_Atw504 smoke rises from blasts
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qNxM45FwXx4 fighter jet passes, smoke rises from blasts

Victim Video Analysis
So far, even doing an Arabic Youtube search including martyr, just one video shows two adult male victims of this massacre. And they aren't the clearest support of the rebel story here.

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HwnYYoupnRo شام ريف حمص الغنطو مجزرة بشعة يرتكبها طيران العدو الروسي في البلدة 15 10 2015 تحذير الفيديو قاسي (Cham Homs Al-Ghantu ugly massacre committed by Russian aviation enemy in the town 1510 2015 Video harsh warning 18+) 

In an edge-of-town sort of area with fields and some homes, we see one wounded man in a truck with another person, and some bombing damage to a couple of buildings, a vehicle, unclear - not necessarily fresh damage (no dust or smoke seen rising). Then we see two dead men on the ground some meters away. Did the blast just fling both of them here? It's possible.

Another body is shown being dug up from under rubble and mainly dirt, but these first two need analysis.  They share some combination of mangled, blackened, and naked or close to it. These may be old bodies starting to decay. One may have been executed with a sword or other bladed weapon.

1) One is fully naked, blown out of his clothes we guess (gonads apparently intact, barely visible one frame), and completely black. Grimace of pain, blood from nose. Crew-cut blonde hair? Appears fit, fighting age. Strange injuries: deep pit damage to left shoulder and right elbow joint, small wounds all over, chin and torso. Two larger gray circles on his belly are puzzling. black could be surface charring - but may be under/inside the skin, not on the surface - that means decay. But apparent lack of body hair is more consistent with burning, and there's little other sign of decay - or of fresh blood for that matter. Freshness: unclear. Skin has yellow patches (dirt?) on the abdomen, odd splotches and streaks of darker black. Such varied injuries could be from shelling, where random things happen, or might suggest deliberate torture before death.

2)  Middle-aged, balding, mostly covered with a blanket - right leg in twisted tatters, chest/torso blown/torn apart on the left armpit area, face intact but one discrete head wound, a clean slice arcing along the upper left side from forehead to temple. Clothing, just one scrap of a shirt on his upper body, lower not seen clearly. He seems half-burnt, compared to the other, or half black.Right half corresponds to smoke/fire with a sleeveless shirt protecting his chest, but the other side, around the chest wound, appears more internal black - decay. This wound also stopped bleeding long ago, may even have been washed off once before bleeding a bit more, and is now just wet enough some grass sticks to it. The head slice might be fresher, redder. Was he somehow blasted this way, left manged and decaying yet alive, until the Islamists got close enough to finish him off? Arguing against that; this isn't an area where they're on the offensive here but on the defensive.

There can be no room for decay in the rebel story. This has the fatal bombs falling, when everyone agrees bombs were falling, early that morning (6 am is cited, not sure if everyone agrees on the exact time). The video was uploaded, at least to Youtube, only by Shaam News Network, on the 15th. Sunlight says mid-morning or early afternoon, depending. The uploader's first tweet allows either, coming only at 3:11 pm in Syria (5:11 am in California).