as rebels behead assad's thugs in front of children, the question_ should we really take sides in...

7/27/2019 As Rebels Behead Assad's Thugs in Front of Children, The Question_ Should We Really Take Sides in Syria's Blood

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Beheaded in front of children, Assad's thugsare dragged to their doom and butchered likeanimals in some of the most brutal scenes toemerge from Syria's civil war By Nick Enoch

PUBLISHED: 18:23 GMT, 13 September 2013 | UPDATED: 19:30 GMT, 13 September 2013

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The sword rests briefly on his neck as a blindfolded man kneels under a clear blue sky.

Moments later, the executioner raises his right arm, slashes downwards and the prisoner is dead.

The whole barbaric episode is watched by a crowd of jeering men, many of them armed.

And sitting on a low wall only a few feet from where the wretched captive died so violently is a line of youngboys.

They were still there as the dead mans head was dumped on his body. Another child, even younger, wasled by the hand past the corpse.

Warning: Graphic content


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As a cheering cr owd of fight ers l ook on, an execut ioner - believed to belong t o the AlQaeda-linked faction ISIS - lines up his sword in a practice run before delivering the final

blow

A Syrian boy is held by the hand as he walks past the body of a beheaded Islamic milit antloyal to Assad. An unnamed photojournalist was given rare access to the public

execution in the tow n of Keferghan in the nort h of the countr y


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A gr oup of young childr en sit on a wall as they s tar e at the dead body

The severed head of a militant is held aloft. The photographer witnessed four publicexecutions on August 31

The public execution was the last of four that took place on August 31 in the town of Keferghan in the northof the country.

The picture forms part of a set taken by a photojournalist - whose identity has not been revealed in order to


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protect him - who was given unprecedented access to the gruesome proceedings.

Among the other photos are an executioner lining up his sword before delivering the final blow as his victimkneels in the village square - and a victim's head being held aloft by a jubilant fighter.

Although it is difficult to confirm the political affiliation of those involved, an eyewitness told Time that theexecutioners belonged to ISIS - an Al-Qaeda faction opposed to President Bashar Assad's regime.

The captives, meanwhile, are understood to belong to the fearsome Shabiha ('ghosts') - thugs loyal to

Assad who are said to roam the country massacring women and children.

The captives are understood to belong to the fearsome Shabiha ('ghosts') - thugs loyal to Assad w ho ar e said t o r oam the country massacring w omen and chi ldren


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Above, a captive pr epares t o meet h is fat e. Descr ibing the scene, the phot ogr apher said:'That scene in Syria, that moment, was like a scene from the Middle Ages, the kind of

thing you r ead about in history books'

Below is an edited account of the photographer's harrowing experience:

'The man w as brought in to the square. His eyes w ere blindfolded. I began shooting pictures, oneafter the other. It was to be the fourth execution that day I w ould photograph. I was feeling aw ful;several times I had been on the verge of throw ing up.

But I kept it under control because as a journalist I knew I had to document this, as I had the threeprevious beheadings I had photographed that day, in three other locations outside Aleppo.

The crow d began cheering. Everyone was happy. I knew that if I tried to intervene I w ould be takenaway, and that the executions w ould go ahead. I knew that I wouldnt be able to change what w ashappening and I might put myself in danger.

I saw a scene of utter cruelty: a human being treated in a way that no human being should ever betreated. But it seems to me that in tw o and a half years, the war has degraded peoples humanity. Onthis day the people at the execution had no control over their feelings, their desires, their anger. Itw as impossible to stop them.


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A member o f the notor ious Shabiha is held by t he scr uff o f his neck as he is led to hisdoom

The pictures emerged as the organisation Human Rights Watch released a video andreport into br utal summary executions carr ied out by t he other side - Syrian government

forces


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The executions took place near Syria's largest city, Aleppo, which has seen intensefighting between the rebels and Assad's forces

I dont know how old the victim w as but he was young. He w as forced to his knees. The rebelsaround him read out his crimes from a sheet of paper. They stood around him. The young man wason his knees on the ground, his hands tied. He seemed frozen.

Two rebels w hispered something into his ear and the young man replied in an innocent and sadmanner, but I couldnt understand what he said because I dont speak Arabic.

At the moment of execution the rebels grasped his throat. The young man put up a st ruggle. Threeor four rebels pinned him down. The man tried to protect his throat w ith his hands, which w ere stilltied together.

He tried to resist but they were stronger than he was and they cut his throat. They raised his headinto the air. People waved their guns and cheered. Everyone was happy that the execution had goneahead.

That scene in Syria, that moment, was like a scene from the Middle Ages, the kind of thing you read

about in history books. The w ar in Syria has reached the point w here a person can be mercilesslykilled in front of hundreds of people who enjoy the spectacle.

As a human being I would nev er have wished to see w hat I saw . But as a journalist I have a cameraand a responsibility. I have a responsibility to share what I saw that day. Thats w hy I am making thisstatement and thats w hy I took the photographs. I will close this chapter soon and try never toremember it.'


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'The war in Syria has reached the point where a person can be mercilessly killed in frontof hundr eds of people - who enjoy the spectacle,' said t he photographer

The pictur e forms part of a set t aken by t he photojournalist, whose identity has not beenrevealed in order to pr otect him


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Wearing a bloodied blindfold, one of the captives kneels before his executioners

The dreadful pictures emerged as the organisation Human Rights Watch released a video and report intobrutal summary executions carried out by the other side - Syrian government forces.

They massacred at least 248 innocent people in the towns of al-Bayda and Baniyas in May this year, thereport said.

The executions - which included at least 37 women and children - came after military clashes had ended andopposition fighters had retreated.

People were rounded up and shot at close range in an apparent attempt to teach a lesson to the townsfolknot to side with the rebels.

The United States and Russia undertook a second day of talks in Geneva yesterday to try and achieve adiplomatic solution to the brutal conflict and get Syria to hand over its chemical weapons.


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Syrian government forces massacred at least 248 innocent people in the towns of al-Bayda and Baniyas in May this year. Above, a rebel fighter

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Comment s (657)

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Cameron and Haig are so naive i t's untrue.

- jimlad77 , Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, 14/9/2013 03:08

Click to rate Rating 263

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The Syrians have been at war since Biblical times, not much encouragement for hopes of Peace.

- daveandling , london, United Kingdom, 14/9/2013 03:08


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The rebels are the terrorists, they have also beheaded a child (time released photos) but the media won't cover that.

- dude219 , Utah, United States, 14/9/2013 03:08


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You describe the victims as thugs and their murderers as fighters. Shame on you.

- Hrothgar , Surrey, United Kingdom, 14/9/2013 03:04


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JESUS WENT THROUGH THE SAME EXECUTION N HUMILIATION IF NOT WORSE AND SAID FORGIVE THEM FATHER ASTHEY DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY ARE DOING

- Zaki , Edgware, United Kingdom, 14/9/2013 03:02


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Just let both sides get on with it. It is no concern of ours whatever each side does. One thing is certain, there will never be ademocracy such as we know in these types of countries so just forget it.

- royporter , Jomtien Thai and Woodford Grn, 14/9/2013 03:00


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Hell on earth......

- mcd , Perth, Australia, 14/9/2013 02:59


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It's a shame after spending billions of pounds and losing hundreds of life, we are now about to help the Al Qaeda who we havebeen fighting for last 10 years.

- yakub30585 , London, United Kingdom, 14/9/2013 02:59


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Heart eating Syrian rebel- A thousand thanks to USA, Britain, France, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Turkey for supporting the rebels.Now, if only Murica could become our air force and make things way easier us. (sarcasm)

- silicone_gel , san francisco, United States, 14/9/2013 02:57


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Even the great Salahuddin Ayyubi (Saladin), DID NOT EVER TREAT PRISONORS OF WAR IN THIS WAY.

- ineedabailout , londonpavedwithgold, 14/9/2013 02:55



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as rebels behead assad's thugs in front of children, the question_ should we really take sides in...

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