Each week, HuffPost World will provide the top stories out of Syria and a recap of events in the country's year-long uprising, as President Bashar Assad’s regime continues its bloody crackdown.
April 7 - April 13 In Review
- Tens of thousands of protesters flooded the streets on Friday in the first major test of Assad's ceasefire promise. Syrian forces largely halted violence on Thursday, but activists say security forces killed at least 6 people on Friday and failed to withdraw from major city centers as the UN-brokered peace deal stipulates.
- Also on Friday, the UN Security Council debated a resolution to send a UN observer team to monitor the ceasefire.
- U.S. senators John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Joseph Lieberman (I-Conn.) visited the Syrian opposition in Turkey. Both senators called on the international community to arm Syrian opposition fighters and help set up zones within Syria where fighters can receive military training.
- In a new report, Human Rights Watch accused Syrian security forces of executing over 100 civilians and wounded or captured opposition fighters in the governorates of Idlib and Homs.
- On Monday, Syrian forces fired into a refugee camp across the Turkish border, wounding at least five people.
Media Not To Miss
The Global Mail -- 'Syria's Propaganda War'
Middle East correspondent Jess Hill reflects on the limits of reporting on Syria. As the regime bars journalists from entering many parts of the country, reporters depend heavily on opposition activists for information. However, Hill notes that this makes it difficult for journalists to separate truth from rumor.
"Every time I report on Syria (from outside; I have not reported from inside the country), I'm always nervous that what I write later will turn out to be untrue. This uncertainty has weighed heavily on my mind for several months, and I've discussed it with several correspondents. Almost all of them agree: it's becoming harder to know who and what to believe."
Read the full article on The Global Mail.
Associated Press -- Photos Purporting To Show Protests Across Syria
This image made from amateur video and released by Douma Revolution in Syria on Friday, April 13, 2012, purports to show a large anti-government demonstration in Douma, Syria. (AP Photo/Douma Revolotion in Syria via AP video)
This image made from amateur video released by the Ugarit News and accessed Thursday, April 12, 2012, purports to show Syrians holding Syrian revolutionary flags during a demonstration in Deir el-Zour, Syria. (AP Photo/Ugarit News via AP video)
This image made from amateur video released by the Shaam News Network and accessed Thursday, April 12, 2012, purports to show Syrians chanting slogans during a demonstration in Idlib, Syria. (AP Photo/Shaam News Network via AP video)
BBC -- 'Refugees Hope For Syria Peace'
In the video below, the BBC looks at cross-border violence and a processing camp for refugees from Syria. The clip includes an interview with a Free Syrian Army member ahead of the deadline for Kofi Annan's six-point plan.