Word: hama
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Israel's inquiry has, thankfully, ended. Yet countless more remain: -- Where is the Syrian inquiry into last year's slaughter of 10,000 of her own people in the fifth largest city. Hama? -- Where is the Jordanian investigation of the September 1970 Black September Massacre of 10,000 Palestinians? --Where is the Somalian account of the October 21 massacre of 500 in the Ogaden region of Ethiopia...
...loudest voices was that of the Syrian government, which has the unique distinction of being the only regime in recent history to level its fifth largest city (Hama)--mosques and all--and in the process massacre thousands of its civilian inhabitants...
...weeks, stories had reported that the ancient Syrian city of Hama had been severely damaged last month in a showdown between the radical Muslim Brotherhood and government troops loyal to President Hafez Assad. But the international press was never allowed near the city to view the destruction. Now, in these exclusive photographs obtained by TIME, the dimensions of the devastation are documented for the first time. Some areas, notably the old quarter and the Grand Mosque of Hama, were completely obliterated. High-rise apartment complexes were pocked with gaping holes, convincing evidence of the heavy weaponry employed to put down...
...Hama is well known as a bastion of the Muslim Brotherhood, a militant Islamic organization that is dedicated to overthrowing Assad. Still, the government was hardly prepared for the ferocious rebellion that was touched off when security forces swept through the city looking for rebel hideouts. Brotherhood leaders suddenly decided to settle old scores with the ruling Baath Party, killing a number of party officials. Then they used the loudspeakers atop the city's minarets to call for an insurrection...
...army responded with tanks, heavy artillery, infantry and commandos who were helicoptered into the city. Diplomatic sources estimated casualties to be in the thousands. Deeply troubled by the events, Assad's regime has even charged that the rebels were aided by Jordan and the U.S. Hama, meanwhile, remained under virtual military occupation last week, closed off to the outside world...