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Journalists Killed In Syria Amid Violence

February 22, 2012

Two western journalists have been killed as a result of Syrian government shelling that hit a makeshift media center in the besieged city of Homs.

Opposition activists identified the slain journalists as Marie Colvin, an American working for Britain's "Sunday Times" newspaper, and French photographer Remi Ochlik.

A witness told Reuters that shells hit the house where they were staying , and they were subsequently killed by rocket fire as they tried to flee. Three other western journalists also reportedly were injured there.

The British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, said on February 22 that the death toll in Syria since protests against Assad's regime began in March last year has reached more than 7,600. It says that includes more than 5,500 civilians, 400 rebel fighters and about 1,700 soldiers and police.

Oppositionists in Syria say government troops have killed more than 100 people since February 21 -- mostly in the provinces of Homs and Idlib.

Activists say at least 44 were killed by troops who launched a fresh assault late Tuesday near the border with Turkey, targeting areas where rebels in the Free Syrian Army are positioned.

The Syrian Network for Human Rights said those deaths include 27 young civilian men who were shot in the head or chest by troops and militiamen loyal to President Bashar al-Asssad in the villages of Idita, Iblin and Balshon in Idlib Province.

In Homs, which came under intense shelling by government forces overnight, activists reported at least 56 deaths.

Due to restrictions on foreign media imposed by the Syrian regime, the reports could not be independently confirmed.

Truce Efforts

The latest wave of violence comes as the Red Cross tries to negotiate daily cease-fires to allow in aid to civilians in beleaguered cities like Homs.

Jakob Kellenberger, the president of the International Committee of the Red Cross, said the cease-fire should last two hours a day to allow Red Cross staff and Syrian Arab Red Crescent volunteers to get aid in and the wounded out.

Washington, meanwhile, has refused to rule out eventually providing arms to rebels trying to overthrow President Bashar Assad.

"We don't believe that it makes sense to contribute now to the further militarization of Syria. What we don't want to see is the spiral of violence increase. That said, if we can't get Assad to yield to the pressure that we are all bringing to bear, we may have to consider additional measures," said State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland.

At the United Nations, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said he was searching for a candidate to name as a humanitarian coordinator for Syria, whose role could evolve into seeking a political solution to the conflict.

Western and Arab powers that are openly seeking Assad's downfall are preparing for the inaugural meeting of a "Friends of Syria" contact group in Tunisia on February 24.

Russia said it would not attend the "Friends of Syria" meeting because the Syrian government would not be represented.

"Russia wants all members of the international community to act as friends of all the Syrian people, not just a part of it," said Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Aleksandr Lukashevich.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said the Tunisia meeting would show how isolated Damascus is and offer support for the "brave Syrian people."

"This is a challenging process but mostly for the people of Syria, who everyday are living with the results of this brutal crackdown they're suffering under. I don't want to get ahead of the meeting that will be a very large gathering that will demonstrate once again international unity in the face of the Assad regime," Clinton said on the sidelines of a G20 summit in Mexico.

"We'll send a clear message to Russia, China and others who are still unsure about how to handle the increasing violence but are up until now unfortunately making the wrong choices. And I think that we'll have more to say as we go through this week and after the meeting," Clinton added.

Russia and China have vetoed two UN Security Council resolutions condemning Damascus for the crackdown which has left at least 6,000 dead, according to the United Nations.

Much of the opposition to Assad comes from the Sunni majority, while much of his support comes from minorities like his own Alawite sect.

Source: http://www.rferl.org/content/syria_crackdown_/24491921.html

Copyright (c) 2012. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.