Syria denies discovery of mass grave in Daraa

[News_Editor]

Syria denies discovery of mass grave in Daraa

2011-05-17 21:21:37 GMT+7 (ICT)

DAMASCUS, SYRIA (BNO NEWS) -- The Syrian government on Tuesday denied as "completely baseless" the reports of the discovery of a mass grave in Daraa, the state-run Sana news agency reported.

The Interior Ministry said that the false information was the product of the incitement campaign launched against Syria in a continuing attempt to undermine its stability and security.

According to witnesses, villagers near Daraa reportedly unearthed 13 bodies from a mass grave including those of children and a woman. The government denied the information and remarked that order has been gradually restored in the city.

As reports of unrest continue, the Syrian government launched on Tuesday a national campaign for supporting the families of those who were injured during the latest series of anti-government demonstrations.

The campaign will last all year and will cover all Syrian provinces where peaceful protests continue despite government efforts to disrupt them. Last week, Human Rights Watch joined the calls on Syria to end its violent crackdown on protesters.

According to Human Rights Watch, Syria's security forces have killed some 700 people since demonstrations began on March 16. More than 100 protesters were killed on April 22 and 23 alone, and at least several thousand detained.

On Monday, the European Council adopted a regulation that provides for an embargo on exports to Syria of arms and equipment that could be used for internal repression, as well as a visa ban and an assets freeze for 13 persons responsible for the violent repression.

Protesters have been demanding the ouster of President 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 2011-05-17

[Steely Dan]

A despot is at his most dangerous when power is slipping away, hence his gamble in ramping up the tension with Israel. We are days away from war I fear.

http://www.debka.com/article/20940/

Barack Obama was finally convinced that Assad must be stopped without delay by the horrifying discovery of five hastily-dug dug mass graves near the protest center of Daraa in southern Syria. They containing scores of bodies of men, women and children shot in the head. This raised the civilian death told from Assad's savage three-month crackdown on dissent well past 1,000.