Syrian rebels take airbase in slow progress toward Damascus

[No Elephants]

By Khaled Yacoub Oweis

AMMAN | Sun Nov 25, 2012 10:52am EST

(Reuters) - <snip>

The Marj al-Sultan base, 15 km (10 miles) from the capital, is the second military facility on the outskirts of the city reported to have fallen to Assad's opponents this month.

Activists said rebels had destroyed two helicopters and taken 15 prisoners.

<snip>

The rebels have been firming their hold on farmland and urban centers to the east and northeast of Damascus while a major battle has been underway for a week in the suburb of Daraya near the main highway south.

"We are seeing the starting signs of a rebel siege of Damascus," veteran opposition campaigner Fawaz Tello said from Berlin. "Marj al-Sultan is very near to the Damascus Airport road and to the airport itself. The rebels appear to be heading toward cutting this as well as the main northern artery to Aleppo."

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/11/25/us-syria-crisis-idUSBRE8AJ1FK20121125


I saw a headline a day or two ago that said Assad is still secure. I don't know what to believe.

This has been such a horrible time for the Syrian people. I hope that they get a real democracy soon.

Factoid: Damascus is supposedly the oldest continuously inhabited city in the world that is still inhabited.

[formercia]

1. The old Market in Rawalpindi Pakistan

A Pakistani Major was giving me a tour and told me it had been in continuous operation for over 5000 Years. I wonder how much older Damascus is.

[No Elephants]

2. I am not familiar with the market, so this may be a dumb comment, but

isn't there a difference between a market and a city? Markets can originate in rural areas that evolve into cities.

I just googled Damascus, looked at three hits and got three different answers. One says it dates back to the third millenium B.C., another says the second millenium B.C. and the third said 9000 years old, so it beats me.

Also, I think "continuously inhabited" are very key words because some cities in Iraq were very old, but ceased to be inhabited after a time.

I have to wonder as well, if some cities in China or Korea or elsewhere in the Far East were not as old or older.

But I am not a scholar or a researcher, so I can only repeat what I have read or heard from a source that seems reliable and hope my source got it right.

[formercia]

3. I wasn't questioning your post

just trying to show a Time Scale

The Pindi Market was in the middle of Town, but what was there when it started is a matter of conjecture. The weekly Market is held in a different area where there is more room on the outskirts of Town.

"Markets can originate in rural areas that evolve into cities." Most likely scenario is my guess.

[No Elephants]

4. There would be absolutely nothing wrong if you had questioned my post, formercia.

Challenging my assumptions/knowledge would be a good thing.

Makes me think and maybe research some more, which, IMO, are always good things.

I have no interest in faux "facts."

For example, in googling, I am now seeing sources that say that Damascus is one of the oldest cities in the world. So, maybe the information that I had originally about its being THE oldest continuously inhabited city in the world was not entirely accurate. Now, those two statements are not directly contradictory. Still, I will be more careful in the future about how I word the description.

I know some people, including some who are very close to my heart, do not like being corrected. I love it because I don't want to go through life making the same mistake over and over.

Me, I prefer making new mistakes. ;)

[formercia]

5. If you don't make mistakes

You might not be trying hard enough.

:hi: