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NIGHT OF THE GENERALS : Paul Conroy describes "pure, systematic slaughter of civilians"
03-Mar-2012
The bombardment of Homs will be judged by history as a massacre comparable to Rwanda or Srebrenica, says a British photographer injured in the attacks. (Also read : 'The enforcer' who heads Syria’s dreaded army division (France 24))
Paul Conroy:describes 'slaughterhouse' in Homs will be the next Srebrenica or Rwanda:
Paul Conroy::Homs is comparable to Srebrenica or Rwanda:
Paul Conroy on CNN with Anderson Cooper:
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CORROBORATED EVIDENCE OF MAN SLAUGHTER
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Marie Colvin last report:
Journalist Marie Colvin in one of her last reports from Syria. She was a great journalist and an amazing person. Killed while covering the plight of the people of Homs Syria.
A Syrian activist says the fighting will not stop until either Assad is gone or the activists are all dead.
Paul Conroy: Homs comparable to Srebrenica and Rwanda (bbc)
The bombardment of Homs will be judged by history as a massacre comparable to Rwanda or Srebrenica, says a British photographer injured in the attacks.Paul Conroy, 47, told BBC's Newsnight he had witnessed "a systematic slaughter of the civilian population".
In all his experience of war zones, he had never seen anything on this level, he said, and in 10 years, the world would be "wringing its hands" in shame.
Journalist Marie Colvin, killed in the shelling, was "the best of the best".
"I don't know anyone who had her tenacity and bravery," he said of his Sunday Times colleague.
Mr Conroy, who was smuggled to Lebanon by Syrian rebels, paid tribute to the "heroes" who helped him escape, but he feared for their safety and for all the Syrian people.
"We left behind what I fear is going to be the next Rwanda, the next Srebrenica."
The bombing of Baba Amr - the rebel district of Homs which has received the brunt of the Syrian authorities' attacks - is indiscriminate, he said.
"There are no military targets, it's pure and systematic slaughter of a civilian population. The only reason those shells are going in are to eliminate the people and buildings of Baba Amr."
Conroy spent days stranded in Baba Amr with shrapnel wounds picked up in a rocket attack that killed Colvin and French journalist Remi Ochlik.
Speaking from his hospital bed in London, Conroy described conditions in Homs as catastrophic, with people living in "bombed-out wrecks" and "waiting to die".
The next phase in the conflict will not be televised but it will happen, he said.
Urging the international community to act, he said that when Baba Amr fell, the regime would turn to other areas.
"When Baba Amr is finished, and I think it's almost there now, we've watched it happen, they're going to move on, they're going to move into the countryside, the towns and there will be no witnesses," he said.
"Women, children, old men, young people will just cease to exist, they will cease to exist and in 10 years we will have an investigation and people will say 'how did this happen?'"
Conroy, originally from Liverpool but now living in Devon, said the moment his building was hit was "was traumatic, instant chaos".
"A few shells had hit the house and the final shell that killed Marie and Remi, my friend, everything went black, I felt a huge pressure in my leg... I realised it was bad, stuck a tourniquet on and essentially tried to crawl out the house where I found Marie."
He said they were taken to a field hospital which was "a living room and a kitchen table essentially," where doctors had limited supplies.
The building was taking direct hits in intense shelling which lasted 14 hours a day, he said.
"It was intense to start with but as the week went on we were living minute-by-minute in that room, literally you could hear the shells coming in.
"We also had the medics coming in saying 'We've just lost another 10 men, another five children,' so while we were in this situation we were getting daily, hourly, minute-by-minute reports of the slaughter outside, which was quite un-nerving."
Meanwhile, the International Committee of the Red Cross said it had received the bodies of Colvin and Ochlik, and taken them to Damascus.
The Red Cross said on Saturday it will try again to be allowed access to the devastated Baba Amr district of the Syrian city of Homs, after being blocked on Friday.
It said it was "unacceptable" that its seven-lorry convoy had been stopped.
There have been reports of revenge killings and summary executions by Syrian forces since rebel fighters pulled out of Baba Amr on Thursday.How many have died?
- Uprising began a year ago with peaceful protests
- UN estimates more than 7,500 people killed
- Syria says at least 1,345 members of the security forces have been killed
- It puts the number of civilians killed at 2,493
More Here :
Syria toll passes 7,500, UN says (bbc)
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THE NIGHT OF THE SYRIAN GENERALS
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Recommended Reading:As head of the Syrian Army’s elite Fourth Division, Maher al-Assad (left) has a reputation for ruthlessness. He's also President Bashar al-Assad's (right) younger brother - and in Syria, presidential younger brothers often play the heavy.
'The enforcer' who heads Syria’s dreaded army division (France 24)The Night of the Generals:
Homs’ Long Night of the Generals Has Indeed Only Just Begun …
Related Blog:
WANTED: Did Nazi Criminal Alois Brunner train Syria’s Security Forces ?
Other Related Blogs on Syria :
Syrian Protestors Burn IRI Flag
NIAC Ambassador Majid Rafizadeh: Appeasement with Iran But Sanctions & intervention on Syria?
IN DENIAL: Barbara Walters' Interview with Syria's President Bashar al-Assad
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In pictures: Clashes in Idlib
by Darius Kadivar on Sat Mar 10, 2012 08:29 AM PSTIn pictures: Clashes in Idlib (BBC)
Annan and Syria's al-Assad meet as Qatar calls for troops
by Darius Kadivar on Sat Mar 10, 2012 08:26 AM PSTAnnan, Syria's al-Assad meet as Qatar calls for troops (CNN, VIDEO)
CNN) -- A top diplomat came face to face Saturday with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in an attempt to stop the carnage while on the streets, security forces continued to kill with impunity.
Former United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan met with al-Assad in Damascus in negotiations aimed at pushing the Syrian leader to order a ceasefire and begin talks with the opposition.
The only assessment of the high-stakes meeting so far has come from Syrian state-run media which described it as taking place in a "positive atmosphere."
Arab leaders called for intervention given the situation within Syria and held firm to their position that al-Assad must step down.
Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim al-Thani said the Arab League supported Annan's mission but it was also time to send in Arab and other international troops into Syria.
Life and death under Syria's onslaught
by Darius Kadivar on Sat Mar 10, 2012 04:58 AM PSTLife and death under Syria's onslaught (CNN)
Editor's note: Watch the full documentary "72 Hours Under Fire" on CNN International on Saturday at 4 a.m., 3 p.m. and 9 p.m. and Sunday at 6 a.m., and on CNN U.S. on Sunday at 8 p.m. and 11 p.m. and Monday at 2 a.m. (All times Eastern)
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
Syrians seek refuge in Turkey camps
by Darius Kadivar on Sat Mar 10, 2012 12:51 AM PSTSyrians seek refuge in Turkey camps (BBC, VIDEO)
With no sign of an end to the ongoing violence in Syria, thousands of refugees continue to flee over the Turkish-Syrian border in search of safety.
UN aid chief Valerie Amos visited some of those living in emergency camps on Friday, having visited parts of Syria on Thursday.
She said "limited progress" has been made to get aid access to the worst-hit areas of the country, but that much more needed to be achieved.
Jonathan Head reports.
Syria crisis: Kofi Annan to hold talks with Assad
by Darius Kadivar on Sat Mar 10, 2012 12:40 AM PSTAnnan starts Syria peace mission (bbc)
UN-Arab League envoy Kofi Annan has arrived in Syria for talks with President Bashar al-Assad, in a fresh diplomatic bid to end the violence.
UN chief Ban Ki-moon said Mr Annan would call for an immediate ceasefire by the army and the opposition.
Activists said government forces killed 77 people across Syria on Friday.
Earlier, UN aid chief Valerie Amos said "limited progress" had been made on taking aid to the worst-hit areas in Syria, but much more was needed.
Baroness Amos said she had requested full access to the worst-hit areas, but the government had asked for more time.
Calls for reform that began with pro-democracy protests a year ago have degenerated into violence that has brought Syria to the brink of civil war.
The UN says more than 7,500 people have died as a result of the violence.Syrian forces kill dozens on eve of Kofi Annan visit
by Darius Kadivar on Fri Mar 09, 2012 10:43 AM PSTSyrian forces kill dozens on eve of Kofi Annan visit (france 24)
Syrian forces killed some 54 people across the country Friday, just a day before new UN-Arab League international envoy Kofi Annan was to arrive in Damascus to assess the situation. The resumption of violence followed a few days of relative calm.U.N. submits Syria relief plan
by Darius Kadivar on Fri Mar 09, 2012 10:29 AM PSTU.N. submits Syria relief plan (cnn)
CNN) -- The United Nations tackled Syria's humanitarian crisis Friday, with a top official proposing an aid relief plan for civilians devastated by fighting.
Valerie Amos, the U.N. humanitarian chief, said she submitted a proposal to Syria for "unhindered" aid worker access and asked the government to respond urgently.
She completed a two-day visit to Syria that focused on urging "all parties to agree on arrangements for humanitarian organizations to reach people in areas affected by fighting and violence," Amos said in a statement.
She met with Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem and other government officials in Damascus and visited displaced Syrians on the Turkish side of the border.
Syrian troops accused of rape
by Darius Kadivar on Fri Mar 09, 2012 04:29 AM PSTSyrian troops accused of rapeListen (AUDIO)
A Syrian activist has told the BBC of extreme brutality against men, women and children in Syria. She said the international community must now intervene.
Nadia (not her real name), from Damascus, told the BBC: "Death is near, and that's fine.
"But the suffering throughout this process, when you see many women with their children killed in front of them, many women with their children kidnapped, they don't even know where they are, they can't ask where they are, many women, their husbands killed in front of them...
"The suffering is extreme, and then you have this fear, and I'm really sorry to tell you, it is not only women who get raped."
Kofi Annan Syria comments spark anger amongst Opposition
by Darius Kadivar on Fri Mar 09, 2012 04:27 AM PSTAnnan Syria comments spark anger (bbc)
Syrian opposition activists have angrily rejected calls by Kofi Annan, the UN and Arab League envoy to Syria, for dialogue with the government.
The leader of the main opposition, Burhan Ghalioun, said the comments were "disappointing" when Syrians were being "massacred every day".
Mr Annan, who is due in Syria on Saturday, had said a solution lies in a "political settlement".
He also said further militarisation "would make things worse".
Meanwhile, activists say Syrian troops are massing in northern Idlib province and fear another major assault, as happened in the city of Homs.
Syria Uprising Gets Hearty Embrace @ Pro-Israel AIPAC Conference
by Darius Kadivar on Fri Mar 09, 2012 04:08 AM PSTSyria Uprising Gets A Hearty Embrace At Pro-Israel AIPAC Conference (FRANCE 24)
WASHINGTON -- At this week's conference for the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, the recent changes taking place in the Middle East were typically seen through wary eyes: Iran's nuclear threat on the rise, Hamas and Fatah worryingly close to reconciliation, the revolution in Egypt empowering the Islamic Muslim Brotherhood.
But one ongoing transformation received a more hearty embrace: the uprising in Syria.
"I admire the courage of the Syrian people and I wish them peace and freedom from the depths of all of our hearts," said Israeli President Shimon Peres, to warm applause, when he opened the conference on Sunday morning.
Peres has said this before, but it turned out to be a common sentiment at the conference. In a discussion about foreign policy that same morning, Ehud Yaari, an Israeli fellow with the Washington Institute for Near East Policy (WINEP), announced his support for the opposition, adding, "I do not share the concern of many that Syria is bound to fall under leadership of the Muslim Brotherhood."
Rockets fall on Rastan as fears grow in Homs
by Darius Kadivar on Fri Mar 09, 2012 02:13 AM PSTRockets fall on Rastan (CNN)
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
William Cohen on military action in Syria
by Darius Kadivar on Fri Mar 09, 2012 01:33 AM PSTCohen on military action in Syria (CNN, VIDEO)
On Monday, US Senator John McCain called for US air strikes against Syrian forces.
President Barack Obama has described the situation in Syria as "heartbreaking" but said that unilateral US military intervention there would be a mistake.
Katty Kay spoke with former US Secretary of Defense William Cohen about what the options are to stop the deteriorating humanitarian crisis in Syria.Hammond: UK will not arm Syrian rebels
by Darius Kadivar on Fri Mar 09, 2012 01:28 AM PSTHammond: UK will not arm Syrian rebels (BBC, VIDEO)
The British defence secretary has said it would be illegal for the UK to arm the Syrian rebels against a "terrible regime".
Philip Hammond said the UK would continue to press Russia and China, who had blocked UN Security resolutions, and stressed Britain would only take part in legal actions.
He said: "We are certainly giving encouragement to Syrian opposition, but we are not providing them with any lethal weaponry or anything of that kind."
Tunisia offers safe haven for Assad
by Darius Kadivar on Thu Mar 08, 2012 03:15 PM PSTTunisia offers safe haven for Assad (BBC,VIDEO)
Moncef Marzouki, the President of Tunisia is offering Syria's President Bashar el-Assad asylum in the north African country.
He told HARDtalk's Stephen Sackur that President Assad had to have a safe haven to go to "otherwise he will continue to kill and to kill and to kill".
The Syrian leader was a murderer but saving lives was more important than justice, he said.Syrian president's cousin: 'We're on brink of regional war'
by Darius Kadivar on Thu Mar 08, 2012 03:08 PM PSTAl-Assad: 'We're on brink of war' (bbc, VIDEO)
Syria's dictatorship at first seemed immune to the wave of unrest engulfing the Arab world.
But now the country is in the grip of mass protest and repression. Human rights activists say 1400 people have been killed and 10,000 arrested.
Carrie Gracie spoke to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's cousin, Ribal Al-Assad, who's in exile in London and campaigning for democratic freedoms. But after four decades of dynastic rule, can anyone in the Assad family help Syria find a way out of its crisis or even a regional crisis?UN chief 'devastated' by Homs visit
by Darius Kadivar on Thu Mar 08, 2012 03:06 PM PSTUN chief 'devastated' by Homs visit (bbc,VIDEO)
The United Nations humanitarian chief, Valerie Amos, has told journalists she was "devastated" by what she saw in Baba Amr.
Surrounded by Syrian officials, she spoke only briefly as she emerged from talks with the minister of education in Damascus.
'Fresh massacre' in Syria's Homs
by Darius Kadivar on Thu Mar 08, 2012 03:02 PM PST'Fresh massacre' in Syria's Homs (bbc)
Syrian security forces kill dozens of people in a 'new massacre' in Homs, activists say, a day after the UN's aid chief visited the city.Syria Oil minister defects and joins opposition
by Darius Kadivar on Wed Mar 07, 2012 11:24 PM PSTSyria's deputy oil minister says he is resigning and joining the anti-government revolt, denouncing President Bashar al-Assad's crackdown as "brutal".
Syria minister joins opposition (bbc)
Syria crisis: Red Crescent enters Baba Amr, Homs (bbc)
by Darius Kadivar on Wed Mar 07, 2012 07:15 AM PSTSyria crisis: Red Crescent enters Baba Amr, Homs (bbc)
The Red Crescent has entered the devastated Baba Amr district of the Syrian city of Homs, a spokesman for the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has said.
UN aid chief Amos visiting Syria
by Darius Kadivar on Wed Mar 07, 2012 04:22 AM PSTThe UN humanitarian chief has arrived in Syria to urge the government to allow aid access to its battle-scarred cities.
UN aid chief Amos visiting Syria (bbc)
Syrians trade blame on Homs family 'massacre'
by Darius Kadivar on Wed Mar 07, 2012 04:20 AM PSTSyrians trade blame on killings (bbc)
The Syrian government and the opposition have accused each other over a massacre in Homs, after footage was shown by a pro-government TV station.
Al-Dunya broadcast footage of what it said was a family of 17 people who had been stabbed and shot by "terrorist gangs" in the Baba Amr district.
But opposition activists said the victims were killed by government forces and published their names.
UK Ambassador: Assad regime has 'blood on its hands'
by Darius Kadivar on Wed Mar 07, 2012 01:45 AM PSTAssad regime 'blood on its hands' (bbc,VIDEO)
Britain's Ambassador to Syria, Simon Collis, has told the BBC that the Assad regime has so much 'blood on its hands' that the Syrian people know it is doomed.
Mr Collis said President Assad could be forced out by the end of this year.
The United Nations says 7,000 people have fled to Lebanon, at least 4,000 to Jordan, 11,000 to Turkey and approximately 10,000 to Libya, as James Robbins reports.
Humanitarian chief due in Syria
by Darius Kadivar on Wed Mar 07, 2012 01:36 AM PSTHumanitarian chief due in Syria (bbc)
The UN's humanitarian chief is due in the Syrian capital where she will press the government to allow aid access to its battle-scarred cities.
Valerie Amos will hold talks in Damascus as the International Committee of the Red Cross remains blocked from entering the besieged city of Homs.
The Syrian authorities have said they will not allow an ICRC aid convoy to enter because of security concerns.
The US president has described the situation in Syria as "heartbreaking".
The joint UN-Arab League envoy, former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, is also due to visit Syria in the coming days.Obama says Syria 'heartbreaking'
by Darius Kadivar on Tue Mar 06, 2012 05:40 PM PSTObama says Syria 'heartbreaking' (BBC, VIDEO)
President Barack Obama has described the situation in Syria as "heartbreaking" but said that unilateral US military intervention there would be a mistake.
Mr Obama said President Bashar al-Assad would fall, as other dictators had fallen, but the US would try to achieve this by working to isolate Syria.
More deadly clashes were reported across Syria on Tuesday.
The international community remains divided on how to end violence there.
The UN says more than 7,500 people have died as a result of the violence in Syria over the past 12 months.
Syria troops 'shell rebel towns'
by Darius Kadivar on Tue Mar 06, 2012 12:40 PM PSTSyria troops 'shell rebel towns' (bbc)
Security forces have been shelling rebel-held towns in Syria, activists say, as President Bashar al-Assad vowed to continue fighting "terrorism".
A boy and five soldiers were reportedly killed as troops launched an assault on the southern town of Herak, a base of the Free Syrian Army (FSA).
Activists also said 23 people had died in Homs, five days after the FSA pulled out of the city's Baba Amr district.
A new UN Security Council resolution is meanwhile reportedly being discussed.
The US proposed demanding an end to the violence, first by Syrian government forces and then by armed rebels, the Associated Press said.
The five permanent members of the Security Council, plus Morocco - the Arab representative - are to discuss it behind closed doors on Tuesday.14 die in Syria as regime hits escape routes say's Opposition
by Darius Kadivar on Tue Mar 06, 2012 06:01 AM PSTI have a hunch Mccain & Jannati share same longevity genes! :-)
by Disenchanted on Tue Mar 06, 2012 12:06 AM PST... these folks should be concerned about Alzheimer and their prostate more than anything else! Jannati like to execute people, McCain loves to bomb people all the time. That they have in common too! :-)
McCain calls for air strikes on Syria
by Darius Kadivar on Mon Mar 05, 2012 11:55 PM PSTMcCain calls for air strikes on Syria (BBC, VIDEO)
US Senator John McCain has called for America to lead an international force to protect key population centres in Syria through air strikes on President Bashar al-Assad's forces.
He said the United States had a moral and strategic obligation to force out Assad and his loyalists.
Syrians flee en masse to Lebanon
by Darius Kadivar on Mon Mar 05, 2012 11:53 PM PSTSyrians flee en masse to Lebanon (bbc)
Thousands of Syrian refugees have recently crossed into Lebanon, the UN says, amid reports that security forces are committing atrocities in Syria.
Real mess
by Rea on Mon Mar 05, 2012 10:33 AM PSTAnd getting messier, day in day out.
Who is right, who is wrong here ?