"God Is Great!"

"The medics say they are removing people in parts; they aren't sure how many there are."
Hassoun Abu Paisal Aleppo Media Center

Syrians stand near the bodies of people who were killed from a Syrian government airstrike outside a field hospital in Aleppo, Syria, Dec. 15, 2013. (photo credit: AP/Aleppo Media Center, AMC)

Barrel bombs are the latest weapons of choice of the Syrian military. Chemical weapons are so last year. The stealth effects of deadly poisonous chemicals had its day. Those night-time attacks were hugely successful; over one thousand victims in fairly short order. But those were a 'red line' resort to mass murder, not condoned by squeamish Westerners who don't mind as much a steady erosion of life numbering over 120,000 as long as traditional means are used.

Kalashnikovs are traditional, scimitars are traditional and thus conventional. The former is capable of expediting large numbers to perdition, the latter somewhat more cumbersome in effect; gruesome but effective as far as inducing terror. Seems it was time for a change other than merely strafing from helicopter gunships or lobbing conventional artillery on civilian sites. Which happen to harbour rebel factions, not necessarily by choice but by fate, and oh well they make good targets.

So barrel bombs are now the persuasive elements of choice. Not very sophisticated but quite effective, so who needs sophisticated? Filled with explosives and fuel, those barrel bombs cause satisfactory amounts of impact damage. And if they're aimed at schools or medical facilities or markets for example, maximum impact can be readily achieved. Increasing both the numbers of dead and the numbers of refugees, both regime goals.

North of Aleppo a barrel bomb in the town of Marea exploded close to a school used by Syrian refugees as shelter. In any event, schools located in opposition-held parts of Aleppo thought it a fairly good idea to close as a measure to avoid increasing casualties, according to the Aleppo Media Center. Ask Syrian officials about the air raids in Aleppo, a major war front since the 2012 offensive and the response will be 'no comment'.

The city's hospitals, however, have been overwhelmed by the hundreds killed and far larger numbers critically wounded in the timed attacks past their eighth consecutive day. Residential buildings have been smashed, a constant for Syria in any event. A month hence planned peace talks in Geneva may see a strengthened negotiator in President Assad, if his forces succeed in driving the rebels from his country's largest city.

Bombs in Masaken Hanano, rebel-held territory within Aleppo, fell on a second-hand market, a main road and a two-story building. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights stated that at least 47 people were killed, including seven rebels. Which means, needless to say, that for every 7 rebels the regime manages to expunge from competition, 40 civilians are sacrificed. Little matter; they're mostly Sunni.

Government helicopters busy dropping barrel bombs to explode in residential areas. Crowds scramble among the rubble of the crater left in the market by the bomb that fell there, shouting "God is Great!", as corpses are uncovered. "God is Greatest!", when attacks are mounted, and "God is Great", when rescuers attempt to discover the whereabouts of bits of human flesh attached to flayed corpses.

Reuters -- Saad AboBrahim