11-year-old played dead to survive Syria massacre

[Omaha Steve]

Source: AP-Excite

By BASSEM MROUE and ELIZABETH A. KENNEDY

BEIRUT (AP) - When the gunmen began to slaughter his family, 11-year-old Ali el-Sayed says he fell to the floor of his home, soaking his clothes with his brother's blood to fool the killers into thinking he was already dead.

The Syrian boy tried to stop himself from trembling, even as the gunmen, with long beards and shaved heads, killed his parents and all four of his siblings, one by one.

The youngest to die was Ali's brother, 6-year-old Nader. His small body bore two bullet holes - one in his head, another in his back.

"I put my brother's blood all over me and acted like I was dead," Ali told The Associated Press over Skype on Wednesday, his raspy voice steady and matter-of-fact, five days after the killing spree that left him both an orphan and an only child.

FULL story at link.


Read more: http://apnews.excite.com/article/20120531/D9V3BCG00.html

[CaliforniaPeggy]

1. ...

[Odin2005]

2. OMG!

[qanda]

3. Beyond Words

[silentwarrior]

4. horrendeous

[tabatha]

5. Here is the kid

[cate94]

6. OMG

[Igel]

7. Long beards and shaven heads?

I'm not familiar with all the possible interpretations, but most Shi'ites I've known have had trimmed beards.

Some Salafis I've heard of have had long beards, and they're almost certainly not Assad supporters.

But what about Alawites and other possible Assad supporters?

[tabatha]

10. google shabiha

[Alamuti Lotus]

11. google "christians to beirut alawites to the grave"

[Daniel537]

13. google "Syrian troops kill...."

Jackass.

[RC]

8. That kid is going to be dangerous to someone or group when he grows up.

To even have that presence of mind to think of doing that, let alone being successful to survive to tell the tale.

[Jerry Frey]

9. graphic content

See what happened.

http://napoleonlive.info/see-the-evidence/arab-spring-syria/

[David__77]

12. "long beards and shaved heads..."

That is a potentially important statement.

I'm surprised AP hasn't scrubbed this reference by now - it contradicts their editorial position, frothing at the mouth for aggression against Syria.

There is a certain religious/political segment known for their "long beards and shaved heads," and it is not Alawites, and certainly not the Syrian army or security forces.

[Daniel537]

14. What exactly does it contradict?

How do you know how pro-Assad militiamen trim their facial hair?

[DCKit]

15. Dear hubby, I know we're not gay-married yet, but our kids have arrived.

If I could, I would.