By Michael Weiss  Last updated: January 26th, 2012

Syrian army defectors gather at the mountain resort town of Zabadani (Photo: AP)

While the Syrian regime pummels away at long-restive cities such as Deraa and Hama, the new focal point for the revolution is none other than Damascus itself. Rebels, composed now of both army defectors and armed civilians, claim to be operating openly in Harasta, Hamowriya, Su’ban, Madaya and Ghouta, kidnapping regime personnel and taking the fight directly to Assad’s most elite (and loyal) army divisions and intelligence bureaus. There’s now even an all-women Free Syrian Army (FSA) brigade.

Rebel gains have been impressive enough to percolate into the international news cycle. The “liberated” city of Zabadani, some 20 miles from Damascus, is already being spoken of as Syria’s “Benghazi”. Kareem Fahim reported recently in the New York Times that three neighborhoods in Douma are similarly under FSA command, albeit with regime security forces still present. The BBC’s Jeremy Bowen was in Douma this morning and talked to several FSA soldiers who are in control of the centre of the city – at least for now.

Because the revolution has crept right up to Assad’s doorstep, I spoke the other day via Skype to an anti-regime activist from Midan, the site of a police bus explosion in early January which the regime termed a “suicide bombing” but was more likely a piece of theatre staged by the mukhabarat, which had cordoned off the site beforehand and even invited a state-TV camera crew to watch a supposedly spontaneous event. The Saudi news channel Al-Arabiya aired some very dodgy footage of the aftermath.

Have you heard about the Free Syrian Army (FSA) closing in on the capital?

Now, in Midan, there is a heavy security presence everywhere, and many arbitrary arrests. A few days ago, security forces started attacking the demonstrators and shooting them. Suddenly several FSA units appeared and started shooting back.

Do you believe the regime will be able to survive much longer?

The regime is so weak, it is even robbing banks and artefacts from museums to later sell them as it has no liquidity. The FSA ranks are increasing as there are defectors daily. We believe the regime could last for two more months. Damascus suburbs are filled with the FSA units which control many areas.

The regime is robbing banks? 

Rebels saw security forces in Deraa and Hama surround a bank and rob it. It happened twice. In Deraa, security forces robbed a museum.

Is foreign military intervention is a good idea?

We in Midan call for an immediate foreign military intervention as the regime is killing dozens in all the provinces daily. And it is shooting the demonstrators in Damascus directly. Three or four demonstrations are taken out in Midan daily at different times. There is heavy security presence.

By “we,” whom do you mean? What grassroots group do you belong to?

I’m from the Syrian Revolution Coordination Committee in Midan.

And does the Committee support the Syrian National Council [the aspiring government-in-exile based in Istanbul]?

Yes, we support it and we call on it to increase its support to the FSA with finance, logistics, and media.

What did you make of the Arab League’s plan for a peaceful transition of power?

I absolutely reject it. Its sole purpose is to provide the regime with more time to kill more Syrians. We demand that the Arab League immediately transfer the Syrian file to the UN Security Council.

What do you want the Security Council to deliver?

We want a buffer zone and a no-fly zone. The regime bombed the Damascus suburb of Daraya yesterday with a helicopter. Therefore, we demand a no-fly zone.

They’re using armed helicopters in the Damascus suburbs now?

Helicopter gunfire on the positions of the FSA. At least two [helicopters] were seen.

Foreign journalists who were allowed into Syria recently haven’t reported seeing any helicopters in that area. 

The regime is careful around Western journalists, as it hides all tanks, soldiers and army units when they are around. The regime also prohibits the take-off of any military warplanes when there are journalists present. The helicopters fly at night for only 5 to 10 minutes, then they fly away. Two people saw them in [the Damascus suburb of] Daraya.

[Note: There are several videos of helicopters flying overhead in restive areas of Syria. In June, as the UN  report on the crisis stated, there were eyewitness accounts of helicopters shooting at demonstrators in Idleb province, particularly in the then-besieged city of Jisr al-Shughour.  More recently, some grassroots groups have sent out press releases suggesting that the regime is using low altitude-flying military planes in Deraa and elsewhere. However, to date, the only hard evidence of any kind of aerial campaign is this video, ostensibly leaked, showing soldiers firing out the back of a transport aircraft. It was said to have been recorded in Rastan (Homs) last October.]

If you predict that the regime will fall in two months as things now stand, how long do you give it with the imposition of a no-fly zone and buffer zone?

It will definitely fall quicker. Brigades will defect from the regime completely if a no-fly zone is declared. They just fear that now as they know they will be bombed with airplanes. That is why they are waiting for a buffer zone and a no-fly zone to announce their defection.

Protest in AlHamouriye (Damascus suburbs) #Syria 17/12/2011

(12-16-11) Hamouriya | #Damascus | Businesses Destroyed with Tank - #Syria

Asharq Al-Awsat

Beirut, Asharq al-Awsat - Military measures in most areas of the Damascus countryside has intensified greatly following the qualitative operation by the Free Syrian Army [FSA] in the Harasta area, Damascus Governorate. The FSA targeted a large air intelligence directorate compound and clashed with the guards killing and wounding several of them. Security roadblocks were increased and the blockade of many cities already suffering for months from the deployment of tanks in their streets was tightened.

According to an activist living in the city, army and security elements loyal to [Syrian President Bashar] Al-Assad encircled most security centers in the governorate for fear of coming under a similar attack by the FSA elements that are present in large numbers in the Damascus countryside cities. The opposition activist pointed out to Asharq Al-Awsat that fierce clashes broke out yesterday between defectors who refused to open fire on demonstrators and regular forces loyal to Al-Assad and said: “There are intermittent clashes in most Damascus countryside cities but these concentrated since yesterday around the city of Duma, a hotbed of protests against Al-Assad’s regime.” The activist, who has good coordination ties with many in the FSA elements who are in the city, added that “the dissident army will continue its operations against Al-Assad’s security centers as long as the repression continues and the arrests and torture are on the increase.”

The city surrounds the capital Damascus in a circle from all sides and its area is 18,018 sq km. It is not the first time that it becomes the scene of military clashes. It came under a violent security campaign last month by pro-Al-Assad security and army forces searching for dissident soldiers who refused to open fire at demonstrators and joined them. According to opposition activists, the areas of Saqba, Hammuriyah, Kafr Batna, Jisrayn, Mudirah, Misraba, east of Harasta, Duma, Arabayn, and Al-Kaswah went through difficult days as snipers were positioned at rooftops and heavy machineguns were installed in the army and security vehicles while the locals, employees, and students were banned from going to their work and schools as a full combing operation was underway in the lands and houses and random arrests were carried out that included dozens of youths from these areas.

Talking about this savage campaign to which the city was subjected, the opposition activist says “more than 40,000 soldiers from the ruling regime’s 4th Division and Republican Guards attacked the Damascus countryside and clashed with the FSA in several areas of the eastern Ghawtah amidst a campaign of random arrests that included entire families, raids on farms and houses, total closure of shops, the burning of possessions, the intimidation of women and children, and the total cutting off of communications in the blockaded areas.” He added: “During the military operation, major defections happened between the army and security in Arabayn in Damascus countryside and in other cities in the governorate and fierce clashes broke out between the two sides.”

An organizer of the Damascus countryside demonstrations says: “The city is suffering from an abatement of protests following the savage military strike by Al-Assad’s gangs in addition to the very large number of youths arrested and tortured inside Al-Assad’s jails. The FSA operation has revived the confidence and hopes of the demonstrators who are banned from staging any demonstration because of the military blockade imposed on most areas of the governorate.” He added: “The Syrian regime cannot control the Damascus countryside cities. The people here are bound by strong family ties and the entire population comes out to demonstrate in revenge if a demonstrator is martyred in one of the governorate’s cities.” He also pointed out that “the military campaigns waged by the war machine of Al-Assad’s regime reduced the level of popular protests but there will be from now on retaliation through an FSA operation for any arrest campaign or raids by Al-Assad’s militias. This is going to create a balance on the ground and allow demonstrations to be staged again. The people in the Damascus countryside are insisting on bringing down Al-Assad’s regime no matter how many human and material sacrifices this entails.”

Dissident officers from the Syrian army announced on 29 July the establishment of the FSA that includes soldiers who refused to open fire on demonstrators. They stressed in their statement that “they will deal with the security forces that are killing the citizens and blockading cities as legitimate targets and will target them in all the Syrian territories without exception.”

Many Syrian activists are demanding from the opposition Syrian National Council, which is led by Burhan Ghalyun, to open channels of coordination with the FSA and rely on it in the coming stage.