War Arrives in Damascus: One Activist’s Account

Day-to-day life for Amer al-Sadeq, an activist with the Syrian Revolution Coordinators’ Union is far from secure. He’s seen up to 400 soldiers patrol his Damascus neighborhood. An unexploded ordinance sits outside his home. And Tuesday his President Bashar al Assad admitted that his country, Syria, is now in a “state of war.”

“I think it’s better he [Assad] put it this way. At least people will know that he’s at war against his own people,” says al-Sadeq.

Al-Sadeq blames Syria’s Alawite minority for most of the violence. And he doesn’t foresee a day soon when Alawites live peacefully alongside other Syrians.

“The Syrian people are very tolerant. But nobody is going to be tolerant to anyone who killed people without any discrimination,” he says. “We have taken many bullets with our bare chests. The opposition works day and night to win. Nobody can defeat the people, no matter how long it takes.”

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Marco Werman: I’m Marco Werman. This is The World. The White House today condemned all acts of violence committed in Syria, including a tax targeting pro-regime elements. The statement came after gunmen stormed a pro government TV station near the capital, Damascus, killing three employees. The attack underscored President Bashar al-Assad’s comment yesterday that Syria is now in a state of war. Amer al-Sadeq is an activist with the Syrian Revolution Coordinator’s Union. He and his family are living in northeast Damascus.

Amer al-Sadeq: We could hear from here fire clashes almost all day long. They come and go depending on the time and what’s happening. We also could hear during the day today some loud and far away bombings that seemed very similar to the mortar shelling that took place in Douma a couple of days back. And has been targeted by the regime several times recently, including by artillery shelling. A lot of refugees came up from that area to many places, including my own, even though my area is not a very quiet area. But many families came into [inaudible 1:06] in my neighborhood, located to the northeast of the city.

Werman: The fighting and the militant attacks over the last few days, it feels like a big leap. Are they getting more brazen? Does the violence feel like it’s taken a quantum leap?

al-Sadeq: Well, we don’t see obvious scenes of violence within the city. But we know when the army attacks an area, this happened in my area a couple of days back, three tanks came to my neighborhood, which is a neighborhood within Damascus, almost 400 soldiers came in several army vehicles. They have stormed many, many houses and they have burned a couple of houses near what we call the Freedom Square. This is the only isolated square we could run our protests safely. I could see two mortar shells in my neighborhood, one of them is still planted in the road and it didn’t explode yet. People are trying to avoid it. We don’t know when it will explode, but when it does if somebody is there it will definitely hurt or kill him.

Werman: Right, well we just heard a baby in the background while you were speaking with me. Is it a safe place for a child?

al-Sadeq: Not really, but this is the only place I have right now to stay in. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be staying where I am.

Werman: And Amer, you know, I’ve gotta say we’ve heard a lot about divisions within the Free Syrian Army. How organized and unified is the opposition?

al-Sadeq: Well, let me just first say that the Free Syrian Army is only part of the opposition. It’s the armed part. It includes defected military personnel, soldiers and officers, and also includes civilians who have decided to enlist within these battalions. Mainly, these battalions for a lot of technical reasons and some cultural reasons have to operate individually. Some of them have really made a great ground for themselves to make joint operations. I could see this in my area. I know of seven battalions that are really working next to each other in this triangle, including my neighborhood within Damascus city and the two areas within the outskirts. It is very easy for them to make joint operations and be really united when they are trying to do something.

Werman: Are you not worried about deeper divisions between Sunnis and Shiites?

al-Sadeq: Well, in Syria Shiites are the minority part of the Alawites, to which the regime belongs. Actually, this division has been created by the regime since the early days of the revolution and fortunately, almost none of the Alawites showed up and at least said this is a crime. Everybody we see on the ground carrying a gun against us is mostly an Alawite or loyalist, or a Shabiha, a militant who is being paid to do that. Unfortunate as this is, but it has to be said because this is the situation. Alawites are handling most of the killing in Syria. They have been abused by the regime and have accepted that abuse, unfortunately.

Werman: I’m just curious to know, Amer, can you imagine one day living next door to a family of Alawites and your children playing with Alawite children?

al-Sadeq: The Syrian people are very tolerant, but nobody is gonna be tolerant to anybody who kills people without any discrimination. It will taken for accounting whether he’s an Alawite or not. The fact is, most of the people doing that are now Alawite.

Werman: Amer, what do you do for a living and have you been able to continue to go to work in recent months and weeks?

al-Sadeq: Well, I used to have a company and I used to be able to win contracts of outsourcing projects from Europe, UK, USA. Unfortunately, my business stopped with the first wave of sanctions against the regime. Just a minute, okay, he’s in my lap now.

Werman: Okay, great. Amer, did you ever think when you first joined the uprising that it would come to this? That you would have your president saying that country is at war?

al-Sadeq: Well, no, we didn’t think of that. It’s better that he came to this truth eventually. I think it’s better for us than him lying systematically about what’s going on. At least people will know that he’s at war against his own people. At least he’s quite simple and clear about it at this stage. It’s better for us this way.

Werman: Amer al-Sadeq, an activist with the Syrian Revolution Coordinators Union. He’s on the outskirts of Damascus. Amer, thank you very much. Take care of yourself and your children.

al-Sadeq: I will, thank you.

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