The conflicting stories surrounding the case of Syrian teenager Zainab al-Hosni epitomise the confusion inherent in that country's six-month-old uprising. Seemingly certain at times to topple the Assad regime, and at others, to strengthen it, the situation has reached a point where it is almost impossible to predict the outcome
Believed to have been tortured and beheaded by the government, the teenager made a surprising appearance on Syrian television late last week. Family confirmed it was indeed al-Hosni although they expressed doubts as to whether the images where captured before or after her alleged killing.
Meanwhile, Syrian officials, in the words of the Sydney Morning Herald, have 'sought to score a propaganda coup' with her appearance, where she claimed to have run away from home because of physical abuse at the hands of her brothers.
Who is telling the truth? Even for those of us with family in Syria, it is virtually impossible to determine what is actually happening. Talking to those inside by telephone can be dangerous, with even Assad supporters conceding phone tapping is widespread and endemic. With travel restricted by roadblocks and safety fears, many turn to state television for news.
Authorities, aided by a compliant media, have local residents claiming anti-government protestors are 'troublemakers and terrorists' bent on bringing chaos and Islamism to the secular state. Rumours of weapons smuggled in from Salafists groups in Saudi Arabia are rife. Meanwhile, opposition groups accuse authorities of detaining and torturing family members of activists operating from abroad.
The protests, which two months ago were spread across the country, have largely flagged. However, that's not to say the uprising is quashed, yet.
Recently, The New York Times reported that the flashpoint city of Homs, in the country's southwest, had descended into a civil war-like state with both sides carrying out 'targeted killings' and 'rival security checkpoints' resulting in a 'hardening of sectarian sentiments'. For Syrians themselves, the prospect of a full-blown civil war comes as no surprise, particularly one starting in Homs.
Homs, in the country's south, is a microcosm of the nation. A Sunni majority town, it is also home to several minority groups including Christians and Alawites.
The latter is the Shia offshoot sect to which Assad and most of his cabinet belong. The animosity between Sunnis and Alawites goes back centuries and has only been exacerbated by the strong-armed rule of the Assad family, beginning in 1970 with Bashar's father, Hafez.
So despised were the