Hands Off Syria protesters at Martin Place, Sydney - Photographer: Tim Anderson
Unconfirmed reports emerged on Wednesday, of a second US-led coalition bombing which occurred in the village of Thelthanh, Syria in the al-Bab region, located 50km north of Aleppo city. This international air-raid, once again, transpired outside of the United Nations (UN) Security Council jurisdiction.
According to local and media sources, the heavy air-raids resulted in the deaths of 20 Syrian civilians, including 3 children. The death toll is expected to rise with 40 others injured and in critical condition.
Notable damages to tens of houses in the village were also inflicted due to the air-raid. Thelthanh had received dozens of families who had fled into the northern countryside of Aleppo to escape the crimes of Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL) jihadists.
Sydney University Professor, Tim Anderson, was unsure whether the civilians of Thelthanh were targeted or if the attack was accidental. However "as the US is in Syria illegally, any killing makes it a murder. There is no question of ‘accidental’ excuses when the state has no right to be there in the first place."
Just two weeks ago, on Saturday 24th of September, over 200 Hands Off Syria Sydney protesters convened outside the MLC Centre at Martin Place, Sydney, to condemn and rally against Australia’s involvement in the massacre of 62 Syrian Arab Army (SAA) soldiers and the wounding of 100 more, in Deir Ezzor, Syria on September 17.
Between 1:30 – 5pm, protesters demanded the Australian government remove itself from the alliance of nations who are illegally waging the current proxy-war against the Syrian government, re-establish diplomatic relations with the Syrian government; and lift the economic sanctions on Syria.
The night before Jemma Nott, Jay Tharappel and Steve Ezzeddine orchestrated a light projection onto the Channel 7 building to protest the U.S led bombings. According to Nott, the activists chose to project onto the Channel 7 building to highlight how mainstream media attempts to demonize the Syrian government, via misreporting the events in Syria, "in order to create a pretext for regime-change in the country".
"We believe that Channel 7 are responsible for actively spreading the propaganda and our projection was an attempt to show Channel 7 what they should be reporting," Nott added.
Light projection on Channel 7 building - Video: Steve Ezzeddine
On Sunday September 25, Australian Prime-Minister Malcolm Turnbull acknowledged that Australian aircraft, among with other international aircraft involved in the US-led bombing raid, were complicit in the deaths of the 62 SAA soldiers.
Both U.S and Australian governments claimed the attack was accidental, and the SAA soldiers were apparently mistaken IS jihadists. According to U.S Central Command, the airstrikes were stopped “when coalition officials were informed by Russian officials that it was possible the personnel and vehicles targeted were part of the Syrian military”.
However, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad claimed the airstrikes were intentional as four aircraft continued to attack the SAA, who were guarding a military fortification that was being used as a base to repel IS jihadists, for a little over an hour.
According to Assad, “the IS troops attacked at the very same time as the American strike. How could they know that America was going to attack that position in order to gather their militants right away and attack it one hour after the strike? It was definitely intentional and not unintentional.”
Russia has alleged the U.S is in collaboration with terrorist groups, with Sergei Lavrov calling for the United Nations Security Council to conduct a “full, impartial investigation.” Russia also accused the U.S led coalition of assisting ISIS and jeopardizing the Syrian cease-fire.
