Child's Shocking Image Becomes Face of Syria's Disastrous War; Brother Dies from Air Strike Injuries

Child's Shocking Image Becomes Face of Syria's Disastrous War; Brother Dies from Air Strike Injuries

By Jeremy Reynalds, Senior Correspondent, ASSIST News Service (jeremyreynalds@gmail.com )

DAMASCUS (ANS-August 21, 2016) -- It's a video image that is touching hearts and minds around the world, one that refocuses attention on the Syrian civil war.

Gary Lane of CBN News reported that rescuers pulled 5-year-old Omran Daqneesh from the rubble of his bombed out apartment building in Aleppo.

Injured and in shock as a result of a Syrian government air strike, the boy wipes his brow and discovers that he is bleeding.

The images were captured by Aleppo Media Center, a group that has documented human rights atrocities committed by the Assad regime.

They included the continued use of cluster bombs and chemical weapons despite President Barack Obama's drawing of a red-line against their use three years ago.

Under threat of U.S. air strikes, the Syrian government backed down and said it would either turn over, or destroy its chemical weapons stockpile. Although evidence suggests the government is still using the weapons, the U.S. has taken no action to stop the regime.

CBN said that fighting has intensified in Aleppo, Syria's second largest city where the government wants a victory against anti-regime rebels. A major win may lead to an end of the five-and-a half year old war, and the suffering of millions like little Omran.

But on-again, off again peace talks in Geneva center on one major issue: President Assad and his government being forced from power.

Many people in Damascus and, CBN said, Christians included say they want Bashar Al Assad to stay. But the opposition negotiators meeting in Geneva say there won't be peace until he goes.

That may cause the war to drag on for many months--and maybe even years to come.

Meanwhile, a story on CNN by Kareem Khadder and Ralph Ellis reported that Ali Daqneesh, the 10-year-old brother of Omran Daqneesh, died Saturday.

That’s according to Yousef Saddiq, the director of the Aleppo Media Center.

Ali succumbed in an Aleppo field hospital from injuries sustained in the Wednesday air strike, Saddiq said.

“He was in critical condition for the past three days and passed away this morning,” CNN reported Saddiq said. “His mother is still receiving medical care because she is also in critical condition.”

The family remains in Aleppo, he said.

Photo captions: 1) Omran Daqneesh (Aleppo Media Center). 2) Jeremy and Elma Reynalds.

About the writer: Jeremy Reynalds is Senior Correspondent for the ASSIST News Service, a freelance writer and also the founder and CEO of Joy Junction, New Mexico’s largest emergency homeless shelter (www.joyjunction.org). He has a master’s degree in communication from the University of New Mexico, and a Ph.D. in intercultural education from Biola University in Los Angeles. One of his newest books is “From Destitute to Ph.D.” Additional details on the book are available at www.myhomelessjourney.com. His latest book is “Two Hearts One Vision.” It is available at www.twoheartsonevisionthebook.com. Reynalds lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico with his wife, Elma. For more information, please contact Jeremy Reynalds at jeremyreynalds@gmail.com .

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