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â€œAssad revenges for Aleppoâ€ â€“ REPORTING FROM SYRIA - PHOTO

â€œAssad revenges for Aleppoâ€ â€“ <font color=red>REPORTING FROM SYRIA - PHOTO</font>

22 August 2012 13:17 (UTC +04:00)

His reporting is coming up.

***
There is 45-50 km road from Turkey to Aleppo. You can reach the city for half an hour in a peaceful time. But we were going this half an hour road for 2 hours. The sledges of war are clearly reflected on this road: the road without asphalt coverage, all the roads are at targetâ€.

Our driver Valid, being from Azaz commander opposition group, drafted a real plan for Ahmad; what road to use, gave the instructions what roads are securer. The woman correspondent from â€œAl-Jazeeraâ€ used the same road before us. The correspondent named Zahra, saying that she will leave for Latkia, was provided with security. But we go to Aleppo with Ahmad without security.

But we had one advantage. If we are stopped on the road, we will use the telephone number that commander gave to Ahmad, and he will solve the problem.

The bombing of Tal Rifaatâ€¦

Firstly we visited Ahmadâ€™s house in As-Salama. Despite he took refuge in Turkey, there were some household things that he needs to take. We put the things in the car and wanted to departâ€¦It seems that someone is striking by an empty barrel: â€œbummmmâ€, â€œbummmâ€â€¦

-Tal Rafaat is being bombed. Itâ€™s supposed that slaughter will be there.

This was told by the Ahmadâ€™s cousin. I forgot the name of that young fellow. But he was rather hot-tempered. Ali appoints to the sky and says something in Arabic. Ahmad translated it. He said that Tal Rifaat is 25-30 km to the west from here. Itâ€™s seen that it is being bombed now by the aviation.

Then, we will know that the man slaughter occurred here was not so large as in Azaz, but al least 10 people were killed here and the wounded were sent to Turkey.

â€œGo on Dar Izzah roadâ€

After meeting with the cousin, we got in a car. Ahmad was praying. We could see only the sands and some trees when the car was moving on. We could face only small trucks on the road. The camp was clearly seen. We were stopped by the soldiers near the road going to small city named Nurbi near Tal Rifaat. Ahmad is telling them something, but they donâ€™t seem to agree.

-They say, go on Dar Izzah road.

-What is that road?

-You know, Mammad, - Ahmad is calling me like this because Mammadov is written in my passport, we must return a little bit. Then we will to go Aleppo from Hamdaniaâ€™s direction. We will be a little apart from it, bit itâ€™s normal. Letâ€™s go.

He is laughing.

-Anywhere I canâ€™t explain it to you. This is a small town. There settlements. I gave the name of the previous man. They didnâ€™t agree. I think that it will be more advisable.

***

Okâ€¦We slowly more from the so-called Dar Izzah place. There are fired, destroyed trucks and vehicles on the sides of the road. But any fire sounds are not heard. Our car is stopped again in Hamdania. This time our documents are being carefully checked, including my own personality. The fact that Ahmad told them that I was Azerbaijani caused some impatience. They took my passport and delivered me to high-ranking serviceman. He looked thought my passport and looked very carefully at Shengen visa. He asked my why I traveled to Europe. I said that it was a tourist trip. He returned me my passport and tells something to Ahmad in Arabic. Ahmad bows his head with agreement.

I will know in Hamdania that the inspection at the Aleppoâ€™s entrance will be more careful. But letâ€™s focus our attention on another interesting examination.

Aleppo is the economical center of Syria. More precisely, it wasâ€¦ The Syriaâ€™s second largest city Aleppo has more than 2 mln population. To tell the truth, it hadâ€¦

Once, Aleppo had the status of the first number business centre of Assad family and his relatives.

Itâ€™s unknown who is the owner of this denomination. Lots of rest places, restaurants and hotels are kept without Assad. Most of them are really destroyed. 70% of this city is under control of opposition. The massacre is going in the southern part of the city.

The 20 lyres buying

â€¦Ahmad hurries up the soldier who looks at my passport. But he is busy with the careful looking through of my passport. At last he could find any interesting information for himself, but he is saying something to Ahmadâ€™s ear. Ahmad looks at me, takes 20 Turkish lyres from his pocket and gives them to him. Another soldier standing by him tells us the sign to go and keeps laughing. But where we are going?

â€œWe canâ€™t leave the house at night because of bombing and robberyâ€

He talks to his daughter Zeynab. Ahmad says that Zeynab lives with her family in An-Nayreb. It is dangerous to go there, because it can be bombed every time. He suggests visiting his relativeâ€™s house in nearby district. He phones to Zeynab and asked his relativeâ€™s phone number. I donâ€™t know what Zeynab tells him that he shakes head. Then he tells me the phone number that Zeynab informed.

Trade under the bullets

Balermoon is one of the Aleppoâ€™s districts. Indeed we donâ€™t hear firing. There is an intensive trading in the district. People parade the streets. Gunmen are seen among them. Ahmad calls to his relative and he meets us outside the house. He has a pistol and a cup of coffee in hands. He welcomes us so warmly that he knows me long ago. His name is Ali. He had good business.

- There has been a poor trading recently because of war. My stores are working only in daytime, but closed at nights because we must not turn on lights to avoid the Russian bombings.

- Why Russians?

- Not Russian, but their planes. Earlier Assad bought their planes, may be he knew that there would be bad times.

While being in Syria I felt that opposition doesnâ€™t like Russia and Iran. They hate Iran than Russia. The opposition thinks that, - the field commander that I would interview with would also confirm it, - a lot of Iranian hirelings are fighting for Assad. Iranian and Russian journalists are not working in the areas controlled by the opposition. They donâ€™t risk, because as Ahmad says they donâ€™t like them.

***

â€¦..Ali invites us to his house. The neighbors also come. It is difficult to me because everyone asks me when the war ends and everyone cares about own business. It is not strange, because this city is known all over the East as a commercial city. A man, who introduces himself as Malik, says that earlier a lot of Azerbaijani women have come here to buy goods.

- They were coming here 10-15 years ago, but now they donâ€™t. They are good buyers.

â€¦.Indeed I am not willing of hearing their stories.

â€œPlanes come and bomb, but we canâ€™t shoot them downâ€

Malik says that it would be better if they had missiles to shoot planes and helicopters.

- The planes are coming and bombing, but we couldnâ€™t shoot. But we will get done with Assad even if he has hundreds of planes.

- And where is Assad himself?

- It is unknown. He disappeared.

Malik also says they make mistake to call Syrian Liberation Army as uncontrollable forces. - We have a regular army. Commanders are professional officers who got rid of Assad.

He switches on TV.

The speaker is talking about something, they are laughing. Ahmad is explaining.

- It is Syrian state television. The speaker says that childrenâ€™s music festivity in Sham ended. Ten thousand people watched the festivity. President congratulated them. But you see they didnâ€™t show Assad. She tells lie.

According to Malik the speaker says there is stability in Syria. Only there some robbers who attempt to break this stability. They are rendered harmless. Half-part of the country are out of Assadâ€™s control. Let me to grill kebab for you?

Ahmad:

- We must go, Malik.

- Wonâ€™t the guest stay?
- No, we were in Azaz. He said letâ€™s visit Aleppo.

Malik puts the pipe in his hand down:

- Azaz, Azaz â€¦Bashar got Aleppoâ€™s revenge from Azaz.

- Why?

- Because he couldnâ€™t enter Aleppo. He strikes on Azaz for scaring the people.

Important note: he would explain Azazâ€™s shooting in the interview with field commander. It is right, maybe it differs what Malik said but there will be on top of the points.

***

After smoking a pipe and drinking a bitter coffeeâ€“ they were forced in drinking coffee, but if I donâ€™t drink till the end they can be offended- we are walking the streets. Together with shopping they are smiling. Unlike Azaz the people of this area are very optimist despite of the loss. Arab man named Bakir feasts watermelon.

He invites us to another shop and offers different sweets him. In other words, one thinks as if there are no bloody battles on the other side of the city.

â€œMarkets are closed, mills were destroyed, no medicinesâ€

An Arab Christian, Hasan says there are bread shortages in the city.

- Markets are closed. Mills are destroyed. There are no medicines. Assadâ€™s forces killed two doctors in their houses.

Why did they kidnap surgeon?

Hasan didnâ€™t tell where the doctors lived. But he explained very interesting fact.
Injures were not sent only to Turkey. They treat them who are light wounded in their desert hospital. The fact is that because of lack of surgeons two days ago they kidnapped the surgeon of Ar Raqqah city hospital. His family was sent to Turkey, and they assured him that he will serve here for two months and then will be sent to Turkey.

***

The cityâ€™s lights are turned off in the evening, because of air strikes. As I mentioned before, the opposition are weaker in the face of these attacks. But they could be able to control Aleppo.

Ahmad says it is high time to go. Malik recommends that letâ€™s go through Haraydan.

- You will arrive soon and visit hospital.

We say good buy them.

- The war will be ended. We wonâ€™t allow Assad to stay in Syria next year. Then you may come to Aleppoâ€¦.

Maybe Assad will leave. Will the war be ended? What will happen after Assad? This is another topic.

P.S While returning they didnâ€™t allow visiting hospital and told us to go beyond. Next morning when I was in Kilis, I heard that Aleppo was bombed again. 37 people were in that attack.â€¦