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Syrian Forces Continue Crackdown Despite Stepped-Up International Pressure

Last updated (GMT/UTC): 19.08.2011 14:01

At least a dozen people have been killed in clashes between antigovernment demonstrators and Syrian security forces over the past 24 hours, despite stepped-up pressure by the West against Damascus.

Seven people were reported killed in Daraa on August 19, while five were killed near Damascus and in other cities during demonstrations late last night, according to the Arab Organization for Human Rights. Official Syrian media are reporting that "militants" in the southern province killed four members of the security forces.

Syrian security forces also reportedly detained more than 300 people in the August 19 clashes which followed Friday Prayer services.

The violence comes despite assurances earlier this week by embattled President Bashar al-Assad that military and security operations in the country have been concluded.

The UN and human rights organizations say some 2,000 civilians have been killed in the unrest that began in March. Rival claims of casualties have been impossible to verify because Damascus has expelled almost all journalists from the country.

EU foreign policy spokesman Michael Mann said EU ambassadors meeting in Brussels on August 19 were considering new sanctions against Syria, including a possible embargo on Syrian crude oil.

Such a move would hit hard since Damascus gets about 28 percent of its revenues from oil exports to European countries such as Germany, Italy, and France.

Increased Pressure On Assad

The EU is also deciding whether to expand current travel bans and asset freezes on more individuals and organizations associated with the regime.

The August 19 developments come after the international community significantly stepped up pressure on Assad on August 18.

U.S. President Barrack Obama made what was Washington's first explicit call for Assad to step aside -- a call echoed a short while later by European leaders.

Obama also announced new economic sanctions that Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said would "strike at the heart of the Syrian regime." And EU leaders announced they are drafting a UN Security Council sanctions resolution.

And at the UN, High Commissioner on Human Rights Navi Pillay said Damascus may have committed crimes against humanity and appealed to the UN Security Council to refer Assad's government to the International Criminal Court.

In New York late on August 18, UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Valerie Amos announced the UN will send a delegation to Syria in the next few days to investigate the reports of human rights abuses.

"We will want to concentrate on those places where there have been reports of fighting so that we can see for ourselves exactly what has been going on," Amos said.

Syria's UN ambassador Bashar Jaafari, fired back over the stepped-up pressure, accusing Washington of orchestrating a campaign to destabilize his country.

"The United States, through imposing sanctions and calling for President Assad to step down, is launching and waging a humanitarian and diplomatic war against us,” Jaafari said.

“This war has one aim -- instigating further violence in the country, and giving the wrong message to the terrorist armed groups that they are under American and Western protection, so that they go ahead with their insurrection and destructive activities in the country."

Although a growing number of countries have joined the international chorus calling for Assad to leave, a UN Security Council resolution is likely to face opposition from permanent members Russia and China. Brazil, India, and South Africa have also voiced opposition to tough measures against Damascus.

with agency reports

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Syrian Forces Continue Crackdown Despite Stepped-Up International Pressure