U.N. observers heading to site of Syria attack

[maddezmom]

Source: USA Today

GENEVA (AP) – A spokesman for the United Nations' envoy to Syria says international monitors are heading to a region where activists say at least 50 people were killed by government troops.

A handout image released by the Syrian opposition's Shaam News Network on Thursday shows an anti-regime demonstration in Aleppo, Syria.

Sponsored LinksAhmad Fawzi told The Associated Press in an email Saturday that the observers are traveling to Houla "as we speak."

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and the Local Coordination Committees activist group say troops used heavy weapons Friday to pound the area of Houla in the province of Homs.



Read more: http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/story/2012-05-26/un-observers-site-syria-attack/55215924/1

[may3rd]

1. Why do we want Assad out of power again ?

I thought we were good friends with his regime.
Who do we plan on installing there?

[tabatha]

3. How are "WE" involved?

There are 600-800 demonstrations by the SYRIAN people every Friday for 14 months, despite the killings, rapes and bombing.

This is about the SYRIAN people - the West has kept out, and the "Friends of Syria" has been more than useless like the UN in stopping the slaughter - to the dismay and condemnation by the Syrians.

Your question begs the question - do you know what is going on or even care; or is it just like Faux news, twist something into a question that makes no sense but tries to imply something completely false.

I guess you also missed the condemnation by McCain and Graham of do-nothing-Obama (he plans on installing someone?) for not doing anything for Syria.

[may3rd]

9. "can you hear me now "??

good

http://www.democraticunderground.com/101482255#post2

[tabatha]

6. Syria’s Brotherhood to reconsider policies following Houla “massacre”

Syrian’s Muslim Brotherhood on Saturday said it “will reevaluate its policies and positions” following the “massacre” that was committed in the Syrian town of Houla on Friday.

The group said in a statement: “The brutal carnage that was committed on Friday night in Houla explicitly reflects the moral background of [President] Bashar al-Assad and his packs of humans.”

The Muslim Brotherhood also held the “the international community (and UN leader)Ban Ki-moon responsible for the terrible massacre (in Houla).”

“We consider that (UN-Arab League envoy) Kofi Annan and the (UN) observers present on ground in Syria are complicit (with those seeking to) cover the Syrian regime’s crimes, because of their ongoing silence over the violations and massacres being committed in Syria," the Muslim Brotherhood said in its statement.

Syrian regime forces have "massacred" more than 90 people, including 25 children, in the town of Houla, AFP cited the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights as saying on Saturday.

http://www.nowlebanon.com/NewsArticleDetails.aspx?ID=401486&utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter#ixzz1vz7A1WPM

Syria’s Brotherhood accuses the West of being complicit with Assad, yet you accuse the West of going against Assad.

[tabatha]

2. Sickening ...

Today, they repeated the same thing, homes were shelled and this led to dozens of injuries and a number of martyrs. The pro-regime suburbs used artillery, Shilka [anti-aircraft], mortar shells, machine guns, BMP and tank shells on civilian homes. The Free Syrian Army began to defend the civilians thus large clashes took place at the regime checkpoints leading to a loss of lives and also weaponry. The shelling continued after midday for more than 7 hours and continues till now. This resulted in people escaping as also several homes fell in on their inhabitants. A refugee shelter was hit which was sheltering more than 200 families and this led to dozens of deaths and injuries, some of the martyrs are known and others are being confirmed.

The shabeeha [regime thugs] from pro-Assad areas burnt the fields that belong to the civilians in an attempt to further destroy their lives. The regime shabeeha [thugs] led a sectarian attack on civilians in Al Houleh, storming homes that lie at the edges of Taldaw. The shabeeha came from Alqabo, Alsheneyeh and Feleh suburbs and killed several women, children and men with names still arriving but it has exceeded 50. The Al-Kurdi family has been found killed entirely in Aqrab village with the bodies not reachable yet due to the continued shelling. Names arrived from the Alkurdi massacre are father Mahmoud Alkurdi, his sons Fadi Alkurdi, Mohamad Alkurdi and grandson Omar Alkurdi. His mother is in a critical condition [Zainab Arooq]. Their bodies were found with severe torture marks and then executed with knives. This is the typical acts of pro-regime shabeeha [thugs]. The field hospitals can no longer cope as injuries and dead flood in by the minute.

The area is still being bombarded by rockets that are targeting residential houses. The pace of the shelling is getting fiercer by the minute. According to witnesses near the rocket launchers stationed near Kherbet Al Sowda, rockets are fired from there to the north (to Al Houleh). The area is witnessing mass exodus too as civilians are leaving Al Houleh, trying to take refuge in safer areas.

https://www.facebook.com/mulhamjundi/posts/10151767310310173

[tabatha]

4. France condemns 'massacres' in Syrian town of Houla

France condemns the "massacre" by Syrian forces which reportedly killed more than 90 people in the town of Houla and calls for greater international action, Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said today. "I am making immediate arrangements for a Friends of Syria group meeting in Paris," Fabius said in a statement in the wake of yesterday's attacks on the town in a new violation of a ceasefire.

"The Damascus regime has committed new massacres," Fabius charged. "In Houla dozens of civilians included children died in army bombardments.

"I condemn the atrocities committed daily by Bashar al-Assad on his own people. With these new crimes his murderous regime plunges Syria further into horror and thretens regional stability." Fabius said that UN observers should complete their deployment in line with the peace plan of United Nations and Arab League envoy Kofi Annan.

Saying he would be speaking to Annan, Fabius added, "In the face of horror, the international community must mobilise still further to stop the martyrdom of the Syrian people." The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said troops of Assad's regime had killed more than 90 people, including 25 children, in shelling Houla, in the central province of Homs. The opposition Syrian National Council put the toll at more than 110, and urged the UN Security Council to act.

http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20120526/world/france-condemns-massacres-in-syrian-town-of-houla.421399

[may3rd]

5. Assad's brother in law killed by rebels

Assad’s brother-in-law Assef Shawkat buried, report

...

On their Syrian Revolution Facebook page, online anti-regime activists wrote that: “Assef Shawkat is being buried right now in his home town Madhale … God curse him. He was poisoned.”
..
http://www.yalibnan.com/2012/05/23/assads-brother-in-law-assef-shawkat-buried-report/

[tabatha]

7. A bodyguard of one of those who attended the dinner

poisoned 6 of the people who attended. Haaretz said that all recovered in hospital.

http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/news/syrian-rebels-tried-to-kill-assad-s-top-aides-israeli-officials-confirm-1.432505

On May 20, the Free Syrian Army announced that an assassination attempt had been carried out the previous evening by Bakhtian's bodyguard, who was recruited into the Syrian opposition. The bodyguard, it said, poisoned the food served to senior regime officials during a meeting of the "crisis management cell," charged with managing the ongoing fighting in Syria. As a result, the announcement added, the officials were rushed to the hospital during the meeting.

[maddezmom]

8. United Nations ceasefire in tatters after 92 killed in Syrian violence

Calls for Western military action against Syria intensified on Saturday after grisly footage of the bodies of children killed in fresh violence laid bare the failure of the United Nations-brokered peace plan.


In one of the bloodiest incidents to date in the 15-month long uprising, 92 people were killed after a 12-hour regime assault on Houla, in the central province of Homs.

¬snip¬

Unarmed UN monitors, who had reportedly been prevented from visiting the area on Friday because of the fighting, were reduced to documenting the attack’s horrific aftermath when they finally reached the scene on Saturday afternoon.

Major General Robert Mood, the UN mission chief in Syria, said that of the 92 bodies his staff had counted in Houla, at least 32 were “under the age of 10”. He described it as a “brutal tragedy”.

The bloodshed, which began on Friday and was reported to have continued into the small hours of Saturday morning, was amongst the worst single incidents since the popular uprising against President Bashar al-Assad began 15 months ago. It was also a severe blow to the credibility of the UN-backed peace plan that was supposed to introduce a ceasefire in early April. Critics said it was clear that the plan, backed by 250 UN monitors on the ground, was already in tatters.

more: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/syria/9292414/United-Nations-ceasefire-in-tatters-after-92-killed-in-Syrian-violence.html