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Syria blamed "terrorist" bomb-makers on Thursday for an explosion that ripped through a building and killed 16 people in the restive city of Hama, where hostility to President Bashar Assad runs deep.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a British-based anti-Assad organization tracking the 13-month-old conflict in which the United Nations says at least 9,000 people have died, gave the same death toll but said the cause of Wednesday afternoon's blast was not clear.
The Local Coordination Committees, a grassroots opposition group, had said earlier that a military rocket had inflicted the carnage and put the death toll at more than 50.
Whatever its origins, the blast dealt another blow to a two-week-old U.N.-backed truce that has failed to halt violence on both sides of the conflict, one of a string of uprisings in the Middle East and North Africa against autocratic rule.
An activist said seven civilians and two rebel militiamen were killed in fighting in the eastern city of Deir al-Zor, while a resident of Zamalka on the outskirts of Damascus reported intense gun-battles.
"There have been heavy clashes today, really heavy over the past couple hours," the man said. "I couldn't get close enough to see. There are checkpoints everywhere."
Meanwhile the state news agency, SANA, said a school headmaster was blown up in a booby-trapped car in the northern city of Aleppo, and an "armed terrorist group" had shot dead four members of the same family in Erbin near Damascus.
It also said two members of the security forces were killed in Deir al-Zor.
Russian monitors
United Nations monitors charged with checking the ceasefire engineered by U.N.-Arab League envoy Kofi Annan are trickling in to and two are now based permanently in Hama, where many thousands of people were killed when Assad's late father, Hafez Assad, crushed an armed Islamist uprising 30 years ago.
Activists have been dismayed at the pace of the observer deployment, and a senior U.N. official said this week it would take a month to put the first 100 monitors on the ground.
Only 15 are in place so far out of an envisaged full-strength team of 300 to be led by Norwegian General Robert Mood.
Sana said four monitors from Russia, Syria's most powerful ally, were on their way.
The killing of a Syrian Arab Red Crescent volunteer on Tuesday underscores the dangers the monitors may face.
The International Committee of the Red Cross said three other aid workers were wounded when the clearly marked ambulance in which they were traveling came under fire near Damascus.
Syria says it has completed withdrawing tanks and troops from populated areas in line with Annan's peace plan, but the former U.N. chief said on Tuesday Damascus had failed to meet all its commitments and the situation remained "unacceptable".
France, leading Western calls for tougher action against Assad, says it planned to push next month for a "Chapter 7" Security Council resolution if Assad's forces did not pull back.
Chapter 7 of the U.N. charter allows the Council to authorize actions which can include military force. But Western powers have disavowed any intention to intervene militarily in Syria, as they did last year in Libya.
The U.N. is drawing up a major humanitarian effort for more than a million people affected by the conflict. A report seen by Reuters on Thursday said sewage networks had been damaged and water contaminated, setting the stage for outbreaks of water-borne diseases such as cholera.
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Follow us on Twitter: @msnbc_world
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How interesting, while the U.S. government refuses to use the terms terrorist to describe any Islamic action. Syria has no such qualms. While I detest the Syrian government for a number of reasons at least they can call a terrorist a terrorist. I also find it comforting that these people are blowing themselves up and saving us the trouble.
Shhhhh. It is man caused disasters.
Followers of Islam have invented and are responsible for the worst man/human made disasters.
With Sunni Islamic militants and barbarians, al-Qaida and Muslim brotherhood supporting Syrian rebels anything is possible.
According to the Syrian government, If a muslim civilian kills a muslim soldier, in a muslim country, he is called terrorist. Hmmmmm???????
Question: Why is it, in the Muslim world, if a Muslim (trying to spread Islam) kills a non-muslim civilian in a non-muslim country he is called a freedom fighter?
Hurry up NBC. Bury another big story. Maybe you can run another 5 year old story about minivan prices or one about a single mom with a dead battery being late for work. Wouldn't want to talk about Genocide, terrorists Immigration or healthcare. You guys have to be the most biased media outlet outside of China.
What is this supposed to mean? Seriously man, the subject of the article is what it is. You can comment on it and express your points of view. What is biased about MSNBC reporting what the official position of the Syrian government in regards to this particular incident? There is no bias. It's just an incident that is being reported.
Luckily this site allows for people like you to be able to express opinions in private. It saves you the public embarrassment of people doing massive eye rolls and and laughing in your face when you give voice to such conspiracy theories.
MsNBC has no integrity or credibility. How sad.
YA Leroy MSNBC RAN STORY YESTERDAY ( Syrian troops fire at protesters , 10 soldiers dead ) . NATO AND ALL THE ALLIES US included are trying to overthrow the Assad regime to please the Saudis and Qataris and install a Wahhabi Muslim brother hood gov. in Syria and they brought Al Qaeda fighters from Libya and Iraq and all the other countries that they keep them financed , and how ironic Bin Ladin wif and kids leaving Pakistan and going to Saudi Arabia ,No you kidding ? where in the hell you think they will go , that is there home and that where they have been getting the money for years , But guess what ? The Saudis are our best Friends and we will defend them with all our Force , its strange how politics work , its a disgrace for our politicians.
You bet!
Read the news report. It mentions about "autocratic rule."
Most of the Muslim nations in ME have worse autocratic rulers. The worst being Saudi Arabia.
Which media reports about barbaric and beastly rulers of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, UAE and other Sunni nations and their actions?
Even in 21st century, Saudi Arabia, the fountainheads of Islamic radical and terrorist problems all over the world don't permit non-Muslim religious scriptures and prayer places.
How on earth: these Muslims expect non-Muslim nations to permit their religious practices?
The organization and this site must have some credibility in the confines of your mind, or else you would not be posting your daily dose of trash. Think about it. You are always opining and pontificating non-sensical points of view on every topic. And what' up with the Malcom X icon?
It's a big fars the UN is showing, I thought all the UN people where smart, I guess not, the problem in Syria is so obvious that an elementary student can solve, yet these so called dignitaries have pockets full of money, and act like is a big thing.
For the news makers, I'm sure there are other more important topics to talk about , like the status of our very incompetent, crooked, selfish politicians and a dumba$$ joke of a president we have.
now those are very good topics, who cares about a bunch of idiots in the middle east killing each other, less for us to shoot later
Syria is right it was terrorist, but it was Assad's terrorist who set off the bomb, what a great built in excuse.
I just saw a disturbing video on youtube
Please spread the word.
The Saudi funded Syrian Observatory for Human Rights is full of criminals wanted in Syria. Why don't these criminals operate from a Muslim nation?
Britain should kick out all criminals, especially Sunni ones, wanted in other nations.
These liabilities and criminals will invent problems in Britain and other places wherever they are.
They have already proved these by their track records.
Interesting! When unknown rebels kill "innocent civilians" the Obama's of the world e.g., the US, EU, UN look the other way.
If France is so worried about Syria, let France go in. FYI - France would lose if it had to go it alone!
As for Obama, no American troops anywhere near this area. This is an internal civil war.
well I hate to break it to you all . we are involve with NATO Saudis, Qataris ,Turks,and we should be ashamed , because Al Qaeda is in Syria , they had a terrorist to blow them self up in Syria today , our media didn't;t mention it , and when they do they blame the Assad regime , its so funny , The UN send monitors and Mrs. Rice doomed the mission before it started , what a shame , our policy is dictated to us by Israel and why not most of our officials are Jews , I was watching Mrs . Albright this morning , I bet if we investigated the Kosovo war , we will find out that it was fabricated by her , for the hate she had for the Yugoslav Gov. I am just saying , all of our policies it comes from personal Hate or Love to certain countries , that's a freaking shame , all of these politicians should be investigated ,and they should answer for the lost of our troops on just their personal feelings about things. Crying shame
@ my turn -
That is one oif the craziest rambling statements (accompanied by poor grammar) that has been posted yet on this fresh article with so few postings. Too much. How is an individual like you able to function in normal life? Can you even complete basic tasks such as paying the phone bill, putting stamps on evelopes or doing a 1040EZ income tax form?
This is too much. I'm frightened by the thought that folks like you are just walking around cities, parks and neighborhoods.
at Time4aPurge -
Agreed, the US should stay out of it. I'm glad that conservatives like you are giving such voice to non-intervention and have so painted the Syrian opposition with Islamic-terrorist leanings. This has been a big help in quashing the official GOP position in attempting to use non-intervention on the part of the Obama administration to their own political advantage. If the rank-n-file oppose intervention, then folks like McCain and Graham can not make any head-way in the Senate to convince the nation about spreading the freedom agenda in this part of the Levant.
Seriously. I'm not being sarcastic. It's the common Right-Wing folks like you giving voice to non-intervention that is countering the offical conservative intellectual class (i.e. Krauthammer, Faoud Ajami, Bret Stephens, etc...) that would like a more active role (even a unilateral role) by the US in regards to Syria.
If it were not for common right wingers like you painting the poor innocent folks of Syria getting slaughtered on a daily basis with the broad-brush of Al Quaeda, then there might be a more aggressive action by the US and UK. Therefore, I'm grateful for your existence since your position helps out our team in political and foreign policy terms. You guys have been of invaluable assistance in regards to confounding the official GOP response in how to use this for political gain.
my turn: I agree with you!
Add Saudis and oil companies to the list.
For doing dirty jobs for Saudi Arabia and co in Yugoslavia, Bill Clinton’s Arkansas University got a funding of more than $100 million after the invention of the Muslim nation, Bosnia!
Bush (Sr and Jr) invented Iraqi wars for oil companies and Saudis.
Do these people bother about people and soldiers in the US, Britain and other European nations?
See the economic mess. Still many jump on Syria and Iran!
Hey Anthony R. Seta My Grammar might poor , But trust me when it comes to these Wahhabi Muslim brotherhood and their ways , and the US policy when it comes to Israel and Saudis and the Rich Gulf states , I know allot more then these so called experts that you see on T.V and I lived in that part of the world and I saw what they do to Christians and their churches while NATO and the US stand by watching while they suppose to protect these people , the hell with Grammar buddy , give me the freaking facts, that's what's wrong with us now , we get lectured by @!$%#s that they think they are smarter than we are because they have degrees and went to colleges, but you know what i think about these people , they are the problems for this country , we need people with common sense and Intel. not smart ass's like you .
Interesting logic my turn. When muslims kill christians and burn churches in a middle east country it's our fault. It must be lonely in your world. Strange that the Syrian government being as they are major supporters of 2 of the worlds worst terrorist groups complain when they are targeted. What goes around comes around.