At Least 14 Killed by Syrian Security Forces
World powers piled pressure on Syria to let in observers as activists on Saturday reported at least 14 another civilians killed by security forces on the anniversary of International Human Rights Day.
"The world celebrates human rights as human rights are being violated in Syria," the opposition Syrian Revolution 2011 said in a message posted on its Facebook page.
In Oslo, the Nobel Committee head said at the 2011 Peace Prize awards ceremony that this year's award to Yemeni activist Tawakkol Karman served as a warning to dictators in Arab countries such as Syria and Yemen.
"The leaders in Yemen and Syria who murder their people to retain their own power should take note of the following: mankind's quest for freedom and human rights can never stop," Thorbjoern Jagland said.
U.N. Human Rights Commissioner Navi Pillay has said more than 4,000 people have been killed in a government crackdown on dissent in Syria since the anti-regime protest movement broke out in March.
Pillay is to brief the U.N. Security Council on Syria and the wider Middle East at a meeting on Monday.
President Bashar Assad refuses to let investigators from two U.N. human rights inquiries enter Syria and is resisting Arab League calls to accept monitors despite being hit by regional sanctions on top of U.S. and EU measures.
Syria wants the bloc to lift sanctions in return for allowing in observers.
Damascus, which blames "armed terrorist gangs" for the violence, meanwhile appealed to the international community to help it find an "honorable exit" to the crisis and stem the flow of weapons into Syria.
"We are appealing to the outside world and our brothers in the Arab world to help Syria (prevent the) channeling (of) weapons" into the country, foreign ministry spokesman Jihad Makdisi said on Friday, speaking in English.
"If we all work together we can find an honorable exit to the crisis."
The bloodshed, however, continues to claim more lives, with activists reporting more than 50 deaths in less than 48 hours.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said at least 41 civilians, including seven children, were shot dead by security forces on Friday, with Damascus and the central city of Homs suffering the heaviest casualties.
At least 14 civilians were reported killed on Saturday, including four hit when security forces fired live ammunition and tear gas at mourners in Maaret Numan in Idlib province and three others hit by "machinegun fire in Hama."
Activists have called for a civil disobedience campaign from Sunday, the first day of the working week in Syria, with sit-ins, closure of shops and universities, and later a general strike.
The opposition Syrian National Council has warned of a looming bloody final assault on Homs.
Witnesses in Homs, already besieged by government troops, have reported a buildup of troops and pro-regime "shabiha" militiamen in armored vehicles who have set up more than 60 checkpoints, the SNC said.
And a Syrian doctor was killed on the border with Turkey, according to the Syrian Observatory.
U.S. State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said that Assad would be responsible for any further deaths.
"There are reports today that the government may be preparing a very serious new assault on the city of Homs in a very large-scale way," said Nuland.
London echoed Washington's concern, with Foreign Office minister Alistair Burt saying: "The Syrian government should immediately withdraw its forces from Homs and exercise restraint."
The French foreign ministry said it was "deeply troubled" by the prospect of a military operation in Homs and warned that "Syrian authorities will be held responsible for any action against the population."
over 12 years
We shall see how the insurgents do with being abandoned by "the West" which has been warned by the Egyptian election result that democracy is not what "the West" wants for Syrians after all: "the West" just got carried away with its own rhetoric for a minute.
The more interesting question is why Lebanon does not embrace democracy. The answer is that Lebanon the place where "the West" absolutely cannot tolerate democracy because Lebanon is the glove "the West" uses to handle the whole region without getting its hand dirty.
"The West" wants weak Arab nationalism (Syria), weak Arab culture (Iraq), and weak Islam (Saudi Arabia). It is "the West" which is running out of time.
over 12 years
Chris, I think you are missing one pertinent point in your analysis, Lebanon is not that important for the leaders of the West do obsess about it this much!
With this said we have to prove to the West that a democratic Lebanon will be their natural ally.
The enemy of the Arab nations is their own leaders who kept them repressed for so long. If Arab nationalism is represented by the Syrian regime, one of the last dictatorships existing on this earth, many Arabs do not want it.
Blaming the West who has liberated us from the Othoman empire and then kept bailing us out on every turn is the only tool remaining for those who are holding lebanon as a hostage to promote their hegemonial agendas and protect their regimes, Assad and Khamanei.
over 12 years
Not enough. The more Sunni crazies get terminated, the better off the whole world is. Help the US and the West achieve this goal and pursue the crazies wherever and whenever possible. 3alehom
over 12 years
chrisru, what a brilliant analysis and set of conclusions. One has to frequent falafel stands in south Beirut to encounter such deep enlightenment. Thank you for your contribution.
over 12 years
@chrisrushlau: Go Learn some history, the west has always pulled the Arab nations from their troubles, why they always supported the jews, it's because the latter send their people to the moon (i.e. retired Sergent that was killed when the rocket exploded in outer space due to a fault) meanwhile your political misleading leaders want to fight Israel with 100,000 rockets from the South instead of incorporating their so-called might into the state to form a united front, simply because when the enemy attacks them back using the latest western technology, they normally attack our state infrastructure(i.e.Bridges/Jiyeh/Jamhour and etc..) and not the rat's hole who mislead you and made you blind by his brainwashing words.
Bashar might be negotiating his exit now! Those who follow this tyrant will soon be alone.