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MECC Safety & Security Sitrep Monday 03 April - Sunday 09 April 2017

# Food for thought

1.Swedish NGO Doctors for Human Rights * SWEDHR is a non-profit, non-governmental organization formed with the participation of Swedish professors, PhDs, medical doctors and university researchers in the medical sciences and health-related disciplines, devoted to inti issues on the human rights front. Participation is purely voluntary and on a private basis. - professor Marcello Ferrada de Noli is the founder and chairman (former Karoilinska institute and Harvard Medical School ) - SWEDHR has accused the White Helmets (so called " Civil Defense " in opposition areas) - Of falsifying information about its alleged work in Syria - SWEDHR findings have raised serious questions about the ethical integrity of the White Helmets regarding the anti-medical procedures they advertise in their videos - they behaved as criminals when they used dead children for propaganda purposes when staging fake rescue attempts - SWEDHR paid attention to" questionable " cases of chemical attacks in Aleppo but also the incident on Sarmin ( ldlib ) April 15 in 2015 - they claim White Helmets videos had obviously been staged - so called 'medical procedures' shown in the videos , were simulated , wrong and fake ! - they advertise anti-medical procedures in their videos * the ' White Helmets' , was founded in in 2013 by former British officer James le Mesurier - they are supported by aid agencies of a number of external donor govts such as , UK Commonwealth office, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands and .. US Agency for International Development ( USAID ) - they claim to have rescued over 70.000 people , yet judging by its own imagery (videos), was founc to have been rescuing the same 'victims' at different occasions - several members were found to take sides in the ongoing conflict, carry arms, support lslamist imag3ry and defile the corpses of Syrian soldiers * the process of glorification of the White Hemets goes on in the Western world - " Right Livelihood award " =alternative Nobel Prize ( 2016) - a 40 minute documentary about them by Orlando von Einsiedel won an Oscar for best documentary short feature - George Cloony voiced plans to develop a film * please compare pictures and videos of a sarin gas attack in Tokyo in 1995 and the one in Khan Sheikhoun ( idlib) on 04 April 2017 , in Tokyo special suits , gloves and masks , in Khan Sheikhoun , no suit, no gloves and dust masks !

2. Libya, Syria & Yemen! Who is next? * Russian Deputy Defense Minister Aleksandr Fomin said ahead of the 6th Moscow Conference on International Security 26-27 April - " With terrorist attacks looming large, the world is currently witnessing some kind of a hybrid political and military phenomenon, gaining momentum " - " Most terrorist organizations do not just appear out of nowhere all by themselves. Rather they tend to be the product of political, financial and military efforts coming from outside a country. As a rule these groups are created to do someone's bidding - they are nothing but puppets" - "mounting threats and challenges that pose an 'existential threat' to the global conmunity, to every state and every individual " *"it is obvious now that the threat of the 21st century cannot be eliminated by just one country. It will only be possible if we work together " - " we will have a conversation with our colleagues - other military men - who know the true price of in:I security, the true price of human life and the true price of peace " * In the 6th Conference participation of 8 inti organizations ( among them - _Shanghai Cooperation

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Organisation ( SCO) ,- Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) +the International Committee of the Red Cross and we also have already confirmation of 78 countries

3. A horrible 'incident' killed more than 80 people I injured many more! (among them many children) * ( Also see, International I Sitrep of last week) • Tuesday 04 April , an ' alleged chemical weapon attack ' on the town of Khan Sheikhoun ( in al Nusra controlled idlib province ) •the USA reaction , a barrage of 59 Tomahawk missiles on al-Shayrat airbase SE of city in the night of Thursday on Friday 07 April 2017 * Syria & Russia denied having used chemicals during their air attacks - Russian defense ministry stated Tuesday evening , Syrian jets destroyed an opposition ammunition warehouse near Khan Sheikhoun - but main stream media, US-, UK-, French-, Israeli-, Turkish- and many other International politicians immediately blamed president Assad and his Syrian government ! - the ' attack ' had revived international outrage at a time when US president Trump was still formulating his policy on Syria - so why do it ? Especially when Syrian government troops have the upper hand in the 6 year old proxies war? - so far the opposition forces are the only ones to benefit from this horrible ' incident' at a time they were struggling , strategically and geopolitically and during the talks in Astana and Geneva - USA , UK and France prepared a UN resolution , so did Russia •• the main " information " to jump to conclusions by most of the western senior leaders, was one-sided, reported by "White Helmets- and other opposition reports & videos/pictures ! * after the attacks and the disputable one-sided reports, one should/could have expected an International UN inquiry into the suspected chemical attack • Wednesday + Thursday ; - many western/eastern/middle eastern experts on politics/intelligence, journalists, higher/ lower ranking politicians started immediately a huge blame game • the US response came from Thursday on Friday killing at least 9 more people I injuring +/- 12 (not only Syrian military but again some civilians) - US president Trump had decided to punish president Assad and his forces in a kind of Obama (+) , political reaction - and the same day he ordered a US navy-task force towards N Korea * Many questions are not answered; - did president Trump take the decision to show strength, to gain more support at home in the USA ? - or to show - no solution for the Syrian crisis without us ? - a warning to N Korea and China ? - what will be the follow up for Syria ? - will the intra-Syrian talks in Astana ( 3+4 May) and the Geneva talks (later May) continue as planned - will the US, UK, Israel, Canada, Australia, EU, , Saudi Arabia, Qatar and other Gulf countries cooperate with Russia, Iran, the actual Syrian government and China towards a political solution ? - will they all coordinate to combat Daesh/IS ? And al Nusra ? - will US and others try to sideline Iran ? - Turkey is caught between USA and Russia, what will be Its role in the future ? - are the US , Jordan, Turkey and others protecting al-Nusra ( Haya'at Tahrir al Sham - Qaeda related) ? - is the UK initiative to increase sanctions on Russia and Syria , proposed during the G 7 conference in Italy , really from the table ? - many more questions arise ? For answers we can guess but. .... • let us first wait and see the outcome of the meeting that starts today Tuesday 11 April in Moscow between Russian FM Lavrov and his US counterpart Secretary of State Tillerson and .... • see what will happen on the ground in Syria during the Easter holidays on Friday, Saturday , Sunday and Monday ( the Syrian Evacuation Day celebration , 17 April 1946 France evacuated from Syria ) * Happy Easter to all ! In the hope it will be a peaceful long weekend !

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4. Intra Syrian PEACE talks * the Ceasefire supported and guaranteed by Russia , Iran and Turkey still in place ? - main hotspots ; Hama, Aleppo, Raqqah, Deir Ezzor, ldlib, , and Darra'a + Qunaitra provinces * Astana talks planned for 3 - 4 May ** Geneva talks planned later in May

# General situation in Syria * Astana & Geneva talks to continue as planned ? * Ceasefire not really stable , will inti support/pressure on all actors be possible in the actual inti situation ? * is the inti community willing to cooperate/coordinate its fight against Daesh/IS and.... al Nusra + other fundamentalist groups ? •hot spots * the third week of intense fighting/air strikes around Damascus , , Jobar, H3rasta, , Barzeh, Douma + East - although since Saturday 8 April only sporadic flare-ups , no m/m into Damascus city ! - reconciliation negotiations ongoing with al Nusra in Yarmouk district * Hama clashes I air strikes continue

* ldlib alleged chemical attack during air strikes on Khan Sheikhoun Tuesday 04 A~il

* Homs Friday 07 April , massive US Tomahawk missile strike on Shayrat airbase ~.of Homs city in retaliation for the alleged chemical attack in ldlib - al-Waer evacuation continues , 4th batch of opposition fighters and families left for * clashes on borders of Aleppo and idlib provinces - heavy clashes I air strikes SE Aleppo city countryside and E of continue * Heavy fighting I air strikes continue in Darra'a and on * Hassakeh clashes between Daisha/IS mainly around Shaddadi * Raqqah fighting around Tabqa city and dam continue * Deir Ezzor heavy fighting /air attacks continue • Syrian citizens afraid , nervous, uncertain after the US Tomahawk strike in Homs province - they still put their HOPE in the planned intra-Syrian talks in Astana and Geneva ! - Usd around 550 -553 Syp tendency to go up - electricity from None to 1 hr , to 12 hrs daily - water in most areas ok , several areas without - benzin (b), cooking gas bottles (g) difficult but available in most areas , mazout (ml very difficult to NOT available ** life hard and difficult , especially with the extra inti tension I uncertainty ! - inti community to lift the sanctions for the citizens - inti community to support the ceasefire - inti community to stop supporting al Nusra , Daesh /IS and other fundamentalist groups and to define ' moderates' - inti community give the a real chance - no more inti interventions based on' info collected only from opposition actors ' - inti community prepare and start - non politicized and fair investigation on the alle£ed chemical attack on Khan Sheikhoun !

#MECC - in general ,personnel , premises , equipment OK

#Damascus - fighting , several air attacks continued on NE suburbs & E Ghouta - 03 April 29 m/m impacted in al Somariyeh, Jaramana, 86 , Abu Rumanne, Sayda Zeinab, Abbasiyeen, Masra'a, Bab Touma and Zablatani - 10 injuries+ mat damage - 04 April 32 m/m Ummawyeen Square, Adraa, Dahyet al Assad, Tijara, al Fayhaa, Arnold square, 2 killed I

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20 injured - 05 April 36 m/m Daff al Shok, Jisr al Rais, Kafr Sousseh, Amara, Rukn al Din and Barzeh - 12 injured - 06 April at random shooting in Qaboun , vicinity of Sironics factory , 1 killed - 07 April 7 m/m in Jaramana , 27 injured - 08 April , 09 April and Monday 10 April no m/m into Damascus - electricity 4/2 - 3/3 some districts no cuts at all Countryside 5/1 - water inside city ok , countryside every 3rd day - b, g available , m available on black market - usd 550 - 553 Syp

# South Syria * Darra'a - already for 6 weeks m/m into Darra'a city , mainly Sahari , Mansiyeh and Sajneh neighborhoods - mat damage - 05 April clashes Daesh/IS and SAA on borders of Jleen village WDarra'a , displaced citizens from countryside , mainly from al Mzeireeb came to Dara'a city - electricity 4/2 but chaotic , the last 6 days NO water , g available I bottle 2800 syp, m not , b available 250 syp/ ltr - usd 545 syp * Suweida - General ; thefts + kidnapping continues , many citizens returned to areas where Daesh/IS withdrew last week - 03 April a shepherd was shot and died as result of a kidnap attempt - 04 April highway Suweida -Damascus was blocked temporarily due to clashes - 05 April in W countryside a roadside bomb exploded , driver of car passing by , injured - 07 April 2m/m on village Burd SE countryside , mat damage + a car was attacked at village of Libin W countryside, 1 killed/1 injured, 1 kidnapped by the gunmen - 09 April 5 days electricity cuts 0900 - 1500hrs were announced , due to repair works on the main electricity line from Damascus + 1 young man shot/killed in Thalaa village W countryside - electricity 4/2 - 4,5/1,5 , water irregular ( 1 O hrs this week) , b-m limited g by coupon - usd 545 syp

# Qalamoun - sporadic clashes - checkpoints on M5 highway - electricity 5/1 - 4/2 , water ok , b-m-g difficult

# North Syria *Aleppo - 06 April several m/m in Hamdaniyeh 2 killed - NO electricity since 23 March , water ok except for Hamdaniyeh , b-m Not available , generator electricity 1 ampere I 1000 syp - usd 548 - 554 syp * Latakkia - 03 April clashes in Kabbani + Sarmaniyeh in N Latakkia countryside - 04 April clashes around Kabbani on border of Latakkia and idlib provinces - 05 April several m/m al Kurdaha, mat damage - 06 April heavy attacks on SAA positions by opposition groups ( united ), not successful - a school kid was kidnapped on 5 April , kidnappers asked 20 million syp ransom , family could not pay , the child was killed/beheaded , this atrocity spread a general feeling of fear among Latakkia' s citizens - a criminal , kidnapping young girls to be used in child-prostitution was arrested - car theft + drugsdealing is spread over the coastal region

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- shortage of garbage trucks + workers , result only 300 garbage cans emptied dai y instead of 1200 cans - +/- 50 illegally opened institutes , have to pay fines and the curriculums will be verified - begging by children is spreading I increasing - many displaced families returned to Aleppo - electricity 5/1 , countryside 8/1 not regular, water when electricity, b-m-g Not I ver1 difficult - usd 545 - 550 syp * Hama - markets close 1700 hrs , afterwards no public transport available - electricity 5/1 , water ok , b-m-g difficult * Muharde - last week +/- 200 m/m , mainly al Huriyeh street, al Ghab, near al Hayat hospital, near al Suhur school, near St George's church + S and N areas inside the city, huge mat damage over 150 million syp, 4 killed/ 15 injured - electricity 4/1, water ok, b-m-g difficult * al Skalbiyeh - 04 April 3 m/m in Salem Attala street , 2 injured - 05 April 6 m/m , 3 in E district and 3 on main road , mat damage - electricity 4/2 , water ok , b-m-g difficult * Mashta Hellou - electricity 4,5/1,5 , water ok , b-m-g difficult *Homs - 01 April 3rd batch left al Waer , 836 fighters +families =1860 people to ldlib - 03 April air raids on al Nusra positions in al Hole countryside, Talbineh N countryside - 04 April air strikes on Daesh/IS positions in E countryside around Palmyra - 05 April several m/m on al Manshidiyeh village , 1 killed/5 injured - 07 April US Tomahawk attack (59) on al Shayrat airfield 9 killed/15 injured - electricity 7/1 chaotic, water inside Homs city, b-g limited , m Not - usd 545 - 550 syp * Christian Valley - electricity 6/1 , water ok , b-g-m difficult - usd 545 syp * Tartous - electricity 4,5/1,5 , water ok , every 3rd day on countryside , b-g available , m Not - usd 550 - 555 syp * Hassakeh - land mine I road side bomb explosion , car passing by family hit , 3 injured -1 lost sight, 1 lost hand , 1 chest injuries -04 April explosion on medium car/bus fleeing from Deir Ezzor province to hassake1 , 23 injured all transferred to Hassakeh hospital , several died - clashes Kurdish against Daesh/IS in S countryside - 07 April car driving Jabal Abdel Aziz, explosion only mat damage - No electricity already for 4 weeks in a row in Hassakeh and Qamishli * Raqqah - SDF slowing down towards Raqqah city , clashes around Tabqa city and Tabqa Dam *Deir Ezzor - heavy clashes I air strikes continue

# Happy Easter to all from a more or less quiet Damascus for now

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