Editor's note: CNN's Arwa Damon is reporting from inside Syria , where the government has been placing restrictions on international journalists and refusing many of them entry at all. Residents and opposition activists say they fear for their lives as shelling and snipers leave them trapped.
CNN is not disclosing Damon's location for her safety. Below are dispatches from her on what she's seeing and hearing from residents in the area.
It’s an incredibly intense situation here. It’s also incredibly emotional. Anger is running at an all-time high, as are frustration and desperation. People that we've been talking to, every single one of them has some sort of horrific nightmare or story, and some of them are still too afraid to talk about it publicly with their names attached to it.
One man we met, he had four members of his family executed as government forces, he said, were raiding their village. And he wanted to tell the story – he wanted to put out the images of loved ones. He was afraid because he said at the same time his uncle had been detained.
A lot of the younger generation, we’re talking to university students, they've all had to drop out and people repeatedly keep expressing how difficult it is for them to try to keep going, because they’re quite simply exhausted and they have lost so many loved ones.
Every single step that they take of every single day involves a phenomenal amount of plotting, whether it's something simple like trying to get a loaf of bread or something more complicated like trying to get someone who’s been wounded to some sort of medical care.
In the areas where the government crackdown is at its worst, people say there are snipers positioned on every single street corner. You could hardly cross a main thoroughfare without coming across a government sniper. And then of course there are all of the tanks and the government checkpoints.
What is quite interesting is how the varied opposition members have managed to set up information networks. They’re able to disseminate government (troop) positions and information fairly quickly.
We were witness to one bit of information that came through, where someone had gotten information via a network of just passing word on and having people jump on motorcycles to try to get it to the next village over, about a mass movement of government tanks.
That of course, as you can imagine, sparked widespread panic, because people did not know initially where (the tanks) were headed. But then a defector who had defected from that particular convoy showed up at this location, and he informed people of where the convoy was heading. And they were able to inform those people at that location of the government’s location as well.
On that level, there is in place a fairly sophisticated way of trying to get information out, but at the same time, it’s fairly primitive – because you have to remember that for most of the time, there is no cell phone or landline network to try to call people. So it’s all about trying to get word of mouth as fast as possible from one village, from one neighborhood to the other.
CNN asked local residents where they stand on the current situation and if the opposition thinks it can topple this regime.
They believe at the end of the day, at some point in time, who knows when, the regime is going to fall – that quite simply, they cannot go back, and Syria will not go back, to the way that it was.
But one young activist that I was speaking to put it this way: He said, “If there is military intervention, then yes, there will be a lot of bloodshed, but it’s going to be over a lot quicker. And if there isn’t military intervention, there is going to be even more bloodshed, and it’s going to take a lot longer to bring down the regime.”
What a lot of people are understanding and accepting at this stage is that this is going to be a bloody battle, that more lives are going to be lost, and that perhaps the bigger challenge for Syria too is going to be after the regime topples.
© 2012 Cable News Network. Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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With Qods Forces moving in on one side and AQ moving in on the other.....yep gonna be long and bloody. AQ wants another military capable country to take over....Arab countries better watch out....you're next. The establishment of a new Capiph is well underway.....don't think Turkey is immune to this either. God Bless
Turkey and the Saudis will come together, if they absolutely have to, and leave nothing but a scorched hole where Syria used to stand. Don't worry about either one of them. They're lean, they're mean, and they'll turn al-Assad green if it comes to that threat.
You'r'e right CNN, this IS a civil war. And, because it is a CIVIL war, we would be well-advised to stay out of it. It CANNOT escalate into a global conflict, if we remain UNINVOLVED. But, if we do get involved, it could easily escalate into a global conflict where millions, or possibly billions of people are involved. It's none of our business.
Watch the videos, look at the pictures, read the articles, be sympathetic – but, it's STILL none of our business.
Amen!
Totally agree. There is stuff like this happening all over the world but why get involved here? These are the questions we have to start asking ourselves and researching.
Yes, we should sit back and let the fanatics, who are well organized and financed, intervene and get control of the country. Only then after they have a strong hold on the country will we get involved and it will turn into another Afghanistan. Better to find a way to bring this to an end now by using limited forces as we have recently done, showing our support, and getting a foot in the door for democracy...rather be looked upon as abandoning them only feeding into the fanatics propoganda.
Jake you couldn't be further from the truth. They don't have the military capabilities by any means compared to Syria. Plus Russia is an ally of Syria, and if it gets to the point where there's a risk of an Al Qaeda takeover Russia would deploy a huge force. They already have their navy off the coast. I also think if it came down to their country on the brink of being overtaken by Al Qaeda the US would intervene with terms and conditions of Assad. (Such as regime change in exchange for military support). The USA just wants to flip the power, they don't want to oust the regime because they know that it is in their national security interests to not get involved because a regime change could go a lot of different ways and is too risky for the US at this point. We will go in when Assad is on his knees and about to be taken over by terrorists, and then we will defend assad, kill the rebel fighters, and switch the position of the president and vice president.
Also jake if you honestly think we go around the world promoting democracy you are completely wrong. We put dicatators in power across the world so that we have control or huge influence in certain countries. We oust elected democracies and replace them with military dictatorships. Don't say we spread democracy, we spread dictatorship and tyranny. And we use the cloak of democracy as a reasoning why. If this was REALLY about humanitarian purposes rather than special political interests, then we would have been in the congo fighting the militias that slaughter 40,000 people every single MONTH. Now THERES a humanitarian nightmare like no other. Yet you don't hear anything about it, because it is strategically irrelevant to our national security.
I agree with you 100% we cannot get into this conflict. If we do we will go further into debt by spending money sending the equipment and soldiers there! I am sick of hearing us getting into fights that we should not be getting into.
I cannot sit idly by and watch innocent children and families killed. As an American citizen, I wish there was something I could do to support the innocent people caught in the middle. I am not advocating for another war....was against the Iraq war...but as human beings, what can we do to help?
Stay aware and informed and share the information with others. Keep them in your thoughts.
There are also some relief efforts taking place you can help out with too- search "Smuggle hope into Syria"
No, thanks. We would rather concentrate on our problems at home.
Not much, unfortunately. The Red Crescent, which is Islam's answer to the Red Cross, tried to send a van in there with medicine and they shot it. Until one of these idiots on either side stops, we are left helpless on the sidelines to watch through satellite links.
I wholeheartedly agree, but what about the innocent women and children dying every day in America? We actually CAN help stop that. If we would stop sending so much random money and "aid" overseas, and instead make sure children living below the poverty-line in our very own cities were actually not starving, we could get back on our feet here and start having a real global impact again.
United states civil war received help of france.... Just saying. Lol the world where we living in is corrupted, must be a global catastrophic to start again with better Moral Values. There is none country in the world where we can live happily, safely and with not corruption among goverment.
Antarctica...but even then your safety might in jeopardy from the climate =\
although your english leavea a lot to be desired, your point is well taken and is the TRUTH!
@ Ragons
This is true. However I’ll take my corrupt U.S. government over corrupt Middle Eastern governments any day of the week. At least I’m less likely to get killed for saying “god” (fill in your favorite one!) isn’t real.
Does anyone want to sacrifice their son's and daughters for this cause? Any takers?
Now, see, I agree there.
I am all for helping out for humanitarian reasons, but I am getting mighty tired of sending our troops on never-ending suicide missions because people cannot play nicely in the sandbox together.
I know that I am dumbing it down quite a bit, but it is getting to the point where my desire for our troop's safety trumps another country's desire for freedom.
Let us guide.
Let us advise.
LET THEM FIGHT IT!
Out Civil War was over many years ago.
WE MUST STAY OUT!
"A lot of the younger generation, we’re talking to university students, they've all had to drop out and people repeatedly keep expressing how difficult it is for them to try to keep going"
Lady, college isn't for everybody. Some people don't have the required IQ to finish college. A lot of people can enter college, but majority don't finish it.
It appears you are missing the point. This has nothing to do with IQ's or the ability to learn. How are you expected to learn in such an environment where the simple act of getting to class may result in your death by sniper fire. Not to mention often college students are often considered to be instigators and rounded up by governments such as the one currently in power.
@Jake
I think you are missing the point. This environment is a result of their own actions.
We must stay out of Syria.
Let someone else take the lead.
BTW, who is leading the rebels? Any ideas? Do they have a leader? Somebody must be planning the battles.
While I'm sure they have some sort of organization I doubt that we'll know who the "leader" is (Though I doubt there is a single leader). It's comprised of defectors, Syrian citizens, and foreign militants
Foreign press contacts are trying to guilt our govt to military action. No, damn it!
test
The Syrian people hate the USA, they danced in the streets after 9/11 and now they want our help??? They can go to H3LL.
I agree 100%, now if we could only stop giving aid to all of the other countries in the world that hate us. Let them fend for themselves, let the Muslims irradicate each other. All we get for all the aid we give each year (like we can afford it) is hatred. I am talking every country we give aid to not just the Middle east.
Don't be pigs, Syrian Army. Don't kill your brothers and sisters, REVOLT!!!! Take down this dictator for the small and the weak!!! BE MEN!!! FIGHT FOR WHAT IS RIGHT, NOT ASSAD!!!
If we get involved, it's only because of a vested interest. the Left is extremely naive to believe Obama would be doing this out of the kindness of his heart. Sad to see children suffering, but they have always suffered in that region from never-ending tribalism and war.
as soon as Oboma starts throwing trillions at the war, they'll attack us via Iran!
It's an absolute shame that neither the US or the UN is able to help. I completely understand the downside of having any sort of US military intervention but to hear the things that are going on inside of Syria and to sit ideally by is burden within itself. It's like slowing down to see the car accident but either no one can help the people in the accident or no one wants to.
I can't understand why a good samaritan such as yourself behaves as you do. Those same people danced in their streets after our twin towers fell on 9-11. You really don't make much sense!
following the golden rule these days makes absolutely no sense! Now you have do them before they do you!!!