British Foreign Office to Summon Syria’s Top Diplomat over Houla Massacre
Britain is to haul in Syria's top diplomat in London following the killing of 92 people -- a third of them children -- in the shelling of the town of Houla, the Foreign Office said Sunday.
Syria's charge d'affaires -- their ambassador has been withdrawn -- will meet with one of the top civil servants in the Foreign Office on Monday so Britain can stress its "condemnation" over the incident.
"Following the horrifying massacre of innocent civilians in Houla, the Foreign Secretary, William Hague, has instructed that the Syrian charge d'affaires be summoned to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office," a statement said.
"On Monday, May 28 he will meet political director Sir Geoffrey Adams who will make clear our condemnation of the Syrian regime's actions."
On Saturday, Hague said Britain was in urgent talks with allies in the United Nations Security Council and the European Union on forging "a strong international response.”
He said the regime of Syrian President Bashar Assad regime "must ensure full and immediate access to Houla and other conflict areas in Syria for the U.N. monitoring team, and cease all military operations in full compliance with joint special envoy Kofi Annan's six-point plan.”
In an unusual move, British newspapers printed graphic images of some of the dead children in Houla.
The Mail on Sunday said it did so to illustrate the depth of revulsion that might lead to United Nations intervention.
The Independent said it did so to convey the full horror of the defenseless victims. It asked in a front page editorial: "The world looks the other way. Will you?
"Will the sickening fate of these innocent children make you very, very angry?"
Source: Agence France Presse
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