The West Ghouta town of Moadamiyyat ash-Sham, the site of one of the August 21 chemical weapons attacks and under a regime-imposed siege for a year, is still subjected to daily bombardment by regime forces, as Assad’s ground troops make frequent attempts to invade. With food stores gone, civilians inside Moadamiyyah have said they are reduced to eating leaves and roots. Several people — mostly small children and those weakened by illness or injury — have died of malnutrition.
See Also:Syria Military Round-Up, Oct 29: Civilians Evacuated From Moadamiyyat Ash Sham As Council Urges Their Protection, Syria Spotlight: “Regime Attempted Ground Invasion Of Moadamiyyah Via Humanitarian Route”, Syria Spotlight: Moadamiyyat Ash Sham Civilians Concerned For Welfare Of Evacuees
Although the regime has permitted three evacuations — after the Assad government refused to let any medical or food aid into the town — 8.000 civilians are still trapped inside Moadamiyyah. Moreover, local activists say that the fate of those evacuated is uncertain, amid reports that regime security forces have taken around 500 of the evacuees — including teenage boys — for questioning inside the Mezzeh Airbase. Activists say that eight of those arrested have been executed inside Mezzeh. Now, with winter starting to grip Syria, residents of Moadamiyyah say they face a new enemy: the cold.
On Thursday, local media spokesman Qusai Zakarya discussed the planned Geneva II “peace” talks with Syria Direct.
Given that people are living under horrible conditions, tell me what you think about the Geneva conference?
Well, I will be crystal clear about this. The whole world is standing with the Assad regime, with this fascist man. He has killed more than 200,000 civilians, raped more than 50,000 women, killed more than 25,000 children and displaced 11 million people inside and outside Syria, and gassed 1,5000 civilians August 21st, 2013 with Sarin gas.
Instead of taking him to The Hague, they are talking about taking him to Geneva. Inside of Syria, on the ground, we know that Bashar al-Assad is a war criminal. We will keep on fighting until we take him to international justice.
Do you think the Geneva conference or a political solution can cease the daily killing of people?
If pre-conditions are set – Bashar al-Assad giving up his role as president of Syria, releasing all his prisoners, delivering food and aid to besieged towns inside Syria, and ceasing the shelling and bombardment – I think this might, might be a good chance to stop the fighting across Syria.
We have been asking Assad to step down since day one.
Do you believe in the Coalition’s leaders? They’ve set some conditions. Will they help the people?
Believe it or not, I try to be positive about what is happening in the Syrian revolution, especially in these dark days. I’m ready to ask myself, in my mind, to have some faith in Jarba and the Etilaf [the Coalition].
If they see reason in their mind to go to Geneva without those conditions I previously noted, they won’t have the respect and trust of the Syrian people, and they also will not have a real chance to stop the fighting.
If you read about the military forces he is using to conquer rebel towns, you will see most or all of his forces are from Hezbollah or Liwa al Abbas, Lebanese or Iraqi troops. That is a clear signal he is running out of troops.
Besides Jarba and other Coalition leaders, do you believe in the internal opposition leaders tolerated by the Assad regime, like Hassan Abdel-Athim?
These men are not even a tiny piece of the Syrian revolution. They are just Assad’s mercenaries and intelligence agents dressing up as the Syrian opposition…
(Featured Photo: A minaret in Moadamiyyah is toppled by a regime air strike. Credit: Lens Young Moadami)