Grisly Execution Videos Show Growing Brutality in Syria

Stockbyte/Thinkstock(RAQQA, Syria) -- The camera pans up from three blindfolded men with their hands bound to a rebel fighter speaking into a megaphone. He stands by a white pickup truck, his face covered with a white and red checkered scarf.

In classical Arabic, the man reads out the death sentence of the three men. It lasts one minute and 45 seconds before the man proclaims “God is great” and two of his comrades -- wearing black ski masks -- fire single bullets into each of the three captives’ heads. As they slump over, a crowd erupts in cheers with celebratory gunfire.

In the two years since the war in Syria started, there have been innumerable videos of summary executions, beheadings and the aftermath of massacres. But in recent days, the videos posted online from Syria have highlighted a deepening sectarianism and a brutality never before seen in this conflict.

The execution of the three men, who were officers of the Syrian government, took place in a public square in Raqqa, a northern city controlled by the Sunni, al Qaeda-linked extremist rebel group, Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham. The slain men were Alawites, the sect of Shia Islam that President Bashar al-Assad and his most loyal forces belong to.

”We respond to the criminal Bashar who is killing Sunnis everywhere,” the man with the megaphone said. “Now we decided to come close to God by killing those Alawites…”

The speaker in the Raqqa video said the executions were in revenge for -- among other things -- recent massacres in and around the majority Alawite coastal city of Baniyas in early May. There, regime forces are reported to have carried out “cleansing” operations of Sunni areas, slaughtering hundreds of men, women and children. Videos showed rows of dead bodies, shot or stabbed, as well as the charred remains of bodies burned in a building. Many more remain missing, feared dead.

“The fear of ethnic cleansing has increased among all populations of Syria and with good reason,” wrote Syria analyst Joshua Landis at the University of Oklahoma. “Sunnis claim today that the regime is effectively trying to clear many areas of its Sunni inhabitants.”

“If Assad reasserts his control over rebel held parts of Syria, large populations of Sunnis would likewise flee,” Landis continued. “They would fear ruthless retribution and possible massacres.”

The Raqqa public execution clip surfaced just days after another grisly video was posted online of a Sunni rebel commander slicing open the body of a dead regime soldier with a knife, removing his lung and biting into it.  “I swear to God we will eat your hearts and your livers, you soldiers of Bashar the dog,” the man says to the camera.

“Hopefully we will slaughter all of them [Alawites],” the commander, Khalid al-Hamad, later told TIME Magazine, which first uncovered the clip. “I have another video clip that I will send to them. In the clip, I am sawing another shabiha [pro-government militiaman] with a saw. The saw we use to cut trees. I sawed him into small pieces and large ones.”

As the world reacted with horror, the main political Syrian opposition group, the Syrian National Coalition, condemned the action and called for the man to be tried. The military wing, the Free Syrian Army said it “completely rejects the ill-treatment of the wounded and the disfigurement of the dead.”

“It is not enough for Syria’s opposition to condemn such behavior or blame it on violence by the government,” said Nadim Houry, the Middle East deputy director of Human Rights Watch. “The opposition forces need to act firmly to stop such abuses.”

The clips have come to light as the U.S. and its allies continue to grapple with the question of arming the rebel forces, worried that any weapons could end up in the hands of extremists. Videos like that of the rebel eating the organs of his enemy have compounded those fears since he is part of what the West considers to be the more mainstream rebel forces, those that would theoretically receive any arms.

Syrian opposition leaders blame the West for the rise in sectarianism and extremists rebel groups like Jabhat al-Nusra which are among the most ferocious groups fighting Assad forces. It could have been stopped, they say, if the more moderate forces had been supported earlier.

Both the execution and “cannibal” videos rocketed around the Internet, creating a firestorm on social networking sites. Opposition activists argue they are isolated incidents not representative of the rebel forces fighting the Assad regime, while supporters of Assad argued that their true character is finally coming to light.

On both sides, many fear the sectarianism is now so deep-seated that Syria will never be able to recover from it.

“Two yrs ago, there was no such thing as decapitation, massacre & cannibalism in Syria,” wrote one Assad supporter on Twitter. “Today these barbaric acts are synonymous to the country.”

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Syria Warns Israel of 'All Possibilities' After Strikes

Stockbyte/Thinkstock(DAMASCUS, Syria) -- Syria responded angrily to the overnight air strikes on military targets that it accused Israel of carrying out, warning that the attack "opens the door to all possibilities."

Israel has not claimed responsibility, but moved anti-missile batteries to the north and shut down the air space to civilian flights as tensions rise.

"We will not accept to be humiliated," Syrian information minister Omran al-Zoubi said at an afternoon press conference. "We are all in a state of anger. We are abused by this attack."

Israel hasn't confirmed or denied the series of strikes early Sunday morning, believed to be the second set of strikes in 48 hours. On Friday, Israel reportedly hit a shipment of ground-to-ground missiles bound for the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah.

Israel has long said that it would not hesitate to intervene to prevent advanced weaponry -- including chemical weapons -- from falling into the hands of its enemies.

Syria said Israeli warplanes hit three military targets Sunday around Damascus, including an airport and the same Jamraya research center accused of developing chemical weapons that Israel attacked in January.

Syria accused Israel of "coordination" with the extremist rebel groups it is fighting, including Jabhat al-Nusra, which has pledged allegiance to al Qaeda's leadership.

The chief of staff of the armed forces in Iran -- which is allied with Syria and Hezbollah -- warned that "[Hezbollah] forces will respond to the Israeli aggression. ... Iran will not allow Israel to destabilize the region."

In the wake of the strikes, Israel moved two of its much-lauded Iron Dome anti-missile batteries to the north of the country to cover the Lebanese and Syrian borders, while shutting down the air space to commercial travel.

"There is a feeling of tension when we hear about what is happening in the area," the mayor of the northern town of Kiryat Shmona, Mayor Rabbi Nissim Malka, told the Haaretz newspaper. "Residents are calling the municipal hotline and asking questions like 'are the shelters open?' or 'are classes being held as usual?' We are calming everyone who calls and continuing daily routines."

Israel appeared to try to tamp down fears of imminent retaliation as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said he would continue with a trip to China Sunday night, though his departure was delayed as he convened his security cabinet.

Syrian state media said the Syria cabinet convened an emergency session to "discuss the Israeli aggression."

The Arab League, which largely backs the rebels in the Syrian conflict, blamed the strikes on Israel and called them a "dangerous violation of an Arab state's sovereignty."

President Barack Obama, who has faced growing questioning over the American role in the conflict that has left more than 70,000 dead, did not confirm the Israeli attacks but said Israel has a right to stop its enemies from getting advanced weapons.

He added that he does not foresee a time in which American troops will be sent into Syria.

"What I do know is that I cannot see a scenario right now in which American boots on the ground would make any sense," he told Spanish-speaking network Telemundo. "And I cannot see a scenario in which, actually, the Syrian people would benefit from American boots on the ground."

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Bill Richardson: U.S. Military Strikes Against Syria are ‘In the Cards’

Kris Connor/Getty Images(WASHINGTON) -- In an appearance on ABC’s This Week, former New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson said that American military strikes against Syria are likely, an opinion echoed by several other officials.

“I think [President Obama] signaled that he’s ready to use that military action,” Richardson said. “We can’t have boots on the ground, but I think potentially some kind of option like air strikes against some of those weapons sites to protect the rebels are in the cards, in my view.”

“Now, I think what happened with Israel is, Israel is also sending a signal to Iran, to Hezbollah, possibly to us too, that the situation right in the Syrian area is getting very, very tense.” He continued.

Syrian television is reporting that Israeli warplanes have struck a second set of targets within Syria. This would be the second such strike within 48 hours. An Iranian military official said that Hezbollah will respond to these Israeli strikes, and Israel has moved two of its famous Iron Dome anti-missile batteries into the north and near the borders of Syria and Lebanon.

Western intelligence sources say the strike was an attempt to stop a shipment of Iranian-made missiles heading to Hezbollah in Lebanon.

In an appearance on NBC’s Meet the Press, Democratric Senator Patrick Leahy of Vermont said that the apparent success of the Israeli strikes means that the regime's defense systems aren't impenetrable, indicating that an air-based American response could prove effective.

“I think the fact that they were able to go in there shows that perhaps the Russian-supplied air defense systems are not as good as were said,” Leahy said.

Senator John McCain is among those advocating the need for a definite response while avoiding putting troops on the ground.

“We need to have a game-changing action and that is no American boots on the ground, establish a safe zone, and to protect it and to supply weapons to the right people,” said McCain while on Fox News Sunday.

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Amid New Reports of Massacres, Israel Strikes Syria

iStockphoto/Thinkstock(TEL AVIV, Israel) -- Israeli warplanes struck weapons inside Syria that were bound for the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, American and Israeli officials say.

The attack, which reportedly took place Friday morning, was the second such strike this year, further raising fears that Syria's two-year civil war could spill over into neighboring countries.

News of the strike comes as graphic evidence emerges of what a watchdog group says are scores of deaths in fighting and mass executions by forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad in and around the coastal city of Baniyas.

Hundreds are reportedly fleeing amid fears of further sectarian-fueled violence.

The Israeli Prime Minister's office and military declined to comment on the strike, which is the standard response following a secret operation. Israel has repeatedly warned that it would not hesitate to act to prevent its enemies from getting their hands on weapons, particularly chemical weapons.

Syrian state media made no mention of the strike and Syria's ambassador to the United Nations said he was not aware of any attack.

In January, Syrian officials responded quickly when Israeli warplanes are believed to have targeted a convoy carrying Russian-made SA-17 surface-to-air missiles, which were also said to be bound for Hezbollah.

There was no outright claim of responsibility by Israel, but days after that strike, then-Defense Minister Ehud Barak said "That is another proof that when we say something we mean it. We say that we don't think it should be allowable to bring advanced weapons systems into Lebanon."

A top Israeli defense official dismissed the confirmation of the Friday strike, but not the strike itself.

"I don't know what or who confirmed what, who are these sources?" asked Amos Gilad, a senior strategist in the ministry. "In my book only the [military] spokesperson unit is official."

There is no suggestion that any of the weapons struck allegedly were chemical weapons and Gilad said he believes Hezbollah doesn't want chemical weapons.

"Syria has large amounts of chemical weaponry and missiles. Everything there is under [regime] control," Gilad said, according to Israeli reports. "Hezbollah does not have chemical weaponry. We have ways of knowing.

"They are not keen to take weaponry like this, preferring systems that can cover all of the country [of Israel]," he added, referring to the estimated 60,000 rockets in Hezbollah's arsenal.

The State Department said today that is it "appalled" by reports of scores killed in the Sunni Muslim town of al Bayda, just south of Baniyas, by government forces and loyalist militiamen known as "shabiha" who largely belong to Assad's Alawite sect.

 The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights watchdog group said at least 51 people, including women and children, were summarily executed on Thursday in al Bayda.

That was followed by reports of more deaths in the Ras-al-Nabaa neighborhood of Baniyas.

The SOHR said hundreds of Sunni families were fleeing south to the port city of Tartous to escape what they said was sectarian killing by the regime.

State television said there were operations in the area that "drove back several terrorist groups" and showed rows of weapons it said had been seized from rebels. Rebel groups led by extremist fighters had been mounting operations in that area.

Also on Saturday, Assad visited Damascus University to greet students and inaugurate a statue for student "martyrs" of the two-year conflict. A photo showed the Syrian president getting a warm reception from students reaching out their hands to greet him.

The display of confidence was his second public event this week: On May Day, he thanked workers at a Damascus power plant.

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Chemical Weapon Use in Syria Challenges Obama’s ‘Red Line’

Stockbyte/Thinkstock(WASHINGTON) -- Pressure is mounting for the Obama administration to act after obtaining evidence that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad used chemical weapons on his own people, an act that crossed what Obama had previously called “a red line.”

“The president has laid down the line. It can't be a dotted line. It can't be anything other than a red line,” said Rep. Mike Rogers, chairman of the House Intelligence Committee on ABC’s This Week Sunday.

He says that what Obama does next in Syria matters not just in Syria, but across the world. “[It is] more than just Syria. Iran is paying attention to this, North Korea is paying attention to this. So I think the options aren't huge but some action needs to be taken.”

The Obama administration has made it clear that they want to avoid American boots on the ground, says ABC News Chief Political Correspondent George Stephanopoulos. Though there are other actions the United States can take, it’s unclear how effective they will be against the Assad Regime.

During an appearance on NBC's Meet the Press, Sen. John McCain of Arizona, said that he believed the United States should set up a safe zone in Syria.

“A safe zone, arming the rebels, making sure that we help with the refugees, McCain suggested. He continued, saying we should “be prepared with an international force to go in and secure these stocks of chemical and perhaps biological weapons.”

That might not be so easy, explained ABC’s Martha Raddatz on This Week.

"None of that is easy. It sounds great, a safe haven, but that involves taking out anti aircraft. It involves kinetic action and it involves a great deal of risk,” Raddatz said.

“I think here you have to remember the comparison with Iraq--President Bush was looking for ways to go into Iraq. President Obama does not want to go into Syria,” she said.

McCain also noted that the concept of a “red line” might have been a mistake in the first place.

“What has happened here is the President drew red lines regarding chemical weapons thereby giving a green light to Bashir Assad to do anything short of that including scud missiles and helicopters gunships and air strikes and mass executions,” McCain said.

Whatever Obama decides to do in response to Assad crossing the “red line” by using chemical weapons, it’s not likely to happen just yet. Stephanopoulos says that the administration is verifying the intelligence to make sure that they’re positive such weapons were used before  they launch any sort of response.

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Evidence of Chemical Weapons in Aleppo

DIMITAR DILKOFF/AFP/Getty Images(ALEPPO, Syria) -- Lying in a hospital bed north of Aleppo in Afrin, Yasser hasn't been told that his wife and children are dead, as his doctors don't think he can handle the shock in his fragile state.  His home was bombarded on April 13 by what he calls “chemicals in the air.”

For months, opponents of the Assad regime have accused the Syrian military of using unknown chemical weapons in rebel controlled territories, such as in Homs, Damascus and Aleppo. The Syrian government said rebels deployed a chlorine-based agent in Aleppo last month, and formally requested that the U.N. send observers to investigate, but it hasn't granted permission for the team to enter.

Given that the Obama administration has repeatedly stated that the use of chemical weapons in Syria would be considered a "game changer," confirmation that these weapons have been deployed could significantly alter the course of Syria's war.

Dr. Hassan, director of a hospital in Afrin who did not want his full name used, said he did not have evidence about who was responsible for the attack, or what kind of chemical was released. But he said the symptoms and treatment clearly indicate that chemical agents were used. Medical personnel involved refused to give their last names, citing fear of retaliation.

A Kurdish journalist who filmed the aftermath of the attack in Afrin was also recuperating at the hospital. He said there were two canisters in the house, one plastic and the other metal, with valves used to deploy the gas. He added that residents in the area say they heard a helicopter earlier that night, but none of the survivors confirmed the presence of a helicopter immediately prior to the strike.

Yasser's neighbors were the first to respond, and they described smelling a sharp, bitter odor that stung their eyes when they entered the home. One of the men tried to carry the baby, but collapsed once he reached him.

The two children died shortly after the attack. Their mother survived for a few hours, but her heart stopped at the hospital in Afrin, according to Turki, an anesthesiology technician.

Yasser’s neighbors told him that the house was intact, that the bomb was just gas and didn't cause much damage.

"I wish my whole house was destroyed rather than have to deal with this smell," he said. "I just want to know that my wife and children are fine."

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Senior Cleric Killed in Damascus Suicide Bombing

iStockphoto/Thinkstock(DAMASCUS, Syria) -- A deadly suicide bombing inside a Damascus mosque on Thursday killed senior cleric Mohammad Said Ramadan al-Bouti, one of the most notable Sunni supporters of the current regime.

According to the New York Times, at least 42 people were killed in the attack and at least 84 were injured. Mohammad Said Ramadan al-Bouti was the imam of the largest Sunni mosque in Syria, and was a support for President Bashar al-Assad -- especially early in the conflict -- despite the fact the insurgency drew its numbers heavily from the Sunni population.

Initial reports indicated that the attack was a suicide bombing, but the circumstances surrounding the explosion are still unclear.

The bombing came on the heels of the announcement by U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki Moon that the governing body would be investigating the possible use of chemical weapons during the Syrian conflict.

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UN to Investigate Possible Chemical Weapons Use in Syria

ABC News(ALEPPO, Syria) -- U.S. officials do not believe that chemical weapons were used in Tuesday's attack in Aleppo, Syria.

U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki Moon announced on Thursday that the U.N. will investigate possible use of chemical weapons in the Syrian conflict. The announcement was welcomed by U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice, who said that the governing body should investigate "any and all credible allegations of the possible use of chemical weapons in Syria."

Syria is one of few countries who have not signed the Chemical Weapons Convention's agreement, which internationally bans use of chemical weapons. According to BBC News, Syria is believed to have large stockpiles of mustard gas and other chemical weapons.

The U.S. officials said that while nothing was certain, Tuesday's attack likely did not include use of any chemical warfare. However, tear gas or other chemical agents not categorized as chemical weapons could have been used, according to the officials.

At least one report said that Syrian rebels believed the agent to be Echothiphate, a chemical agent in insecticides. Echothiphate is not categorized as a chemical weapon.

"President Obama has been clear that the use or transfer of chemical weapons is totally unacceptable. If Bashar Al-Assad and those under his command make the mistake of using chemical weapons, or fail to meet their obligation to secure them, then there will be consequences. Those responsible will be held accountable," Rice said in her statement.

In addition to the Tuesday attack, rebels accuse the government of carrying out another attack involving chemical weapons near Damascus. There have been no verified instances of chemical weapon use in the two year conflict.

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Report: Syrian Children Deeply Affected by Conflict

BULENT KILIC/AFP/Getty Images(AMMAN, Jordan) -- "Childhood Under Fire" may unfortunately be a very appropriate title for a report about what is happening to the youngest victims of Syria's two-year conflict.

According to statistics compiled by the charity Save the Children, one third of Syrian youngsters have either been kicked, hit or actually shot since President Bashar al-Assad ordered a crackdown on his political enemies in March 2011.

Issuing their findings from Amman, Jordan, Save the Children’s Saba Mubaslat said that children are arriving at refugee camps traumatized by their experiences in Syria with no end in sight to the civil war that has cost more than 70,000 lives and will force a million people to leave their homeland.

Mubaslat says that besides physical abuse, armed groups are turning young boys into porters, runners and even human shields.

Meanwhile, sexual abuse is also prevalent, with stories of many young girls being married off to men because their parents believe it will keep them from being violated.

The Syrian conflict is also causing other brutal side effects of continued warfare, including malnutrition and disease, often from unsafe water supplies.

This bleak assessment coincides with an earlier United Nations Children’s Fund report that claims two million youngsters, close to half of Syria's under-18 population, are in desperate need of assistance.

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US Intelligence Chief Warns of Desperation Moves by Syria

Mark Wilson/Getty Images(WASHINGTON) -- The U.S. director of national intelligence warned on Tuesday that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad may be preparing to use chemical weapons in a last-ditch effort to hold onto power.

James Clapper told the Senate Intelligence Committee on Tuesday that "the opposition is gaining in strength; it is gaining territory.  At the same time, the regime is experiencing shortages in manpower and logistics."

Clapper's statements underscore what international observers have been saying for some time that the longer the conflict lasts, the greater the chances al-Assad won't last.

However, the Syrian president could presumably strike back at opposition forces with biological and chemical weapons, a move the Obama administration finds untenable although the White House hasn't revealed what the U.S. response would be if that happens.

Adding to the confusion of the two-year conflict that has cost well over 70,000 lives is the rise of al-Qaeda’s al-Nusrah affiliate in Syria, which is mixed in with pro-democratic forces with decidedly different goals.

Clapper says that al-Nusrah has been able to ingratiate itself with ordinary Syrians because of its talent for providing essential services as people cope with a deepening humanitarian disaster.

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