Persian Realm

Clinton: Syria violence 'unconscionable' & Assad Must Go

Clinton on violence (bbc, VIDEO)

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has condemned the latest massacre of civilians in Syria and blamed the government of President Assad for the killings.

Speaking in Turkey, Mrs Clinton said she wanted to see renewed efforts to bring about a transfer of power in Syria and said she was willing to work with Syria's ally, Russia, to make that happen.

She called the violence in Syria unconscionable. 

UN monitors 'shot at' in Syria

UN monitors 'shot at' in Syria (bbc)

The head of the UN says monitors trying to reach the Syrian village of Qubair, where 78 people are said to have been killed, were fired upon.

New 'massacre' in central Syria including women and children

New 'massacre' in central Syria (bbc)

At least 86 people, including many women and children, have been killed by Syrian pro-government forces in Hama province, opposition activists say.

Russia-China unity on Syria as Putin arrives in Beijing

Russia and China united on Syria (bbc)

China and Russia have reinforced their opposition to foreign intervention in Syria, as Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in Beijing.

A Chinese foreign ministry spokesman said both countries remain opposed to forced regime change and urged support for UN envoy Kofi Annan's peace plan.

Free Syrian Army rebels abandon Annan ceasefire

Syrian rebels abandon ceasefire (bbc)

Syrian rebels say they are no longer committed to the nominal truce in Syria, in a blow to the peace plan brokered by international envoy Kofi Annan.

EU chiefs in Saint Petersburg press Putin on Syria

EU chiefs to press Putin on Syria (bbc)

EU officials are expected to press Russian President Vladimir Putin to take a stronger line on Syria during a summit in St Petersburg.

Syrian Conflict spills into Lebanon

Conflict spills into Lebanon (bbc, VIDEO)

At least eight people have been killed and many others injured in another outbreak of fighting in Lebanon, linked to the conflict in neighbouring Syria.

The clashes in the city of Tripoli in northern Lebanon were between supporters and opponents of the popular uprising in Syria.

Richard Galpin reports. 

Putin stands firm on Syria crisis

Vladimir Putin resists Western pressure to back stronger measures against Syria, arguing that Kofi Annan's peace plan is still the best solution.

France's Hollande says Assad must go

Satellite images show clues to Syrian massacre

Homing in on Houla (bbc)

Satellite images obtained by the BBC show clearly the location of Syrian military forces around the site of last week's massacre at Houla where 108 civilians died, including 49 children. 

Zahmat Kesheedee Vaghean: UN condemns Syria 'atrocities'

UN condemns Syria 'atrocities' (bbc)

The killing of more than 100 civilians at Houla in Syria may amount to crimes against humanity, the UN high commissioner for human rights says.

Clinton accuses Russia over Syria

Clinton accuses Russia over Syria (bbc)

Russian policy on Syria is going to contribute to a civil war, the US secretary of state says, as the UN warns of a looming "catastrophic" conflict there.

Susan Rice: Syria conflict 'could escalate and spread'

Conflict 'could escalate' (bbc, VIDEO)

The US ambassador to the UN, Susan Rice, has said a further escalation of the conflict in Syria is the likeliest scenario now, with it spreading to other countries in the region.

She was speaking after a closed meeting of the UN Security Council in New York. 

Syria rebels set truce deadline

Syria rebels set truce deadline (bbc)

The rebel Free Syrian Army says it will stop adhering to a ceasefire at lunchtime on Friday if the government does not start observing the truce

Shame on Russia

However, given the complexities of Syria, myself, am opposed to the kind of intervention we witnessed in Libya.  They should instead force Assad into accepting UN peacekeepers, the kind we'd had in the ex-Yu.

AMIR1973 jan merci

Lotf Dareed Amir Jan.

Likewise the respect is mutual.

Warm Regards,

DK 

Dear DK, thank you

For all your efforts in highlighting the situations in Syria, Libya, etc. I respect you as a genuine supporter of consitutional monarchy. Keep up the good work. Take care.

Russia rules out action in Syria

Russia rules out action in Syria (bbc)

Russia remains "categorically against" intervention in Syria, its deputy foreign minister says, amid international outrage over the massacre in Houla.

UN-backed action in Syria is an option, France's Hollande says

Syria at 'tipping point' say's Kofi Annan

Syria at 'tipping point' - Annan (bbc)

UN-Arab League envoy Kofi Annan says Syria is at "tipping point", as several Western states announce they are expelling Syrian diplomats.

Syrian diplomats to be expelled from Major Western Capitals

Syrian diplomats to be expelled (bbc)

Major Western powers say they are expelling senior Syrian diplomats following the killing of 108 people in the Houla region of Syria on Friday

Survivors recount

Survivors recount massacre horror (bbc)

Survivors of Friday's massacre in Syria tell the BBC of their terror as regime forces killed their families, although Damascus denies their claims.

Jim Muir

BBC News, Beirut

Survivors who spoke to the BBC, and the local commander of the Free Syrian Army, said the people who carried out the killings were militiamen - shabbiha - from nearby Alawite villages.

We can't confirm their accounts, but they are consistent with one another, and also with the reports given by activist groups on the ground in the immediate aftermath of the massacres.

But Syrian leaders will be giving Kofi Annan a different account in his talks in Damascus. They still insist that what they admit was a massacre was the work of hundreds of armed rebels who massed in the area, and carried out the killings in order to derail the peace process and provoke intervention by Nato.

Dead baby had pacifier in mouth

Dead baby had pacifier in mouth (cnn, VIDEO)

Fingerpointing, almost unbearable grief following massacre at Houla. CNN's Mohammed Jamjoom reports 

Russia says rebels share Houla blame

Russia says rebels share Houla blame (bbc)

Syrian rebels were partly responsible for the massacre of more than 100 people in the town of Houla, Russia's foreign minister says, as special envoy Kofi Annan arrives in Damascus.

Syria massacre: UK's William Hague steps up pressure

UK's Hague steps up pressure (bbc)

Foreign Secretary William Hague has summoned Syria's most senior diplomat in the UK to the Foreign Office, over the massacre in Houla.

It comes as the UK works to "galvanise the international approach" to the Syrian regime's actions.

The UN has confirmed the deaths of at least 90 people in Houla, including 32 children under the age of 10.

Meanwhile, Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg has said members of the regime will be banned from the Olympics. 

Outrage grows over Syria massacre

Outrage grows over Syria massacre (bbc)

The US condemns the massacre in the Syrian town of Houla as the UK Foreign Secretary calls for an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council.

Syria child massacre confirmed by UN

Syria child massacre confirmed (bbc)

UN observers count at least 90 bodies, including 32 children, after Syrian government forces attacked the town of Houla, sparking foreign condemnation.foreign condemnation.

Does al-Qaeda have a foothold?

Does al-Qaeda have a foothold? (bbc)

Amid growing concern among some Western officials about al-Qaeda's involvement in the Syrian uprising, the BBC's Paul Wood - who has been back inside Syria - assesses the influence of Islamists in Syria's anti-government protests.

"People are fed up with journalists," says the Free Syrian Army's Lt Col Muleldine al-Zein. "We are not extremists, although you try to portray us as such."

He adds bitterly: "The West still supports the regime as far as I am concerned. The US could take him out in a week, but they don't want democracy for us. I don't know why. They want the country to collapse."

Outside, in this small Syrian town, the daily pro-democracy protest is going on.

"Men and women together," the colonel says, presenting the fact as another testament to the group's moderation. Speakers make the usual calls to remember the revolution's martyrs.

There are the regular chants against President Bashar al-Assad: "The Assad family are thieves" is always popular.

Despite the colonel's remarks, the United States does want the Assad regime to fall.

It is one of the small ironies of the Syrian uprising that the US and al-Qaeda are on the same side here.

Both want the regime's overthrow. Still, the US and other Western governments worry about who might replace Mr Assad. 

Plea for international help amid fresh Syria slaughter

Plea for international help amid fresh Syria slaughter (cnn)

Activists are begging for international help after Syrian regime forces devastated a town with mortars, killing 88 people, mostly children, an opposition group says. 

Ban Ki-moon: 'We don't have a Plan B'

Ban Ki-moon: 'We don't have a Plan B' (cnn, VIDEO)

Despite U.N. monitors’ struggle to contain violence in Syria, the U.N. Secretary General told CNN’s Christiane Amanpour Thursday that there was no fallback.

“At this time, we don’t have a Plan B,” Ban Ki-moon said.

The nearly 300 monitors deployed across five Syria cities are making “all possible efforts to stop violence” and have had “some dampening effect,” Ban said.

But, he conceded, “We were not able to completely cease the violence.”

Ban said that within the coming days, the full 300 observers authorized by the Security Council last month would be on the ground.