Chapter Twelve : Back to square one

The UN observers suspended their mission in Syria since the violence has increased in the past few days, and they’re staying in their hotels doing nothing now. Sounds familiar, doesn’t it? The exact same thing happened to the Arab League observers’ mission few months ago, and now comes the part where the regime’s killing machine is loose to cause death and destruction all over Syria.  That’s what experience tells us.

June 17^th, 2012, First day without the observers running around taking notes. Nothing strange happened today anywhere near me. The same amount of daily shelling we’ve been through the past few days.

June 18^th, Cellphones networks are down. We saw that one coming since the regime only connected cellphones and 3G when the UN observers arrived in Homs. Now that they’re gone, coverage went with them. No one watching = No communications.

June 19^th, news about a Russian ship being held in Europe that was heading to Syria with military helicopters and other heavy artillery. We’re glad this ship didn’t make it through since the regime’s been using helicopters to attack villages for a while.

More news from Russia, this time about actual marines coming to protect the Russian interests in Tartus. I certainly hope no one comes, and if they do, I hope they never go back alive. Russia is supporting the regime politically, and sending Assad all kinds of weapons to kill us, and now sending marines? That’s invasion.

Enough about Russia, we woke up with no electricity, and that lasted for five and a half hours. A heat wave has been around for a few days now and without AC our lives turned into actual hell.

Heavy shelling started, but not any heavy shelling, things I never heard before were happening. 11 missiles were launched in 4 seconds, then another wave of 19 missiles, then 22, then 14 more missiles. All that happened in few seconds. Not minutes, seconds. God knows what happened where all those missiles hit.

No cellphones, 3G, or Dial up for the second day.

June 20^th, the numbers of casualties are increasing every day. The attacks have become more vicious than ever all over Syria. Still no cellphones, 3G, or Dial up.

June 21^st, A Mig 21 fighter jet arrived in Jordan and the pilot asked for the right of asylum which was granted for him. That’s good news but I believe the regime will get the jet back.

Cellphones worked for a couple of hours after 8:30 PM, but 3G is still not working.

More than 120 deaths in Syria today.

June 23^rd, a tank, a Shilka, and two pickup trucks filled with armed security forces came to my neighborhood around 9 AM, and they targeted Jorat Al Shayyah for an hour and a half then left without being attacked by anyone since they’re in an area filled with civilians. That’s how the regime’s forces use civilians as shields, their tanks attack from inside inhabited areas so the FSA can’t fire back.

At 11:30 it started raining and the weather changed.

10 PM, heavy close shelling caused my house to shake with every shell being launched.

June 24^th, I went to Waar, and on my way I found four spots where the tank was attacking from. The tank leaves two big circle marks on the ground where it attacks, and that’s how the streets of my neighborhood were ruined.

June 25^th, I went to Midan, and saw the destruction there and it was beyond what I imagined, and that ruined my day. A while after that I got a call about one of my relatives who was killed in Old Homs. He left three kids and his wife behind, then news about one of my friends being injured with a shred of mortar in his leg. This is a very bad morning.

Cellphones worked for a few hours then got disconnected again.

I then saw a big water spraying vehicle accompanied by two security forces pickups heading to Waar, knowing that I never say the water spraying vehicle in action. I don’t think they’ve ever used it as they go straight to shooting at protestors here.

The daily death toll has become 70-130 a day, yet the world is still okay with it.

June 26^th, new cement barriers were installed all over the main Ghouta street and Kurnich street isolating parts of Hamra and Ghouta even more than they already are.

Still no cellphones or 3G. We got used to that once again.

June 27^th, a huge truck filled with armed soldiers and two big machines guns in the back crossed my neighborhood towards the street that takes us to Jorat Al Shayyah.

Once again cellphones worked for a few hours. I honestly think it’s better if they stop connecting and disconnecting them. Keep them disconnected is easier for us. I don’t even take my phone with me when I leave the house anymore, unless I want to take pictures of listen to music.

June 28^th, a tank arrived at 11:15 AM and started shooting near the healthcare center, then moved close to the Red Crescent storage facilities and targeted Jorat Al Shayyah again from there. I heard rapid machine gun shooting coming from that area as well.

9 PM, the sounds of tank shooting, mortar being launched, and a sniper created a symphony of destruction in my neighborhood.

120 deaths all over Syria today.

June 29^th, the same thing that happened yesterday. The tank arrived at the same time and it targeted the same areas then left. Kids in my neighborhood now know when to wait for the tank to watch it shooting, and to swear at the soldiers from far away.

2:40 PM, Security forces came into my completely empty street and started shooting. This happened many times before and I think they’re just bored and are shooting for fun.

June 30^th, the last day of the month went with more than 100 casualties all over Syria. Douma has fallen in the hands of the regime’s army after weeks of shelling and tens of deaths.

A martyr’s funeral was targeted in Zamalka in Damascus leaving 70-80 new martyrs. This happened many times in Syria in the past months, people going to bury a martyr end up getting buried the very next day. We still can’t bury our dead in peace.

I believe there is no humanity left in the regime anymore; it has become a beast with an unlimited blood thirst, and it shall be put down by any means necessary.

A meeting in Geneva happened and we all didn’t get our hopes up since the world has been failing us one time after another for the past 16 months. They came up with a new plan which I know that it’s going to fail sooner than later. Russia is still holding on to Assad and will keep sending him weapons and supporting him with all it’s got. We only have ourselves and the FSA now. 133 deaths today.

July 1^st, the day started with a new type of shelling. The rockets that are being used are causing so much noise, and I haven’t heard such noise before. Some are saying the regime’s using Grad missiles now, but I’m not sure. All I know is that a very loud explosion sound is heard every 30 minutes or so since 6 AM.

I went to another neighborhood to go online, and during that time I read news about security forces attacking my street. I went home and my parents told me what happened. A big truck filled with armed security forces came in and started shooting randomly and people in the street started running in all directions in panic. The vehicle then left the street and headed to a street nearby and did the exact same thing. This terrorism must end. We’re not afraid of it anymore. We will face it and end it all no matter what. The new path of our movement is clear now. I am convinced that there is no other way but to support the FSA in their fight against Assad’s forces.

July 2^nd, I went to Damascus. It was quiet and disgusting. Most people are still living like nothing is going on, and this has to change immediately.

July 3^rd, I went to Inshaat and saw the destruction there. Didn’t take any photos or videos since I know everything’s been filmed before many times. However, seeing things in person is nothing like seeing videos or photos. I saw parts of Baba Amr and there are no words I can use to describe how awful it is.

July 5^th, yet another day that I won’t forget. I woke up at 4:30 AM to go get bread but since the shelling started at 3:30 AM, and there is nearby shooting I decided not to go. I opened my window and saw three security forces vehicles. A white pickup truck, a blue “police” vehicle, and the “Assad’s Syria” green vehicle that I saw so many times before. Armed security forces were all over my street and the next street as well. I’m glad I didn’t go out. Some of them walked around shooting for a couple of minutes then they went in their cars and left at 6 AM, except for the white pickup. A while later I was able to go back to sleep.

I woke up around 11:30, and was about to go out when I heard a helicopter. It sounded so clear and so close. It was about 12:30 when the helicopter fired a missile. The explosion was scary and I saw smoke from my balcony, and small rocks and dirt covered the street and hit my apartment’s windows. I looked up but couldn’t see the helicopter. I went out immediately, and heard the helicopter coming back. I saw its tail and heard a small explosion then it disappeared behind the buildings. I headed to where the explosion noises came from and on my way I saw cars smashed. I took a picture of one and a man told me to hide my phone because there is an armor vehicle nearby and security forces wearing normal clothes instead of uniforms.

I hid my phone and kept walking and saw the dirt all over the street next to the one that was hit and heard some people talking about injuries. I kept walking and saw where the missile hit. The street was destroyed and many cars were hit. One of them was cut in half, and the two halves were very far apart and from the looks of it, one part flew away and hit a building before it landed under it. I’m not sure what happened and I don’t think anyone really is since the street was empty. The ones who were injured weren’t in the same street because if they were, they would’ve been killed and torn to pieces.

The missile hit right in front of Al Khayrat mosque which was empty since there was no prayer at the time.

I went online after that and posted about what I just witnessed including seeing a tank and an armor vehicle in Hamra, and another tank in Ghouta. Those tanks didn’t open fire

 A friend who lives there told me that electricity is gone, and then we lost electricity as well, and therefore we lost internet connection too. I went back home but passed by the targeted street once again and saw a Red Crescent ambulance and an electricity truck fixing the harmed wires. I saw that the street where the missile hit have a pond in it now after water filled the hole. I wonder when those pipes will get fixed.

I had dinner at home and went out again and talked to some people who actually saw the helicopter opening fire. They said they saw the missile being launched but none of them had a video or a photo of it.

Of course this barely made it into the news since other areas in Homs have been getting hundreds of missiles every hour since early morning like Jorat Al Shayyah, Qusoor, and Karabis.

I saw trails of black smoke all over Qusoor in the afternoon.

July 6^th - 10^th, those days saw a new amount of tank, helicopter, and missile attacks on Jorat Al Shayyah and Qusoor. The attacks start around 3 AM and continue all day. Most of my neighborhood is closed and security forces are always present. Various vehicles come and go. They stay around all day and all night, and they open fire randomly every now and then. My area isn’t a good place to be anymore.

July 11^th, I went to Waar and military helicopters were all over that area all day. A security check point stopped me on my way back home and the one who checked my car looked 19. He gave me a weird look and told me to step down so he can “See my height”, then he took me to his boss who kept my ID for a few moments asked another person to “take me”. They walked me for a few seconds, stopped me and showered me with questions. Where I was, where I was going, why am I going there, and what am I going to do. They asked about my house, my job, my age, etc. The higher officer then looked at me and told them to let me go and gave me my ID back. The only reason they did all this is because that young man didn’t like the way I look. Some people get caught like this then disappear and show up tortured or killed afterwards. It’s not my time I guess.

July 12^th, two massacres in the morning, one in the afternoon and a major one at night. The last massacre occurred in a village near Hama called Tremseh which harvested more than 220 souls. I completely lost all hope in any political peaceful change in Syria. It’s all up to FSA now.

July 13^th, the tank comes a bit late this morning, shoots and leaves like always. Black smoke is all over Qusoor and Jorat Al Shayyah, and some new areas around Mimas.

In the afternoon I was able to see huge columns of black smoke over Jorat Al Shayyah and Karabis and the smoke kept on coming up from those areas for hours after the shelling stopped.

July 14^th, the tank that usually comes to Ghouta came of course, then a second tank followed, and they kept coming, opening fire, and leaving all day, and I’m not sure how many tanks actually came anymore since I lost track because they really did come and leave a lot.

5:30 PM, the attacks got more frequent from those tanks then they left around 6, then came again opened fire and left.

My area has become a playfield for tanks and security forces are always around with their vehicles and pickup trucks, and of course their guns. This changed a lot in the past few days, to the worse, and we’re waiting for something to happen and change all that.