U.S. condemns Syria's violent crackdown on protesters

[News_Editor]

U.S. condemns Syria's violent crackdown on protesters

2011-04-13 00:59:39 GMT+7 (ICT)

WASHINGTON (BNO NEWS) -- The White House on Tuesday condemned the "outrageous" repression of protesters by the Syrian government as reports that the wounded were being denied medical care emerged.

"We are deeply concerned by reports that Syrians who have been wounded by their government are being denied access to medical care," White House Press Secretary Jay Carney said in a statement. "The escalating repression by the Syrian government is outrageous, and the United States strongly condemns  the continued efforts to suppress peaceful protesters."

The statement came as Human Rights Watch (HRW) released a report on events that took place on April 8 in Syria. It said that security forces in at least two towns prevented medical personnel and others from reaching wounded protesters, and prevented injured protesters from accessing hospitals.

"To deprive wounded people of critical and perhaps life-saving medical treatment is both inhumane and illegal," Sarah Leah Whitson, HRW's Middle East director, said.

The New York-based organization confirmed that at least 28 people were killed in protests in three towns on that day. Syrian human rights groups provided a list of 27 protesters killed in Daraa, and HRW confirmed the death of at least one additional protester in Douma. The April 8 shootings brought the total of protesters killed in Daraa and surrounding villages since March 18 to at least 130.

"President Assad and the Syrian government must respect the universal rights of the Syrian people, who are rightly demanding the basic freedoms that they have been denied," the White House added.

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon spoke by telephone with al-Assad on Saturday, telling him that the killing of peaceful demonstrators is "unacceptable" and that they should be investigated. Al-Assad has pledged to investigate these reports, the UN said.

President al-Assad, who has ruled the country for 11 years, has promised a series of reforms in a bid to restore calm. He has agreed to analyze the possible end to the country's emergency rule that began in 1963.

"Syria's leaders talk about political reform, but they meet their people's legitimate demands for reform with bullets," Whitson said.

Protesters are demanding the ouster of al-Assad, who took over the post from his father Hafez al-Assad in 2000, and calling for greater freedoms. The country has been ruled by the Baath Party since 1963.

-- © BNO News All rights reserved 2011-04-13

[Steely Dan]

It's really kicking off in Syria - If this is indeed an Arab spring hopefully we will see the back of the disgusting Syrian regime.

http://www.debka.com/article/20840/

The popular uprising against Syrian President Bashar Assad is still spreading. Tuesday, April 12, one of the Assad family's own Alawite tribes and the key Sunni city of Aleppo joined the movement demanding the president and his kin's removal. Assad fought back against the expanding threat to his survival by mobilizing all his military and security resources, including the loyal young thugs of the shabbiha gangs. They have orders to shoot to kill and not permit ambulances to collect the wounded. Tanks seal the most restive towns of Teraa, Bania,s Latakia and Hama.

[SteeleJoe]

It's really kicking off in Syria - If this is indeed an Arab spring hopefully we will see the back of the disgusting Syrian regime.

http://www.debka.com/article/20840/

The popular uprising against Syrian President Bashar Assad is still spreading. Tuesday, April 12, one of the Assad family's own Alawite tribes and the key Sunni city of Aleppo joined the movement demanding the president and his kin's removal. Assad fought back against the expanding threat to his survival by mobilizing all his military and security resources, including the loyal young thugs of the shabbiha gangs. They have orders to shoot to kill and not permit ambulances to collect the wounded. Tanks seal the most restive towns of Teraa, Bania,s Latakia and Hama.

As I've pointed out elsewhere: I am as in favor as anyone, if not more, of people asserting their rights or trying to gain more and the removal of brutal and autocratic regimes in efforts towards democratization.

But the cold hard fact is that in so many cases (Mubarak in Egypt a perfect example but there are loads more past and present), despotic regimes have their foot firmly on the neck of some very nasty characters and are all that stand in the way of something worse than them (chaos or theocracy or some other sort of tyranny).

Assad, like his dad, is a nasty individual. But like his dad (who was even "better" at it) he has kept radical Islamists from having their way. And guess who is going to be the most organized, motivated and otherwise prepared to step into the vacuum? For example, the Muslim Brotherhood (and their offshoots like Hamas et al) are no joke. Let's hope that a couple years from now (in Egypt, Syria, Libya, Tunisia wherever) you aren't looking at a Islamist state oppressing its people and sponsoring the export of Jihad.

Luckily for anyone foolish enough to be reading me, I'm being called to read the bedtime story or else I might go on and on...

[Steely Dan]

As I've pointed out elsewhere: I am as in favor as anyone, if not more, of people asserting their rights or trying to gain more and the removal of brutal and autocratic regimes in efforts towards democratization.

But the cold hard fact is that in so many cases (Mubarak in Egypt a perfect example but there are loads more past and present), despotic regimes have their foot firmly on the neck of some very nasty characters and are all that stand in the way of something worse than them (chaos or theocracy or some other sort of tyranny).

Assad, like his dad, is a nasty individual. But like his dad (who was even "better" at it) he has kept radical Islamists from having their way. And guess who is going to be the most organized, motivated and otherwise prepared to step into the vacuum? For example, the Muslim Brotherhood (and their offshoots like Hamas et al) are no joke. Let's hope that a couple years from now (in Egypt, Syria, Libya, Tunisia wherever) you aren't looking at a Islamist state oppressing its people and sponsoring the export of Jihad.

Luckily for anyone foolish enough to be reading me, I'm being called to read the bedtime story or else I might go on and on...

Hmmm, better the despot you know eh? I think your comments regarding Egypt are particularly relevant. I have stated elsewhere what folly I thought it was calling for Mubarak to go. The situation in Syria is in some respects similar. In 1982 Assad Snr killed an estimated 30,000 in Hama, which was basically to put down a Muslim brotherhood uprising. I wonder whether Assad Jnr would have that luxury in the political climate of 2011?

As to who replaces Assad, there is an argument that if the Muslim brotherhood took over they would have to go some to out do Assad's sponsorship of terrorism - I guess the main change might be a Sunni sponsored terrorism versus the current Alawite/Shiite model.

More cracks today.

http://www.debka.com/article/20840/

Damascus was alive with rumors Thursday, April 14 that President Bashar Assad and his family were preparing to flee to Saudi Arabia. They were, sparked by the discovery that several high-ranking Syrian officials and army officers were evacuating their families from the capital to Persian Gulf emirates.

US intelligence officials also disclosed that Iran was secretly helping Assad crack down on his own people, providing gear to suppress crowds and assistance in blocking and monitoring protesters' Internet and cell phones.

[SteeleJoe]

Good post.

Hmmm, better the despot you know eh?

Not really saying that -- only that it's something to be considered. (Not that I'm advocating putting a stop to what's happeneing if someone could.)

And I know, of course, about Hama. And I certainly was not a fan of Assad or what he did then or ever.

Truth be told, I like the Muslim Brotherhood better than the Assads -- now. But I worry about what their increased power in the ME might mean and what they might do were they given the chance.