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Subscribe to RSSU.S. officials are denouncing Syria for the killings of two foreign journalists, including American Marie Colvin, but the condemnations haven't stopped Syrian forces from carrying out new attacks on opposition strongholds.
Syrian President Bashar Assad's military sent tanks into the rebel district of Baba Amr in the an opposition stronghold of Homs on Thursday after 20 days of sustained bombardment, opposition sources told Reuters.
"Tanks have entered the Jobar area in the south of Baba Amr," activist Abu Imad told Reuters from the city.
Government forces also resumed shelling the neighborhood, where hundreds have died in a weeks-long siege.
About 30 people, including two Western journalists, were killed in shelling on Wednesday — most of them in Baba Amr, which is the center of the resistance in the city.
GOP rivals back arming of Syria's rebels
Homs-based activist Omar Shaker said intense barrages hit residential districts in Baba Amr again Thursday, but there was no immediate word on casualties. He said food, water and medical supplies are running dangerously low in Baba Amr.
Two journalists killed in Homs shelling. Marie Colvin an American born war reporter for the Sunday Times of London and French photographer, Remi Ochlik - have been killed in Syria. They died during the latest bombardment of Homs. ITN's Tim Ewart has a clip from one of Colvin's last reports.
"Every minute counts. People will soon start to collapse from lack of sleep and shortages in food," he said.
On Wednesday, shelling of Baba Amr killed American-born veteran war correspondent Marie Colvin and French photographer Remi Ochlik.
NBC's Richard Engel reports on the tense situation in Syria where an American reporter and French photojournalist were recently killed.
They were among a group of journalists who had crossed into Syria illegally and were sharing accommodations with activists, raising speculation that government forces targeted the makeshift media center where they were staying. But opposition groups had previously described the shelling as indiscriminate. At least two other Western journalists were wounded on Wednesday.
A Syrian Foreign Ministry spokesman offered condolences to the families of Colvin and Ochlik but rejected any responsibility for their deaths. The spokesman urged foreign journalists to respect Syrian laws and not to sneak into the country.
NYT: As others isolate Syria, Chavez sends fuel to it
Britain's Foreign Secretary William Hague said nations were considering action against Syria in meetings on the sidelines of an international conference in London. Hague said he would discuss "what we can achieve" with U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and many of the Arab League leaders.
Officials say Britain, the United States, Turkey, Qatar and others plan talks on the margins of a conference on Somalia.
Meanwhile, a panel of U.N. human rights experts said Thursday that the United Nations has a secret list of top Syrian officials who could face investigation for crimes against humanity carried out by security forces.
The U.N. experts indicated that the list goes as high as President Bashar Assad.
NBC's Richard Engel answers reader questions about Syria
Thousands of Syrians have died in the violence since March and the panel, citing what it called a reliable source, said at least 500 children are among the dead.
"A reliable body of evidence exists that, consistent with other verified circumstances, provides reasonable grounds to believe that particular individuals, including commanding officers and officials at the highest levels of government, bear responsibility for crimes against humanity and other gross human rights violations," said the report by the U.N.-appointed Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Syria.
"The commission has deposited with the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights a sealed envelope containing the names of these people, which might assist future credible investigations by competent authorities."
It doesn't say who these investigating authorities might be, but the U.N.'s top human rights official has previously called for Syria to be referred to the International Criminal Court in The Hague. Members of the 47-nation U.N. Human Rights Council are expected to hold a special meeting on Syria in Geneva next week, at which the panel's report will be formally presented.
Systematic killing of civilians
The U.N. panel was denied entry to Syria by the government, which accused it of ignoring official information and exceeding its mandate. The panel instead gathered much of its information from sources outside the country, including human rights activists and Syrian army defectors.
The report claims that the ruling Baath Party's National Security Bureau was responsible for translating government policies into military operations that led to the systematic arrest or killing of civilians.
It says the four main intelligence and security agencies reporting directly to Assad — Military Intelligence, Air Force Intelligence, the General Intelligence Directorate and the Political Security Directorate — "were at the heart of almost all operations."
The report details how businessmen helped hire and arm informal pro-government militias known as the Shabbiha.
"In a number of operations, the commission documented how Shabbiha members were strategically employed to commit crimes against humanity and other gross violations," it said.
The report also identifies 38 detention centers "for which the commission documented cases of torture and ill-treatment since March 2011."
Armed opposition groups, loosely connected under the umbrella of the Free Syrian Army, also committed some gross human rights abuses, the panel said. It cited the torture and execution of soldiers or suspected pro-government militia members.
But such actions were "not comparable in scale and organization with those carried out by the state," it added.
More from msnbc.com and NBC News:
- Preparing for the unthinkable (terror) at the London Olympics
- Russians rally for Putin — and 2 days off work
- GOP rivals back arming of Syria's rebels
- Dozens killed as at least 14 bombs rock Iraq in 2-hour span
- NBC's Richard Engel answers reader questions about Syria
- Former 'Amazing Race' producer found dead in Uganda
The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.
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I have no dog in this fight but it does seem the American media does as they consistently fail to report on the religous nature of this conflict{sunni vs shiite vs allawite} or never and I mean never report on the deaths of Syrian soldiers or the deaths of Assad's supporters. I just wish we had more balanced reporting and I would like to give some credit to the Obama admin. for not getting the USA involved.
Ashad will pay for his crimes against humanity. His future is bleak.
Perhaps if they allowed in UN observers and media we would have better transparency? Don't blame the lack of details on th media, blame the government that has barred them outright.
Obama will get involved when it's too little, too late and the conflict has spread like a cancer to neighboring nations, affecting oil prices greatly. When oil reaches $175 bbl, then we can get involved?
I say we heavily arm BOTH (all) sides and let them self exterminate themselves ... problem solved. You can say Bush and Cheney did it and that should provide sufficient cover for your fearless leader, Obama.
First these Syrian human rights activists and other agents of Sunni Saudis should be kicked out of the US, Britain and European nations.
Let these Shiites and Sunnis wash their seventh century desert dirty laundries in their nations.
After all, we are infidels in the end!
Assad is far a better leader than most of the Sunni bigoted, feudal, corrupt biggest liabilities on earth Sunni rulers of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, UAE, Bahrain and some more!
Assad should use bombs instead of tanks and use some on those human rights activists too!
What human rights are these people talking and do they know anything of them?
Human rights and Saudi led Islamic religious Nazi Sunnis: some body must be mad to use them and listen to them!
If this is primarily a conflict between Assad, the Muslim Brotherhood, and al Qaeda, and if our involvement only gets the Syrians mad at us, I say we root for the bullets.
Reposted from an Afghanistan article, because frankly, it applies here too:
So, Syria, a country with no oil and their babies being kille3d by their leaders have revolutionists asking 'Where is the West?'
And in Afghanistan, where we accomplished our mission to kill Bin Laden (well, that's how it started, of course look he ran to Pakistan so it ended there), and a country with no oil and their babies being killed by what was their former government, kill US soldiers for someone accidentally throwing out their favorite book.
I mean, when you have no life, and listen to a guy in a funny robe who tells you what to think, is it really a surprise that nobody cares about you when you have nothing to offer? And when you do (oil) people only care about the thing you have and not you?
Morality about getting out and morality about staying in is all BS here on Newsvine and on our part. You and I really only care about the oil, and obviously, aren't going to have any interest in our people dying when we keep getting these childlike fits with guns thrown in our face. I only have a problem with those who pretend otherwise. Like the constant mouth diarhea about hating the Republicans or Democrats because its a moral issue. Get over it. Its all about you and me trying to keep gas at $4 a gallon, or preferably lower. The tears shed over someone else's baby getting killed are the lie. If someone actually cared about those kids dying, they'd get over the loss. We care more about our gas and that is that.
Hey texan take your barbaric thoughts to the grave you d-ck head. Your speech is no better than assay's mass murder, just stay home and sleep and let the good people handle that situation
This is an Arab conflict and should be handled by Arab troops.
RAY
I agree with you.
An Arab / religious civil war is no place for us to stick our noses in. If we do it becomes all side against us. We become the common enemy for all sides to fight against. After that they will go back to fighting one another again.
bob
The Arab League and the surrounding Arab nations should handle this one. No western govts need to be involved. Its time the Arabs took care of their backwater, dirty, uneducated minions that stir this crap up.
If these people had even an 8th grade level education, they would start to understand that religion (no matter which one) is used as a tool to keep dimwits under control. Belief in god is one thing, and I think helpful to most people in life, but following a organized religion is a load of crap and causes nothing but hatred amongst people who think theirs is the right one, IMHO.
What ? no burning of the American Flag .To all You Syrian folk's living in the USA .your people need you GO HOME.
All Muslims should go back to their beloved nations to save them from civil wars!!
I think many of these dictators see all their own Tanks, artillery, planes, and troops and think they are invincible. They do not really realize just how insignificant they are. They are that delusional. When the rest of the world, and yes that means the USA too, has had enough, they will be gone in short order. It's just too bad that in this day and age we still have these insane monsters.
Again another day of useless talking while more innocent children will be shot, tortured and blown up while the civilized world sits by and does nothing. We should all be ashamed.
Should Russia or some other country bomb America next time the feds use tanks on American civilians? Has there even in all the history of mankind been a more hypocritical people? No people on earth are as arrogant, ignorant, and bloodthirsty as the hypocritical Americans.
I hope someone steps in if my government uses tanks on my neighborhood. And why would they? Because I didn't vote for the right political party? What does your comment even mean? Are you talking about Wako? I don't get it. Is this happening somewhere in the USA? What country is not hypocritical? What could be more ignorant and bloodthirsty than people who stone and murder others for not believing in their religion. Or for burning a book? Redherring...sounds canuck!!!!
.
How to win a battle 101; Kill innocent people with tanks.
Why can't we get away with burning a book but they can kill people with tanks and missiles?
Because Muslims don't condemn other Muslims. They're not angry about the actual books being burned, they're angry b/c it was done by Americans.
SOARING GAS PRICES:
Where is the #1 Story that Effects ALL Americans TODAY? Why is the MSM relatively Silent?
Compared to the gas prices spiking under GWB in 2008 and the over the top BLAME BUSH Rhetoric coming from virtually ALL "news" outlets, the MSM seems silent on the subject now that their man Obama is president. Not a word of this Gas CRISIS from the CNN debate moderators last night in AZ. Are they just waiting for what their "dear leader" says today about his crisis so they can parrot the Party Line Talking Points? Media Bias? Isn't it Obvious to everyone but the drones?
(NewsCore) - President Barack Obama will deliver a speech on energy and rising gas prices Thursday at the University of Miami.
White House officials said the president will lay out an "all of the above" approach to the nation's energy security that he has previously outlined and will tout the fact that domestic oil production has risen on his watch while imports have decreased.
Gas prices have continued to climb in recent months, surpassing $4 per gallon in some areas. According to the Automobile Association of America's (AAA) Daily Fuel Gauge Report, the average price of regular gasoline in the US rose Tuesday to $3.57 per gallon, a 12.6-percent increase from the year-ago average price of $3.17.
ssmithlg -
No need to get the spin news from the MSM on gas prices. Folks like you with the assistance of AM Talk Radio and Rupert Murdoch media outlets have it all covered.
Spin, spin, spin all you like. With so much going on, I certainly don't need to have the right-wing spin machine polluting every corner of the news media. There are far more important things going on than spikes in gas due to global supply and demand, etc... Important it certainly is, but not the only thing that matters in this election. Your party is certainly intent on turning the nation into a quasi-religious theocracy. That merits diligently reporting as well in MSM as such an imposition of our basic freedoms by the forces of the American Right must be thoroughly investigated and made known to the public by the media.
If you believe that high gas prices is a winning issue for your agenda and election prospects in November, then go for it. But please stop complaining. It's fatiguing to listen to you guys continually bring up the moral equivalencies between now and the Bush administration.
I thought high gas prices mean that the economy is rebounding. At least that is what Obama has said. Spin spin spin back at you. I know who wins in the end.
You can thank the warmongers drumming for war with Iran for those gas prices.The more the neo-cons,and the pro-Israelis push for war,the higher gas goes up.If they get their way,we'll be wishing in was $4.00 a galleon again.
So it was Bush's fault when it went up beause of wars. But now that Obama's in the presidency it is still the republicans fault. I get it.???
Seems to me Assad may not be too concerned about human rights violations, specifically given the recent standard of punishment as established in the US. Case in point, the Haditha massacre where recently the only individual found guilty was given an honorable discharge. Equally, the remarkable fact that with all other related issues ( Abu Ghraib etc ) not a single general officer or indvidual of note was even investigated - never mind taken to court. Just a few low level fall guys were thrown under the bus for public relations purposes.
I'm already tired of seeing those 2 reporters pictures EVERYWHERE as the US media tries its best to get as many US civilians as possible to be mentally prepared for & emotionally invested in yet another illegal invasion or regime change operation inside a sovereign country by the US military.
Vote Ron Paul and save yourself.
In The Quran it reads: "Anyone that is not Muslim is of the great Satan and worthy of death. Cut off their hands cut off their heads." Wow, that is a peaceful religion? Burn the Mideast to the ground and death to all Muslims!
Please cite this reference. What passage in the Quran says this?
the different factions of these middle east countries have fought for thousands of years and they will be fighting thousands of years from now. the united states has no bussiness getting involved in any of these countries religous or civil wars.
Gotta hand it to Assad, he knows what he's doing. He will grind the resistance into the ground as brutally and cruelly as he likes (and enjoys immensely I have a feeling). He knows the West is impotent. And Russia and China's rulers are just as ruthless as he is so they won't help because it's pretty much what they would do.
Assad would already be history if Russia was not backing him!
You know, I can't help wondering what our government would do if a group of armed people started what had the potential to become a civil war? I know our constitution says that the people have a right to overthrow any tyranical government, but what would happen if they actually started? Do you think it would be right for other countries in the world to start sending arms and armaments, explosives, "military advisors" and the like to the armed resistors in this country?
Speaking as someone who would rather not have America militarily involved in Syria, it would really depend on what kind of government we have. Are we talking a dictatorship? A republic? Would we request outside help?
What? The question is appropriate as asked. The arms would come in and go to our rebels. All airstrikes and other military activities would be aimed at our government. Our forces should not be used against this up-rising because some innocents could be harmed? Obummer would just leave the White HOuse and the rebel group would appoint a leader who would be in charge until another rebel wanted to be the leader or the next rebel group wanted outside arms, weapons, ect to out the last new leader.
Well,Amazed,the only time that happened here,during our Civil War,we had a million deaths,around a quarter of a million of them civilians.When the Great Powers of the day,Britain and France,wanted to mediate a peaceful settlement.The Federal Government told them to butt out.Said if they interfered and sent arms to the Rebels,it would mean war.So while we don't know about today.If history is a guide.We wouldn't tolerate outsiders in our business anymore than Assad does now.
No, more than likely they would sit back and wait for us to destroy ourselves, then make tons of money off of 'rebuilding' our country, which is what WE should be doing. Wait till its over, and sell the goods they need in order to rebuild.
While I've never been all that big on medievil punishments, I've come to the conclusion that Assad should be hanged, drawn and quartered.
seem's like the IC picks and chooses who they want to bring charges against, ilke if your not WITH the EASTERN BLOCK your more apt to get on the war against humanity list.
maybe russian people should be given info about putin major support for govenment of syria which is doing systematic slaughter of thousands of cilvilians i mean how can u support putin if he continues to supply syrian military with weapons to kill civilians. Dont vote for putin he is a murderer
I don't like the loss of innocent lives, but this is an Arab problem, and they, not the US, needs to settle it. And the more of the Al Quaidas that Assiad kills, means less for the western countries to have to kill later. And if the rebels win, well how do you think Russia and China is going to be treated by the winners?
To me, it's a win win situtation. No American lives are lost, no money spent, and the US cannot be blamed for interferring in that country. We have wasted enough of our money, and our soldiers lives to be involved in another Arab mess. Plus, Russia and China may end up getting bombs set off by terrorist from the rebel group.
Both journalists were there illegally. In the hot zone. Maybe harboring rebels. Dead because of their actions. End of story. Don't play in the fire if you don't want to get burnt.
Rebels knew they were rebelling. Can't hide amoung civilians without expecting a few to die. If the govenernment can not shoot into a civilian area, where and why do you think the reblels go there? Rebels are responsible for the dead unless it is at an installation and the civilian workers have been told they can leave un- harmed.
The US assault,or as WE would say,"pacification" of Fallujah left 6,000 civilians dead in that one operation.The city over 60% totally destroyed,and the population fleeing the city,or forced out.I don't remember reading about the "human beast Bush,etc" in our papers.I also don't recall lists of American officials names sent for "War Crimes Trials".Does anyone here really think that people overseas don't see the hypocrisy of these news stories.If I was in the Syrian government,I'd be making a list of people inciting for violence in my country.Then charge them in a Syrian court for War Crimes.If,ah,I mean when found guilty,deal with them when the time is right.
It is a sad day when people writting articles that make the front page of a news website dont even know their geography. Quoting " But Syria is landlocked" - no its not... and also according to the article the closest air base is in italy when in reality there is one way close in turky. Just food for thought.
clinton is a clown.she most likely does not mean what she says. she wants power and does not foresee the damage that invading syria would cause. putting wealth and "freedom" into the minds of the people when she can't take care of america and the thousands of children that go hungry every day, just shows how dangerous she is.