Of many truth inversions by our lovely corporate media on matters Syria, one is that journalists who do the job they claim to be doing, and report from the land they play so pivotal a role in depicting, are reviled as “Assad apologists” while armchair columnists across the spectrum – be they Right, Left-of Centre or far Left– become uncritical advocates, witting or not, for imperial narratives.
One journalist actually doing her job has been Vanessa Beeley, who yesterday packed her bags and tearfully left a country once more overrun by thugs for empire and Israel. This is her final report from within the country.
Safe while Syria burns
Just a very quick update, December 10, 2024
More than 350 Israeli airstrikes targeting Syrian territory in the past hours, and an enemy Israeli occupation of Syrian territory equivalent to twice the size of the Gaza Strip, and their army is less than 40 km away from the capital Damascus.
After a rather turbulent 48 hours I am safe and will be writing and broadcasting as normal very shortly. I had one hour to pack one suitcase, take one dog and get through a border swarming with armed thugs looting and fighting amongst themselves over the spoils. The night before was spent besieged by armed groups firing in the air to celebrate their “victory” while Israel started using bunker buster bombs on Syrian military sites and air defence close to the house. The house shook from top to bottom. At 10am truckloads of armed thieves arrived and battered at my front gate. I was on the phone to a friend who begged me to find a weapon – clearly I don’t have any. I yelled at them from inside and the dogs went crazy. After three batterings they left.
Much more to recount over the coming days. Social media is a mess of lies, misinformation and downright hypocrisy. Thank you to everyone who emailed and messaged, it really lifted my spirits at an all time low.
I wrote this note this morning. I need a long time to process the loss for the whole world and for me as a human being who saw my future living in my beloved Syria.
Anyone who can explain why Assad’s pre-recorded farewell speech and possible explanation of the catastrophic events was not aired, as planned, after he left the country, please get in touch.
All the backstabbers who are now turning against Assad, protecting their interests – you were in a position to say something for 14 years. Why didn’t you?
I don’t blame any of the ordinary people for adopting the new era. People in Syria are isolated and afraid, some are terrified.
The mainstream media vultures are flooding in to claw at the corpse of one of the oldest civilisations in the world. History will be revised as it always is – by the victor. If only the Victor were genuinely Syrian and grass roots, not a terrorist force incubated in #CIA black sites and empowered by Israel and the collective Western alliance of callous hegemony.
Syria will become a toothless melting pot of foreign interests, resource looting and expanding Zionist land grab. A nation without an army and without any military infrastructure is not a nation. It’s a playing field for the predators.
This is a record of Israeli strikes so far against Syrian military and defence infrastructure:
A squadron of 30 Israeli aircraft over Syria strikes military installations and air defense.
– Israeli Air Force targeted the headquarters of the Electronic Warfare Administration near Al-Bahdaliyah, adjacent to the city of Sayyida Zeinab in Damascus countryside.
– Israel bombed scientific research centers in Barzeh in Damascus, the 47th Brigade in Hama, and the helicopter airport in Aqraba.
– Israeli airstrikes on Yafour area in the countryside of Damascus..
– Israeli warplanes bomb the ship port in Latakia. According to reports, the attacks targeted military ships anchored in the port.
Israel is exploiting the collapse of the state in Syria and is destroying all the strategic capabilities of the Syrian army to prevent anyone from benefiting from them in the future to rebuild a strong army
Israeli warplanes have become capable of entering Syrian airspace and using bunker-busting bombs
Israel has destroyed all Syrian air defense bases and military airports and is now intensively targeting ballistic missile warehouses and weapons factories.
Houses in Damascus are shaking due to the intensity of successive Israeli air strikes
Dozens of Israeli airstrikes are now being carried out in various parts of Syria
Israeli raids on Qamishli airport in northeastern Syria
Israeli airstrikes on Jableh on the Syrian coast
Israel renewed its airstrikes on Aqraba military airport in Damascus countryside and the Shinshar area south of Homs
Israeli airstrikes on Basil Al-Assad military airport in Jableh.
Vanessa adds:
Please do consider subscribing to my Substack. Honestly, your support is needed more than ever. I will also be sending money back to people who are struggling in Syria. Thank you.
* * *
Meanwhile, the fact that Syria is now overrun by people officially recognised as terrorists with prices on their heads*; whilst Israel bombs the south of the country and sends tanks and troops to seize more lebensraum for the self-chosen superior people; European Government’s – including the UK – make the unilateral decision based on – what else – self-definition, that not only are they suspending the processing of refugee applications from people fleeing the chaos those Governments are responsible for they are actively seeking to ‘repatriate’ Syrian refugees in Europe back to the region.
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2024/dec/09/uk-and-other-european-states-suspend-syrians-asylum-applications
* Though how long these officially designated terrorists will remain on those lists following their rapid rehabilitation by Western propaganda – and the interview going the rounds in the past few days certainly missed a trick (given the time of year) in failing to dye his hair and beard white and kit him out in a red suit with a hood, complete with sack – will certainly disappoint any bounty hunters out there:
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2024/dec/09/islamic-group-hts-that-toppled-assad-in-syria-may-be-taken-off-uk-terror-list
Still, what goes around, comes around. Europeans and the UK will have nothing to complain about when it comes to their turn to require shelter and sanctuary in other parts of the world from the inevitable blowback consequences of what they are unleashing.