Halfaya Bakery Bombing

It was reported as a bakery serving the hungry citizens of Halfaya (near Hama) that was bombed December 23, 2012. This attack killed many people, with dozens of bodies in often-horrific condition shown on video. Opposition reports claim that nearly 100, over 100, and even 300 or more people were killed, most or all of them civilians among a huge throng awaiting simple bread to live. It has been blamed on bombing by warplanes, as part of a mad Syrian government policy of starving its rebellious people into submission. But there are reasons to doubt that.

The following page is extremely fragmentary and just now coming together. The areas worthy of greatest scrutiny here include the following:
 * The nature of the bombing victims: hundreds of civilians ? Dozens of fighters ?
 * The nature of the bombing damage,
 * The nature of the building(s) impacted: a bakery, rebel base, or what?
 * How do opposition descriptions line-up with video recordings?

It's in the details of just what happened that the best clues can be found about the parties responsible for just what happened. There are existing evidence-based critiques of the rebel story, which we will as possible consider and cite and second-guess. There is and will be more to read on the discussion page.

Location
Halfaya is located here on Google Maps, about 12 kilometers northwest of Hama. Note its extreme proximity to Muhradah, elsewhere Mahrada, a predominantly Cristian city that, along with another Christian town nearby, was openly threatened with attack on December 24, apparently in response to the murky incident under study here.

It's also quite near the site of the Mazraat Al-Qubeir Massacre.

The Flag
Everything about this area says it's rebel-controlled, and the rebels there do claim to have just taken general control. Any bakery or food distribution point would be overseen and policed by rebels. It's therefore not unusual to see one of their flags atop this place, whatever it truly was. But just which flag is of some interest.

In at least two videos, the person filming is forced bacwkard away from the scene by rebel helpers. They work in teams of two or more, wildly engaging the camera, shouting, flailing their arms maniacally, while walking further from the building. (citations coming) It does complicate a clear view of some things, like the flag atop the building. But enough frames come through to establish it as apparently nothing but black. It's not the French colonial rebel flag they like to show the West. Seen closer, it would likely have white writing or symbols on it, clarifying whether it's an old-fashioned pirate flag, or the flag of Al Qaeda in Iraq and/or Jabhat Al-Nusra. The best view yet is from some distance, as shown at right (source video).

Unsorted Content
CNN reported based on skype testimony by activist Alawy Al-Rajb.
 * The town has lacked the ingredients for bread for about a week until an aid group delivered provisions Saturday, Alawy said. Hundreds of people lined up at the bakery on Sunday.
 * ''Al-Rajb said the town has three bakeries, and one opened at 1 p.m. Workers began to distribute the bread two hours later. He was on his roof about 200 meters (about 219 yards) from the bakery about 4 p.m. and saw a plane overhead. He scrambled toward the scene when he heard cries of "Emergency! Emergency!" he said.

"The first floor collapsed on the second floor, and four rockets were fired into it," he said of the attack.''
 * Alawy claimed the government has been targeting large gatherings of people with artillery shells in the recent days since the Free Syrian Army liberated the town from Syrian forces.

The basic story was the "plane" Al-Rajb saw (but didn't film) must've dropped the bomb(s). As CNN started:
 * Scores of people who had been without bread for days were killed when Syrian warplanes bombed a bakery in the western village of Halfaya, opposition activists said Sunday.

Targeting the rescue workers - standard fare for the evil ones:
 * About an hour after the bakery attack, 15 shells were fired into Halfaya from a nearby town, Al-Rajb said.

Unincorporated Sources

 * Al-Arabiya 1
 * Al-Arabiya 2
 * Reuters