U.N. Security Council Condemns Syria Over Massacre

[Hissyspit]

Source: Reuters

U.N. Security Council condemns Syria over massacre
UNITED NATIONS | Sun May 27, 2012 5:55pm EDT

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - The U.N. Security Council on Sunday unanimously condemned the Syrian government for heavy-weapons attacks on the town of Houla, the site of a massacre of at least 108 people, including many children, the council president said.

"The Security Council condemned in the strongest possible terms the killings, confirmed by United Nations observers, of dozens of men, women and children and the wounding of hundreds more in the village of (Houla), near Homs, in attacks that involved a series of government artillery and tank shellings on a residential neighborhood," the non-binding statement said.

"The Security Council also condemned the killing of civilians by shooting at close range and by severe physical abuse," said the statement, which was read out after the council's three-hour emergency meeting by Azerbaijan's Deputy U.N. Ambassador Tofig Musayev.

(Reporting By Louis Charbonneau; Editing by Eric Beech)


Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSBRE84Q0G420120527?irpc=932

[The Magistrate]

1. Interesting, Ma'am

Russia and China seem to be growing tired of interposing here.

[David__77]

3. One may argue that Russia and China are trying to prevent UN or NATO "interposition" in Syria.

I would make precisely this argument. Rightly, the UN security council has made no "binding" statements.

[The Magistrate]

4. Damned Clumsy Way To Do It, Sir

"Such outrageous use of force against civilian population constitutes a violation of applicable international law and of the commitments of the Syrian Government under United Nations Security Council Resolutions."

Acknowledging international law is violated makes it trickier politically to bar action: you are then in effect saying 'yes, a crime has been committed, but police cannot arrest the criminal.'

[David__77]

5. The press statement provides no legal basis.

Further, it's mainly reiterating the same things that have been said before. The statement also reiterates the UN's commitment to Syria's national sovereignty. The government of the Syrian Arab Republic is the UN-recognized expression of that political sovereignty.

[The Magistrate]

6. They Allowed That Language In, Sir

Russia or China, or both together, could have kept it out.

It make the politics of barring action more difficult in future.

[David__77]

7. Maybe...

But I have no idea what "action" that could be. Russia (Putin) is not going to approve as "R2P"-underpinned resolution. China probably would abstain.

Russia consented to the press statement because it, in itself, represents diplomatic "action," just as have previous press statements. There will be no binding legal resolution that may authorize military intervention. Russia is still providing military assistance to the Syrian state, it certainly isn't interested in NATO intervention.

That said, Russia would be interested in a managed transition to opposition forces such as the Party for Change and Liberation. The "SNC" does not consider it an opposition force, although it is one in reality. But for that transition to happen, it would have to happen at the ballot box.

[The Magistrate]

8. Covert Action May Increase, Sir, And With No Protest

Or countervailing increase in assistance....

There is a lot of room for manouver, and more today than yesterday.

[julian09]

2. And if the Syrians don't stop, UN security council will double condemn them

that should scare them.

[awoke_in_2003]

9. Maybe they can get John Conyers...

to send a strongly worded letter.

[oberliner]

10. What would you like to see happen?

What would you have preferred to have seen the Security Council do?

What action, if any, do you think the US should take?

[julian09]

11. like I said double or triple condemn them

or just stay out of it, people are dying while security council, plays politics with peoples lives.
Doing nothing is approval not condemnation. Russia has a naval base in Syria and isn't a neutral player. Iranian people are in desperate situation and their govt has money to create mischief everywhere.

[pampango]

12. "Syria blames Houla deaths on 'terrorists'" / UN condemns the Syrian government ...

Syria blames Houla deaths on 'terrorists'

Syrian government spokesman denies its troops were responsible for killing scores of civilians and children in Houla.

http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2012/05/20125279530938874.html

The Syrian government has denied responsibility for an attack that killed at least 85 people, including 34 children, saying that it was carried out by "terrorists".

Jihad Makdissi, the spokesman for the Syrian foreign ministry, also lashed out at foreign leaders for accusing the government of having committed atrocities "without any evidence".

He told a press conference that "hundreds of armed men" had attacked Houla, a cluster of villages in Homs province, on Friday and clashed with government forces.

Oh it was 'terrorists' alright, just not on the side that the government wanted us to think it was according to the UN.

[dipsydoodle]

13. Syria massacre: Rebels share blame, says Russia's Lavrov

Rebels in Syria are partly responsible for the massacre of more than 100 people in the Houla region, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov says.

Mr Lavrov, whose government a close ally of the Syrian regime, said some victims had been killed at close range in a district controlled by rebels.

The UN condemned the killings, saying government artillery was involved.

UN-Arab League envoy Kofi Annan has arrived in Damascus for talks on implementing his peace plan.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-18235965

[Alamuti Lotus]

14. BBC News uses 'Iraq photo to illustrate Syrian massacre'

Photographer Marco di Lauro said he nearly “fell off his chair” when he saw the image being used, and said he was “astonished” at the failure of the corporation to check their sources.

The picture, which was actually taken on March 27, 2003, shows a young Iraqi child jumping over dozens of white body bags containing skeletons found in a desert south of Baghdad.

It was posted on the BBC news website today under the heading “Syria massacre in Houla condemned as outrage grows”.

The caption states the photograph was provided by an activist and cannot be independently verified, but says it is “believed to show the bodies of children in Houla awaiting burial”.

A BBC spokesman said the image has now been taken down.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/bbc/9293620/BBC-News-uses-Iraq-photo-to-illustrate-Syrian-massacre.html


This is just an example of the appalling lack of standards being applied to coverage of the conflict in Syria.

[riderinthestorm]

15. And DUers wonder why some of us are skeptical about the truth of the news we're hearing

about what's really going on in Syria, who really supports who, where exactly to point accusatory fingers....

Its unusual, I will admit, for the BBC to get something this wrong however Syria's conflict really is a different crucible: with major players like Russia, China, the UN, Arab League participants, Iran etc, inter-regional powerplays, long centuries of religious sectarian wars, ancient tribal hostilities... with Syria's joint border with Israel adding to the tensions. Frankly, I wouldn't put it past any of media to skew things if they can get away with it.

Like baby incubators in Kuwait, WMD in Iraq etc. etc. major media is not immune from a lack of journalistic integrity.....