Het is lente en de temperaturen kunnen flink schommelen. Maar aan de amandelbomen bloeit de tere bloesem op de kale takken. Er wordt goed voor de bomen gezorgd en ieder jaar worden de takken bijgepunt. Aan de overkant van de drukke hoofdweg tussen Homs en Palmyra staan bloeiende amandelbomen en kale vijgenbomen door elkaar. Op de voorgrond slingeren twee dikke, oude wijnranken zich omhoog naar het dak. Pas later zullen er bladeren en druiven aan komen.
The situation in Syria is now approaching a point of no return in terms of the size of the demonstrations and the incapacity of the regime to make real changes that would slow the opposition’s momentum. This will be the most decisive week in determining where the uprising is headed. The attempted takeover of the central square by thousands of demonstrators in Homs on Monday showed that the level of confidence of the protesters is rising very quickly. Washington has generally responded cautiously to the uprising. Opposition representatives who have met with US officials have expressed disappointment with Obama's caution. Backed by neo-conservative hawks who have long sought regime change in Damascus, they have urged the administration to follow the same path it trod in isolating Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, beginning with a UN resolution referring Assad to the International Criminal Court and investigate alleged abuses by his security forces.
BeantwoordenVerwijderen(bron: Al Jazeera)