theweekmagazine: Just when it seemed matters couldn’t get any…
Arab Spring, Foreign Policy, Syria, Syrian Uprising
Just when it seemed matters couldn’t get any worse in Syria, Monday happened. President Bashar al-Assad pushed through a referendum (denounced as “a farce” by Western leaders) allowing him to stay in power until 2028. And Mother Jones uncovered an encyclopedia-sized document containing details on where to find thousands of government opponents. Meanwhile, violence raged throughout the country, as Assad continues to mercilessly kill anyone demanding change. Here, a by-the numbers look at the bleeding:
9,000 — Citizens killed by Assad’s forces over the past year, according to opposition groups
144 — People killed by government forces on Sunday and Monday, according to opposition groups
718 — Pages of names on an apparent government “hit list” detailing the whereabouts, activities, and personal details of thousands of targeted dissidents, according to Mother Jones
186,000 — Average tweets per hour about Egypt’s uprising in January 2011, according to Slate
3,000 to 6,000 — Average tweets per hour about the Syrian uprising in February 2012
