Assad's forces are hammering Homs:
Syrian troops launched a ground attack in Homs on Wednesday in an apparent attempt to overrun the rebel-held Baba Amro neighborhood that has endured 25 days of siege and fierce bombardment, opposition sources said.
Strategypage mentioned that troops included the loyal 4th Division of the army, which means that Homs is a priority target.
Syria's rebels are pretty much on their own, outnumbered even by the loyal elements of the desertion-plagued and largely ineffective army. They may get moral support from seeing international conferences about their fate, but that only goes so far in day 25 of a siege by guys with more and bigger guns.
Couldn't we do something to encourage the rebels in a concrete manner even if we won't send in weapons?
Homs is under siege and other places will be, too. Would it be possible to rig up our GPS-guided parachute systems for long distance drops released from neighboring countries?
I know the payload couldn't be much, but is there something that could be delivered that would help despite the low tonnage? Maybe radios or satellite phones plus batteries and battery rechargers? These would allow video to be taken and gotten out, and allow rebels to communicate with each other. Maybe civilian-grade night-vision equipment? Are there any medical supplies that are crucial even in small quantities? I suppose sending in even a small amount of Russian-designed anti-tank rockets might induce some real caution by Syrian armored vehicle commanders driving into cities, but I assume any weapons are right out.
I know we couldn't send much aid. I don't even know if we can manage to hit even a city-sized target from many tens of kilometers away. But the rebels sure could use signs that they aren't forgotten and alone.
UPDATE: And believe me, being isolated with little hope that allies are with you is something I know. I just heard that in the day before our primary election yesterday that people in Michigan were deluged with robo-calls from Romney and Santorum. I didn't get a single one here in Ann Arbor. Apparently, the entire area code has been written off.
Well ... Nuts!
