The Syrian Regime Is Now Using Starvation Tactics Against The Rebels

Forget Chemical Weapons. Assad Regime Uses Starvation as Tactic Against Rebels -- Aryn Baker, Time

With the threat of using chemical weapons now off the table, the Syrian regime has apparently turned to even more punitive actions to force rebellious citizens into submission: blockade-induced starvation. For months now the government of President Bashar Assad has encircled the rebel-aligned suburbs south and east of the capital Damascus, cutting off road access, telephone connections, water and electricity. But in the wake of the Aug. 21 chemical-weapon attack on the area, which rebels and the West blame on the regime, the government tightened the blockade even further, increasing fears that mass starvation might lead to even more deaths than the estimated 400 to 1,400 victims of the chemical attacks. Already six have died from malnutrition, according to activists, and as winter approaches, conditions are likely to worsen. One rebel brigade has dedicated its forces to breaking the siege in Moadhamiya, a town about 10 km from Damascus that has been under siege for more than six months.

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Update #1: Syrian starvation count rises -- Al Bawaba
Update #2: Mass starvation feared in Syria -- UT San Diego

My Comment: If this report is true .... it is going to be a very rough winter for many of these Syrians this year.