74 commanders gave the order to open fire on demonstrators

[tabatha]

In order to understand what happened in Syria and ensure the international community takes effective measures to stop the bloodshed, the latest Human Rights Watch Report is instructive. The report titled “Individual and Command Responsibility for The Crimes against Humanity in Syria” is based on more than 60 interviews with defectors from the Syrian military and intelligence agencies. Former Syrian soldiers identified 74 commanders and officials by name who allegedly ordered, authorized, or condoned widespread killings, torture, and unlawful arrests during the 2011 anti-government protests. Human Rights Watch has urged the Security Council to refer the situation in Syria to the International Criminal Court (ICC) and impose sanctions against the officials implicated in abuses. Whether or not the report — which gives recommendations to Russia, China, the Arab League and Turkey — will be effective in preventing this bloodshed is questionable. However, disclosure of the tragic events that have been witnessed by the soldiers below, whose names have been changed for their protection, is very important.

A solider working for the presidential guard by the name of Ghassan shares the story of an execution that he witnessed in Duma on Aug. 7. “I was on duty at the checkpoint in the Abur Rauf neighborhood. My shift was from 4 p.m. to midnight. I arrived at the checkpoint at around 3:45 p.m. and heard screaming from an abandoned building nearby. When I entered [the building] I saw that the colonel on duty before me, Muhammad Sakar, had caught someone who was on the ‘wanted’ list. I wanted to begin my shift immediately in order to stop [what was happening]. Sakar said, ‘No, be patient, we’ll take care of this first.’ Seven soldiers were beating the man they had caught. When I arrived he was alive and screaming. The soldiers, on the other hand, were cursing and smiling. It lasted another five minutes and then the man died. He was no longer moving and I saw that blood was coming out of his mouth. When I took over the shift, I informed Qadir from the 160th brigade of the presidential guard that there had been a death. He told us to abandon the checkpoint and the dead body.”

http://mar15.info/2011/12/74-commanders-gave-the-order-to-open-fire-on-demonstrators

[freshwest]

1. It's amazing that they were able to get this information out. Is wikileaks part of this?

[tabatha]

2. This is HRW

Human Rights Watch has people on the ground - and they interviewed defectors.

Remember, HRW was on the ground in Libya too, and did not hesitate to criticize both sides.

This is their job - to find out information about human rights abuses.

[arely staircase]

3. Assad need not ask for whom the bell tolls.

[bemildred]

6. +1 nt

[orpupilofnature57]

4. Is the CIA helping that police force, like in N.Y. ?

[tabatha]

5. They do not need the CIA - they are beyond brutal.

One of the tweets by an Arab, stated that something to the effect that Arab regimes have one thing in common - their brutality - look at Iran, Egypt, Syria, Libya, Bahrein, Yemen, Saudi Arabia, etc.