Tanks sent to Syrian city of Homs as death toll mounts
• Iran advising Syria on the crackdown, diplomats claim
• Muslim-Christian clashes in Cairo kill 12 people
9.49am: Some observers in Damascus have started to fear that the widespread clampdown will quash the protests, writes Katherine Marsh from the Syrian capital.
"News is so slow to trickle out and now they have taken down a lot of 3G internet and satellite phones, making it impossible for activists to work," said one observer. Meanwhile, in cities where tanks and forces have been used, the fear is palpable. One man, with a brother in Homs, said the city is terrified by the tanks rolling in and the wave of arrests. "By punishing the whole city, they want people to turn against the protesters," he said.
But other activists dispute the regime has the upper hand, counting protests in several cities including Deir Ezzor yesterday. "Protests are still going on despite the clampdown and all that will happen is they will pop back up as soon as the regime stops clamping down," said one activist. "This is especially the case in the tribal areas of Deraa and Deir Ezzor."
Adding to the pain, the economy is grinding to a halt as tourists have emptied out and some shops and factories are closing in Damascus and Aleppo. Manufacturers in Aleppo have already been badly hit by opening up of trade with Turkey, with at least 50 textiles manufacturers closing down in the past two years due to competition from cheaper imported goods from Turkey and China. Drought since 2006 has caused added pain to farmers in a country where agriculture accounts for around a third of GDP.
If fear can be overcome, this pain could trigger the Sunni merchants of Damascus and Aleppo to join the protesters, as well as the bigger business families who are starting to get annoyed at the government's handling of the crisis. Read More....
tag ; Situation Syria, Libya may 9 2011, update news situation in syria, libya,
No comments:
Post a Comment