FWIW - note in the clear as mud scenario of what's going on in Syria , much information can't be confirmed - so this is clearly to be taken with grains of salt and understanding agendas are at work ( at the end of the day , everyone has an agenda , right ) various rumors that either Bashar Assad and / or his brother Maher Assad may have been injured in today's bombings - as funerals for most if not all of the dead officials and Assad's brother in law are set for Friday . Bashar and his brother will be expected to present themselves by then , or else the rumors they have been injured ( or perhaps killed ) will grow even larger

http://beforeitsnews.com/story/2405/488/Syria_Watch:_The_Fall_Of_Assad_-_Live_Blog.html?currentSplittedPage=2

Bombing that killed the officials listed above:

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/07/18/us-syria-crisis-idUSBRE8610SH20120718

(Reuters) - Mystery surrounded the whereabouts of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on Thursday, a day after a bomber killed and wounded his security chiefs and rebels closed in on the centre of Damascus, vowing to "liberate" the capital.

The Syrian leader made no public appearance and no statement on Wednesday after a bomber killed his powerful brother-in-law, his defense minister and a top general.

*  *  * 

and....

http://www.terrorismwatch.org/2012/07/syrian-defence-minister-killed-in.html

14.55 Sources in Damascus are claiming that Maher al-Assad, the President's younger brother and the commander of the Army's elite Fourth Armoured Division, has also been injured. Ruth Sherlock reports:

FSA groups inside Damascus say they have received confirmation that Maher al-Assad was wounded in the bombing on the National Security building. They said they received 'sure' information from a mole inside that he was wounded and that he is most likely being treated by his personal medical team at the Presidential palace or in a secret location. 

^{Maher al-Assad is in charge of the elite unit tasked with protecting Damascus}
14.45 TheFree Syrian Army is livestreaming from an unknown Damascus suburb, in a brazen signal of defiance. There are reports of pro-government militias being deployed to drive them out. 

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/07/18/1111464/-BREAKING-Is-Assad-dead-or-dying

WED JUL 18, 2012 AT 02:28 PM PDT

BREAKING: Is Syria's Bashar al-Assad dead or dying?

byClay ClaiborneFollow

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Frankly, this question has been in the back of my mind ever since I first reported on the Damascus blast this morning. It grew as I traveled across town to get a hair cut.  I can't shake this feeling: Assad is dead! Why have we not seen Bashar al-Assad since the explosion? AFAIK he hasn't made an appearance.

And that's what I would do if I were him and I could. A strong statement from an angry Assad would do more to booster his side and intimidate the opposition than a hundred SANA press releases, so why not?

Now I am seeing these on my twiiter feeds, so I am starting a new diary to address this very current question as well as other breaking developments in the Syrian Revolution.

Sara Assaf@SaraAssaf

Future TV: Maher #Assad was in the meeting & is in a critical condition now. Russian doctors r trying to save his life in Muhajreen palace.

18 Jul 12

Sara Assaf@SaraAssaf

Btw, official funerals for #AssefShawkat & the ministers are imminent by Friday max & #Assad will have 2 show up quickly. If he doesn't..

18 Jul 12


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Brown Moses@Brown_Moses

So has #Assad gone shy all of a sudden? Doesn't he think this would be the ideal time to dispel the rumours of his injuries?#syria

18 Jul 12


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Alexblx@Alexblx

"@Alexblx BREAKING INFO from within INNER CIRCLE that#Bashar #Assad is in fact WOUNDED & has been transferred to#Lattakia" from @jahbalon

18 Jul 12


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Alexblx@Alexblx

"#Maher #Assad is DEAD: "dead Dead dead dead dead!!!!!!!!!" urani@alharriri #Syria




On background for those that are new to this story, here is the latest NY Times piece:

Blast Kills Core Syrian Security Officials
By NEIL MacFARQUHAR and DALAL MAWAD


BEIRUT, Lebanon — A lethal bomb attack in Damascus struck at the heart of President Bashar al-Assad’s inner circle Wednesday, killing at least three of his most senior aides, including his minister of defense and brother-in-law, in the most audacious challenge to the government’s grip on power since the Syria uprising began 17 months ago.  continues...




FromEAWorldView on Syria today we have:

Syria (and Beyond) Live Coverage: UN Talks, Damascus Fights
See also Syria Audio Special: The Importance of the Damascus Bomb --- Scott Lucas with Monocle 24


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1958 GMT: Syria. Defections have been occurring at a faster and faster pace, but today there were reports that a relative trickle, perhaps a hundred to a few hundred soldiers every week, may have finally reached flood-stage, with unconfirmed reports that hundreds of fighters jumped ship.

There are reports that a single new brigade of Free Syrian Army soldiers, the "Unification Brigade" claiming to be made up of soldiers from many different backgrounds, contained more than 100 soldiers, all of whom appear to be heavily armed, and that those soldiers are also equipped with multiple vehicles armed with heavy machine guns and anti-aircraft weapons.

and

Sami al-Hamwi@HamaEcho

Massive Brigade of the FSA formed in #Aleppo - "Unification Brigade" - youtube.com/watch?v=AGIky5… #Syria

18 Jul 12

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1938 GMT: Syria. EA's editor, Scott Lucas, spoke with Monacle 24 radio earlier today about the situation in Syria. His take-away - the bombing in the capital was as much a blow to the people's confidence in the regime as it was to the regime's leadership.

See also Syria Audio Special: The Importance of the Damascus Bomb --- Scott Lucas with Monocle 24

That sentiment is echoed by Dutch journalist Sander Van Hoorn, who spoke to The Guardian from Damascus and concluded that today's events have been a major blow to morale in the center of the capital:

Only yesterday people in the centre of Damascus felt that events were happening far away from them. Yes, the outskirts were scenes of fighting, they knew that, but for something like this to happen in downtown Damascus…

People are nervous. You can tell. They are constantly checking their phones, calling others to check: how are you, where are you, what are you doing, what rumours are you picking up?

So far people in downtown Damascus believed themselves to be safe. When you heard an explosion, you know it had to be in the outskirts of the city, as that was where all the fighting was taking place. After what happened today, if you hear an explosion, you see people walking outside to check. They realize that now, it could be very close.

1920 GMT: Syria One of our contacts, Zilal, shares this video, confirming earlier reports that Free Syrian Army militants and Assad security forces fought earlier in the Palestinian Refugee camp in southern Damascus (map):

Zilal@zilal1

#Damascus: clashes between FSA and Assad forces in Palestine Camp area 18-7-2012 youtube.com/watch?v=1cR6Cr… #Syria