SYRIAN UNREST

Syrian unrest:
'Many deaths' as
army attacks Hama
Hama has seen some of the
biggest protests yet
'Wait and see' for
Syria protests
Refugees' stories
Guide: Syria Crisis
Dissidents unity
Significance of Hama
Hama - a bastion of dissidence -
occupies a significant place in
the history of modern Syria. In
1982, then-President Hafez al-
Assad, father of Bashar, sent in
troops to quell an uprising by
the Sunni opposition Muslim
Brotherhood. Tens of thousands
were killed and the town
flattened. The operation was led
by the president's brother,
Rifaat.
Similarly, current President
Bashar Assad has turned to his
own brother, Maher, who
commands the army's elite
Fourth Division, to deal with the
unrest.
Hama, with a population
800,000, has seen some of the
biggest protests and worst
violence in Syria's 2011 uprising.
It was slow to join in, but has
now become one of the main
focuses of the revolt, and is
largely out of government
control.
Earlier this month, the US and
French ambassadors broke
protocol and staged solidarity
visits to the city. The Turkish
Prime Minister, Recip Tayyip
Erdogan has said there must not
be "another Hama", meaning,
another massacre.
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From other news sites
Features and analysis
Syria's regime could be changing
tactics with the threat of
capture now the greatest fear
among protesters, according to
the personal account of one
political analyst in the country.
'Wait and see' for Syria
protests