Gangs of young men, some armed with swords and hunting rifles, were reported to be roaming the streets of Latakia, Syria on Sunday. After security forces killed anywhere from 50-100 demonstrators with demonstrations beginning in Daraa, Syria; anarchy is rising. Roaming gangs in Latakia closed alleys with barricades and roughly interrogated passersby in streets.
The worst violence apparently occurred in Latakia, a coastal city that is a mix of Sunnis living in the urban center, and members of Assad’s minority Alawite branch of Shiite Islam, along with small minorities of Christians, ethnic Turks and other groups, are located in villages on Latakia’s outskirts.
Tens of thousands of mostly peaceful demonstrators streamed into central London on Saturday to march against government budget cuts. Video shows a small breakaway group smashing its way into a bank, breaking windows and spray painting logos on the walls.
At least thirteen shops on Oxford Street were closed as anarchists and police were involved in struggles. A masked mob surrounded and beat about 12 police officers near Sackville Street and Piccadilly. Thirteen police officers were reported injured overall.
Police report 211 people were arrested for offenses ranging from disorderly conduct to criminal damage to aggravated trespass and violent disorder equipped with the intent to cause criminal damage.
Late afternoon police were focusing on the area of Fortnum and Mason where organized anti-tax evasion activists, known as UK Uncut, had gathered.
Palestinian Hamas increased missile offensive on Israeli cities. On Thursday, March 24, heavy Grad missiles hit Ashdod and Ofakim.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who met with U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates, said Israel is ready to use “great force” in retaliation for rocket fire from the Gaza Strip and a bombing at a bus station in Jerusalem.
More than two dozen people have been injured in a bomb explosion at a crowded bus stop in central Jerusalem. It appears to be the first militant attack in the city in several years.
A powerful bomb left inside a bag at bus stop outside Jerusalem’s Central Bus Station exploded Wednesday, killing one woman and wounding at least 25 people, several with life-threatening injuries.
The last bombing in Jerusalem involved a suicide bomber in 2004.
VIDEO: Six ready-to-launch C-704 missiles, two missile launchers, computerized command and control equipment and two external radar systems were discovered on the cargo ship ‘Victoria’.
The IDF Navy uncovered weaponry on-board the cargo ship “Victoria” on March 14, 2011. Weaponry intended for the use of terrorist organizations operating in the Gaza Strip was aboard the ship that had come from Lattakia, Syria and made a quick stop in Turkey before its final destination to Egypt. According to assessments, the weapons were intended to be smuggled through Egypt into the Gaza Strip. Turkey and Egypt are not believed to be involved with the weapons smuggling.
Two crew members of an F-15E fighter jet both ejected, suffering minor injuries after their warplane crash landed in a Libyan field near Benghazi.
One crew member was immediately picked up by a US military helicopter. The other is said to be “safe” after being rescued by Libyan rebels, and waiting to be picked up by the U.S. military
Khamis Gadhafi is reported to have been killed Saturday — but possibly as early as Tuesday, March 15 — by a traitor (hero/martyr) Libyan air force pilot who nose-dived his fighter jet into the Gaddafi’s Bab al-Aziziya compound. The pilot was reported to have been dispatched to a bombing run in the eastern part of Libya where rebels are fighting. Instead the pilot turned around and deliberately crashed his jet into the Gaddafi family compound.
French fighter jets were first on the scene firing the first shots at Moammar Gadhafi’s troops on Saturday. The assault to support rebels is the broadest international military effort since the Iraq war, hopefully not to late for the Libyan uprising that had seemed on the verge of defeat. French warplanes destroyed several Libyan military vehicles and tanks.
“We have every reason to fear that left unchecked, Gadhafi would commit unspeakable atrocities.” – Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in Paris
Later Saturday about 2 PM ET, the United States fired at least 112 Tomahawk cruise missiles at more than 20 targets inside Libya. A British submarine also launched missiles. The attack targeted Libyan air defense missile sites.
Libyan rebels shot down a warplane that was bombing their eastern stronghold Benghazi on Saturday, as the opposition accused Moammar Gadhafi’s government of defying calls for an immediate cease-fire.
Two views of Libyan pro-Gadhafi fighter jet shot down and crashing to the ground after apparently being struck by rebel gunfire.
The incident was followed by celebration in the streets with vehicles honking and rebels shooting into the air.
UN Security Council passed a resolution Thursday night, March 17, 2011 that approved not only a no-fly zone for Libya but also “all necessary measures to protect civilians and civilian-populated areas under threat of attack”.
The vote was carried by carried by 10 votes with five nations abstaining: Russia, China, Brazil, India and Germany.
US, British, French, UAE and Qatar air forces were on standby.
In Tunis, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton explained that a UN no-fly zone over Libya “would require the bombing of targets to take out the threat posed by Muammar Qaddafi’s regime.”
She spoke after Cairo rejected Washington’s request for the use of Egyptian air bases to enforce the no fly zone against Libya and from which to launch US air attacks on Qaddafi’s army.
