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Images that get out of Syria usually have two effects: y disturb and make you angry. The children with blood-flooded faces and expressive eyes. The men pulling baby bodies out of rubble. The wounded, emaciated and with tied limbs persevere in decaying wards.
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Yet re are or images that make speechless pictures from or side of front. They show people who are proud of brutal decomposition of ir own country. The pictures of Syrian state television from weekend, which spread rapidly in social networks, could not be more cynical. They testify to safety of a regime that has been committing war crimes against its own people for seven years. And y reveal total powerlessness of world community. But unfortunately y will not change anything eir.
The recordings show Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad on a front visit to Ostghuta. When Assad gets out of car, he receives a cheering crowd. “Bashar, Bashar”, call. In suit and blue shirt, Syria’s president is surrounded by soldiers of his army, shaking hands, smiling in mobile phone cameras, knocking on shoulders. He congratulates his soldiers on successful advance. “Mabrouk,” he shouts, congrats. “The people of Damascus thank you all for protecting city, and we will remember that for years, yes, for generations,” Assad calls soldier. And adds, “This fight is bigger than Syria. You’re fighting this fight for whole world. With every terrorist you’ve killed, you’re changing balance of world. “
Now whole world knows who terrorists are for Assad, in principle everyone who is against him. In this case, se are not just Islamists, Ostghuta, a suburb belt of Damascus, control since 2013. But also nearly 400,000 civilians who have been included in province for many years by regime – and who see Assad as traitors that must be extinguished without exception.
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In February, Syrian regime began an offensive with Russian support to get enclave back under its control. For this, it goes to extreme: Ostghuta is not reconquered, but erased. The regime specifically allows housing and hospitals, schools, bakeries, military hospitals bombing, some days hitting up to 200 rockets. More than 1,200 people have been killed in past few weeks. The trapped are hiding in makeshift shelters under ground, y hardly have any food, water and medicines. And Assad is not finished with m, but final battle has only begun for him. When he has recaptured last two rebel areas, Ostghuta and Idlib in north of country, he has come very close to his goal of dominating Syria again.
The evacuation is an expulsion
The regime of world in se days clearly shows exactly how this should look. For several days, tens of thousands of Ostghuta flee from permanent bombardment of Russian jets. Through regime’s so-called escape corridors, people, with few things y could take with m in a hurry, got into outlands of Damascus. They are so desperate to escape bombs that y endure fear of what y are expecting. For evacuation of Ostghuta is not large-scale protection measure for civilian population, as y praise Syrian and Russian governments. On contrary, checkpoints are controlled by regime alone, and international observers are not on ground. Reports are growing that regime has already arrested hundreds of people, and re are indications of mass executions. At same time, bombing of remaining people in Ostghuta continues.
Assad is notoriously unimpressed by suffering of people he does not see as Syrians because y do not support him. His troops have now conquered most of province and divided rest of area into three parts. What is to be played re, many observers have expected: people are expelled from Ostghuta by ongoing bomb and rocket bombardment and advancing army. Many of those who enter regimes expect vengeance of regime: arrest, torture, forced recruitment for Army service. The ors, who flee into rebel-Idlib province, will again have to fear for ir lives: Idlib is also bombarded by Assad and Russians, even re bombs mainly hit markets, hospitals and residential houses.
