Submitted by crinadmin on
Summary: The latest massacre brings the number of children killed since the UN-brokered truce to over 70.
[28 May 2012] - Syria's savage regime was condemned around the world yesterday for [the] horrifying massacre of 32 children. The UN called the shelling of Houla, which left at least 116 civilians dead, a “brutal breach of international law”. Foreign Secretary William Hague said the slaughter was “sickening”. Syria’s foreign ministry yesterday blamed terrorists for the deaths. But as horrific pictures of the youngsters’ bodies were posted on the internet, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said President Bashar al-Assad’s “rule by murder and fear must come to an end”. Last night, the UN Security Council met to discuss the killings. Major General Robert Mood, head of the organisation’s observer mission, said: “Whoever started, whoever responded and whoever carried out this deplorable act of violence should be held responsible.” Hague added: “It is a familiar tactic of the Assad regime to blame others for what’s happening in their country to try to get out of responsibility for the scale of the destruction. “We are absolutely sickened in the British Government and across the international community by what we’ve seen, in particular about the deaths of unarmed men, women and children.” Opposition forces trying to oust Assad said Houla came under sustained heavy shellfire on Friday. Others alleged a specialist unit of government-backed militiamen arrived on five buses, shooting and stabbing civilians as they swept through the town. Local Abu Yazan said: “They killed entire families, from parents down to children, but focused on the children.” The Syrian charge d’affaires in London will today be summoned to the Foreign Office to hear the UK’s condemnation. Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg suggested Syrian army generals could be banned from the Olympics this summer. He added: “The scenes of savagery we’ve seen on our television screens are just revolting, stomach-churning.” The Syrian government claimed they were being subjected to a “tsunami of lies” on Houla. Two men were shot dead yesterday as protests broke out in Damascus to condemn the massacre. More than 9,000 people have been killed by security forces and at least 14,000 others held since March last year. Further Information:
pdf: http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/uk-world-news/2012/05/28/un-blasts-syr...