Tag Archives: Syria

For the first time, intense fighting erupted in the capital of Damascus. The Syrian army shelled the town of Deraa, killing 17. Homs was also shelled. Russia said it might might back Assad’s departure, but would not support foreign intervention.

UN observers reached the town of Qubair, the site of a reported massacre by pro-government forces. An accompanying journalist described “an appalling scene, a scorched earth policy that left nothing in the village alive.” Another reported signs of “serious violence.” A survivor was interviewed.

Pro-government forces killed 78 people, including 40 women and children, in the village of Mazraat al-Qabeer. The killings followed a similar massacre in Houla. For a second day, government forces, struck rebel positions in Latakia province. The Italian foreign minister warned that Syria was at risk of genocide.

Rebels said they would no longer respect the terms of the UN peace plan. China and Russia agreed to oppose regime change or foreign intervention in Syria. Government troops and pro-regime militiamen seized control of Kfar Zita in Hama province. Fighting broke out in the coastal province of Latakia.

Rebels killed over 80 army soldiers over the weekend. The rebels had issued an ultimatum for Friday saying they would no longer abide by the UN peace plan if the government didn’t implement the agreement. Government forces shelled the town of Idlib, killing 15. Rebels formed a new ruling coalition, the Syrian Rebels Front.

President Assad denied responsibility for the Houla massacre and said the violence in Syria was caused by foreign forces. He compared his actions to that of a doctor performing emergency surgery.

UN envoy Kofi Annan warned that Syria was slipping into an “all-out, sectarian war.” Russia blocked efforts for tougher UN sanctions. The US published satellite images showing evidence of mass graves following the massacre in the town of Houla.

Eleven workers were killed in a state factory, the second execution-type shooting this week. The UN Human Rights Council voted for an international inquiry into the killing of 108 people in the town of Houla. US Secretary of State Clinton accused Russia of contributing to a Syrian civil war.

The rebel Free Syrian Army issued an ultimatum: if the government does not implement the UN peace plan by Friday, the FSA will no longer abide by the plan. UN envoy Annan left Syria without an agreement from the Assad regime. The US ambassador to the UN predicted failure of the plan, which would lead […]

Following the killing of 108 people in the town of Houla, Russia and China reaffirmed their support for the Syrian government. Russia said it was against intervention. China decided not to expel Syrian diplomats and urged support for the Annan peace plan. The US and France ruled out military intervention.

More than a dozen states, including the US, expelled senior Syrian diplomats. The expulsions came in reaction to the killing of 108 people by pro-government forces in the Syrian village of Houla. Russia did not support the move, saying both sides in the conflict were to blame.

The UN Security Council condemned Syrian government forces for artillery and tank shelling of residential areas in Houla. Russia’s foreign minister said that “both sides” in Syria’s conflict were responsible for the massacre.