The best coverage of this breaking news in Al Jazeera English Live but Reuters just published this:
Syrian defence minister, Assad’s brother-in-law killed in bomb attack as Damascus battle rages
Dominic Evans and Khaled Yacoub Oweis, Reuters Jul 18, 2012 – 8:05 AM ET
BEIRUT/AMMAN — Syria’s defence minister Daoud Rajha and Prime Minister Bashar al-Assad’s brother in-in-law, Assef Shawkat, were killed in a bomb attack on a high level security meeting in Damascus on Wednesday, state television said, as the revolt against Assad struck at the heart of the president’s inner circle.
Shawkat served as Syria’s deputy defence minister.
The Assad regime is saying this was a suicide bomber and the work of Al Queda aided by the West, but other sources are saying that it was a bomb hidden in the building in a well planned attack by the FSA that required inside help.
Many key Syrian figures were injured or killed outright by the blast so the announcement of more deaths is expected. So far these are the only two confirmed by the regime.
Shawkat was actually the biggest fish here. The lost of him is a believed to be a bigger blow to the regime than the lost of the DM. Shawkat is thought to be the man directing the crackdown and news of his death has Syrians dancing in the streets today. See video below.
TarantinoDork {see comments] has reported that Ass't VP & Former Defense Minister Hassan Turkmani (seen as important link between Syria & Iran) also confirmed killed in the blast.
People are filling the streets in celebration even as fierce battles between the Syrian Army and the Free Syrian Army continue all over the city.
People celebrating in the streets just came under fire on Al Jezeera Live 7:50am pst.
8:00am pst AJE is reporting that four members of the cabinet have been killed and seven others injured.
8:41am pst Free Syrian Army is saying that this is the "Damascus Volcano" I reported on yesterday. The Battle of Damascus is joined!
People celebrate in Damascus as news od deaths hits the street | 18 July 2012
FSA in the middle of Midan neighborhood, Damascus | 18 July 2012
AL JAZEERA LIVE FEEDS
Storming the Bastille in Syria by Noel Ignatiev:
...
The need for international solidarity with the Arab revolutions was felt most desperately in Libya. Much of the international “solidarity” movement boycotted the Libyan insurgents with phony “anti-imperialist” pretensions. The “left” ended up supporting the discredited Gaddafi regime politically, and abandoned the field of “solidarity” to the US and its NATO allies. Now, our impotent “anti-imperialists” are complaining that Libya did not turn out so well. The lesson they seem to be learning from their Libya policy is: “Let’s do the same in Syria. Let’s boycott the Syrian revolution. Then, we can blame the imperialists.”
In the absence of working class leadership, the democratic revolution in Syria risks being derailed and led to oblivion by Islamists and ethnic-nationalists.
The oppressed workers and farmers of Syria need solidarity and deserve solidarity. All efforts must be made to reach out to the grassroots organizations of the insurgents. All efforts must be made to support and strengthen the hand of the pro-democracy and working class currents in the Syrian revolution. All efforts must be made that when revolutionary victory comes – and it will come— a democratic regime is established. The only real guarantor of democracy for the masses of the people will be a workers and farmers government.
Here are my related diaries on Syria:
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Libya & Syria - two videos - no comment
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