NARRATOR:
(Black screen with text; The sound of buzzing bees can be heard)
According to all known laws
of aviation,
:
there is no way a bee
should be able to fly.
:
Its wings are too small to get
its fat little body off the ground.
:
The bee, of course, flies anyway
:
because bees don't care
what humans think is impossible.
BARRY BENSON:
(Barry is picking out a shirt)
Yellow, black. Yellow, black.
Yellow, black. Yellow, black.
:
Ooh, black and yellow!
Let's shake it up a little.
JANET BENSON:
Barry! Breakfast is ready!
BARRY:
Coming!
:
Hang on a second.
(Barry uses his antenna like a phone)
:
Hello?
ADAM FLAYMAN:
(Through phone)
- Barry?
BARRY:
- Adam?
ADAM:
- Can you believe this is happening?
BARRY:
- I can't. I'll pick you up.
(Barry flies down the stairs)
:
MARTIN BENSON:
Looking sharp.
JANET:
Use the stairs. Your father
paid good money for those.
BARRY:
Sorry. I'm excited.
MARTIN:
Here's the graduate.
We're very proud of you, son.
:
A perfect report card, all B's.
JANET:
Very proud.
(Rubs Barry's hair)
BARRY=
Ma! I got a thing going here.
JANET:
- You got lint on your fuzz.
BARRY:
- Ow! That's me!
JANET:
- Wave to us! We'll be in row 118,000.
- Bye!
(Barry flies out the door)
JANET:
Barry, I told you,
stop flying in the house!
(Barry drives through the hive,and is waved at by Adam who is reading a
newspaper)
BARRY==
- Hey, Adam.
ADAM:
- Hey, Barry.
(Adam gets in Barry's car)
:
- Is that fuzz gel?
BARRY:
- A little. Special day, graduation.
ADAM:
Never thought I'd make it.
(Barry pulls away from the house and continues driving)
BARRY:
Three days grade school,
three days high school...
ADAM:
Those were awkward.
BARRY:
Three days college. I'm glad I took
a day and hitchhiked around the hive.
ADAM==
You did come back different.
(Barry and Adam pass by Artie, who is jogging)
ARTIE:
- Hi, Barry!
BARRY:
- Artie, growing a mustache? Looks good.
ADAM:
- Hear about Frankie?
BARRY:
- Yeah.
ADAM==
- You going to the funeral?
BARRY:
- No, I'm not going to his funeral.
:
Everybody knows,
sting someone, you die.
:
Don't waste it on a squirrel.
Such a hothead.
ADAM:
I guess he could have
just gotten out of the way.
(The car does a barrel roll on the loop-shaped bridge and lands on the
highway)
:
I love this incorporating
an amusement park into our regular day.
BARRY:
I guess that's why they say we don't need vacations.
(Barry parallel parks the car and together they fly over the graduating
students)
Boy, quite a bit of pomp...
under the circumstances.
(Barry and Adam sit down and put on their hats)
:
- Well, Adam, today we are men.
ADAM:
- We are!
BARRY=
- Bee-men.
=ADAM=
- Amen!
BARRY AND ADAM:
Hallelujah!
(Barry and Adam both have a happy spasm)
ANNOUNCER:
Students, faculty, distinguished bees,
:
please welcome Dean Buzzwell.
DEAN BUZZWELL:
Welcome, New Hive Oity
graduating class of...
:
...9:
:
That concludes our ceremonies.
:
And begins your career
at Honex Industries!
ADAM:
Will we pick our job today?
(Adam and Barry get into a tour bus)
BARRY=
I heard it's just orientation.
(Tour buses rise out of the ground and the students are automatically
loaded into the buses)
TOUR GUIDE:
Heads up! Here we go.
ANNOUNCER:
Keep your hands and antennas
inside the tram at all times.
BARRY:
- Wonder what it'll be like?
ADAM:
- A little scary.
TOUR GUIDE==
Welcome to Honex,
a division of Honesco
:
and a part of the Hexagon Group.
Barry:
This is it!
BARRY AND ADAM:
Wow.
BARRY:
Wow.
(The bus drives down a road an on either side are the Bee's massive
complicated Honey-making machines)
TOUR GUIDE:
We know that you, as a bee,
have worked your whole life
:
to get to the point where you
can work for your whole life.
:
Honey begins when our valiant Pollen
Jocks bring the nectar to the hive.
:
Our top-secret formula
:
is automatically color-corrected,
scent-adjusted and bubble-contoured
:
into this soothing sweet syrup
:
with its distinctive
golden glow you know as...
EVERYONE ON BUS:
Honey!
(The guide has been collecting honey into a bottle and she throws it into
the crowd on the bus and it is caught by a girl in the back)
ADAM:
- That girl was hot.
BARRY:
- She's my cousin!
ADAM==
- She is?
BARRY:
- Yes, we're all cousins.
ADAM:
- Right. You're right.
TOUR GUIDE:
- At Honex, we constantly strive
:
to improve every aspect
of bee existence.
:
These bees are stress-testing
a new helmet technology.
(The bus passes by a Bee wearing a helmet who is being smashed into the
ground with fly-swatters, newspapers and boots. He lifts a thumbs up but
you can hear him groan)
:
ADAM==
- What do you think he makes?
BARRY:
- Not enough.
TOUR GUIDE:
Here we have our latest advancement,
the Krelman.
(They pass by a turning wheel with Bees standing on pegs, who are each
wearing a finger-shaped hat)
Barry:
- Wow, What does that do?
TOUR GUIDE:
- Catches that little strand of honey
:
that hangs after you pour it.
Saves us millions.
ADAM:
(Intrigued)
Can anyone work on the Krelman?
TOUR GUIDE:
Of course. Most bee jobs are
small ones.
But bees know that every small job,
if it's done well, means a lot.
:
But choose carefully
:
because you'll stay in the job
you pick for the rest of your life.
(Everyone claps except for Barry)
BARRY:
The same job the rest of your life?
I didn't know that.
ADAM:
What's the difference?
TOUR GUIDE:
You'll be happy to know that bees,
as a species, haven't had one day off
:
in 27 million years.
BARRY:
(Upset)
So you'll just work us to death?
:
We'll sure try.
(Everyone on the bus laughs except Barry. Barry and Adam are walking back
home together)
ADAM:
Wow! That blew my mind!
BARRY:
"What's the difference?"
How can you say that?
:
One job forever?
That's an insane choice to have to make.
ADAM:
I'm relieved. Now we only have
to make one decision in life.
BARRY:
But, Adam, how could they
never have told us that?
ADAM:
Why would you question anything?
We're bees.
:
We're the most perfectly
functioning society on Earth.
BARRY:
You ever think maybe things
work a little too well here?
ADAM:
Like what? Give me one example.
(Barry and Adam stop walking and it is revealed to the audience that
hundreds of cars are speeding by and narrowly missing them in perfect
unison)
BARRY:
I don't know. But you know
what I'm talking about.
ANNOUNCER:
Please clear the gate.
Royal Nectar Force on approach.
BARRY:
Wait a second. Check it out.
(The Pollen jocks fly in, circle around and landing in line)
:
- Hey, those are Pollen Jocks!
ADAM:
- Wow.
:
I've never seen them this close.
BARRY:
They know what it's like
outside the hive.
ADAM:
Yeah, but some don't come back.
GIRL BEES:
- Hey, Jocks!
- Hi, Jocks!
(The Pollen Jocks hook up their backpacks to machines that pump the nectar
to trucks, which drive away)
LOU LO DUVA:
You guys did great!
:
You're monsters!
You're sky freaks!
I love it!
(Punching the Pollen Jocks in joy)
I love it!
ADAM:
- I wonder where they were.
BARRY:
- I don't know.
:
Their day's not planned.
:
Outside the hive, flying who knows
where, doing who knows what.
:
You can't just decide to be a Pollen
Jock. You have to be bred for that.
ADAM==
Right.
(Barry and Adam are covered in some pollen that floated off of the Pollen
Jocks)
BARRY:
Look at that. That's more pollen
than you and I will see in a lifetime.
ADAM:
It's just a status symbol.
Bees make too much of it.
BARRY:
Perhaps. Unless you're wearing it
and the ladies see you wearing it.
(Barry waves at 2 girls standing a little away from them)
ADAM==
Those ladies?
Aren't they our cousins too?
BARRY:
Distant. Distant.
POLLEN JOCK #1:
Look at these two.
POLLEN JOCK #2:
- Couple of Hive Harrys.
POLLEN JOCK #1:
- Let's have fun with them.
GIRL BEE #1:
It must be dangerous
being a Pollen Jock.
BARRY:
Yeah. Once a bear pinned me
against a mushroom!
:
He had a paw on my throat,
and with the other, he was slapping me!
(Slaps Adam with his hand to represent his scenario)
GIRL BEE #2:
- Oh, my!
BARRY:
- I never thought I'd knock him out.
GIRL BEE #1:
(Looking at Adam)
What were you doing during this?
ADAM:
Obviously I was trying to alert the authorities.
BARRY:
I can autograph that.
(The pollen jocks walk up to Barry and Adam, they pretend that Barry and
Adam really are pollen jocks.)
POLLEN JOCK #1:
A little gusty out there today,
wasn't it, comrades?
BARRY:
Yeah. Gusty.
POLLEN JOCK #1:
We're hitting a sunflower patch
six miles from here tomorrow.
BARRY:
- Six miles, huh?
ADAM:
- Barry!
POLLEN JOCK #2:
A puddle jump for us,
but maybe you're not up for it.
BARRY:
- Maybe I am.
ADAM:
- You are not!
POLLEN JOCK #1:
We're going 0900 at J-Gate.
:
What do you think, buzzy-boy?
Are you bee enough?
BARRY:
I might be. It all depends
on what 0900 means.
(The scene cuts to Barry looking out on the hive-city from his balcony at
night)
MARTIN:
Hey, Honex!
BARRY:
Dad, you surprised me.
MARTIN:
You decide what you're interested in?
BARRY:
- Well, there's a lot of choices.
- But you only get one.
:
Do you ever get bored
doing the same job every day?
MARTIN:
Son, let me tell you about stirring.
:
You grab that stick, and you just
move it around, and you stir it around.
:
You get yourself into a rhythm.
It's a beautiful thing.
BARRY:
You know, Dad,
the more I think about it,
:
maybe the honey field
just isn't right for me.
MARTIN:
You were thinking of what,
making balloon animals?
:
That's a bad job
for a guy with a stinger.
:
Janet, your son's not sure
he wants to go into honey!
JANET:
- Barry, you are so funny sometimes.
BARRY:
- I'm not trying to be funny.
MARTIN:
You're not funny! You're going
into honey. Our son, the stirrer!
JANET:
- You're gonna be a stirrer?
BARRY:
- No one's listening to me!
MARTIN:
Wait till you see the sticks I have.
BARRY:
I could say anything right now.
I'm gonna get an ant tattoo!
(Barry's parents don't listen to him and continue to ramble on)
MARTIN:
Let's open some honey and celebrate!
BARRY:
Maybe I'll pierce my thorax.
Shave my antennae.
:
Shack up with a grasshopper. Get
a gold tooth and call everybody "dawg"!
JANET:
I'm so proud.
(The scene cuts to Barry and Adam waiting in line to get a job)
ADAM:
- We're starting work today!
BARRY:
- Today's the day.
ADAM:
Come on! All the good jobs
will be gone.
BARRY:
Yeah, right.
JOB LISTER:
Pollen counting, stunt bee, pouring,
stirrer, front desk, hair removal...
BEE IN FRONT OF LINE:
- Is it still available?
JOB LISTER:
- Hang on. Two left!
:
One of them's yours! Congratulations!
Step to the side.
ADAM:
- What'd you get?
BEE IN FRONT OF LINE:
- Picking crud out. Stellar!
(He walks away)
ADAM:
Wow!
JOB LISTER:
Couple of newbies?
ADAM:
Yes, sir! Our first day! We are ready!
JOB LISTER:
Make your choice.
(Adam and Barry look up at the job board. There are hundreds of constantly
changing panels that contain available or unavailable jobs. It looks very
confusing)
ADAM:
- You want to go first?
BARRY:
- No, you go.
ADAM:
Oh, my. What's available?
JOB LISTER:
Restroom attendant's open,
not for the reason you think.
ADAM:
- Any chance of getting the Krelman?
JOB LISTER:
- Sure, you're on.
(Puts the Krelman finger-hat on Adam's head)
(Suddenly the sign for Krelman closes out)
:
I'm sorry, the Krelman just closed out.
(Takes Adam's hat off)
Wax monkey's always open.
ADAM:
The Krelman opened up again.
:
What happened?
JOB LISTER:
A bee died. Makes an opening. See?
He's dead. Another dead one.
:
Deady. Deadified. Two more dead.
:
Dead from the neck up.
Dead from the neck down. That's life!
ADAM:
Oh, this is so hard!
(Barry remembers what the Pollen Jock offered him and he flies off)
Heating, cooling,
stunt bee, pourer, stirrer,
:
humming, inspector number seven,
lint coordinator, stripe supervisor,
:
mite wrangler. Barry, what
do you think I should... Barry?
(Adam turns around and sees Barry flying away)
:
Barry!
POLLEN JOCK:
All right, we've got the sunflower patch
in quadrant nine...
ADAM:
(Through phone)
What happened to you?
Where are you?
BARRY:
- I'm going out.
ADAM:
- Out? Out where?
BARRY:
- Out there.
ADAM:
- Oh, no!
BARRY:
I have to, before I go
to work for the rest of my life.
ADAM:
You're gonna die! You're crazy!
(Barry hangs up)
Hello?
POLLEN JOCK #2:
Another call coming in.
:
If anyone's feeling brave,
there's a Korean deli on 83rd
:
that gets their roses today.
BARRY:
Hey, guys.
POLLEN JOCK #1 ==
- Look at that.
POLLEN JOCK #2:
- Isn't that the kid we saw yesterday?
LOU LO DUVA:
Hold it, son, flight deck's restricted.
POLLEN JOCK #1:
It's OK, Lou. We're gonna take him up.
(Puts hand on Barry's shoulder)
LOU LO DUVA:
(To Barry) Really? Feeling lucky, are you?
BEE WITH CLIPBOARD:
(To Barry) Sign here, here. Just initial that.
:
- Thank you.
LOU LO DUVA:
- OK.
:
You got a rain advisory today,
:
and as you all know,
bees cannot fly in rain.
:
So be careful. As always,
watch your brooms,
:
hockey sticks, dogs,
birds, bears and bats.
:
Also, I got a couple of reports
of root beer being poured on us.
:
Murphy's in a home because of it,
babbling like a cicada!
BARRY:
- That's awful.
LOU LO DUVA:
(Still talking through megaphone)
- And a reminder for you rookies,
:
bee law number one,
absolutely no talking to humans!
:
All right, launch positions!
POLLEN JOCKS:
(The Pollen Jocks run into formation)
:
Buzz, buzz, buzz, buzz! Buzz, buzz,
buzz, buzz! Buzz, buzz, buzz, buzz!
LOU LU DUVA:
Black and yellow!
POLLEN JOCKS:
Hello!
POLLEN JOCK #1:
(To Barry)You ready for this, hot shot?
BARRY:
Yeah. Yeah, bring it on.
POLLEN JOCK's:
Wind, check.
:
- Antennae, check.
- Nectar pack, check.
:
- Wings, check.
- Stinger, check.
BARRY:
Scared out of my shorts, check.
LOU LO DUVA:
OK, ladies,
:
let's move it out!
:
Pound those petunias,
you striped stem-suckers!
:
All of you, drain those flowers!
(The pollen jocks fly out of the hive)
BARRY:
Wow! I'm out!
:
I can't believe I'm out!
:
So blue.
:
I feel so fast and free!
:
Box kite!
(Barry flies through the kite)
:
Wow!
:
Flowers!
(A pollen jock puts on some high tech goggles that shows flowers similar to
heat sink goggles.)
POLLEN JOCK:
This is Blue Leader.
We have roses visual.
:
Bring it around 30 degrees and hold.
:
Roses!
POLLEN JOCK #1:
30 degrees, roger. Bringing it around.
:
Stand to the side, kid.
It's got a bit of a kick.
(The pollen jock fires a high-tech gun at the flower, shooting tubes that
suck up the nectar from the flower and collects it into a pouch on the gun)
BARRY:
That is one nectar collector!
POLLEN JOCK #1==
- Ever see pollination up close?
BARRY:
- No, sir.
POLLEN JOCK #1:
(Barry and the Pollen jock fly over the field, the pollen jock sprinkles
pollen as he goes)
:
I pick up some pollen here, sprinkle it
over here. Maybe a dash over there,
:
a pinch on that one.
See that? It's a little bit of magic.
BARRY:
That's amazing. Why do we do that?
POLLEN JOCK #1:
That's pollen power. More pollen, more
flowers, more nectar, more honey for us.
BARRY:
Cool.
POLLEN JOCK #1:
I'm picking up a lot of bright yellow.
could be daisies. Don't we need those?
POLLEN JOCK #2:
Copy that visual.
:
Wait. One of these flowers
seems to be on the move.
POLLEN JOCK #1:
Say again? You're reporting
a moving flower?
POLLEN JOCK #2:
Affirmative.
(The Pollen jocks land near the "flowers" which, to the audience are
obviously just tennis balls)
KEN:
(In the distance) That was on the line!
POLLEN JOCK #1:
This is the coolest. What is it?
POLLEN JOCK #2:
I don't know, but I'm loving this color.
:
It smells good.
Not like a flower, but I like it.
POLLEN JOCK #1:
Yeah, fuzzy.
(Sticks his hand on the ball but it gets stuck)
POLLEN JOCK #3==
Chemical-y.
(The pollen jock finally gets his hand free from the tennis ball)
POLLEN JOCK #1:
Careful, guys. It's a little grabby.
(The pollen jocks turn around and see Barry lying his entire body on top of
one of the tennis balls)
POLLEN JOCK #2:
My sweet lord of bees!
POLLEN JOCK #3:
Candy-brain, get off there!
POLLEN JOCK #1:
(Pointing upwards)
Problem!
(A human hand reaches down and grabs the tennis ball that Barry is stuck
to)
BARRY:
- Guys!
POLLEN JOCK #2:
- This could be bad.
POLLEN JOCK #3:
Affirmative.
(Vanessa Bloome starts bouncing the tennis ball, not knowing Barry is stick
to it)
BARRY==
Very close.
:
Gonna hurt.
:
Mama's little boy.
(Barry is being hit back and forth by two humans playing tennis. He is
still stuck to the ball)
POLLEN JOCK #1:
You are way out of position, rookie!
KEN:
Coming in at you like a MISSILE!
(Barry flies past the pollen jocks, still stuck to the ball)
BARRY:
(In slow motion)
Help me!
POLLEN JOCK #2:
I don't think these are flowers.
POLLEN JOCK #3:
- Should we tell him?
POLLEN JOCK #1:
- I think he knows.
BARRY:
What is this?!
KEN:
Match point!
:
You can start packing up, honey,
because you're about to EAT IT!
(A pollen jock coughs which confused Ken and he hits the ball the wrong way
with Barry stuck to it and it goes flying into the city)
BARRY:
Yowser!
(Barry bounces around town and gets stuck in the engine of a car. He flies
into the air conditioner and sees a bug that was frozen in there)
BARRY:
Ew, gross.
(The man driving the car turns on the air conditioner which blows Barry
into the car)
GIRL IN CAR:
There's a bee in the car!
:
- Do something!
DAD DRIVING CAR:
- I'm driving!
BABY GIRL:
(Waving at Barry)
- Hi, bee.
(Barry smiles and waves at the baby girl)
GUY IN BACK OF CAR:
- He's back here!
:
He's going to sting me!
GIRL IN CAR:
Nobody move. If you don't move,
he won't sting you. Freeze!
(Barry freezes as well, hovering in the middle of the car)
:
GRANDMA IN CAR==
He blinked!
(The grandma whips out some bee-spray and sprays everywhere in the car,
climbing into the front seat, still trying to spray Barry)
GIRL IN CAR:
Spray him, Granny!
DAD DRIVING THE CAR:
What are you doing?!
(Barry escapes the car through the air conditioner and is flying high above
the ground, safe.)
BARRY:
Wow... the tension level
out here is unbelievable.
(Barry sees that storm clouds are gathering and he can see rain clouds
moving into this direction)
:
I gotta get home.
:
Can't fly in rain.
:
Can't fly in rain.
(A rain drop hits Barry and one of his wings is damaged)
:
Can't fly in rain.
(A second rain drop hits Barry again and he spirals downwards)
Mayday! Mayday! Bee going down!
(WW2 plane sound effects are played as he plummets, and he crash-lands on a
plant inside an apartment near the window)
VANESSA BLOOME:
Ken, could you close
the window please?
KEN==
Hey, check out my new resume.
I made it into a fold-out brochure.
:
You see?
(Folds brochure resume out)
Folds out.
(Ken closes the window, trapping Barry inside)
BARRY:
Oh, no. More humans. I don't need this.
(Barry tries to fly away but smashes into the window and falls again)
:
What was that?
(Barry keeps trying to fly out the window but he keeps being knocked back
because the window is closed)
Maybe this time. This time. This time.
This time! This time! This...
:
Drapes!
(Barry taps the glass. He doesn't understand what it is)
That is diabolical.
KEN:
It's fantastic. It's got all my special
skills, even my top-ten favorite movies.
ANDY:
What's number one? Star Wars?
KEN:
Nah, I don't go for that...
(Ken makes finger guns and makes "pew pew pew" sounds and then stops)
:
...kind of stuff.
BARRY:
No wonder we shouldn't talk to them.
They're out of their minds.
KEN:
When I leave a job interview, they're
flabbergasted, can't believe what I say.
BARRY:
(Looking at the light on the ceiling)
There's the sun. Maybe that's a way out.
(Starts flying towards the lightbulb)
:
I don't remember the sun
having a big 75 on it.
(Barry hits the lightbulb and falls into the dip on the table that the
humans are sitting at)
KEN:
I predicted global warming.
:
I could feel it getting hotter.
At first I thought it was just me.
(Andy dips a chip into the bowl and scoops up some dip with Barry on it and
is about to put it in his mouth)
:
Wait! Stop! Bee!
(Andy drops the chip with Barry in fear and backs away. All the humans
freak out)
:
Stand back. These are winter boots.
(Ken has winter boots on his hands and he is about to smash the bee but
Vanessa saves him last second)
VANESSA:
Wait!
:
Don't kill him!
(Vanessa puts Barry in a glass to protect him)
KEN:
You know I'm allergic to them!
This thing could kill me!
VANESSA:
Why does his life have
less value than yours?
KEN:
Why does his life have any less value
than mine? Is that your statement?
VANESSA:
I'm just saying all life has value. You
don't know what he's capable of feeling.
(Vanessa picks up Ken's brochure and puts it under the glass so she can
carry Barry back to the window. Barry looks at Vanessa in amazement)
KEN:
My brochure!
VANESSA:
There you go, little guy.
(Vanessa opens the window and lets Barry out but Barry stays back and is
still shocked that a human saved his life)
KEN:
I'm not scared of him.
It's an allergic thing.
VANESSA:
Put that on your resume brochure.
KEN:
My whole face could puff up.
ANDY:
Make it one of your special skills.
KEN:
Knocking someone out
is also a special skill.
(Ken walks to the door)
Right. Bye, Vanessa. Thanks.
:
- Vanessa, next week? Yogurt night?
VANESSA:
- Sure, Ken. You know, whatever.
:
(Vanessa tries to close door)
KEN==
- You could put carob chips on there.
VANESSA:
- Bye.
(Closes door but Ken opens it again)
KEN:
- Supposed to be less calories.
VANESSA:
- Bye.
(Closes door)
(Fast forward to the next day, Barry is still inside the house. He flies
into the kitchen where Vanessa is doing dishes)
BARRY==
(Talking to himself)
I gotta say something.
:
She saved my life.
I gotta say something.
:
All right, here it goes.
(Turns back)
Nah.
:
What would I say?
:
I could really get in trouble.
:
It's a bee law.
You're not supposed to talk to a human.
:
I can't believe I'm doing this.
:
I've got to.
(Barry disguises himself as a character on a food can as Vanessa walks by
again)
:
Oh, I can't do it. Come on!
:
No. Yes. No.
:
Do it. I can't.
:
How should I start it?
(Barry strikes a pose and wiggles his eyebrows)
"You like jazz?"
No, that's no good.
(Vanessa is about to walk past Barry)
Here she comes! Speak, you fool!
:
...Hi!
(Vanessa gasps and drops the dishes in fright and notices Barry on the
counter)
:
I'm sorry.
VANESSA:
- You're talking.
BARRY:
- Yes, I know.
VANESSA:
(Pointing at Barry)
You're talking!
BARRY:
I'm so sorry.
VANESSA:
No, it's OK. It's fine.
I know I'm dreaming.
:
But I don't recall going to bed.
BARRY:
Well, I'm sure this
is very disconcerting.
VANESSA:
This is a bit of a surprise to me.
I mean, you're a bee!
BARRY:
I am. And I'm not supposed
to be doing this,
(Pointing to the living room where Ken tried to kill him last night)
but they were all trying to kill me.
:
And if it wasn't for you...
:
I had to thank you.
It's just how I was raised.
(Vanessa stabs her hand with a fork to test whether she's dreaming or not)
:
That was a little weird.
VANESSA:
- I'm talking with a bee.
BARRY:
- Yeah.
VANESSA:
I'm talking to a bee.
And the bee is talking to me!
BARRY:
I just want to say I'm grateful.
I'll leave now.
(Barry turns to leave)
VANESSA:
- Wait! How did you learn to do that?
BARRY:
(Flying back)
- What?
VANESSA:
The talking...thing.
BARRY:
Same way you did, I guess.
"Mama, Dada, honey." You pick it up.
VANESSA:
- That's very funny.
BARRY:
- Yeah.
:
Bees are funny. If we didn't laugh,
we'd cry with what we have to deal with.
:
Anyway...
VANESSA:
Can I...
:
...get you something?
BARRY:
- Like what?
VANESSA:
I don't know. I mean...
I don't know. Coffee?
BARRY:
I don't want to put you out.
VANESSA:
It's no trouble. It takes two minutes.
:
- It's just coffee.
BARRY:
- I hate to impose.
(Vanessa starts making coffee)
VANESSA:
- Don't be ridiculous!
BARRY:
- Actually, I would love a cup.
VANESSA:
Hey, you want rum cake?
BARRY:
- I shouldn't.
VANESSA:
- Have some.
BARRY:
- No, I can't.
VANESSA:
- Come on!
BARRY:
I'm trying to lose a couple micrograms.
VANESSA:
- Where?
BARRY:
- These stripes don't help.
VANESSA:
You look great!
BARRY:
I don't know if you know
anything about fashion.
:
Are you all right?
VANESSA:
(Pouring coffee on the floor and missing the cup completely)
No.
(Flash forward in time. Barry and Vanessa are sitting together at a table
on top of the apartment building drinking coffee)
:
BARRY==
He's making the tie in the cab
as they're flying up Madison.
:
He finally gets there.
:
He runs up the steps into the church.
The wedding is on.
:
And he says, "Watermelon?
I thought you said Guatemalan.
:
Why would I marry a watermelon?"
(Barry laughs but Vanessa looks confused)
VANESSA:
Is that a bee joke?
BARRY:
That's the kind of stuff we do.
VANESSA:
Yeah, different.
:
So, what are you gonna do, Barry?
(Barry stands on top of a sugar cube floating in his coffee and paddles it
around with a straw like it's a gondola)
BARRY:
About work? I don't know.
:
I want to do my part for the hive,
but I can't do it the way they want.
VANESSA:
I know how you feel.
BARRY:
- You do?
VANESSA:
- Sure.
:
My parents wanted me to be a lawyer or
a doctor, but I wanted to be a florist.
BARRY:
- Really?
VANESSA:
- My only interest is flowers.
BARRY:
Our new queen was just elected
with that same campaign slogan.
:
Anyway, if you look...
(Barry points to a tree in the middle of Central Park)
:
There's my hive right there. See it?
VANESSA:
You're in Sheep Meadow!
BARRY:
Yes! I'm right off the Turtle Pond!
VANESSA:
No way! I know that area.
I lost a toe ring there once.
BARRY:
- Why do girls put rings on their toes?
VANESSA:
- Why not?
BARRY:
- It's like putting a hat on your knee.
VANESSA:
- Maybe I'll try that.
(A custodian installing a lightbulb looks over at them but to his
perspective it looks like Vanessa is talking to a cup of coffee on the
table)
CUSTODIAN:
- You all right, ma'am?
VANESSA:
- Oh, yeah. Fine.
:
Just having two cups of coffee!
BARRY:
Anyway, this has been great.
Thanks for the coffee.
VANESSA==
Yeah, it's no trouble.
BARRY:
Sorry I couldn't finish it. If I did,
I'd be up the rest of my life.
(Barry points towards the rum cake)
:
Can I take a piece of this with me?
VANESSA:
Sure! Here, have a crumb.
(Vanessa hands Barry a crumb but it is still pretty big for Barry)
BARRY:
- Thanks!
VANESSA:
- Yeah.
BARRY:
All right. Well, then...
I guess I'll see you around.
:
Or not.
VANESSA:
OK, Barry...
BARRY:
And thank you
so much again... for before.
VANESSA:
Oh, that? That was nothing.
BARRY:
Well, not nothing, but... Anyway...
(Vanessa and Barry hold hands, but Vanessa has to hold out a finger because
her hands is to big and Barry holds that)
(The custodian looks over again and it appears Vanessa is laughing at her
coffee again. The lightbulb that he was screwing in sparks and he falls off
the ladder)
(Fast forward in time and we see two Bee Scientists testing out a parachute
in a Honex wind tunnel)
BEE SCIENTIST #1:
This can't possibly work.
BEE SCIENTIST #2:
He's all set to go.
We may as well try it.
:
OK, Dave, pull the chute.
(Dave pulls the chute and the wind slams him against the wall and he falls
on his face.The camera pans over and we see Barry and Adam walking
together)
ADAM:
- Sounds amazing.
BARRY:
- It was amazing!
:
It was the scariest,
happiest moment of my life.
ADAM:
Humans! I can't believe
you were with humans!
:
Giant, scary humans!
What were they like?
BARRY:
Huge and crazy. They talk crazy.
:
They eat crazy giant things.
They drive crazy.
ADAM:
- Do they try and kill you, like on TV?
BARRY:
- Some of them. But some of them don't.
ADAM:
- How'd you get back?
BARRY:
- Poodle.
ADAM:
You did it, and I'm glad. You saw
whatever you wanted to see.
:
You had your "experience." Now you
can pick out your job and be normal.
BARRY:
- Well...
ADAM:
- Well?
BARRY:
Well, I met someone.
ADAM:
You did? Was she Bee-ish?
:
- A wasp?! Your parents will kill you!
BARRY:
- No, no, no, not a wasp.
ADAM:
- Spider?
BARRY:
- I'm not attracted to spiders.
:
I know, for everyone else, it's the hottest thing,
with the eight legs and all.
:
I can't get by that face.
ADAM:
So who is she?
BARRY:
She's... human.
ADAM:
No, no. That's a bee law.
You wouldn't break a bee law.
BARRY:
- Her name's Vanessa.
(Adam puts his head in his hands)
ADAM:
- Oh, boy.
BARRY==
She's so nice. And she's a florist!
ADAM:
Oh, no! You're dating a human florist!
BARRY:
We're not dating.
ADAM:
You're flying outside the hive, talking
to humans that attack our homes
:
with power washers and M-80s!
That's one-eighth a stick of dynamite!
BARRY:
She saved my life!
And she understands me.
ADAM:
This is over!
BARRY:
Eat this.
(Barry gives Adam a piece of the crumb that he got from Vanessa. Adam eats
it)
ADAM:
(Adam's tone changes)
This is not over! What was that?
BARRY:
- They call it a crumb.
ADAM:
- It was so stingin' stripey!
BARRY:
And that's not what they eat.
That's what falls off what they eat!
:
- You know what a Cinnabon is?
ADAM:
- No.
(Adam opens a door behind him and he pulls Barry in)
BARRY:
It's bread and cinnamon and frosting.
ADAM:
Be quiet!
BARRY:
They heat it up...
ADAM:
Sit down!
(Adam forces Barry to sit down)
BARRY:
(Still rambling about Cinnabons)
...really hot!
(Adam grabs Barry by the shoulders)
ADAM:
- Listen to me!
:
We are not them! We're us.
There's us and there's them!
BARRY==
Yes, but who can deny
the heart that is yearning?
ADAM:
There's no yearning.
Stop yearning. Listen to me!
:
You have got to start thinking bee,
my friend. Thinking bee!
BARRY:
- Thinking bee.
WORKER BEE:
- Thinking bee.
WORKER BEES AND ADAM:
Thinking bee! Thinking bee!
Thinking bee! Thinking bee!
(Flash forward in time; Barry is laying on a raft in a pool full of honey.
He is wearing sunglasses)
JANET:
There he is. He's in the pool.
MARTIN:
You know what your problem is, Barry?
(Barry pulls down his sunglasses and he looks annoyed)
BARRY:
(Sarcastic)
I gotta start thinking bee?
JANET:
How much longer will this go on?
MARTIN:
It's been three days!
Why aren't you working?
(Puts sunglasses back on)
BARRY:
I've got a lot of big life decisions
to think about.
MARTIN:
What life? You have no life!
You have no job. You're barely a bee!
JANET:
Would it kill you
to make a little honey?
(Barry rolls off the raft and sinks into the honey pool)
:
Barry, come out.
Your father's talking to you.
:
Martin, would you talk to him?
MARTIN:
Barry, I'm talking to you!
(Barry keeps sinking into the honey until he is suddenly in Central Park
having a picnic with Vanessa)
(Barry has a cup of honey and he clinks his glass with Vanessas. Suddenly a
mosquito lands on Vanessa and she slaps it, killing it. They both gasp but
then burst out laughing)
VANESSA:
You coming?
(The camera pans over and Vanessa is climbing into a small yellow airplane)
BARRY:
Got everything?
VANESSA:
All set!
BARRY:
Go ahead. I'll catch up.
(Vanessa lifts off and flies ahead)
VANESSA:
Don't be too long.
(Barry catches up with Vanessa and he sticks out his arms like ana irplane.
He rolls from side to side, and Vanessa copies him with the airplane)
VANESSA:
Watch this!
(Barry stays back and watches as Vanessa draws a heart in the air using
pink smoke from the plane, but on the last loop-the-loop she suddenly
crashes into a mountain and the plane explodes. The destroyed plane falls
into some rocks and explodes a second time)
BARRY:
Vanessa!
(As Barry is yelling his mouth fills with honey and he wakes up,
discovering that he was just day dreaming. He slowly sinks back into the
honey pool)
MARTIN:
- We're still here.
JANET:
- I told you not to yell at him.
:
He doesn't respond to yelling!
MARTIN:
- Then why yell at me?
JANET:
- Because you don't listen!
MARTIN:
I'm not listening to this.
BARRY:
Sorry, I've gotta go.
MARTIN:
- Where are you going?
BARRY:
- I'm meeting a friend.
JANET:
A girl? Is this why you can't decide?
BARRY:
Bye.
(Barry flies out the door and Martin shakes his head)
:
JANET==
I just hope she's Bee-ish.
(Fast forward in time and Barry is sitting on Vanessa's shoulder and she is
closing up her shop)
BARRY:
They have a huge parade
of flowers every year in Pasadena?
VANESSA:
To be in the Tournament of Roses,
that's every florist's dream!
:
Up on a float, surrounded
by flowers, crowds cheering.
BARRY:
A tournament. Do the roses
compete in athletic events?
VANESSA:
No. All right, I've got one.
How come you don't fly everywhere?
BARRY:
It's exhausting. Why don't you
run everywhere? It's faster.
VANESSA:
Yeah, OK, I see, I see.
All right, your turn.
BARRY:
TiVo. You can just freeze live TV?
That's insane!
VANESSA:
You don't have that?
BARRY:
We have Hivo, but it's a disease.
It's a horrible, horrible disease.
VANESSA:
Oh, my.
(A human walks by and Barry narrowly avoids him)
PASSERBY:
Dumb bees!
VANESSA:
You must want to sting all those jerks.
BARRY:
We try not to sting.
It's usually fatal for us.
VANESSA:
So you have to watch your temper
(They walk into a store)
BARRY:
Very carefully.
You kick a wall, take a walk,
:
write an angry letter and throw it out.
Work through it like any emotion:
:
Anger, jealousy, lust.
(Suddenly an employee(Hector) hits Barry off of Vanessa's shoulder. Hector
thinks he's saving Vanessa)
VANESSA:
(To Barry)
Oh, my goodness! Are you OK?
(Barry is getting up off the floor)
BARRY:
Yeah.
VANESSA:
(To Hector)
- What is wrong with you?!
HECTOR:
(Confused)
- It's a bug.
VANESSA:
He's not bothering anybody.
Get out of here, you creep!
(Vanessa hits Hector across the face with the magazine he had and then hits
him in the head. Hector backs away covering his head)
Barry:
What was that? A Pic 'N' Save circular?
(Vanessa sets Barry back on her shoulder)
VANESSA:
Yeah, it was. How did you know?
BARRY:
It felt like about 10 pages.
Seventy-five is pretty much our limit.
VANESSA:
You've really got that
down to a science.
BARRY:
- Oh, we have to. I lost a cousin to Italian Vogue.
VANESSA:
- I'll bet.
(Barry looks to his right and notices there is honey for sale in the aisle)
BARRY:
What in the name
of Mighty Hercules is this?
(Barry looks at all the brands of honey, shocked)
How did this get here?
Cute Bee, Golden Blossom,
:
Ray Liotta Private Select?
(Barry puts his hands up and slowly turns around, a look of disgust on his
face)
VANESSA:
- Is he that actor?
BARRY:
- I never heard of him.
:
- Why is this here?
VANESSA:
- For people. We eat it.
BARRY:
You don't have
enough food of your own?!
(Hector looks back and notices that Vanessa is talking to Barry)
VANESSA:
- Well, yes.
BARRY:
- How do you get it?
VANESSA:
- Bees make it.
BARRY:
- I know who makes it!
:
And it's hard to make it!
:
There's heating, cooling, stirring.
You need a whole Krelman thing!
VANESSA:
- It's organic.
BARRY:
- It's our-ganic!
VANESSA:
It's just honey, Barry.
BARRY:
Just what?!
:
Bees don't know about this!
This is stealing! A lot of stealing!
:
You've taken our homes, schools,
hospitals! This is all we have!
:
And it's on sale?!
I'm getting to the bottom of this.
:
I'm getting to the bottom
of all of this!
(Flash forward in time; Barry paints his face with black strikes like a
soldier and sneaks into the storage section of the store)
(Two men, including Hector, are loading boxes into some trucks)
:
SUPERMARKET EMPLOYEE==
Hey, Hector.
:
- You almost done?
HECTOR:
- Almost.
(Barry takes a step to peak around the corner)
(Whispering)
He is here. I sense it.
:
Well, I guess I'll go home now
(Hector pretends to walk away by walking in place and speaking loudly)
:
and just leave this nice honey out,
with no one around.
BARRY:
You're busted, box boy!
HECTOR:
I knew I heard something!
So you can talk!
BARRY:
I can talk.
And now you'll start talking!
:
Where you getting the sweet stuff?
Who's your supplier?
HECTOR:
I don't understand.
I thought we were friends.
:
The last thing we want
to do is upset bees!
(Hector takes a thumbtack out of the board behind him and sword-fights
Barry. Barry is using his stinger like a sword)
:
You're too late! It's ours now!
BARRY:
You, sir, have crossed
the wrong sword!
HECTOR:
You, sir, will be lunch
for my iguana, Ignacio!
(Barry hits the thumbtack out of Hectors hand and Hector surrenders)
Barry:
Where is the honey coming from?
:
Tell me where!
HECTOR:
(Pointing to leaving truck)
Honey Farms! It comes from Honey Farms!
(Barry chases after the truck but it is getting away. He flies onto a
bicyclists' backpack and he catches up to the truck)
CAR DRIVER:
(To bicyclist)
Crazy person!
(Barry flies off and lands on the windshield of the Honey farms truck.
Barry looks around and sees dead bugs splattered everywhere)
BARRY:
What horrible thing has happened here?
:
These faces, they never knew
what hit them. And now
:
they're on the road to nowhere!
(Barry hears a sudden whisper)
(Barry looks up and sees Mooseblood, a mosquito playing dead)
MOOSEBLOOD:
Just keep still.
BARRY:
What? You're not dead?
MOOSEBLOOD:
Do I look dead? They will wipe anything
that moves. Where you headed?
BARRY:
To Honey Farms.
I am onto something huge here.
MOOSEBLOOD:
I'm going to Alaska. Moose blood,
crazy stuff. Blows your head off!
ANOTHER BUG PLAYING DEAD:
I'm going to Tacoma.
(Barry looks at another bug)
BARRY:
- And you?
MOOSEBLOOD:
- He really is dead.
BARRY:
All right.
(Another bug hits the windshield and the drivers notice. They activate the
windshield wipers)
MOOSEBLOOD==
Uh-oh!
(The windshield wipers are slowly sliding over the dead bugs and wiping
them off)
BARRY:
- What is that?!
MOOSEBLOOD:
- Oh, no!
:
- A wiper! Triple blade!
BARRY:
- Triple blade?
MOOSEBLOOD:
Jump on! It's your only chance, bee!
(Mooseblood and Barry grab onto the wiper and they hold on as it wipes the
windshield)
Why does everything have
to be so doggone clean?!
:
How much do you people need to see?!
(Bangs on windshield)
:
Open your eyes!
Stick your head out the window!
RADIO IN TRUCK:
From NPR News in Washington,
I'm Carl Kasell.
MOOSEBLOOD:
But don't kill no more bugs!
(Mooseblood and Barry are washed off by the wipr fluid)
MOOSEBLOOD:
- Bee!
BARRY:
- Moose blood guy!!
(Barry starts screaming as he hangs onto the antenna)
(Suddenly it is revealed that a water bug is also hanging on the antenna.
There is a pause and then Barry and the water bug both start screaming)
TRUCK DRIVER:
- You hear something?
GUY IN TRUCK:
- Like what?
TRUCK DRIVER:
Like tiny screaming.
GUY IN TRUCK:
Turn off the radio.
(The antenna starts to lower until it gets to low and sinks into the truck.
The water bug flies off and Barry is forced to let go and he is blown away.
He luckily lands inside a horn on top of the truck where he finds
Mooseblood, who was blown into the same place)
MOOSEBLOOD:
Whassup, bee boy?
BARRY:
Hey, Blood.
(Fast forward in time and we see that Barry is deep in conversation with
Mooseblood. They have been sitting in this truck for a while)
BARRY:
...Just a row of honey jars,
as far as the eye could see.
MOOSEBLOOD:
Wow!
BARRY:
I assume wherever this truck goes
is where they're getting it.
:
I mean, that honey's ours.
MOOSEBLOOD:
- Bees hang tight.
BARRY:
- We're all jammed in.
:
It's a close community.
MOOSEBLOOD:
Not us, man. We on our own.
Every mosquito on his own.
BARRY:
- What if you get in trouble?
MOOSEBLOOD:
- You a mosquito, you in trouble.
:
Nobody likes us. They just smack.
See a mosquito, smack, smack!
BARRY:
At least you're out in the world.
You must meet girls.
MOOSEBLOOD:
Mosquito girls try to trade up,
get with a moth, dragonfly.
:
Mosquito girl don't want no mosquito.
(An ambulance passes by and it has a blood donation sign on it)
You got to be kidding me!
:
Mooseblood's about to leave
the building! So long, bee!
(Mooseblood leaves and flies onto the window of the ambulance where there
are other mosquito's hanging out)
:
- Hey, guys!
OTHER MOSQUITO:
- Mooseblood!
MOOSEBLOOD:
I knew I'd catch y'all down here.
Did you bring your crazy straw?
(The truck goes out of view and Barry notices that the truck he's on is
pulling into a camp of some sort)
TRUCK DRIVER:
We throw it in jars, slap a label on it,
and it's pretty much pure profit.
(Barry flies out)
BARRY:
What is this place?
BEEKEEPER 1#:
A bee's got a brain
the size of a pinhead.
BEEKEEPER #2:
They are pinheads!
:
Pinhead.
:
- Check out the new smoker.
BEEKEEPER #1:
- Oh, sweet. That's the one you want.
:
The Thomas 3000!
BARRY:
Smoker?
BEEKEEPER #1:
Ninety puffs a minute, semi-automatic.
Twice the nicotine, all the tar.
:
A couple breaths of this
knocks them right out.
BEEKEEPER #2:
They make the honey,
and we make the money.
BARRY:
"They make the honey,
and we make the money"?
(The Beekeeper sprays hundreds of cheap miniature apartments with the
smoker. The bees are fainting or passing out)
Oh, my!
:
What's going on? Are you OK?
(Barry flies into one of the apartment and helps a Bee couple get off the
ground. They are coughing and its hard for them to stand)
BEE IN APARTMENT:
Yeah. It doesn't last too long.
BARRY:
Do you know you're
in a fake hive with fake walls?
BEE IN APPARTMENT:
Our queen was moved here.
We had no choice.
(The apartment room is completely empty except for a photo on the wall of
the "queen" who is obviously a man in women's clothes)
BARRY:
This is your queen?
That's a man in women's clothes!
:
That's a drag queen!
:
What is this?
(Barry flies out and he discovers that there are hundreds of these
structures, each housing thousands of Bees)
Oh, no!
:
There's hundreds of them!
(Barry takes out his camera and takes pictures of these Bee work camps. The
beekeepers look very evil in these depictions)
Bee honey.
:
Our honey is being brazenly stolen
on a massive scale!
:
This is worse than anything bears
have done! I intend to do something.
(Flash forward in time and Barry is showing these pictures to his parents)
JANET:
Oh, Barry, stop.
MARTIN:
Who told you humans are taking
our honey? That's a rumor.
BARRY:
Do these look like rumors?
(Holds up the pictures)
UNCLE CARL:
That's a conspiracy theory.
These are obviously doctored photos.
JANET:
How did you get mixed up in this?
ADAM:
He's been talking to humans.
JANET:
- What?
MARTIN:
- Talking to humans?!
ADAM:
He has a human girlfriend.
And they make out!
JANET:
Make out? Barry!
BARRY:
We do not.
ADAM:
- You wish you could.
MARTIN:
- Whose side are you on?
BARRY:
The bees!
UNCLE CARL:
(He has been sitting in the back of the room this entire time)
I dated a cricket once in San Antonio.
Those crazy legs kept me up all night.
JANET:
Barry, this is what you want
to do with your life?
BARRY:
I want to do it for all our lives.
Nobody works harder than bees!
:
Dad, I remember you
coming home so overworked
:
your hands were still stirring.
You couldn't stop.
JANET:
I remember that.
BARRY:
What right do they have to our honey?
:
We live on two cups a year. They put it
in lip balm for no reason whatsoever!
ADAM:
Even if it's true, what can one bee do?
BARRY:
Sting them where it really hurts.
MARTIN:
In the face! The eye!
:
- That would hurt.
BARRY:
- No.
MARTIN:
Up the nose? That's a killer.
BARRY:
There's only one place you can sting
the humans, one place where it matters.
(Flash forward a bit in time and we are watching the Bee News)
BEE NEWS NARRATOR:
Hive at Five, the hive's only
full-hour action news source.
BEE PROTESTOR:
No more bee beards!
BEE NEWS NARRATOR:
With Bob Bumble at the anchor desk.
:
Weather with Storm Stinger.
:
Sports with Buzz Larvi.
:
And Jeanette Chung.
BOB BUMBLE:
- Good evening. I'm Bob Bumble.
JEANETTE CHUNG:
- And I'm Jeanette Chung.
BOB BUMBLE:
A tri-county bee, Barry Benson,
:
intends to sue the human race
for stealing our honey,
:
packaging it and profiting
from it illegally!
JEANETTE CHUNG:
Tomorrow night on Bee Larry King,
:
we'll have three former queens here in
our studio, discussing their new book,
:
Classy Ladies,
out this week on Hexagon.
(The scene changes to an interview on the news with Bee version of Larry
King and Barry)
BEE LARRY KING:
Tonight we're talking to Barry Benson.
:
Did you ever think, "I'm a kid
from the hive. I can't do this"?
BARRY:
Bees have never been afraid
to change the world.
:
What about Bee Columbus?
Bee Gandhi? Bejesus?
BEE LARRY KING:
Where I'm from, we'd never sue humans.
:
We were thinking
of stickball or candy stores.
BARRY:
How old are you?
BEE LARRY KING:
The bee community
is supporting you in this case,
:
which will be the trial
of the bee century.
BARRY:
You know, they have a Larry King
in the human world too.
BEE LARRY KING:
It's a common name. Next week...
BARRY:
He looks like you and has a show
and suspenders and colored dots...
BEE LARRY KING:
Next week...
BARRY:
Glasses, quotes on the bottom from the
guest even though you just heard 'em.
BEE LARRY KING:
Bear Week next week!
They're scary, hairy and here, live.
(Bee Larry King gets annoyed and flies away offscreen)
BARRY:
Always leans forward, pointy shoulders,
squinty eyes, very Jewish.
(Flash forward in time. We see Vanessa enter and Ken enters behind her.
They are arguing)
KEN:
In tennis, you attack
at the point of weakness!
VANESSA:
It was my grandmother, Ken. She's 81.
KEN==
Honey, her backhand's a joke!
I'm not gonna take advantage of that?
BARRY:
(To Ken)
Quiet, please.
Actual work going on here.
KEN:
(Pointing at Barry)
- Is that that same bee?
VANESSA:
- Yes, it is!
:
I'm helping him sue the human race.
BARRY:
- Hello.
KEN:
- Hello, bee.
VANESSA:
This is Ken.
BARRY:
(Recalling the "Winter Boots" incident earlier)
Yeah, I remember you. Timberland, size
ten and a half. Vibram sole, I believe.
KEN:
(To Vanessa)
Why does he talk again?
VANESSA:
Listen, you better go
'cause we're really busy working.
KEN:
But it's our yogurt night!
VANESSA:
(Holding door open for Ken)
Bye-bye.
KEN:
(Yelling)
Why is yogurt night so difficult?!
(Ken leaves and Vanessa walks over to Barry. His workplace is a mess)
VANESSA:
You poor thing.
You two have been at this for hours!
BARRY:
Yes, and Adam here
has been a huge help.
ADAM:
- Frosting...
- How many sugars?
==BARRY==
Just one. I try not
to use the competition.
:
So why are you helping me?
VANESSA:
Bees have good qualities.
:
And it takes my mind off the shop.
:
Instead of flowers, people
are giving balloon bouquets now.
BARRY:
Those are great, if you're three.
VANESSA:
And artificial flowers.
BARRY:
- Oh, those just get me psychotic!
VANESSA:
- Yeah, me too.
:
BARRY:
Bent stingers, pointless pollination.
ADAM:
Bees must hate those fake things!
:
Nothing worse
than a daffodil that's had work done.
:
Maybe this could make up
for it a little bit.
VANESSA:
- This lawsuit's a pretty big deal.
BARRY:
- I guess.
ADAM:
You sure you want to go through with it?
BARRY:
Am I sure? When I'm done with
the humans, they won't be able
:
to say, "Honey, I'm home,"
without paying a royalty!
(Flash forward in time and we are watching the human news. The camera shows
a crowd outside a courthouse)
NEWS REPORTER:
It's an incredible scene
here in downtown Manhattan,
:
where the world anxiously waits,
because for the first time in history,
:
we will hear for ourselves
if a honeybee can actually speak.
(We are no longer watching through a news camera)
ADAM:
What have we gotten into here, Barry?
BARRY:
It's pretty big, isn't it?
ADAM==
(Looking at the hundreds of people around the courthouse)
I can't believe how many humans
don't work during the day.
BARRY:
You think billion-dollar multinational
food companies have good lawyers?
SECURITY GUARD:
Everybody needs to stay
behind the barricade.
(A limousine drives up and a fat man,Layton Montgomery, a honey industry
owner gets out and walks past Barry)
ADAM:
- What's the matter?
BARRY:
- I don't know, I just got a chill.
(Fast forward in time and everyone is in the court)
MONTGOMERY:
Well, if it isn't the bee team.
(To Honey Industry lawyers)
You boys work on this?
MAN:
All rise! The Honorable
Judge Bumbleton presiding.
JUDGE BUMBLETON:
All right. Case number 4475,
:
Superior Court of New York,
Barry Bee Benson v. the Honey Industry
:
is now in session.
:
Mr. Montgomery, you're representing
the five food companies collectively?
MONTGOMERY:
A privilege.
JUDGE BUMBLETON:
Mr. Benson... you're representing
all the bees of the world?
(Everyone looks closely, they are waiting to see if a Bee can really talk)
(Barry makes several buzzing sounds to sound like a Bee)
BARRY:
I'm kidding. Yes, Your Honor,
we're ready to proceed.
JUDGE BUMBLBETON:
Mr. Montgomery,
your opening statement, please.
MONTGOMERY:
Ladies and gentlemen of the jury,
:
my grandmother was a simple woman.
:
Born on a farm, she believed
it was man's divine right
:
to benefit from the bounty
of nature God put before us.
:
If we lived in the topsy-turvy world
Mr. Benson imagines,
:
just think of what would it mean.
:
I would have to negotiate
with the silkworm
:
for the elastic in my britches!
:
Talking bee!
(Montgomery walks over and looks closely at Barry)
:
How do we know this isn't some sort of
:
holographic motion-picture-capture
Hollywood wizardry?
:
They could be using laser beams!
:
Robotics! Ventriloquism!
Cloning! For all we know,
:
he could be on steroids!
JUDGE BUMBLETON:
Mr. Benson?
BARRY:
Ladies and gentlemen,
there's no trickery here.
:
I'm just an ordinary bee.
Honey's pretty important to me.
:
It's important to all bees.
We invented it!
:
We make it. And we protect it
with our lives.
:
Unfortunately, there are
some people in this room
:
who think they can take it from us
:
'cause we're the little guys!
I'm hoping that, after this is all over,
:
you'll see how, by taking our honey,
you not only take everything we have
:
but everything we are!
JANET==
(To Martin)
I wish he'd dress like that
all the time. So nice!
JUDGE BUMBLETON:
Call your first witness.
BARRY:
So, Mr. Klauss Vanderhayden
of Honey Farms, big company you have.
KLAUSS VANDERHAYDEN:
I suppose so.
BARRY:
I see you also own
Honeyburton and Honron!
KLAUSS:
Yes, they provide beekeepers
for our farms.
BARRY:
Beekeeper. I find that
to be a very disturbing term.
:
I don't imagine you employ
any bee-free-ers, do you?
KLAUSS:
(Quietly)
- No.
BARRY:
- I couldn't hear you.
KLAUSS:
- No.
BARRY:
- No.
:
Because you don't free bees.
You keep bees. Not only that,
:
it seems you thought a bear would be
an appropriate image for a jar of honey.
KLAUSS:
They're very lovable creatures.
:
Yogi Bear, Fozzie Bear, Build-A-Bear.
BARRY:
You mean like this?
(The bear from Over The Hedge barges in through the back door and it is
roaring and standing on its hind legs. It is thrashing its claws and people
are screaming. It is being held back by a guard who has the bear on a
chain)
:
(Pointing to the roaring bear)
Bears kill bees!
:
How'd you like his head crashing
through your living room?!
:
Biting into your couch!
Spitting out your throw pillows!
JUDGE BUMBLETON:
OK, that's enough. Take him away.
(The bear stops roaring and thrashing and walks out)
BARRY:
So, Mr. Sting, thank you for being here.
Your name intrigues me.
:
- Where have I heard it before?
MR. STING:
- I was with a band called The Police.
BARRY:
But you've never been
a police officer, have you?
STING:
No, I haven't.
BARRY:
No, you haven't. And so here
we have yet another example
:
of bee culture casually
stolen by a human
:
for nothing more than
a prance-about stage name.
STING:
Oh, please.
BARRY:
Have you ever been stung, Mr. Sting?
:
Because I'm feeling
a little stung, Sting.
:
Or should I say... Mr. Gordon M. Sumner!
MONTGOMERY:
That's not his real name?! You idiots!
BARRY:
Mr. Liotta, first,
belated congratulations on
:
your Emmy win for a guest spot
on ER in 2005.
RAY LIOTTA:
Thank you. Thank you.
BARRY:
I see from your resume
that you're devilishly handsome
:
with a churning inner turmoil
that's ready to blow.
RAY LIOTTA:
I enjoy what I do. Is that a crime?
BARRY:
Not yet it isn't. But is this
what it's come to for you?
:
Exploiting tiny, helpless bees
so you don't
:
have to rehearse
your part and learn your lines, sir?
RAY LIOTTA:
Watch it, Benson!
I could blow right now!
BARRY:
This isn't a goodfella.
This is a badfella!
(Ray Liotta looses it and tries to grab Barry)
RAY LIOTTA:
Why doesn't someone just step on
this creep, and we can all go home?!
JUDGE BUMBLETON:
- Order in this court!
RAY LIOTTA:
- You're all thinking it!
(Judge Bumbleton starts banging her gavel)
JUDGE BUMBLETON:
Order! Order, I say!
RAY LIOTTA:
- Say it!
MAN:
- Mr. Liotta, please sit down!
(We see a montage of magazines which feature the court case)
(Flash forward in time and Barry is back home with Vanessa)
BARRY:
I think it was awfully nice
of that bear to pitch in like that.
VANESSA:
I think the jury's on our side.
BARRY:
Are we doing everything right,you know, legally?
VANESSA:
I'm a florist.
BARRY:
Right. Well, here's to a great team.
VANESSA:
To a great team!
(Ken walks in from work. He sees Barry and he looks upset when he sees
Barry clinking his glass with Vanessa)
KEN:
Well, hello.
VANESSA:
- Oh, Ken!
BARRY:
- Hello!
VANESSA:
I didn't think you were coming.
:
No, I was just late.
I tried to call, but...
(Ken holds up his phone and flips it open. The phone has no charge)
...the battery...
VANESSA:
I didn't want all this to go to waste,
so I called Barry. Luckily, he was free.
KEN:
Oh, that was lucky.
(Ken sits down at the table across from Barry and Vanessa leaves the room)
VANESSA:
There's a little left.
I could heat it up.
KEN:
(Not taking his eyes off Barry)
Yeah, heat it up, sure, whatever.
BARRY:
So I hear you're quite a tennis player.
:
I'm not much for the game myself.
The ball's a little grabby.
KEN:
That's where I usually sit.
Right...
(Points to where Barry is sitting)
there.
VANESSA:
(Calling from other room)
Ken, Barry was looking at your resume,
:
and he agreed with me that eating with
chopsticks isn't really a special skill.
KEN:
(To Barry)
You think I don't see what you're doing?
BARRY:
I know how hard it is to find
the right job. We have that in common.
KEN:
Do we?
BARRY:
Bees have 100 percent employment,
but we do jobs like taking the crud out.
KEN:
(Menacingly)
That's just what
I was thinking about doing.
(Ken reaches for a fork on the table but knocks if on the floor. He goes to
pick it up)
VANESSA:
Ken, I let Barry borrow your razor
for his fuzz. I hope that was all right.
(Ken quickly rises back up after hearing this but hits his head on the
table and yells)
BARRY:
I'm going to drain the old stinger.
KEN:
Yeah, you do that.
(Barry flies past Ken to get to the bathroom and Ken freaks out, splashing
some of the wine he was using to cool his head in his eyes. He yells in
anger)
(Barry looks at the magazines featuring his victories in court)
BARRY:
Look at that.
(Barry flies into the bathroom)
(He puts his hand on his head but this makes hurts him and makes him even
madder. He yells again)
(Barry is washing his hands in the sink but then Ken walks in)
KEN:
You know, you know I've just about had it
(Closes bathroom door behind him)
with your little mind games.
(Ken is menacingly rolling up a magazine)
BARRY:
(Backing away)
- What's that?
KEN:
- Italian Vogue.
BARRY:
Mamma mia, that's a lot of pages.
KEN:
It's a lot of ads.
BARRY:
Remember what Van said, why is
your life more valuable than mine?
KEN:
That's funny, I just can't seem to recall that!
(Ken smashes everything off the sink with the magazine and Barry narrowly
escapes)
(Ken follows Barry around and tries to hit him with the magazine but he
keeps missing)
(Ken gets a spray bottle)
:
I think something stinks in here!
BARRY:
(Enjoying the spray)
I love the smell of flowers.
(Ken holds a lighter in front of the spray bottle)
KEN:
How do you like the smell of flames?!
BARRY:
Not as much.
(Ken fires his make-shift flamethrower but misses Barry, burning the
bathroom. He torches the whole room but looses his footing and falls into
the bathtub. After getting hit in the head by falling objects 3 times he
picks up the shower head, revealing a Water bug hiding under it)
WATER BUG:
Water bug! Not taking sides!
(Barry gets up out of a pile of bathroom supplies and he is wearing a
chapstick hat)
BARRY:
Ken, I'm wearing a Chapstick hat!
This is pathetic!
(Ken switches the shower head to lethal)
KEN:
I've got issues!
(Ken sprays Barry with the shower head and he crash lands into the toilet)
(Ken menacingly looks down into the toilet at Barry)
Well, well, well, a royal flush!
BARRY:
- You're bluffing.
KEN:
- Am I?
(flushes toilet)
(Barry grabs a chapstick from the toilet seat and uses it to surf in the
flushing toilet)
BARRY:
Surf's up, dude!
(Barry flies out of the toilet on the chapstick and sprays Ken's face with
the toilet water)
:
EW,Poo water!
BARRY:
That bowl is gnarly.
KEN:
(Aiming a toilet cleaner at Barry)
Except for those dirty yellow rings!
(Barry cowers and covers his head and Vanessa runs in and takes the toilet
cleaner from Ken just before he hits Barry)
VANESSA:
Kenneth! What are you doing?!
KEN==
(Leaning towards Barry)
You know, I don't even like honey!
I don't eat it!
VANESSA:
We need to talk!
(Vanessa pulls Ken out of the bathroom)
:
He's just a little bee!
:
And he happens to be
the nicest bee I've met in a long time!
KEN:
Long time? What are you talking about?!
Are there other bugs in your life?
VANESSA:
No, but there are other things bugging
me in life. And you're one of them!
KEN:
Fine! Talking bees, no yogurt night...
:
My nerves are fried from riding
on this emotional roller coaster!
VANESSA:
Goodbye, Ken.
(Ken huffs and walks out and slams the door. But suddenly he walks back in
and stares at Barry)
:
And for your information,
I prefer sugar-free, artificial
sweeteners MADE BY MAN!
(Ken leaves again and Vanessa leans in towards Barry)
VANESSA:
I'm sorry about all that.
(Ken walks back in again)
KEN:
I know it's got
an aftertaste! I LIKE IT!
(Ken leaves for the last time)
VANESSA:
I always felt there was some kind
of barrier between Ken and me.
:
I couldn't overcome it.
Oh, well.
:
Are you OK for the trial?
BARRY:
I believe Mr. Montgomery
is about out of ideas.
(Flash forward in time and Barry, Adam, and Vanessa are back in court)
MONTGOMERY--
We would like to call
Mr. Barry Benson Bee to the stand.
ADAM:
Good idea! You can really see why he's
considered one of the best lawyers...
(Barry stares at Adam)
...Yeah.
LAWYER:
Layton, you've
gotta weave some magic
with this jury,
or it's gonna be all over.
MONTGOMERY:
Don't worry. The only thing I have
to do to turn this jury around
:
is to remind them
of what they don't like about bees.
(To lawyer)
- You got the tweezers?
LAWYER:
- Are you allergic?
MONTGOMERY:
Only to losing, son. Only to losing.
:
Mr. Benson Bee, I'll ask you
what I think we'd all like to know.
:
What exactly is your relationship
(Points to Vanessa)
:
to that woman?
BARRY:
We're friends.
MONTGOMERY:
- Good friends?
BARRY:
- Yes.
MONTGOMERY:
How good? Do you live together?
ADAM:
Wait a minute...
:
MONTGOMERY:
Are you her little...
:
...bedbug?
(Adam's stinger starts vibrating. He is agitated)
I've seen a bee documentary or two.
From what I understand,
:
doesn't your queen give birth
to all the bee children?
BARRY:
- Yeah, but...
MONTGOMERY:
(Pointing at Janet and Martin)
- So those aren't your real parents!
JANET:
- Oh, Barry...
BARRY:
- Yes, they are!
ADAM:
Hold me back!
(Vanessa tries to hold Adam back. He wants to sting Montgomery)
MONTGOMERY:
You're an illegitimate bee,
aren't you, Benson?
ADAM:
He's denouncing bees!
MONTGOMERY:
Don't y'all date your cousins?
(Montgomery leans over on the jury stand and stares at Adam)
VANESSA:
- Objection!
(Vanessa raises her hand to object but Adam gets free. He flies straight at
Montgomery)
=ADAM:
- I'm going to pincushion this guy!
BARRY:
Adam, don't! It's what he wants!
(Adam stings Montgomery in the butt and he starts thrashing around)
MONTGOMERY:
Oh, I'm hit!!
:
Oh, lordy, I am hit!
JUDGE BUMBLETON:
(Banging gavel)
Order! Order!
MONTGOMERY:
(Overreacting)
The venom! The venom
is coursing through my veins!
:
I have been felled
by a winged beast of destruction!
:
You see? You can't treat them
like equals! They're striped savages!
:
Stinging's the only thing
they know! It's their way!
BARRY:
- Adam, stay with me.
ADAM:
- I can't feel my legs.
MONTGOMERY:
(Overreacting and throwing his body around the room)
What angel of mercy
will come forward to suck the poison
:
from my heaving buttocks?
JUDGE BUMLBETON:
I will have order in this court. Order!
:
Order, please!
(Flash forward in time and we see a human news reporter)
NEWS REPORTER:
The case of the honeybees
versus the human race
:
took a pointed turn against the bees
:
yesterday when one of their legal
team stung Layton T. Montgomery.
(Adam is laying in a hospital bed and Barry flies in to see him)
BARRY:
- Hey, buddy.
ADAM:
- Hey.
BARRY:
- Is there much pain?
ADAM:
- Yeah.
:
I...
:
I blew the whole case, didn't I?
BARRY:
It doesn't matter. What matters is
you're alive. You could have died.
ADAM:
I'd be better off dead. Look at me.
(A small plastic sword is replaced as Adam's stinger)
They got it from the cafeteria
downstairs, in a tuna sandwich.
:
Look, there's
a little celery still on it.
(Flicks off the celery and sighs)
BARRY:
What was it like to sting someone?
ADAM:
I can't explain it. It was all...
:
All adrenaline and then...
and then ecstasy!
BARRY:
...All right.
ADAM:
You think it was all a trap?
BARRY:
Of course. I'm sorry.
I flew us right into this.
The 2019–2020 northwestern Syria offensive, codenamed "Dawn of Idlib 2,"[11] was a military operation launched by the armed forces of the Syrian Arab Republic, Russia, Iran, Hezbollah and other allied militias against Syrian opposition and allied fighters of the Syrian National Army, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, Rouse the Believers Operations Room, the Turkistan Islamic Party, and other rebel and Salafi jihadist[76] forces in Idlib and surrounding governorates during the Syrian civil war. The offensive began on 19 December 2019 and saw Russian-backed pro-Syrian government forces clash with Turkish-backed opposition groups along with leaving 980,000 civilians displaced.[77][78]
By February 2020, pro-government forces had encircled several Turkish observation posts that had been established throughout Idlib.[79][80] On 27 February, after intermittent deadly clashes between Turkish and Syrian forces, Turkey formally intervened in the offensive and announced the beginning of Operation Spring Shield with the aim of pushing Syrian government forces back to pre-offensive frontlines.[81]
On 5 March 2020, a meeting took place between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Russian President Vladimir Putin in which they agreed on a ceasefire beginning on 6 March that established a six-kilometer secure corridor along the M4 Highway. The ceasefire also called for joint Turkish–Russian patrols along the highway beginning on 15 March.[82]
Background
Main articles: Idlib demilitarization (2018–2019) and Northwestern Syria offensive (April–August 2019)
Following Syrian government victories in 2018 during the siege of Eastern Ghouta, the Southern Damascus offensive, and the completion of rebel evacuations from eastern Qalamoun—which partially concluded the government's Rif Dimashq Governorate campaign—parts of northwestern Syria in the Idlib and Aleppo Governorates became the only significant opposition-controlled territory. Fighters of the Syrian National Army loyal to the Syrian Interim Government (concentrated in Aleppo) and some 20,000 fighters aligned with the internationally-proscribed terrorist organization Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and loyal to the Syrian Salvation Government (concentrated in Idlib) held out against Bashar al-Assad's government and its allies, with a civilian population of three million living in the area.[83][84]
According to a Reuters analysis, the January 2019 takeover of Idlib by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham ended any realistic prospect of fulfilling the requirements of the 2018 Turko-Russian Agreement, which called for the disarming of the jihadist faction and reopening of the strategic M4 and M5 highways.[85] The offensive that began in December 2019 was aimed at reopening the highways to civilian traffic, as well as the final elimination of rebel control over the territory.[83][86]
Prelude
On 20 November 2019, Qah was struck by a ground-to-ground missile from the Syrian government with Russian and Iranian support.[87] It killed at least 16 people.[88] The United States strongly condemned the attack.[89]
On 24 November 2019, pro-Syrian government forces, supported by Russian airstrikes, entered the villages of Umm Elkhalayel, Zarzur, al-Sayeer and Msheirfeh, causing dozens of casualties on both sides.[90][91] The next day, a second advance was attempted by government forces targeting the village of al-Farjah, which Syrian state media reported as being under the control of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS).[92][better source needed]
On 26 November, opposition media reported that the rebel Al-Fatah al-Mubin Operations Room repelled another attempted government advance on the Sahel village in Idlib's southeastern countryside.[93]
On 28 November, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham announced repelling a joint Iranian militia-Syrian advance on Kabani in northeastern Latakia Governorate, with pro-government forces withdrawing after hours of clashes. Russian warplanes were also reportedly seen during the assault, according to opposition sources.[94]
On 30 November, HTS and other rebel groups reportedly captured several villages near the Abu al-Duhur Military Airbase, according to pro-government sources.[95]
On 1 December, according to government sources,[which?] HTS, the Turkish-backed National Front for Liberation (NFL), Ajnad al-Kavkaz, and Ansar al-Tawhid attacked government-controlled villages, with fierce clashes occurring in the towns of Establat and Rassem Wared in which two tanks and five transport vehicles were reportedly destroyed; during the rebel advance, the Syrian military said it destroyed two SVBIEDs (suicide car bombs) near the town of Kafriya. The joint rebel offensive was ultimately repelled.[96]
On 4 December, clashes occurred[97] as the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) seized a military base east of Umm al-Tinah village.[98][better source needed]
On 9 December, pro-government sources reported that the military bombarded rebel-held areas in the southern Idlib countryside, as well as portions of the western Aleppo countryside and parts of Aleppo city's outskirts.[99]
The offensive
Pro-government airstrikes in the region began to intensify on 15 December 2019.[100] Meanwhile, on 17 December, Russian intelligence reported that 300 fighters from the Turkish-backed Syrian National Army (SNA) arrived in Idlib from Afrin in preparation for renewed fighting.[101]
Following the air bombing campaign and after the 14th round of negotiations in Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan ended a few days prior without any definitive ceasefire agreement, ground fighting resumed on 18 December, reportedly due to the opposition's refusal to accept new Russian terms regarding control of Idlib.[102] As many as 200 Hayat Tahrir al-Sham and Guardians of Religion Organization fighters jointly attacked Syrian government forces in the Umm al Khalakhil and Zarzur fronts. The Syrian military said they had repelled all attacks and that 12 pro-government fighters were injured and hospitalized.
Opening advances
On 19 December, pro-government media reported that the Syrian government had initiated the "second phase" of Operation Dawn of Idlib, the prior government offensive in summer 2019, with pro-government forces led by the 25th Special Mission Forces Division (formerly known as the Tiger Forces) attacking several villages in southeastern Idlib Governorate, particularly along the Umm Jalal axis. A Syrian military source said the objective of the operation was to capture territory south of Ma'arrat al-Nu'man, a key rebel stronghold on the M5 highway.[103][104] There were Russian airstrikes on Tal Mardikh in the eastern Idlib countryside and the village of Marshamarin in southern Idlib, and government helicopter barrel bomb attacks on Jarjnaz and al-Ghadfah, as well as bombing of Ma'arrat al-Nu'man.[105] 80 people were reported killed on both sides on 20–21 December, including in heavy air strikes on Ma'arrat al-Nu'man and Saraqib.[106] Russia reported that 17 Syrian soldiers were killed.[28]
On 21 December, according to pro-government sources, several pro-government fighters were killed in an ambush by the National Front for Liberation (NFL) in Latakia, with several light weapons also captured.[107] Meanwhile, HTS claimed a suicide attack in the village of al-Furqa, southeast of Idlib, which reportedly killed 30 Syrian government fighters.[28]
By 22 December, government forces spearheaded by the 5th Corps and the 25th Special Mission Forces Division had made notable advances in the southeastern Idlib countryside, battling rebel units in the area and reportedly capturing over 15 towns and villages within a 48-hour period. According to front line reports, the SAA death toll had risen to 40, with over 50 wounded. An SAA source said the rebels had suffered 70–80 dead.[108] During its advance, the Syrian army began encircling the Turkish observation point near Sarman.[109] Government sources reported the death of Colonel Basil Ali Khaddour, the commander of the sixth regiment of the 25th Special Mission Forces Division, while opposition media reported several of the Division's members killed.[28]
On 23 December, the Syrian army advanced further, completely surrounding the Turkish observation point near Sarman[110] and capturing Jarjnaz, considered the largest town in the eastern countryside of Ma'arrat al-Nu'man.[111][112]
On 24 December, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham and other opposition elements launched a morning counterattack to retake Jarjnaz, recapturing the villages of Tell Mannas, al-Barsah, Farwan, and al-Ghadfah in the process, according to SOHR; an SVBIED was deployed and attacked pro-government forces in Jarjnaz.[113] By 24 December, 30,000 people had fled from the areas around Ma'arrat al-Nu'man while airstrikes on the M5 highway reportedly targeted civilians fleeing north from the front lines.[114] Pro-government media reported that HTS withdrew from its defensive positions in and around Ma’arat Al-Nu’man as well as other defensive positions in the southern Idlib countryside, handing control over to Ansar al-Tawhid, part of the Rouse the Believers Operations Room.[115] The Deputy Defense Minister of the Syrian Interim Government said that HTS had blocked reinforcements sent by the SNA from areas in northern Aleppo such as Afrin and further alleged that the only SNA factions allowed into Idlib by HTS were the Levant Front, Ahrar al-Sharqiya and the Lions of the East Army. HTS denied the claims.[50]
On 25 December, the Russian Air Force reportedly bombed a military convoy of Ahrar al-Sham moving near the town of Kafr Nabl in southern Idlib, killing an unknown number of its field commanders and militants.[citation needed]
On 26 December, ground advancements largely halted and both sides began shelling each other's positions around Ma'arrat Al-Nu’man, with casualties reported on both sides. Pro-government forces began shelling the rebel-held towns of Bernan, Farwan, Barissa, and Halban.[116] Both government and opposition factions later reported that they paused their field operations in the Idlib region due to poor weather conditions. According to a Syrian army source, the air force was temporarily grounded because of limited visibility.[117] The NFL reportedly planned to launch a counterattack, but it was also called off due to poor weather conditions. Instead, they brought reinforcements to their positions.[118]
By the end of the month, hundreds of SNA fighters (two brigades) were transferred to Idlib as a result of an agreement with HTS, which had previously blocked the entry of SNA combatants.[119]
The government offensive was condemned by world leaders, including United States president Donald Trump, who tweeted that "Russia, Syria, and Iran are killing, or on their way to killing, thousands of innocent civilians in Idlib province."[103] By this stage, United Nations agencies were reporting that "mass evacuations" of pro-opposition families from front line areas "have left behind a landscape of ghost towns".[103]
Russia–Turkey ceasefire
According to a Russian major-general, a ceasefire was agreed with Turkey, which supported many of the rebel factions in the area, between late December 2019 and early January 2020; the ceasefire was introduced in the Idlib de-escalation zone on 9 January 2020. Turkey had sent a delegation to Moscow to establish a new ceasefire in the region.[120] Turkey's defense ministry announced that the ceasefire would take effect on 12 January and said that Syrian and Russian land and air attacks would halt at one minute past midnight.[121] The ceasefire was set to stem the flow of refugees from Idlib and allow the delivery of humanitarian aid to the region.[122]
On 11 January 2020, a day before the brokered ceasefire went into effect, Ansar al-Tawhid released a video of a mechanized attack against government positions in southeastern Idlib using heavy machine guns previously captured from the Syrian army. The group also reportedly ambushed a vehicle carrying government officers and successfully captured a position from government forces, seizing some small arms in the process.[7]
Post-ceasefire advances
Late on 15 January, post-ceasefire, the Syrian Arab Army and its allies resumed offensive actions in southern Idlib in response to a prior series of apparent ceasefire violations by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham and other militant groups. The Syrian Army captured the villages of Barsah and Nouhiya, located west of the Abu al-Duhur Military Airbase.[citation needed]
On 16 January, the Syrian army captured three towns in southeast Idlib after troops stormed the towns of Talkhatra, Abu Jurayf and Khirbat Dawud in the morning. The three towns were secured following several hours of clashes that killed 22 militants, including 16 jihadists, according to SOHR. HTS and its allies claimed to recapture Abu Jurayf in a counterattack that killed more than ten Syrian troops, due to the SAA failing to secure the town after initially storming it. On 17 January, the rebels captured Tal Musaytif from government forces, according to SOHR.[123]
Russia's defense ministry stated that a major clash had occurred on the evening of 22 January between Turkistan Islamic Party (TIP) forces—backed by 20 cars, tanks and two armored vehicles—and Syrian government forces. The ministry and Syrian state media added that the militants also used attack drones and car bombs and that the assault pushed the SAA out of two settlements in Idlib. The clashes reportedly left up to 50 fighters killed and 90 wounded while government forces lost 40 dead and 80 wounded. An NFL spokesman said the assault had taken place earlier in the week. A Syrian military source was cited as saying army units were redeployed to the area and eventually repelled the attacks "with high efficiency".[124] However, a "field source" in Hama quoted by pro-government media said he was not aware of any significant attack near the front lines and that rebels were mostly using artillery and rockets to strike the SAA's positions in the de-escalation zone.[125] On the same day the Rouse the Believers Operations Room released photos of captured equipment and also released a photo of a pro-government fighter's German identification card. The coalition also released video footage of mortar attacks against the government.[7]
Capture of Ma'arrat al-Nu'man
After a short lull, and after the Russia-Turkey ceasefire failed to materialize, the Syrian Arab Army renewed its ground offensive towards Ma'arrat al-Nu'man on 24 January, assisted by massive airstrikes. Ma'arrat al-Nu'man was of both strategic and symbolic importance due to its location on the strategic Aleppo-Damascus highway/motorway (M5)—one of Syria's economic arteries—and that it was a major center for anti-government protests against Assad's rule since the civil war began in 2011.[126]
Led by the 4th Armored Division, the Syrian army also launched new ground operations on the Aleppo axis on 25 January, opening with a massive artillery barrage on rebel defenses in the western Aleppo outskirts, spanning from the Al-Zahra'a Association Quarter to Rashiddeen 3 and 4 suburbs. The 4th Division conducted an armored assault on rebel defense lines near the Great Prophet Mosque, the local scientific research building, and Rashidden 3 suburb, but did not make any significant gains.[127]
Between 24 and 26 January, the Syrian army captured eight towns and villages in the Ma'arrat al-Nu'man countryside, including Tell Mannas, Ghadqa, and Maar Shamshah, and captured a section of the M5 highway north of the stronghold, cutting a major rebel communication and supply line from Idlib. According to SOHR, by 26 January, Russia had conducted 78 airstrikes targeting front lines around Ma'arrat al-Nu'man, south of Aleppo, and in the western countryside while Syrian helicopters reportedly deployed 52 barrel bombs in rural areas.[128] According to opposition activists and paramedics, Ma'arrat al-Nu'man was almost empty of its 110,000 civilian residents as a result of the intense government bombardment in prior weeks which displaced hundreds of thousands, many of which fled north towards the border with Turkey. By the end of 26 January, the SAA was less than a kilometer from the city.[129]
On 27 January, heavy clashes continued as government forces reached the eastern, northern and southern outskirts of Ma'arrat al-Nu'man, nearly encircling it. The 25th Special Mission Forces Division reportedly overran rebel defenses on the city's southern flank, capturing several towns and villages, including Sahyan, Kafr Basin, and Muqah, and capturing the majority of the M5 highway located south of the metro, except for the Turkish observation post at Maar Hattat. According to SOHR, pro-government forces were besieging Ma'arrat al-Nu'man from three sides and had captured 22 areas since 24 January; SOHR recorded 91 deaths among pro-government forces and 112 among the rebels, including 89 jihadists, since 24 January.[130][131][132] On the Aleppo front, there were reports in pro-government media of an ongoing battle near Khan Tuman between Hayat Tahrir al-Sham and the Syrian army, assisted by the National Defence Forces (NDF). The army attempted to capture the village after they seized several hills to its northeast.[44]
2:18
The Syrian Armed Forces' official statement on the capture of Ma'arrat al-Nu'man
On 28 January, the Syrian Arab Army and allies captured Kafr Rumah and the Wadi Deif military base following token rebel resistance. Pro-government forces subsequently stormed Ma'arrat al-Nu'man from three fronts, entering the city and capturing most of its districts after short clashes, according to Syrian state media. A Syrian military source said HTS and allied rebels mostly withdrew from the stronghold the day before, neglecting to defend the city proper, besides a small garrison. It was the first time Syrian government forces had control of the city since losing it on 10 October 2012. Rebel units subsequently counterattacked pro-government forces in the vicinity of the stronghold. SOHR said that at least 147 pro-government fighters and 151 opposition fighters were killed in the battle.[133][126][134][135]
The SAA continued to push west of Ma'arrat al-Nu'man, reportedly capturing Hantutin.[136] Meanwhile, the SAA reported it had reached the outskirts of Khan Tuman after capturing the last hills to its east during repeated assaults spearheaded by the Republican Guard's 30th Division.[137]
On 29 January, following the latest army advances, the SOHR reported that 57% of the Idlib Governorate remained under rebel control, while the other 43% was controlled by government forces. It stated that the Syrian Army had managed to capture over 40 kilometers of the M5 highway and only a 25-kilometer stretch held by rebel forces was preventing it from controlling the highway in its entirety. It also reported a government advance on the outskirts of Aleppo, but stated that it did not hold strategic significance.[138] Al-Masdar News reported that the Syrian Army had secured Ma'arrat al-Nu'man's flanks and further captured the town of al-Harradah.[139] An armed rebel group reportedly stormed Idlib Central Hospital, occupying it for military purposes for a few hours while Al-Shami Hospital in Ariha was reportedly struck by multiple airstrikes.[140]
Government forces also advanced towards Aleppo's western suburbs to push rebels away from the city.[126] The army reported a breakthrough in the Rashideen 5 suburb of Aleppo and advanced toward Rashideen 4, stating this advance was the first major SAA breakthrough on the previously deadlocked Aleppo front.[141]
A number of Hezbollah fighters were reported killed in this stage of the offensive. On 24 January, Jaafar al Sadiq, a Hezbollah commander, was reported killed; on 27 January, three more fighters' deaths in the Aleppo countryside were announced; a fifth Hezbollah death, in al-Zahraa, was subsequently announced.[142]
Army advance towards Saraqib and proposed Turkish deadline
On 30 January, the Syrian army reached the outskirts of the opposition stronghold of Saraqib, north of Ma'arrat al-Nu'man, after capturing the towns of Kafr Battikh, Tell Mardikh, Jobas, Qomhane, Hatamiyeh and Tell Dibs, pushing the front line to just three kilometers away from Saraqib's city center.[citation needed] Later in the day, the army advanced further in the southeastern Idlib countryside, capturing the al-Suater hilltop from Hayat Tahrir al-Sham and its allies. Turkey's president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan threatened to take direct military action in Idlib unless the government-led offensive ceased.[143] On the Aleppo front, HTS detonated a remote control car bomb and deployed SVBIEDs followed by rocket and mortar attacks into the northwestern Aleppo outskirts against Syrian government positions, opening a new front. The HTS-linked Ebaa News Agency released footage of HTS inghimasi fighters pledging to wage jihad until death before deploying for Aleppo to attack pro-government positions. Syrian state media claimed government forces destroyed four SVBIEDs before they reached their destination. HTS also claimed to have killed a number of Iranian-linked militia fighters in west Aleppo.[143] Meanwhile, according to pro-government sources, the remnant Nour al-Din al-Zenki rebel group, operating from Turkish-backed opposition-held areas in northern Aleppo, sent reinforcements to the western Aleppo countryside to help bolster area defenses.[144]
29-31 January saw sustained bombardments as the government and its allies carried out 200 strikes throughout Idlib; Russian airstrikes on Ariha reportedly struck a bakery and a medical facility. Civilians displaced from Saraqib and other towns were also reportedly targeted as they fled the war zone.[145][146]
On 1 February, in response to government gains on the ground, the Turkish military established three new observation posts around Saraqib.[147] On the same day, pro-government warplanes reportedly targeted al-Huda Hospital in the town of Hoor in the western countryside of Aleppo, destroying large parts of the building.[148] There was an HTS counter-offensive in Al-Zahraa in Aleppo governorate, in which several Local Defense Force (LDF) pro-government militia fighters were reported killed.[142] Four Russian FSB officers were reported killed the same day, also in the Aleppo countryside.[149]
On 2 February, fighting was reported between HTS and the LDF-affiliated Iranian-backed Baqir Brigade in the Aleppo countryside, in which a Brigade commander, Juma al Ahmad, was reported killed.[142] An Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Quds Force commander, Asghar Pashapour, was killed the same day in the Aleppo countryside.[150][142][151][152]
On 3 February, Syrian and Turkish forces exchanged fire in Idlib, Latakia and the northern Aleppo countryside. Turkey and the SOHR reported seven Turkish soldiers, one civilian contractor, and 13 Syrian soldiers were killed.[153][154][155] Turkey said it had carried out retaliation strikes south of Saraqib, and witnesses reported artillery shelling and one F16 entering Syrian airspace. According to SOHR, at least 13 Syrian soldiers were killed (with other monitors giving similar numbers), while according to the Turkish president 30-35 were killed and according to Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar 76 Syrian soldiers were "neutralized" and 57 Syrian military sites were bombed. Russia denied that any airstrikes had occurred at all[156][157][158] and the Russian Reconciliation Center for Syria and Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) denied Turkish claims of casualties among Syrian troops.[159][160] Turkey's president Erdogan described the attack on Turkish forces a "turning point in Syria for Turkey". He gave the Syrian government a deadline of the end of February to withdraw from the de-escalation zone and demanded that Russian forces in Idlib "stand aside"; he nevertheless dismissed the possibility of direct conflict with Russia saying Turkey and Russia would talk about the issue "without anger".[161][162]
Despite the Turkish operations, Syrian government forces continued its offensive in the southeastern part of Idlib Governorate and captured the villages of Ballisa, Tell Elaghar, an abandoned Air Defense base, Jadida Tal Khatra, Msheirfeh, Mardikh and Tell Mardikh on the same day.[163][better source needed] With this advance, the Syrian Army had captured 22 villages and towns including 110 square kilometers of territory.[citation needed] On the same day, according to medics and the SOHR, government airstrikes targeted civilian IDPs on the road near the village of Kafr Naya in the Aleppo countryside.[153] The next day, Russian warplanes reportedly struck the Sarmin Health Center, leading to the almost complete destruction of the building.[148]
Siege and capture of Saraqib
On 5 February, government forces captured around 20 settlements, including Resafah and several nearby villages, advancing east and north of Saraqib, isolating it from three directions.[164][165]
On 6 February, a pro-government blog reported that pro-government forces seized the area of Duwayr, cutting off the M5 highway north of Saraqib and leaving only the road through Sarmin open, which itself was under constant fire from the army.[citation needed] Later in the day, the 25th Special Mission Forces Division captured the town of Afs,[citation needed] fully encircling Saraqib and all rebel and Turkish forces stationed there, including the four recently established Turkish observation posts, and entered the city.[166] By 7 February, after two days of siege, government forces took most of the city, opening the road towards the city of Idlib.[167] Enab Baladi reported that seven Turkish soldiers were killed while Turkey repeated its end-of-February deadline for the Syrian government to withdraw from the de-escalation zone.[166]
Meanwhile, prominent rebel commander Obada Abu Jafar and eight other militants of an elite Ansar al-Tawhid unit were killed in fierce clashes with the Syrian Army while defending their positions in southern Idlib, according to a pro-government blog.[citation needed] On the same day, Israeli warplanes fired missiles near Damascus while targeting Iranian elements in the area. The Syrian government said Israel intended to "save the armed terrorist organisations which ha[d] been collapsing in Idlib and western Aleppo Governorate in front of the strikes of the Syrian Army".[168]
Army captures the M5 highway and continued Turkish clashes
On 7 February, the Syrian army, spearheaded by the 25th Special Forces Division and assisted by the Republican Guard and Hezbollah, made further advances, reportedly capturing the towns of Zaytan, Birnah, Makhalah and Huwayyir al-Eis in the southwestern Aleppo countryside and the towns of Maharim, Khawari, Tall al-Nabariz, Ijaz, Rasm al-Ward and Abbad in southeast Idlib.[citation needed] The 25th Special Forces Division also captured the towns of Karrathin, al-Dahiriyah and al-Thuriyah as well as the Ebla University complex on the administrative border between southeast Idlib and southwest Aleppo by the end of the day.[citation needed]
On 8 February, the army reportedly captured several sites along the strategic M5 highway as it advanced north of Saraqib. Government forces also reportedly crossed the M5 highway and entered the southwestern countryside of the Aleppo Governorate, the first time since 2013, from the southern approach.[169] On the northern approach, the army advanced on the town of Al-Eiss, capturing the towns of Maryudah, Tell Bajir, Kusiniya, al-Shiekh Ahmad, Abu Kannseh, Umm Atabah, Rasm al-Eis, Rasm al-Saharij and Jub Kas in the process.[citation needed] According to pro-government activists, Al-Eiss also hosted a Turkish observation post. The army subsequently captured Al-Eiss and the nearby hilltop.[citation needed] Pro-government forces later captured the town of Tell Hadiyah in the area while, on the Idlib front, continued their northern advance along the M5, capturing the town of Talhiyah.[citation needed] Meanwhile, Russian-Turkish talks in Ankara concluded after three hours with no progress made.[170][171]
On 9 February, in Idlib, pro-government sources said the army captured the towns of Buwaybiyah and al-Kusaybiyah as well as the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA) research center.[172][better source needed] Army units stormed and captured the towns of Barqum, al-Zarbah and al-Salehiyah along the M5.[citation needed] On the Aleppo front, pro-government forces captured the areas of Tal Kalariyah and Kalariyah and advanced on rebel positions in the Rashideen 4 district in west Aleppo.[173]
On 10 February, Syrian government forces shelled a recently built Turkish observation post at Taftanaz Military Airbase, killing five Turkish soldiers, according to the Turkish Defense Ministry.[174] According to the SOHR and other sources, six Turkish soldiers and four Syrian rebels were killed in the attack.[174][175][170] The attack destroyed military hardware and supplies including trucks, APCs and a main battle tank.[176][177] The Turkish Ministry of Defense said, but did not provide evidence, that 115 Syrian army sites and positions were targeted in retaliation, including destroying three tanks and two mortar positions, and that 101 Syrian soldiers were "neutralized".[178] Meanwhile, the Syrian army moved west from the M5 highway towards the Turkish border, led by the 25th Special Mission Forces Division, captured the towns of Kafr Halab, Meznaz, and another town from HTS and the NFL northeast of the ICARDA center, according to pro-government media,[179] in an attempt to split the northern and southern parts of Idlib into separate pockets.[170] On the night of 10–11 February, there were pro-government airstrikes on several towns in Idlib and Aleppo, killing at least 13 civilians[180] while a maternity hospital in Atarib was narrowly missed by government bombs and a health facility in Maret al-Nasan was destroyed in shelling,[181] according to NGOs.[182] An IDP camp in Kafr Aruq was also struck, killing a child, according to the United Nations.[183]
On 11 February, after asserting control over the Rashideen 4 district in western Aleppo and virtually converging the northern and southern front lines in the countryside,[184] it was widely reported that government forces controlled the entirety of the M5 highway for the first time since 2012; however, this was not claimed by government media and opposition sources said fighting continued in some northern areas.[185][186][180] A report on a Russian TV channel showed 25th Special Mission Forces Division troops, apparently wearing UNICEF backpacks distributed as relief supplies, entering Kafr Halab;[187] The Daily Telegraph reported the troops were deliberately shooting elderly civilians there.[188] On the same day, rebel groups launched a counteroffensive on the town of Nayrab, located west of Saraqib and south of Sarmin. Turkey claimed that 51 government fighters were killed in the rebel counteroffensive, and Turkish-backed rebel forces shot down a Syrian Mil Mi-17 helicopter, killing all on board.[180][58] Rebels were also reported to retake the town of Sheikh Dames, 20 miles south of Idlib city.[189] Later that day, the SAA captured Khan al-Asal, a key location on the M5 highway.[190][191] That night, the NGO Action on Armed Violence reported that airstrikes on Idlib city left 12 civilians (half of them children) dead and 32 injured;[192] government airstrikes on Darat Izza narrowly missed a hospital according to another NGO.[182] By this point, according to Reuters, the government had taken 600 square kilometers (230 square miles) of territory in the offensive, and 700,000 people, mostly women and children, had been displaced—the largest number in a single period since fighting began in 2012 according to the UN—while 200 had been killed.[180][193][194][195][196]
On 12 February, Turkey's president Erdogan announced: "I hereby declare that we will strike regime forces everywhere from now on regardless of the [2018] deal if any tiny bit of harm is dealt to our soldiers at observation posts or elsewhere."[197] By this stage, Turkey had stationed 30,000 troops at the Syrian border, and sent 5,000 reinforcements to Idlib, bringing the total to 9,000, as well as establishing new defensive positions around Idlib city.[171][170]
On 13 February, heavy bombardment and ground clashes forced the World Food Programme to pause their on-going relief efforts in Idlib, with Atareb especially severely affected.[198] The town of Takad was shelled by government forces for the first of many times, causing residents to flee, according to MSF.[199] The SAA, alongside the auxiliary Local Defense Forces and Liwa al-Quds, advanced north of Az Zarbah and captured Rif Muhandiseen and Kafr Jum along with several surrounding tactical points on the approach to the strategic Regiment 46 base, also known as Base 46, which fell to rebel forces in November 2012. Another army unit reportedly made a push on a separate axis in Aleppo.[200][201][202]
On 14 February, a second Syrian Mil Mi-17 helicopter was shot down with a guided missile near Qubtan al-Jabal, killing its crew. According to an activist, the helicopter was shot down after dropping two barrel bombs.[59] Between 14–15 February, pro-government shelling struck IDP camps located around the town of Sarmada, according to the UN and MSF.[199][183] During 13–16 February, the UN reported that 160,000 people fled from advancing front lines, mostly from Atareb and Darat Izza sub-districts.[183] The UN said a total of 100 civilians had been killed in the first two weeks of February by both air and ground-based strikes.[183]
Western Aleppo assault and rebel retreat
Following the complete capture of the strategic M5 highway, the Syrian army shifted its momentum towards securing Greater Aleppo, particularly the city's western outskirts.[203] Among opposition settlements targeted by airstrikes in this period were Turmanin, al-Dana, Kabtan al Jabal, al-Abzimo and Darat Izza.[204]
On 15 February, the army attacked opposition forces in the northern Aleppo countryside in Sheikh Aqil near Darat Izza from Bashmara, territory under joint Rojava and SAA control.[205]
On 16 February, pro-government forces achieved a major breakthrough on the Aleppo front by capturing more than 30 villages, towns and suburbs in the west Aleppo countryside in a single day amidst a sudden collapse in rebel defense lines.[206] By the evening, government forces, backed by continued Russian airstrikes, had managed to capture the last remaining rebel-held areas in Aleppo's western periphery, including towns and cities such as Haritan and Anadan, effectively concluding the period of intermittent clashes in the area that began with the Battle of Aleppo over seven years prior.[207] Pro-government media reported that after having many of their supply lines cut off, rebel forces fled west to avoid being encircled by the SAA, thus leaving the army in control of the Greater Aleppo area.[208] Meanwhile, Turkish media reported that a 100-vehicle convoy of reinforcements, including troops, tanks and other military vehicles and equipment, had been deployed to the Idlib area.[209] HTS claimed a suicide attack on Russian positions in Kafr Halab.[207]
On 17 February, President Bashar al-Assad addressed the nation in a rare televised speech, saying the military operations in Aleppo and Idlib governorates would continue regardless of Turkey's threats, and that the war was not yet over "but it means that we rubbed their noses in the dirt as a prelude for complete victory".[210][211] Syrian state media also shared images of Aleppo residents apparently celebrating the recent advances, which reportedly pushed rebel mortar teams out of adequate firing range of the city for the first time in years and, along with the capture of the M5, was set to facilitate future civilian movement between northern and southern Syria up to pre-war levels.[212] Meanwhile, according to NGOs, government forces bombed hospitals in Darat Izza.[182][213][214][199]
Frontline advances, 24 January–19 February 2020
On 19 February, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan announced that a Turkish intervention in Idlib was just "a matter of time".[215] Meanwhile, pro-opposition NGO Syrian Network for Human Rights (SNHR) reported a Syrian government airstrike on an IDP camp near Deir Hassan.[216]
Rebel counteroffensive towards Saraqib begins
On 20 February, Turkish-backed rebels launched another counteroffensive on Nayrab with Turkish artillery support.[217] Turkish commandos were also reported to have been operating alongside rebels in the assault on the town.[218] Russian planes provided air support to the pro-government forces and struck positions of the advancing rebels.[citation needed] Shelling on nearby towns on both the government-controlled and opposition-controlled sides of the frontline were reported, with both Russian and Turkish forces involved in air and artillery support roles respectively.[219] During the battle, rebel fighters attempted to shoot down a Russian Su-24 using MANPADS while also claiming to have downed two Russian UAVs with MANPADS.[220][221][222] After heavy fighting,[219] the rebels managed to briefly seize Nayrab. However, Russian air support allowed pro-government forces to eventually repel rebel ground elements and recapture the town.[223][224]
Russian news agency RIA Novosti said that the Russian Ministry of Defence contacted Turkish forces and asked them to end artillery support to the rebels and that they did so.[225] The Turkish Ministry of Defense confirmed that two Turkish soldiers had been killed and five wounded due to an airstrike during the assault,[226] while also claiming the Turkish-backed rebels killed 50 Syrian government forces during the overall battle for the town.[227] The Russian Defence Ministry said Russian elements destroyed one tank, six armored vehicles, and five other vehicles all belonging to the rebels.[228] As well as the two confirmed Turkish deaths,[229] the SOHR said that about 28 rebels and 14 pro-government soldiers were killed and that some captured Syrian soldiers were beheaded by jihadist fighters.[230]
Before the clashes, Turkey reportedly asked the United States to deploy two Patriot surface-to-air missile systems on the Syria–Turkey border to deter Russian forces.[231][232] However, the Russian state news agency reported that the Turkish Ministry of Defence had denied this.[233] Reuters also reported on-going talks between Turkey and Russia about Syrian airspace.[234] The same evening, Syrian government airstrikes were reported by SNHR on Hazarin—striking two schools—and nearby Ma'aret Harma, where a mosque was struck.[235][236]
On 22 February, Turkey reported that a Turkish soldier was killed (the sixteenth in the month) in a bomb attack by pro-Syrian government forces, and said it retaliated by destroying 21 government targets. Turkey said it would meet with Russian and European leaders in March to discuss the situation.[229]
Al-Ghab plain-Zawiya mountains assault, rebels recapture Saraqib
The Syrian army and allies continued their main ground advance on 23 February in the Zawiya mountains (Jabal al-Zawiya) and al-Ghab plain region near the southern Idlib-northwestern Hama administrative border. During operations, Syrian artillery reportedly targeted a Turkish Army column near Bara in which several Turkish soldiers and rebel fighters were injured and forced to withdraw.[237]
On 24 February, the Syrian army reported advances in southern Idlib, capturing the towns of al-Naqayar, Araynabiyah, and Sitouh Al-Dayr, south of Kafrsajna, along with nearby Ma'ar Taseen, Jabla and Maar Tamater, as rebels retreated westwards.[238][239] There were reports of 10 Turkish soldiers killed and wounded by Russian and Syrian jet strikes on the Turkish post in Kansafra. According to the SOHR, several Turkish vehicles were destroyed and damaged as well.[240][241] Turkish forces responded with rocket shelling on government positions.[242] Meanwhile, Turkish-backed rebels continued their push towards Saraqib. SOHR and al-Masdar reported that National Front for Liberation and Hayat Tahrir al-Sham forces, backed by the Turkish military, recaptured Nayrab from the SAA after eight hours and three waves of attacks[243][244] while Turkish sources attributed the recapture to NFL, saying that the Iranian-backed militias and government forces defending the town took "many" casualties.[245] SOHR said that 11 government and loyalist militia fighters and 26 rebels were killed, while al-Masdar claimed 150 rebels were killed.[244][243]
On 25 February, pro-government forces captured Kafr Nabl, a symbolically important stronghold for the Syrian opposition,[246] while SOHR reported that the Syrian army also took control of Sheikh Dames and Sheikh Mustafa.[247] In turn, rebel fighters reportedly recaptured the villages of San and Ma'arat Alia west of Saraqib.[248] Syrian and Turkish clashes continued as Syrian warplanes targeted Turkish forces in Taftanaz Military Airbase northeast of Idlib city, with no reports of casualties.[249] A Turkish Anka-S drone was also shot down in Dadekh, east of Idlib;[60] SANA reported the aircraft infiltrated Syrian airspace and was intercepted.[250] SNHR reported 25 civilians killed by government forces and its allies,[251] and 185 civilians were reportedly injured as airstrikes targeted eight schools and two nurseries in rebel-held areas throughout Idlib Governorate while two MSF hospitals in Idlib city and Maarrat Misrin sustained damage.[252][253][254][255]
On 26 February, Syrian government forces were reported to have captured 33 towns and villages in Idlib and Hama in the previous 60 hours, while a SOHR report said that a Turkish military column on the Bara–Kansafra road was targeted by government rockets, leaving a vehicle destroyed.[256] Two Turkish soldiers were killed, according to the Turkish foreign ministry.[257] SNHR reported that government artillery struck a hospital in Idlib city,[258] and that a total of 126 civilians had been killed by Russian and government forces in the 44 days since the end of the ceasefire on 12 January.[259]
While government forces made territorial gains in southern Idlib and northern Hama, opposition factions with support from Turkish elements had counterattacked on a separate front towards Saraqib and, on the dawn of 27 February, fully recaptured the strategic city and cut the Damascus-Aleppo M5 highway once again.[260][261] The counterattack also lifted the encirclement of the four Turkish observation posts established around the city's perimeter.[262] Frontlines continued to shift as the Syrian army's southern Idlib assault continued; pro-government forces captured 20 additional villages in the al-Ghab plain and Zawiya mountain region, establishing control over southern al-Ghab and regaining control of the entirety of Hama Governorate.[263][264]
Operation Spring Shield
Main articles: Operation Spring Shield and 2020 Balyun airstrikes
On 27 February, in a major escalation, at around 5:00 p.m. local, pro-government airstrikes targeted a Turkish mechanized infantry battalion, composed of about 400 soldiers, near a post in Balyun in the Zawiya mountains,[265] leaving at least 34 soldiers killed and others wounded, some seriously.[266][267][268][269] Other Turkish and rebel sources indicated 55 to 70 Turkish soldiers killed,[266][267] with some local reports as high as 100.[270] Several military vehicles were also reported destroyed.[271][272] While sources in Idlib and unverified footage of the strike suggested it had been conducted by the Russian air force, Russia denied responsibility and Turkey's leadership nevertheless held Syrian government forces responsible.[273][274][265][275] Meanwhile, Reuters cited witnesses as saying the government resumed airstrikes on residential areas of Idlib city the same evening.[276]
On 28 February, Turkey said it retaliated for the Balyun strikes by striking 200 Syrian government targets and "neutralizing" 309 soldiers in a dedicated operation throughout Greater Idlib.[271] Turkish drone and artillery strikes on Syrian army positions in the east and south of the governorate were reported to have targeted helicopters, tanks, armoured vehicles, howitzers, ammunition trucks and ammunition depots.[277] In contrast to Turkish numbers, the SOHR reported that 34 Syrian soldiers and 14 Hezbollah fighters (10 Lebanese nationals and four of other nationalities, including at least one Iranian) and an officer of the IRGC were killed by the Turkish counterattack. Hezbollah later confirmed eight of the deaths, including an Iranian cleric identified as Sayyed Ali Zengani, while pro-government media also reported Hezbollah deaths.[278][279][280][281][282][283] Iranian media also reported the deaths of 21 members of Liwa Fatemiyoun and Liwa Zainebiyoun brigades—Afghan and Pakistani Shiite forces supported by Iran—in the Turkish operation.[284] Turkish forces also bombed defense and scientific research laboratories in the as-Safira area of the eastern Aleppo countryside with SAMs[285] and claimed to have targeted the Kuweires and Abu al-Duhur military airbases in Aleppo Governorate.[286] Russian media reported Turkish ground troops using MANPADS while attempting to shoot down Russian and Syrian warplanes.[287][276] Overnight retaliatory Syrian government attacks killed a Turkish soldier and injured six more.[288]
Amid the sudden escalation, the United States expressed support for Turkey and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg told media following the North Atlantic Council meeting—requested by Turkey to hold consultations under Article 4 of NATO's founding Washington Treaty—that NATO continued to support Turkey with a range of measures, "including by augmenting its air defences".[289] Stoltenberg also urged Russia and the Syrian government "to stop the indiscriminate air attacks" and to engage with UN-led peace efforts, while the UN expressed concern at the developments.[271][289] Turkey further escalated regional tensions when it threatened to open its borders with Europe to allow Syrian refugees to leave, prompting Greece and Bulgaria to tighten border security.[290][291] The UN Secretary-General called for an immediate ceasefire and was backed by 13 UN Security Council members, but Russia and China vetoed the measure.[292] Russia stepped up naval and airborne deliveries to Syria, concerned that Turkey might shut the Bosporus to Russian shipping and Turkish airspace to Russian supply flights.[293]
On 29 February, Turkish-backed rebels recaptured several villages in al-Ghab plain, reversing recent government gains.[294] Meanwhile, according to SOHR, the number of Syrian army soldiers killed by the Turkish retaliation in the past 48 hours rose to 74. In addition, at least eight more Hezbollah fighters were killed on 29 February.[279][280][281]
By the end of February, Reuters put the total figure of Turkish soldiers killed at 55.[295]
No-fly zone in Idlib and battle for Saraqib
On 1 March, Turkey's defence minister Hulusi Akar announced the continuation of Operation Spring Shield, which was launched on 27 February.[296][297] Turkish F-16Cs shot down two Syrian Su-24M2 jets in the western Idlib countryside;[297][60][298] Syrian state-run media said that both pilots parachuted and survived.[299] On the same day, according to Turkey's state-owned Anadolu Agency, Turkish forces targeted the Nayrab military airport and allegedly rendered it unusable.[300] With increased Turkish operations, front line ground momentum in the southern Idlib countryside shifted in favor of the Syrian opposition. Pro-government media reported that rebel forces supported by Turkish elements retook the town of al-Amiqiyah with the aim of reversing government gains.[301] Pro-opposition sources said Turkish-backed rebels captured a further seven towns on the Zawiya mountain front[302] while Turkish media reported that nine villages were recaptured by the Syrian National Army in the first 24 hours of the new phase of the operation, naming Anqawi, al-Qahira, Al-Manara and Tal Zajran villages in the Hama countryside and Al-Halluba, Qoqfin, Kafr Avid, Sfuhan and Fattara in southern Idlib, destroying at least three SAA tanks and killing at least 46 government soldiers.[303]
Reportedly dozens of Turkish ANKA-S and Bayraktar-TB2 drones attacked government targets, and destroyed[304] several Russian-made air defence systems; and according to Turkey, targets included chemical weapons depots, although SOHR rejected that claim.[305][283][306][60] In response, Syria said it had shot down three Turkish drones.[297] Images on social media showed a Turkish TAI Anka drone shot down by Syrian Air Defenses,[307] and Turkey confirmed one drone was hit.[305] On the same day, Syria said it was closing its northwestern airspace and warned it would target any hostile aircraft.[297][308] The Chief of the Russian Reconciliation Center for Syria said that the Russian task force in Syria could not guarantee the safety of Turkish aircraft's flights over Syria.[309] Despite this, Turkey claimed to have attacked Nayrab airport, west of Aleppo city, and bombed Kuweires airport, east of Nayrab, "marking a significant expansion of Ankara's targets", according to Reuters.[297][299][310] SOHR reported 19 pro-government fighters were killed in strikes on a military convoy in the Zawiya mountain area and a base near Ma'arrat al-Nu'man.[311] Turkey claimed that 2,212 pro-government combatants had been "neutralized", i.e. killed, wounded or captured, since the resumption of Operation Spring Shield, while SOHR said that 74 Syrian army troops and pro-government fighters had been killed since 27 February; other monitors put the figure at around 150.[297][312][298]
Meanwhile, in Beirut, thousands of mourners attended the burial of five of the Hezbollah fighters killed in Idlib on 28 February[313][314] while pro-government sources reported that Hezbollah was reinforcing Syrian troops on the Saraqib front and was reportedly approaching Nayrab.[315][316][317][298]
On 2 March, opposition factions continued their counterattack in the strategically important al-Ghab-Zawiya mountain front while government forces simultaneously counterattacked on the Saraqib front further north; SOHR and the Syrian government reported that, backed by continued Russian air strikes, the SAA had recaptured parts of Saraqib.[318][319][320] In the late afternoon, Russia's Reconciliation Centre in Syria announced that Russian Military Police had been deployed to Saraqib[321] while the SNA claimed that Russian regular forces and mercenaries were part of the operation in the eastern part of the town.[322] Russia claimed the military police's task was to establish effectively a humanitarian corridor for civilians by securing safe passage of vehicles and civilians traveling along the M4 and M5 highways; this was notable since Russia had reduced its overall activities in Syria (apart from defending its own assets) after Erdogan and Vladimir Putin contacted each other on 28 February.[323] However, opposition sources told Reuters that clashes continued in western parts of the town and the SNA said it had prevented Russian Military Police from entering; SOHR said rebels were trying to regain control while Al Jazeera reported that rebels were in control of the western part of the city while government control was limited to the eastern (industrial) zone.[324][325][326][327]
The same day, SOHR and Al-Masdar reported that the Syrian Army launched a counterattack against the rebel advance in southern Idlib, recapturing the town of Hazarin and several other locations in the Zawiya mountains, which overlooks the M4 highway,[328][329] but Turkish sources said the towns were captured by the SNA from government troops and Iranian-backed militias and that fighting continued in Saraqib.[330][331] Heavy fighting involving the SNA and pro-government forces was also reported in Kafr Nabl.[323][326][322] Turkish sources reported that three more villages were retaken by the opposition in Idlib, making a total of 12 in the Turkish-backed offensive.[332] The SOHR reported fatalities in the ranks of Turkish soldiers as a result of Syrian government shelling on Turkish positions in Sarmin. Ambulances were reported to have been moving towards the Bab al-Hawa Border Crossing.[333] A Bulgarian defense blog BulgarianMilitary.com, citing Israeli and Russian online sources, reported that a Turkish rejection of an Iranian demand to cease operations in Syria led to Iranian-backed forces on the front lines launching a ballistic missile at Turkish troops on the country's border, which was destroyed by Turkish air defenses.[334] Turkish forces also asserted that the missile had been intercepted.[335] Meanwhile, the U.S. government continued to express some support for Turkey, saying it would provide ammunition and aid and was examining a request for air defenses.[336][337]
On 3 March, Syrian forces launched artillery strikes on Turkish forces located at Taftanaz airport, killing one Turkish soldier and leaving three wounded, according to the SOHR.[338] A Turkish fighter jet downed a Syrian Aero L-39 Albatros over Idlib; the pilot of the aircraft managed to eject and Syrian Army units immediately began a ground search to rescue him.[73][60] Rebel forces stated that they had found the pilot's dead body,[339] while the Syrian Army later stated that they had recovered the pilot in good health after conducting a CSAR operation 2 kilometers behind rebel lines.[340] In turn, SANA released footage of a crashed Turkish Bayraktar drone[341] that they said had been shot down that day by government forces.[342]
On the ground, the Syrian Army secured Saraqib[343][344] and captured several surrounding villages after pushing back rebel forces supported by Turkish artillery and air power. The previous day's clashes led to the deaths of 75 rebel and 40 pro-government fighters, according to SOHR and Al-Masdar, while Turkish airstrikes on government targets had reduced significantly amidst a further government advance toward the town of Afis.[345][346] Turkish sources, however, reported continued fighting on the M4/M5 intersection near Saraqib.[347] Turkish sources also reported opposition advances in the Zawiya mountains.[347] BulgarianMilitary.com cited pro-government social media reports of a Turkish attack on Syrian Army positions in retaliation for pro-government forces bombing Turkish positions in rebel-held al-Tarnaba and al-Mastumah near Nayrab, west of Saraqib, with over 60 missiles, including OTR-21 Tochka TBMs.[348] According to SOHR, four Turkish soldiers were killed and seven wounded,[349] while BulgarianMilitary.com reported that the attack killed 12 and injured eight Turkish soldiers.[348]
On 4 March, opposition sources reported that Turkish-backed rebels launched a renewed attack on Saraqib and that Turkish drone strikes in support of the operation killed at least nine pro-government fighters.[350][351] In turn, the Turkish Defense Ministry said that two Turkish soldiers were killed and six others were wounded by attacks from Syrian forces.[352][353] Turkish media reported Iran sent reinforcements to front lines: 2,000 members of its proxy militias and IRGC-Quds Force elements to Saraqib and 200 Liwa Fatemiyoun Brigade vehicles to Ma'arrat al-Nu'man, supported by Russian aerial cover.[354] Opposition sources also reported SNA gains in Western Aleppo.[351] Meanwhile, Russia claimed opposition elements injured themselves while attempting to deploy chemical weapons in Saraqib.[355]
On the morning of 5 March, opposition sources and The Independent reported a major Russian airstrike on an IDP camp near Maarrat Misrin, killing at least 15.[356][357][358][359] Opposition sources reported government and Iranian militia artillery strikes on Saraqib, Kafr Nabl, al-Futayra and Kafr Oweid and Russian air raids on villages in the Zawiya mountains; the sources also reported that NFL fighters inflicted casualties on pro-government fighters in southern Idlib and western Hama.[360] The Turkish military updated its figures for Syrian Army losses due to Turkish operations to 3,138 soldiers and militia killed, plus the following materiel losses: 3 fighter jets, 8 helicopters, 3 UAVs, 151 tanks, 47 howitzers, 52 launchers, 12 antitank weapons, 4 mortars, 10 arsenal depots and 145 military, technical and combat vehicles.[361] By 8 March, Lost Armor's database had posted images of 65 destroyed armored vehicles belonging to the SAA since 14 January 2019. These included 17 self-propelled guns, 15 infantry fighting vehicles, 13 main battle tanks, 2 armored reconnaissance vehicles, 1 MRAP, and 17 others. In turn Turkish losses included 3 M60 main battle tanks and 2 APCs destroyed, rebels lost 4 main battle tanks, 7 IFVs, 3 APCs and 1 self-propelled gun.[362]
Second Russia–Turkey ceasefire
On 5 March 2020, the presidents of Turkey and Russia, Erdoğan and Putin, met in Moscow for high-level talks.[363] According to the statements made by the Turkish and Russian leaders following their one-on-one meeting, a ceasefire in the area of Idlib was to come into force from 00:00 hrs on 6 March.[82] The terms of the ceasefire included a secure corridor 6 kilometers either side of the M4 highway, to be patrolled jointly by Russia and Turkey beginning on 15 March.[364][365]
There were reports of Russian and Syrian bombardments continuing after the ceasefire came into effect, with activists noting artillery shelling from the government military camp at Jurin targeting Al-Ziyarah, from Ma'arrat al-Nu'man targeting Bara, and from Saraqib targeting Sarmin. Turkish media reported a total of 15 violations in the first day. However, the next day the ceasefire was reported to have largely held, apart from engagements between Syrian government forces and non-Turkish-backed rebel jihadists taking place in the Zawiya mountain area which left nine fighters of the Turkistan Islamic Party and six government troops dead.[364][366][367][368][369] On 7 March, the fragile truce remained largely in force. Turkey said there were no ceasefire violations, although Russia reported several cases of militant gunfire in Idlib, Aleppo and Latakia governorates.[364][370][371]
On 8 March, after heavy shelling in violation of the ceasefire, Syrian Army forces captured the villages of Ma'arat Muqas and al-Burayi, near Kafr Nabl, in an uncontested attack, but later retreated—apparently under pressure from Russia.[372][373][374] Opposition sources reported hundreds of Turkish reinforcements with 100 tanks entering Idlib the same day.[375] Opposition activists reported that the Syrian military shelled the village of al-Mastouma near a Turkish observation point on 9 March.[376] Turkey described this as a "small violation" of the ceasefire.[377]
A Russian military delegation visited Ankara on 10 March to discuss implementation of the security corridor.[377] By 11 March, Turkey was reporting multiple small violations of the ceasefire, and vowed to respond heavily if their military posts in Idlib came under attack.[378]
On 12 March, in an apparent ceasefire violation, SOHR reported that the SAA and allies entered the settlements of Maarrat Mukhas and al-Burayj in southern Idlib without any resistance. Government forces reportedly advanced into the same areas on 7 March before withdrawing due to heavy shelling by opposition factions.[379]
Aftermath and Russian–Turkish joint patrols
Further information: Insurgency in Idlib and 2020 Kafr Takharim airstrike
On 15 March 2020, Turkish and Russian troops began joint patrols on the M4 highway as a part of the ceasefire agreement between Turkey and Russia.[380]
On 18 March, Turkish troops entered the de-escalation zone to reopen the M4 highway previously blocked by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham and jihadist factions.[381]
On 19 March, two Turkish soldiers were killed and a third was wounded by an attack carried out by radical groups in Idlib, according to the Turkish Ministry of Defense.[382][383]
On 2 April 2020, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported sporadic clashes in the de-escalation zone and suspended Syrian Government and Russian Air Force activity as part of the ceasefire as it entered the 28th consecutive day.[384]
After a period of calm, the Syrian government and Turkey both sent reinforcements to the area in late May and early June. There were numerous ceasefire violations, and Syrian government ground bombardment recommenced in late May and several Russian airstrikes were conducted on the borders of Hama, Latakia and Idlib provinces on 3 June, reportedly displacing hundreds of people.[385] A Turkish armoured ambulance was struck by unknown belligerents on 5 June.[386] Russian air raids continued on 8 June, targeting Jabal al-Zawiya (Zawiya Mountain), southern Idlib, and towns in Sahl al-Ghab (Al-Ghab Plain), killing two civilians.[387]
See also: Idlib Governorate clashes (June 2020)
Hurras al-Din and other al-Qaeda-affiliated jihadi groups formed an operations room, "Be Steadfast", to co-ordinate their efforts against the government and challenge HTS domination of the area.[388]
Humanitarian consequences
The offensive was characterised by indiscriminate aerial bombing and shelling of civilian homes, mainly either by Russian planes, taking off from the Russian base in Latakia, or by government jets flying from Kuweires Military Aviation Institute, 18 miles east of Aleppo.[204]
On 23 December 2019, the United Nations stated that the renewed fighting that started on 18 December had caused an exodus of 80,000 people across Idlib Governorate.[389] According to SOHR, in the week up to 24 December 100,000 people were displaced because of the fighting as well as Syrian and Russian bombing.[390] More than 235,000 civilians were displaced as of 27 December 2019 per the United Nations.[391] By 5 February 2020, 300 civilians had been killed in the fighting, including 49 in the first five days of February, and 520,000 were displaced (80% of the latter women and children), according to the UN and various NGOs.[164][167] By 10 February 2020, the number of displaced civilians had reached 689,000.[77]
The humanitarian impact of the fighting was made more severe by extreme cold weather, with Save the Children, the International Rescue Committee and the International Organisation on Migration reporting that many children were dying due to sub-zero temperatures.[392][196][393] By 14 February, 10 Canadian aid organisations reported that 142,000 people had fled their homes in the past five days alone, including 6,500 children a day, bringing the total number of people displaced to over 800,000 since December.[394] By 17 February, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs estimated that the Northwestern Syria offensive since December has displaced 900,000 people.[395][396][397] By late February, estimates had risen to 950,000.[398][399][400][401] By early March, estimates had risen to 980,000.[74][75]
According to the UN, 82,000 displaced people were living in the freezing open air in February; 36% of newly displaced families are housed by relatives or find rental accommodation, 17% found refuge in camps, over 15% sought shelter in unfinished buildings and 12% are still "looking for shelter".[402] Many of the displaced have been forced to move multiple times.[204] Some of the displaced people have escaped to Syrian Democratic Forces controlled Manbij.[403]
Hospitals have been heavily targeted in the fighting.[404] Some 70 hospitals were bombed out of action.[204][405] On 12 February, Islamic Relief reported that 15 medical facilities it supported had been damaged or fully destroyed, at least 55 sites where they distributed food recorded 428 nearby airstrikes near these locations, and 90% of staff in Idlib had been forcibly displaced.[406]
Schools have also been targeted. On 25 February, Amnesty International condemned the shelling of ten schools in Idlib and Aleppo countryside, describing it as a war crime.[407] After the 25 February attack, all schools in Idlib were suspended.[358] In July, a UN investigation said war crimes and possible crimes against humanity were committed during the campaign. The Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic said people suffered incomprehensible misery. It recorded assaults by all sides in the conflict that resulted in civilian casualties or damage to civilian infrastructure. It found shelled schools, market bombings, and hospitals bombed.[408]