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Haleb Diary: Abdo, Yousef and the Armenians

By Vahakn Keshishian

Abdo lives in the Skkari district. The name of this street has been in the news of late. It’s a street that no one outside the area had ever heard of before recent events exploded in Syria.

Skkari seems to be the next target of the opposition armed forces after retreating from some areas they had controlled in Haleb of late. They need a new base from which to launch their attacks against government forces.

Abdo rushes back home to his eight member family. He’s heard that the Syrian Army is about to enter Skkari. It’s a news blackout in Haleb. Nobody really knows for sure where the official army is or the “Free Syrian Army”

Their locations are all based on where the shooting is coming from and the white plumes of bomb blasts. So, according to were the shots are coming from and the bomb blast echoes, you either flee your house or run back to it.

This morning there was news that the official army had recaptured the Aleppo Citadel after days of heavy shelling. (It is considered to be one of the oldest and largest castles in the world. Usage of the Citadel hill dates back at least to the middle of the 3rd millennium BC). Located    smack dab in the center, the fortress remains the most strategic position overlooking the entire city and is ideal for artillery shelling.

 From the fort General Soubhi speaks to the    the losses   inflicted on the “terrorists” and that they have regained control of the city. But it doesn’t talk about the outlying districts. All Haleb residents know that these areas are being controlled by opposition groups who, despite being splintered, are united in their anti-official army stance.

In fact the “Free Syrian Army” is a catch all phrase under which a number of disparate groups operate; for example, Islam Victory and the Union of the Devotees.

Some of these groups have international links and, in addition to weapons, also receive their manpower from the outside. Others are purely local groups that have been set-up to defend this or that village.

Naturally, in those areas where such local groups operate and enjoy the support of the local residents, no missile or helicopter gunship can break the ranks of the opposition.

The opposite picture operates in areas where the weapons come from the outside and foreign interests are at play. There, the regime can let loose with firepower on towns and villages alike.

Abdo’s family decides to leave Skkari for a village on the outskirts of Haleb. The grandfather has been trying to convince the family to relocate for a month now. They hesitated since the family is so large and tried to tough it out in Skkari. Today, they decided to leave. The sound of the bombs and bullets had become so intense that it was impossible to stay.

Yousef works in Der Zor at a bakery. He’s not from the city proper and belongs to a large clan. Most of the family live in the villages. It’s located some 25 kilometres from Haleb and has a population of 5,000. About 100 are armed and they take their orders from the village elder who lives some 50 kilometres to the southeast, towards the Iraqi border.

The armed villagers don’t get involved in the larger political game. One of them, who related all this to Yousef, said that he had been made an offer to fight in Haleb for money but that he had refused since the village head forbade it.

Abdo from Haleb and Yousef from Der Zor both know about the Armenians. Abdo says the Armenians aren’t deeply connected to what’s going on and that they can easily leave the country if warranted.

I should note here that a few weeks ago a bus headed for Armenia was stopped by some armed militant a few kilometres from the Turkish border. The militants entered the bus and seeing there were Armenians on board on the way to Armenia, they let it continue on.

However, after getting off the bus, one of the militants remarked – “fleeing is being half a man”

So what should the Armenians do? Stay or flee? Flee to Armenia, Lebanon?

If they stay in Haleb should they arm themselves? What’s the “manly” thing to do?

While some Armenian leaders have more or less made up their minds some are opposed to Armenians leaving Haleb while others are more interested in exploiting the situation for political gain.

Nonetheless, the Middle East is too small of a place to hide from one another. Who should go where?

Yousef says he has many Armenian friends and confesses that before graduating from school he hadn’t heard of Armenians. Gradually, he learnt that they are Christians and had gone been subjected to genocide.

But Yousef still wasn't sure about their political leanings. “Are the Armenians with Bashar or against him, he asked.

Comments (3)

ghitiya ghrériani
Either you are Syrian or something else (Armenian)
Samer
that they were subjected to genocide means that they should flee? and for the guy who refused to fight for money just because the village head said no???? was he serious or something? and what was the alternative for not fighting .. what did the chief offer in return? does this seem like nonsensical!
Edgar
It is good to know how thinking another nations living in Syria. This is more than information, thank you.

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