THE DAILY STAR :: News :: Middle East :: West demands action after reports of fresh Syria ‘massacres’
clipped from article: BEIRUT: Western powers ramped up criticism of the Syrian government Wednesday, after reports of “massacres” in the Zawiyah mountain, Idlib and Homs areas just days ahead of an advance peace monitoring mission to the country.
The Obama administration accused Syria of continuing to “mow down” its citizens despite promises to halt a brutal crackdown on reformers.
Syria’s main opposition group earlier urged the U.N. Security Council and Arab League to hold emergency meetings into “the bloody massacres” as it reported 250 people killed over 48 hours.It urged the Security Council to declare the cities and towns under attack “‘safe zones’ that enjoy international protection.”
The Britain-based Observatory said Tuesday that President Bashar Assad’s forces killed 111 civilians in the northwestern town of Kafruwed, taking that day’s civilian toll to 123. In addition, at least 100 army deserters were killed or wounded in Idlib in the north Tuesday, the Observatory added. More than 100 deserters and civilians were also reported killed Monday.
At least 22 people were also killed Wednesday in clashes in the southern province of Deraa, where the protests against Assad’s regime erupted in March, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.
Washington warned of new international measures against Syria, saying if Damascus did not fully implement an Arab League plan to contain the violence, “the international community will take additional steps to pressure the Assad regime to stop its crackdown.”
“The words of the Assad regime have no credibility when they continue to be followed by outrageous and deplorable actions,” White House spokesman Jay Carney said in a statement.
Assad’s government accused the opposition of pushing for foreign intervention and trying to sabotage the Arab League-brokered deal for observers, but ignoring calls for talks. The league is preparing to head to Damascus Thursday to pave the way for some 500 observers.
Read more: http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Middle-East/2011/Dec-22/157620-west-demands-action-after-reports-of-fresh-syria-massacres.ashx#ixzz1hDbHUNSA
(The Daily Star :: Lebanon News :: http://www.dailystar.com.lb)
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