BEIRUT -- A Red Crescent volunteer was shot dead on first aid duty in Syria, his organization said on Saturday, the fourth local aid worker to be killed as unrest grows increasingly bloody.
Bashar al-Youssef, 23, was shot in the head on Friday while wearing a uniform clearly marked with the Syrian Arab Red Crescent emblem, the SARC said in a statement.
"We are shocked by Bashar's death, it is completely unacceptable," said Abdul Rahman al-Attar, the president of the Syrian Arab Red Crescent.
Youssef had been working in Deir Ezzor, a flashpoint eastern province where civilians have been affected by heavy shelling and fierce fighting between security forces and rebels who have joined the uprising against President Bashar al-Assad's rule.
The identity of Youssef's killer was not clear.
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Red Crescent workers have often been caught in the line of fire, and are sometimes viewed with distrust by both Assad loyalists and the opposition, who are suspicious of the group's neutrality in a conflict increasingly described as civil war. SARC workers say they have been targeted by both sides.
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) stressed the importance that Syrian aid workers not be harmed in a joint statement with the SARC.
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"This comes at a time when the ICRC and the Syrian Arab Red Crescent are virtually the only organizations able to work in areas affected by the violence in Syria," said Alexandre Equey, the deputy head of the ICRC delegation in Syria.
Syrian Red Crescent workers mourning Youssef started a Facebook awareness campaign, using a picture of a smiling young man in his red aid uniform next to pictures of the three volunteers killed before him. A fifth picture of a uniformed worker was shown with a blank face and a question mark, labeled "the next martyr."
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This seems a far less important story that ones routinely ignored by MSNBC.
For example: Unreported by MSNBC: In the West Bank yesterday (9/25/11), 25-year-old Asher Palmer and his infant son Yonatan were killed in a terrorist attack after Palestinians threw rocks at their car. Damage to the father's face was caused by an impact unrelated to the crash and a massive rock was found in the front seat with human blood on it.
Well what was in the news on 9/25/11 that MSNBC covered instead of that story? You can't compare it to this one because it is an entirely different news day.
Oh, and that attack in the West Bank, doesn't sound much different than the drive-by shootings we have in the United States. Terrorist or Gangbanger...at least the terrorists have an alleged cause. The gangbangers just kill for fun.
No kidding, they really do ignore some whoppers, especially ones that make minorities and Obama look bad.
So you're saying that an Israeli was killed in the OCCUPIED territories? Why the hell would he have a baby there? Oh, I get it, an illegal settler.
Yeah, how wrong of an Israeli to be in his homeland that is being OCCUPIED by palestinians, then to have these filthy OCCUPIERS MURDER him and his infant son.
@Antistupidity: Idiot.
@antistupidity
....hmm, his homeland? because "God" told him it was his homeland? Maybe it was the palestinians' homeland too, because "their God" told them it was...so how then are they occupiers? Seems to me the Israelis are the occupiers as the West Bank was part of Jordan before 1968 when the ISRAELIS occupied it by military force, just like the Golan Heights and formerly the Gaza Strip and Sinai Peninsula. And we all know once the Jews seize territory its almost impossible to get back.
All useless death is a sad commentary on human violence. To kill someone who is clearly giving aid to the wounded on both sides of a conflict is sadder still.
Condolences to Youssef's family and friends. May he rest in peace.
Amen.
Just Muslims showing the world the level of inhumanity they are capable of. Of course they all want to move to more civilized countries as in next door to you!
Who knows what Al Assad will do next?
I wouldn't be surprised if the rebels did it to gain support.
Whoever shot him is NOT on the side of the person that Youssef (Joesph) was helping!
99% it was Assad forces, 1% if it was friendly fire
Good job CIA and Mossasd. What's next? You gonna kill a little girl in pig tails?
no, but Assad sure would if he find out that she been protesting for her freedom
Mossad
John M I can tell you really do not care about the truth , I hope you are not a judge . But I can tell you are a tea party supporter , And off course a Jewish one , Nothing Against the Jews buddy , But I do have little trouble with the way their government run things and screw it up , And then run to us to take of their screw ups , SO ASSAD KILLING EVERY BODY , The people with him and the people against him , Where was this hiding . And how did he hide this monster in him all that long , Hell he has been ruling Syria for quit a while and he is very well liked , Till the Saudis and Qataris and off course NATO and the US AND Israel decided he is an ally to Iran , And Iran is next on the hit list , So we have to take of their allies one at a time , First Syria and then in Lebanon where Hezbollah is , And off course if you have not heard , They started in Lebanon too , Saudis and Qataris smuggling weapons and fighters into there and the US and Britain helping in the arming and training . and the story began . Another WMD story and the American public is biting again on the civilians and the children's killings hook again . Just stop and ask McCain and Hillary and the rest !!!! Who's killing all the Christians and Burning their Churches in Syria ????? Assad too
My Turn: (1) Did you forget your meds today? (2) I find it interesting that you manage to throw just about any group that finds something to conserve in this world (conservative) into your diatribe. Do you think you missed any conservative group in the Judeo/Christian world? (3) It might help your cause, diatribe or no, if you typed a bit more carefully so that readers could tell where one sentence ended and the next began. Haste or anger in trying to get your thoughts out is no excuse; you still need to proofread. Proofreading your own work is very difficult at best, and more likely dangerous. I know. Your eyes see what you wanted to type, and see it clean, whether it is riddled with typos or not. Nonetheless, type more carefully, proofread more thoroughly, and heed the rest of my post. Your readers will thank you.
Let all those muslim countries devolve into chaos. If they are all muslims, let them kill each other. This is no "Arab spring". No democracy will ever be in muslimworld. They build nothing. They manufacture nothing. They have no art and a worthless culture. They invent nothing. They help no one. muslims have added nothing of value to the human existence. What are they good at? Poverty; misery; genocide; torture; terror; killing women and children and hating Jews. They are a pathetic bunch of animals.
Well.. here we go again.. those silly Muslims committing yet another atrocity in the eyes of the western World.. another sensationalized account of psychopathic behavior!! What is the problem here?? I don't understand.. if.. you go directly to Heaven by way of Martyrdom...?? Why not Martyr as many worthwhile individuals as possible?? If it takes place did not Allah wish it to be so?? If Martyrdom is sought after and considered an honor ?? ... Why not?? Now.. I'm not much for religion.. and nearly all of my knowledge about Islam has come from the incredible intellectual base of these comment boards.. so.. I think i have a pretty good handle on it.. Martyrdom is the answer we have been seeking all along.. So let's get with it America and stop the killing and start the path to martyrdom with our immense abilities to send members of the human race to meet their Prophets!!!
simple.
It's a House of Cards; don't blink or you'll miss it:
"By legalizing the sale of marijuana, we hope to drastically reduce crime."
"The black market presents a much greater threat for the population than recreational drugs."
"Our inclination initially is to have production and regulation under state control."
"Uruguay, with it's strong legal system and open financial markets, welcomes foreign investors. Unfortunately, it also has a high rate of emigration. Perhaps now that they can access their marijuana hassle-free, we hope our young people will be persuaded to stay!"