Chief U.N. Monitor in Syria Condemns 'Brutal Tragedy' in Houla
إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية
The U.N. mission chief in Syria Major General Robert Mood on Saturday condemned the "brutal tragedy" in Houla, where he said 92 bodies, including those of more than 32 children, had been counted.
Mood said he condemns "in the strongest possible terms the brutal tragedy" in Houla in the central province of Homs, adding that U.N. monitors visited the area and counted 92 bodies, including "more than 32 under the age of 10."
"Those using violence for their own agendas will create more instability, more unpredictability and may lead the country to civil war," Mood told reporters in Damascus, describing the violence as "indiscriminate and disproportionate."
U.N. observers had rushed on Saturday to Houla after the reported massacre of scores of civilians there, amid renewed opposition calls for air strikes on regime forces.
The shelling of the town by regime forces began at around midday on Friday and continued until dawn on Saturday, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said, giving a death toll of more than 90.
State media blamed "armed terrorist gangs" for the violence.
"The circumstances that led to these tragic killings are still unclear," said Mood. "Whoever started, whoever responded and whoever carried out this deplorable act of violence should be held responsible."
Confirming the use of artillery and tank shells in the Houla killings, Mood also called "on the Syrian government to cease the use of heavy weapons and to all parties to cease violence in all its forms."
But the rebel Free Syrian Army said on Saturday it could no longer commit to the ceasefire brokered by U.N.-Arab League envoy Kofi Annan, unless there was an immediate solution to regime violence.
"We announce that unless the U.N. Security Council takes urgent steps for the protection of civilians, Annan's plan is going to go to hell," an FSA statement said.
Earlier, the opposition Syrian National Council urged the U.N. Security Council to act urgently, while the Syrian Observatory accused the Arab and international communities of being "complicit" in the killing.
26 May 2012, 18:38
01
Sad. Once more, arriving at the cite to count how many dead and possibly clean up...
26 May 2012, 21:09
00
The sight of slaughtered children was absolutely horrific. How can anyone find excuses to a regime that commits such crimes against its own people? I am an advocate of keeping Lebanon neutral to protect our own peace and people. but I can't be neutral seeing the ugly and disgusting deeds of Bashar and his criminal thugs.
26 May 2012, 21:10
00
being sarcastic over the death of 35 children shows your class and upbringing.
26 May 2012, 21:24
00
"The circumstances that led to these tragic killings are still unclear," said Mood. "Whoever started, whoever responded and whoever carried out this deplorable act of violence should be held responsible."
I don't see any concrete accusation yet of who's done it. But I guess, it is easy to assume all the time it is the syrian regime.
26 May 2012, 22:06
00
I don't tend to support March 14, nor overblast Hezbollah's weapons. Let me make that clear before I reply to your comment.
Second, Ban ki-Moon and Kofi Annan issued a joint statement condemning the act and, clearly, the Syrian government's disproportionate use of force in residential neighbourhoods that, verified by UN observers, left 90 people dead, including 32 children. The exact quote was
"This appalling and brutal crime, involving indiscriminate and disproportionate use of force, is a flagrant violation of international law and of the commitments of the Syrian government to cease the use of heavy weapons in population centres and violence in all its forms"
If Israel did this, you wouldn't question it at all, and you'd quickly go ahead and condemn the act. But now you call for restraint despite all the evidence and crimes committed by the regime (although I acknowledge the crimes committed by the opposition).
26 May 2012, 22:06
00
I don't tend to support March 14, nor overblast Hezbollah's weapons. Let me make that clear before I reply to your comment.
Second, Ban ki-Moon and Kofi Annan issued a joint statement condemning the act and, clearly, the Syrian government's disproportionate use of force in residential neighbourhoods that, verified by UN observers, left 90 people dead, including 32 children. The exact quote was
"This appalling and brutal crime, involving indiscriminate and disproportionate use of force, is a flagrant violation of international law and of the commitments of the Syrian government to cease the use of heavy weapons in population centres and violence in all its forms"
If Israel did this, you wouldn't question it at all, and you'd quickly go ahead and condemn the act. But now you call for restraint despite all the evidence and crimes committed by the regime (although I acknowledge the crimes committed by the opposition).
26 May 2012, 22:06
00
I don't tend to support March 14, nor overblast Hezbollah's weapons. Let me make that clear before I reply to your comment.
Second, Ban ki-Moon and Kofi Annan issued a joint statement condemning the act and, clearly, the Syrian government's disproportionate use of force in residential neighbourhoods that, verified by UN observers, left 90 people dead, including 32 children. The exact quote was
"This appalling and brutal crime, involving indiscriminate and disproportionate use of force, is a flagrant violation of international law and of the commitments of the Syrian government to cease the use of heavy weapons in population centres and violence in all its forms"
If Israel did this, you wouldn't question it at all, and you'd quickly go ahead and condemn the act. But now you call for restraint despite all the evidence and crimes committed by the regime (although I acknowledge the crimes committed by the opposition).
26 May 2012, 22:08
00
Be objective in your political analysis. Condemn the act, children died for God's sake. Like I said, I don't tend to side with March 14, but my goodness, does this mean I should turn a blind eye to the crimes the regime commits? And yet condemn the same acts when Israel commits them?
