"Enemy of Humanity"

It's mind-boggling how infused Syrians are with the determination to remove the current regime from power, given the lethal blow-back from President Bashar al-Assad's security forces.  The presence of UN observers does not appear to have represented much of a deterrent to the regime, in responding to the passion of the protests.

Funerals for those killed by Bashar al-Assad's death machinery represent simply additional opportunities for the regime's forces to fire on people assembling to mourn the dead, or those exiting from mosques.  "Thousands of people demonstrated in various districts (of Aleppo) despite the repression.  These are the most important events in Aleppo since the beginning of the revolt", claimed Rami Abdul Rahman, of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, from Beirut.

And another suicide bomb attack was foiled in Aleppo, following directly on the twin bombings in Damascus that killed 55 and wounded almost 400.  "Very alarmingly and surprisingly, a few days ago, there was a huge serious massive terrorist attack.  I believe that there must be al-Qaeda behind it", stated UN chief Ban Ki-Moon.

In stating that, he was repeating in part the conclusion that both the United States and Russia have also reached.  Ironically enough, it's the very accusation repeatedly stated by Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, since the initiation of the revolt calling for his regime to be destroyed. 

"The Damascus attacks were clearly carried out by a group with organization and intent.  Some of the attacks we have seen clearly bear some of the terrorist hallmarks with which we are familiar from elsewhere", explained Martin Nesiry, a spokesman for Ban Ki-Moon.

Damascus, eastern Deir Ezzor, northeastern Hasaka, Homs, in central Syria, and north-western Idlib all saw massive demonstrations as tens of thousands of people rallied in the largest demonstrations to take place since the violated April ceasefire.  "We want freedom, whether you like it or not, Bashar, enemy of humanity", chanted protesters in Deir Ezzor.

UN military observers now number 250 across the country.  But despite their presence in Aleppo, students in that northern city, demonstrating in numbers there as well, were faced with brutal repression by the regime's security forces.

"The ongoing, appalling violence perpetrated by the Assad regime against the people of Syria compels Canada to further isolate the regime and its backers", announced Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird, as Canada tightened its sanctions on Syria.