15/09/2013 Reporters

cut down on litter. It is time now for

intense diplomacy as the world Welcome to this

intense diplomacy as the world ponders what kind of action to take

this area we will bring you reports and analysis from our correspondence

inside In this week 's programme, the

battle former Lawler. frontline with Syrian government

troops fighting rebels near Damascus. I have been talking to

are local men, some Christians, who are local men, some Christians, who

say they are fighting for the town and what it stood for. As well as

that they are Bashar al—Assad that they are Bashar al—Assad

loyalists. Ian Pannell reports from the opposition stronghold in the

north—west. It is under constant fire from government forces.

Both sides are bracing themselves for what might come from the

international community. They are still fighting each other as hard as

ever. Waiting for a ceasefire, we report

from northern Jordan as it struggles to cope with the continuing influx

of refugees. And divided loyalties, we are steering it ends in the US

weather they back Western weather they back Western

intervention. —— Syrian. Stand—up comedy cup. It is sending the

message that you do not really get a flat on the hand. You get your

weapons taken away from you. weapons taken away from you.

American plans for military action against Syria were put on hold this

week after a Russian diplomatic initiative the Syrians said they

were ready to place their weapons, the chemical weapons under

were ready to place their weapons, international control. The US,

Britain, and France are still want a binding United Nations resolution

rails. But Russia disagrees. As the telling the Syrians to comply or

international community debates its international community debates its

grinds on. I joined Syrian grinds on. I

government troops in Maaloula, a government troops in

town wholly to Christians. They were town wholly to Christians. They

not trying to drive out some of the not trying to drive out some of the

armed rebels. They were armed rebels. They were led by a

militia linked to Al Qaeda. armed rebels. They were led by a

Christian pilgrims used to take this road into Maaloula.

Now it is an empty and lonely drive. The road has been fought over

several times seized Maaloula last week. The

civilians who lived here, half Christian and half Muslim, fled. It

was late afternoon. Since the was late afternoon. Since the

morning the Syrian army had been assaulting the town and had seized

the main square. But the heavy gunfire showed that the rebels were

still fighting back. The commander told me his men were pushing up

towards a rebel stronghold. Among the rebel militias that seized

Maaloula last week was the Northrop front, Jihad is who are allied with

Al Qaeda. Most of the Syrian troops trying to push the Mount Wood

volunteers who had joined a territorial Force called National

Defence. TRANSLATION:. They are a terrorist

group and they are destroying Syria. They are destroying churches and

mosques. Maaloula has some of the oldest

Christian churches in the Middle East. Its people, now in Damascus,

still speak Aramaic, the language they believe was spoken by Christ.

sects in Syria support the regime, sects in Syria support the regime,

or believe it is a better option than 80 harvest rebels and foreign

fighters. They say they are trying to flush out a sniper who is at the

fighting for the town. They are also to some of the soldiers. A lot of

fighting for the town. They are also Bashar al—Assad loyalists and are

treasured by every Christian in the fighting for him. Maaloula is

treasured by every Christian in the Middle East and the rebel advance

here here horrified them. The Syrian army

is well supplied with arms and ammunition by Russia and Iran. Fresh

troops including more volunteers from Christian areas in Damascus got

ready to go into action. The men he said Western countries opposed to

the Assad regime were said Western countries opposed to

the Assad r? I the Assad rthe the Assad regime were backing the

wrong side. And that they should help them fight Jihad is.

TRANSLATION: Tell the EU and the Americans that we send them Saint

Paul 2000 years ago to take you Paul 2000 years ago to take you from

the darkness and YouSendIt the darkness and YouSendIt

terrorists to kill us. terrorists to kill us.

Wounded men were rushed back from the frontline. This is the reality

of the war in Syria. The outside world is worrying about chemical

weapons, but conventional weapons have killed more than 100,000 people

Kilmore every day. —— kill more. As Kilmore every day. —— kill more. As

we left Maaloula jets were looking for more targets. Supporters of

pro—Western arm drag those thought that the Americans might tilt the

war their way by attacking the regime's armed forces. The fact that

the world's most powerful military might

very good news for the Syrian army and its supporters. It is not just

Maaloula where the civil war is still going on. This fighting is

going on in other parts of the journalists operating in the north

Pannell has been among the journalists operating in the north

of Syria. They travel to a place called Taftanaz which is used as a

base by opposition fighters. report contains distressing images.

Syrians live in fear of many things, but it is so—called conventional

weapons, not chemicals, that has killed so many. For the last two

years Taftanaz has been bombed and shelves. Each attack recorded by a

local media activist, Ibrahim. Weaving among the rubble and ruins

he guided us through the devastation inflicted on his village. He films

the fighter jets last year and this is what he says he films a feud Acer

go. Another aerial attack that left 14 dead, many more injured. The

rebels have used Taftanaz as a base. When the government responds

it is usually civilians who died. This was not the worst day Taftanaz

has known, possibly mean —— not the has known, possibly mean —— not the

worst in Syria that day. But the attacks have increased. Ebrahim

suspects it is because of the threat of American air strikes.

TRANSLATION: Before the strike they were jealous with missiles and

artillery. They are all civilians here. It has gotten heavier. The

regime was to prove it is still strong and will not surrender.

This is where one of the bombs landed in the latest attack. Many

families have fled the fighting but came home, thinking it was now safe.

They were wrong. This 14 —month—old child was playing in the house when

the bomb landed. His face is a testament to the random brutality of

the war. His father is angry at what the war. His father is angry at what

he sees as the indifference of the world. If America decides to pause

close to attack it will only make it worse.

silence? Is it because we are more silence? Is it because we

slums? What religion U2 are you Christian, Jewish? —— because we are

more slums. You have seen the destruction. The chemical attacks,

the shelling. What did anyone do? It watching us. Like millions of others

country. His family on the move, country. His family on the move,

desperate for shelter and safety. Few parts of Syria offer that

comfort. Events on the ground have consistently outpaced the

international debate about what to international debate about what to

do and up in the rocky hills of the North the struggle between the army

and the rebels is undiminished. There has been a fairly bitter

fighting going on in this area in the last four or five days. This

region has been contested heavily over the last year and a half. Both

for what might come from the for what might come from the

international community, there is no pause or Lyell and they are fighting

each other as hard as ever. While one side fears the possibility of

air strikes the other sees an air strikes the other sees an

opportunity. Rebels talk of using them to push forward. If it does not

now happen they could feel resentment and marginalise more

moderate groups are ready to engage with the West. The struggle for

control of Syria has left large swathes of land abandoned, roads

impassable. At night of the lights of government—controlled cities in

darkness. Syrians have starkly different views on the future. What

they can agree on is that they can agree on is that the

suffering must end. neighbours are watching closely.

neighbours are watching Many Jordanians believe a strike on

Damascus could make the crisis even worse. But many Syrian refugees in

Jordan hope the west will intervene so that they get a chance to go back

home. It is now 2.5 years since the crisis which became a war started in

Syria and changed the lives of those people who became refugees. Our

reporter is in northern Jordan, where she found a Syrians and

Jordanians brain brands to the wall. Back to school at last. Many of the

Syrian boys, this is a return to routine after more than two years

with no classes. They are now pupils and refugees in Jordan. Lessons

start in the afternoon, after the Jordanian children have gone home.

Syrian students have a lot of catching up to do. They need special

attention from teachers. This boy 's mum walks home. Their family of

eight now lives in this tiny apartment. When they compare it to

their home back in Syria, it is very their home back in Syria, it is very

upsetting. TRANSLATION: Powerhouse that has memories and history. We

built it up over 20 years, then it built it up over 20 years, then it

was all gone in a second. Her was all gone in a second. Her

will only end in the west helps to will only end in the west helps to

get rid of resident Bishara al—Assad. —— basher

get rid of resident Bishara TRANSLATION: He should have been

attacked long ago. If there was attacked long ago. If there was a

strike six months ago, the problem would be solved. Jordanians also

door that has brought more than half door that has brought more than half

a million a million Syrians to live in the

country. In just the past year or so, the area has been transformed.

Because the city is close to the border with Syria, a lot of refugees

three people here is a Syrian. It is three people here is a Syrian. It is

put in this and living costs are rising. Locals

worry the situation could get even worse. The rents, the

will happen if the Americans make a will happen if the Americans make a

strike on Syria? We will have a disaster in Jordan. Can you imagine

if they hit Syria. You will have millions of people coming. The

increasingly crowded streets will see the effects of whatever happens

next in Syria. But even here, there is even disagreement about how the

west should act is even disagreement about how the

After the chemical attack on Damascus on the 21st of August, it

about to intervene in the civil war. about to intervene in the civil war.

All of those plans are on hold at the moment, after the Russians came

Syrian chemical weapons under Syrian chemical weapons under

international control. We international control. We

investigate whether that plan could really work.

The images of that is of the August 21 attack in Damascus are amongst

the most haunting the world is ever likely to see. Each side of the

civil war in Syria blames the other. Samples gathered by the inspection

team that visited the site are being subjected to forensic investigators

reckons the nation. Under reckons the nation. Under the

oversight under the Hague. The proposal to hand over chemical

examinations. And who would handle about

substantial numbers of personnel on the understanding that

guided by the UN in an unpredictable environment. That is hard to judge.

Maybe there will be a kind of crowd contagion effect when more countries

put their hands up to do it. One scientist here in Geneva told us he

thinks the safest way to dismantle the weapons is by putting people

physically on the ground. He told us there may well be clues buried in

the spec 's report about who was responsible for the attacks on

civilians. Though he is still civilians. Though he is still

puzzled. The question is about the amount. That whole thing was all

filled up with agent. Calculations show that could up to —— could be up

to 50 litres of agent. It is not easy to make up that much. This

system has been adapted to fire a system has been adapted to fire a

chemical payload. It is not look like the sort of thing I would

expect in a standard chemical expect in a standard chemical

weapons stockpile. Does that lead you to come down to was down towards

one solar and other can —— one side or another? I am still on the fence.

Once the samples from Syria arrive with the organisation of the

Prohibition of chemical weapons here Prohibition of chemical weapons here

in The Hague, they were split up and sent to several laboratories for the

start of a painstaking process to identify the chemical signature of

any chemicals they might contain. Is the plan to read Syria of chemical

weapons for the future realistic? It is practical of the world wants it

weapons for the future realistic? It to work, but it is dangerous and

difficult. You could get people out political will were found, but the

actual destruction actual destruction of the chemicals

would not be impossible, but it would take months, I would suspect.

And that is if you agree that you have them all. There may be disputes

over the validity of any declaration which

down. If Syria is really prepared, as it has said, to tell the world

where its chemical weapons are and stopped making them, the experts we

have spoken to see the chance to put them beyond use is an opportunity.

But for it to work, dialogue on all sides must be sincere.

Opinion polls suggest that the majority of people in the United

States are against the idea of the Americans intervening in Syria's

civil war. But what about those civil war. But what about those US

citizens who are of Syrian ancestry? Our reporter travelled to a place

known as Little Arabia in California, where a thriving

watching what is happening here very watching what is happening here very

closely. Another sunny day in Anaheim,

Southern California. In a section of the city known as Little Arabia,

home to the growing Middle Eastern population, Syrian Americans are

preoccupied. Over tea in the bakery, I met Muhamed, Cezanne and others.

Their parents fled the regime. We live and breed Syria here. It is all

we talk about. It is all we do. We we talk about. It is all we do.

are at every event and protest. We are at every event and protest. We

are very affected by it. Here, the proposal for Syria to put its

chemical weapons under international control is viewed with scepticism. I

feel it is a copout. It is sending the message that you don't really

your weapons taken away from you. This is an anxious and

than two years, they have watched time for Syrian Americans. For

than two years, they have watched 7.5 thousand —— 7000 500 miles from

here. The divisions are underlined. These men say the Syrian —— these

men say the Syrian rebels are terrorists, trying to overthrow the

legitimate. The Syrian people want to kill the terrorists. If you're

not going to do the right thing and not going to do the right thing and

help Syria fight against these terrorists, you stay out of it. Let

the country 's battle it out. It is a civil war. The mood is very

different at a meeting for the Syrian American Council. This man

lost seven weapons in the —— seven relatives in the suspect chemical

weapons attack, and he feels America is backing away from abstract. If

the strike does not happen, things will be very devastating for the

Syrian people. We are telling the regime that it is okayed to use

chemical weapons and no one will punish you. Whatever happens next,

Syrian Americans are left watching and waiting, gripped by events on

another continent. another continent.

That is all from the special edition of reporters. Goodbye for now.