Syria descends into deeper chaos as heavy fighting rages in Aleppo

 

September 29, 2012 – SYRIA – Hundreds of shops were burning in the ancient covered market in Aleppo on Saturday as fighting between rebels and state forces in Syria’s largest city threatened to destroy a UNESCO world heritage site. The uprising-turned-civil war that is now raging across Syria has killed more than 30,000 people, according to activist groups such as the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. But beyond the dramatic human cost, many of Syria’s historic treasures have also fallen victim to an 18-month-old conflict that has reduced parts of some cities to ruins. Rebels fighting to topple President Bashar al-Assad announced a new offensive in Aleppo, Syria’s commercial hub of 2.5 million people, on Thursday, but neither side has appeared to make significant gains. In Aleppo, activists speaking via Skype said army snipers were making it difficult to approach the Souk al-Madina, the medieval market of vaulted stone alleyways and carved wooden facades in the Old City, once a major tourist attraction. Videos uploaded to YouTube showed dark black clouds hanging over the city skyline. Activists said the fire might have been started by shelling and gunfire on Friday and estimated that between 700 and 1,000 shops had been destroyed so far. The accounts were difficult to verify because of government restricts on foreign media. Aleppo’s Old City is one of several locations in Syria declared world heritage sites by UNESCO, the United Nations cultural agency, that are now at risk from the fighting. UNESCO believes five of Syria’s six heritage sites – which also include the ancient desert city of Palmyra, the Crac des Chevaliers crusader fortress and parts of old Damascus – have been affected. The British-based Observatory for Human Rights, which has a network of activists across Syria, said Assad’s forces and rebels blamed each other for the blaze. Heavy clashes erupted outside several military sites in Aleppo on Saturday evening. Activists said rebels were battling government forces outside the Neirab military air base. The Observatory said clashes outside a base used for artillery training had set a nearby building alight and killed three people. Fighting was also reported outside Bab Antakya, a stone gateway to Aleppo’s Old City, which sits on ancient trade routes and survived a parade of rulers throughout its construction between the 12th and 17th century. Rebels said they had taken the gate, but some activists said the fighting continued and neither side was truly in control. “No one is actually making gains here, it is just fighting and more fighting, and terrified people are fleeing,” said an activist contacted by telephone who declined to be identified. He said in some districts, bodies were lying in the streets and residents would not collect them, fearing snipers. More than 40 people had been killed in fighting across Syria, according to the Observatory. –Reuters

Russia establishes contact with Syrian government for U.S. – With a little bit of help from Russia, the Americans and the Syrians have established contact with each other, sending shockwaves in Turkey, which has blamed Moscow and Beijing for the continuation of strife in Syria. Addressing the American media on Thursday, Russian Foreign Minister, Sergei Lavrov dropped a bombshell. He said that Moscow had helped the American experts to establish contact with the Syrians on the subject of chemical weapons. “I hope I won’t disclose any big secret, but we have helped American experts establish contact with the Syrians on this issue, and we have received explanations and assurances that the Syrian government is guarding these facilities in the best possible way,” said Mr. Lavrov, as reported by Russia Today. He also added that Russia was not considering granting asylum to Syrian President Bashar Al Assad, in case he decided to quit office. “No, we won’t grant him asylum,” Mr. Lavrov said, pointing out that the Syrian President “was a friend of other countries northwest of Syria.” Lebanon’s Al Manar television website quoted its Arab sources in France as confirming that the U.S. delegation at the U.N. General Assembly annual session wanted to discuss with Syria, the issue of chemical weapons. The Syrian side pledged “with a Russian guarantee” that it would not use these weapons “inside Syria during the conflict between the government and the militant opposition.” However, the Syrian delegation was emphatic in stating that in case Syria was subjected to a foreign attack; in that case countries involved in inciting and participating in that attack would be legitimate targets “for the Syrian rockets… loaded with chemical warheads, including countries neighboring Syria.” –The Hindu