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Str / AP
Images from Syria. Anti-government clashes continue as Western and Arab nations launch a diplomatic offensive to halt the violence.
More than 34 children have been killed in Syria since a shaky truce between President Bashar al-Assad's security forces and opposition groups began on April 12, a U.N. envoy said on Tuesday.
"I urge all parties in Syria to refrain from indiscriminate tactics resulting in the killing and wounding of children," said Radhika Coomaraswamy, special envoy for children and armed conflict.
The United Nations has been largely shut out of Syria during the conflict and most independent journalists have been barred, making it is difficult to independently verify details of attacks and casualties.
"Since a truce was agreed on April 12 ... and despite the deployment of United Nations ceasefire monitors, more than 34 children have allegedly been killed," said in a statement.
The British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said two children were among 10 people killed in a mortar attack on Monday by Syrian forces on a village in the northern province of Idlib.
Coomaraswamy also said in recent days that at least one child was killed during anti-government protests and the body of a girl was retrieved from the rubble of a collapsed house in the city of Hama.
Violence appears to be rising again after a lull immediately after the ceasefire's implementation. Thirty U.N. monitors are already in Syria and the mission's number is expected to rise to 50 by the end of the week.
The United Nations says Syrian forces have killed more than 9,000 people since the uprising against Assad began in March 2011. Damascus says rebels have killed more than 2,600 soldiers and police.
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How could anyone be surprised by this? The Syrian regime has been lying since day one. While the whole time the worthless U.N. just keeps shaking it's finger at them.
The Syrian regime lies since day one? There's another quite large far more violent regime that has told far larger and more criminal lies yet no one in the UN called for their removal nor prosecution: the regimes of Bush and Obama.
Didn't Assad at one point agree to a televised interview and said "We don't kill our own people" with a straight face? Seriously, how can anyone be surprised they're still fighting at this point.
Pakis and Saudis have been doing worse!
When it comes to the international killer nations, the UN, human rights groups and other agents of Saudis, oil companies and their lobbyists have been acting as if they are dead!
In S. Sudan, Nigeria and many nations, non-Muslims are going through genocides.
Why no one is screaming?
Where was the UN when Bush was bombing the crap out of Iraq? Oh yeah, we barred them from entering and we also killed some foreign journalists.
The United Nations is the biggest farce on the planet. Condemnations do not save lives .....actions do.
Lok at the track record of UN. These days UN and its agencies are acting as the puppets of Saudi Arabia, oil companies and their lobbyists.
Did these people get WMDs in Iraq? They were doing too many dances before and during Iraqi wars (1991 and 2003).
Iraq is worse now.
Are UN and Saudi and oil companies puppets dead now?
Who is that cheap Radhika Coomaraswamy?
While I feel sorry for the children and their parents, it is and remains an Arab problem. The US does not need to get involved, one way or the other. If the Arab community feels remorse about this, then step up and fix the problem. Until then, keep the USA out of it.
The Arab community is quite comfortable being a tribal society not unlike so many african countries. The problem is we have allies and vital interests in the area. We can not stick our heads in the sand. Who stops the march of islamic states across the Middle East, Africa, South East Asia. The answer is we must do the job. This is not over until enough arab/islamists/persians/african tribesman/asians (all muslims), are killed. This is what happens when medieval meets modern. There is never enough conquest. To wait is to jeopardize more and more people and more and more lives (americans and everyone else). Come on, you're smarter than this. These countries must be exposed to western democracies et al. Just like Egypt. What a shame, they'll be beginning again from the 7ith cent.. The exact same outcome will take place in Syria, and our government is not there??? You don't have to have an army there, but you have to be an influence in the outcome. At least be a choice for the Syrian people. These cultures are hundreds of years away from the institutions we take for granted in the US. We have to be omnipresent with images and info. of the modern world.
I agree with you.
It is most foolish to get into the battles between Shiites and Sunnis.
At least Iraqi wars (1991 and 2003) should have taught lessons to those dancing on directions of Saudis, oil companies and their lobbyists and guided by short term interests.
What did we get by 1991 Iraqi war by saving the beastly, barbaric and most bigoted Kuwaiti, Saudi Arabia, UAE and other Sunni ruled nations?
All over the world Muslims (irrespective of Shiites, Sunnis and others) joined hands and US and West became No. 1 enemy.
It resulted in 9/11.
In these wars, Saudis, oil companies and Bush & co and lobbyists benefitted.
Soldiers lost lives, we lost our savings, houses and many are on streets and most of the non-Muslim nations got the most extremist Islamic versions of Salaffi and Wahhabi mosques all over the world.
Most ungrateful Saudi barbaric bigoted beasts, who don't tolerate Bibles or churches in their places, have placed their hate preaching and killing training centres in our streets.
If nations, which are most barbaric, bigoted and inventor of world problems including economic ones, need to be wiped out from the world map, then Saudis and Pakis qualify most!
Assad is far a better ruler than the above seventh century Sunni bigoted beastly rulers and their nations.
How was the U.N. able to verify this information?? My guess is they got the information from the Rebels (activist ) that started this Civil War and are losing. The Rebels have to stop using children as "shields". The picture in this story shows the children next to armed Rebels. Assad has the right to protect his country from threats, be they internal or external. This is a Syrian problem that needs handled by the Syrian people in Syria. You may not like the regime, but it has that right. I hope O'Bama is paying attention because he could very easily find himself in a similar situation in America and looking for a place to hide.
The only people that are trustworthy in their reporting are the UN Observers on the ground. They do not take sides- their Boss is from Norway- an experienced in ceasefires/observations Robert Mood. The others on the ground are similarly experienced. There are different factions in this conflict- the Assad people (g'ment/Alewites),the Syrian Friends Assn (all non Syrians- led by Turkey)Syrian National Council residing in Turkey (expats),- Syrian Kurds and Syriacs (Orthodox) did not join-they are excluded,Sunnis- some do,others do not want Muslim Brotherhood in their country. Then there are the religious leaders for different faiths,then there are the PFLP (Palestinian terrorist org); then a new player Al Nusri who claims all attacks against Shiite Iran consulates,library etc. Outsiders trying to oust Assad are Saudi Arabia, Qatar,Turkey,US,France,Libyan rebel faction, Those neutral- Jordan (cannot take a chance-internal problems with none other than Muslim Brotherhood) Backing Assad Russia,China,Iran,Iraq. Ceasefire is the only way to stop atrocities on all sides (there are so many opposition rebels -who do not see eye to eye-nor do they cooperate). Turkey is trying to get NATO to attack Syria since bullets crossed over the border-but Turkey is the first country at the start to invite the Libyan civil war veterans thanks to NATO taking out QADDAFI to oversee the ops into Syria.
mimi jacques you right about everything , Turkey like to take the other side of Syria since they already annexed a big part of Syria after WW2 thanks to the Europeans then , So it is a big conspiracy that taking place , and the Russians and the Chinese know that , Simply because Syria backs Hezbollah in Lebanon , and Hezbollah gave Israel trouble during the 2006 war with them , So the US,NATO, TURKEY,SAUDIS,QATARIS all joined to take down Assad , they offered him money at first , when he refused the went to plan (B) , and that is bringing Saudis and Qataris Allies Al Qaeda and the Muslim Brother hood to take him down .
You know if I remember correctly we killed lots of children in Iraq and Afghanistan and we said they were using kids as human shields , we expect the world to believe us , But when the rebels and their human rights group that stationed in London and they are pro rebels and are paid by the Saudis and Qataris , we just take their word for it and call for ousting of Assad, Assad is no angel but neither none of our politicians and these thugs in Syria , are Al Qaeda left over fighters from the Iraq war and the Libyan war that are paid by the Saudis and Qataris to fight in Syria to try to install a Wahhabi Muslims Government that belong to them , and what so bad is that the US is buying it and are sending arms and advisers to Turkey to help these Al Qaeda , its Amazing how we try to kill them in Afghanistan and Yemen and are helping them in Syria , I did not imagine that the rich gulf states have that much power over us , But by god they do , I guess we should have learn from 9/11 these Saudis never answered to us about how 19 of the hijackers were Saudis , and till this day none of fine politicians pushing for an investigation over that, Amazing , Bin Ladin family went to Saudi Arabia !! Anybody surprised ? Not me .
Very knowledgeable posts!
Keep going and best of luck in your efforts to save the world from Sunni killers led by Saudis and Pakis.
Why are US corporate news networks- and the big 3 NATO powers in general- now so concerned with Syrian children when it cared nothing for tens of thousands of Iraqi children maimed, poisoned, and killed during the invasion and occupation by the US military for 8 years? Bush said Shock and Awe killed 30,000 civilians. Total inhumane hypocrits and not even clever ones at that.
name a single major country on the planet where the government or the people like us better since obama and hillery have been running things? one country where we have more respect under obama than bush. oh wait !!!obama gave two billion of our struggling economy dollars to economic boom brazil so mabe them.
I can name many such countries! Obama has really been Iran's Best Friend. Then we have BHO helping the Muslim Brotherhood (MB) to come to power in Egypt. The MB will eventually win in Syria as well. Did I mention Yemen? A country that fought a civil war for decades and then established a peace agreement. Only to have BHO pull the rug out from under Yemen's President. In turn, causing a new civil war. Look at Hamas controlled Gaza. So far BHO has given or requested a total of 1.21 billions to help Hamas. Next, let's turn to Libya. The country is breaking apart. One region has all ready declared it is going back to an autonomous region. On top of that, in the last 3 weeks, 200 Libyans have been killed fighting. Russia likes BHO as well. BHO has stalled our ABM defense shield so long, it will be at least 2016 before it is operational. Well, that is unless BHO kills this as well. Pakistan loves the additional billions BHO has given them. Heck! They do not even have to give us anything back. On to Algeria! Algeria had all but broken the back of the insurgent group tyring ot take over Algeria. Again, BHO helps get rid of it's leader. Now, the Salifist group for preaching & combat has teamed up with Al-Qaeda and call themselves Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Magheb. They are not only winning in Algeria but have even invaded the country just South of it.
Since Iran seems to be the only Middle Eastern friend that Syria seems to have these days, I wonder how the flamboyant, egotistical Mrs. Assad is going to handle life in the land of the Chadra. The "morality police" are going to be very busy curtailing her lavish fashion statements and her outspoken personal views. Of course,there's always the possibility of asylum for her husband in Russia. Cold, cold winters in Moscow, Mrs. Assad.
Kick out Sunni and Arab League puppets from all non-Muslim nations.
Let them flee to their Saudi Arabia and other Sunni nations with their Quran and mosques. We don't need the trouble creators in our nations.
This applies first to the criminals wanted in Syria of Syrian observatory!
What do these seventh century mindset Saudi Sunni and and their puppets know about human rights, two-way streets and other big words?
Look at their dresses and then you start from there!
What do these people think about us: a bunch of fools?
Many of these children have been killed by the rebels. Look at the number of indiscriminate bombings, suicide bombing, etc. The UN is quick to condemn Assad but says little when this group of unknown rebels commit the blood letting.
Put fighter-jets in the air, boots, tanks, and rocket-launchers on the ground, and make Assad history!!
children killed quiet probably however the headline is a U.S. propanganda piece to furthur inceit the U.S. public against the Syrian govt. just HOW MANY CHILDREN HAS U.S. KILLED IN DRONE STRIKES?