SYRIA SHORT CUTS : ALEPPO UNDER FIRE

War has come to Aleppo on full scale. In the southwestern neighborhoods of Bustan al-Qasr, Sikari and Salaheddine, explosions rock buildings on a daily basis, and on almost every street you look, glass, debris and rubble litter the place. I

It is a far cry from the Aleppo I visited almost three weeks ago, when nightly demonstrations filled the air with defiance and protesters slipped into the pink, blue and fluorescent lights of these working-class neighborhoods. Now, Salaheddine is emptied of its residents who have fled to schools, mosques and parks around the city. But Bustan al-Qasr is different. Most of its residents stayed, and in a densely populated area frequently hit hard by shells, airstrikes and helicopter attacks, it means a high casualty rate.

Read more: http://lightbox.time.com/2012/08/06/a-syrian-tragedy-nicole-tung/#ixzz22xVT0vaK

According to Chulov, the loss of tanks and the lack of infantry is the key point. The Free Syrian Army is fairing better than expected because of the last minute defections of generals that tipped them off about the attack. The lack of infa

ntry guardian the tanks is a sign, according to Chulov who is inside Aleppo, that the regime is worried that too many forces would defect. But dead tanks in roads block advances, and jeopardize the other tanks in the line, so despite having a massive advantage in shear strength, the regime’s advance, thus far, has been slow http://www.enduringamerica.com/home/2012/8/8/egypt-syria-and-beyond-live-coverage-airstrikes-in-sinai-kil.html#1055

Al Jazeera’s Anita McNaught from outside Aleppo. She has been travelling around the province and was in Salaheddine district just a day ago. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sJ3mFVPklW8&feature=g-all-u