Global community responds to Syria situation
-
U.N. Security council to meet to discuss Syria massacre
The U.N. Security Council will meet on Sunday to discuss the killing of at least 109 people in the Syrian town of Houla, a council diplomat said, a sign of mounting outrage at the massacre which the government and rebels blamed on each other.
Images of bloodied and lifeless young bodies, lain carefully side by side after the onslaught on Friday, triggered shock around the world and underlined the failure of a six-week-old U.N. ceasefire plan to stop the violence.
Western and Arab states opposed to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad put the blame for the deaths squarely on the government.
Read more... -
UN Security Council to meet on #Syria massacre after #Russia rejected proposed condemnation drafted by #Britain, #France-envoysby lou_reuters via twitter 5/27/2012 6:26:37 PM -
Head of UN observer mission in #Syria General Mood expected to brief UNSC at Sunday's urgent meetingby lou_reuters via twitter 5/27/2012 6:26:38 PM
-
-
Some updates...
Russia condemns Syria massacre: "The tragic events in Syria and the deaths of tens of people deserve condemnation. However it is necessary to seriously examine the causes of what happened," Deputy Foreign Minister Gennady Gatilov said on Twitter.
Read more...
Hezbollah 'deplores' Houla massacre: Without assigning a blame for the killings of at least 109 civilians in Houla in central Syria, a statement by Hezbollah said it "strongly condemns the massacre and deplores those who carried it out."
Read more...
Syrian authorities deny carrying out Houla massacre: "Women, children and old men were shot dead. This is not the hallmark of the heroic Syrian army," Foreign Ministry spokesman Jihad Makdesi told reporters in Damascus.
Read more... -
U.N. says over 92 killed in Syria, 32 of them children
"This morning U.N. military and civilian observers went to Houla and counted more than 32 children under the age of 10 and over 60 adults killed," the head of U.N. team monitoring the ceasefire - which has yet to take hold - said.
Read more... -
The meeting of the UN Security Council, scheduled to begin at 2:30 PM ET, is closed to the media; the UN Television service is providing a live stakeout camera outside of the media for reactions from UN Security Council members as they enter and exit the meeting.
-
A protester shouts anti-Assad slogans as he holds banners depicting Assad during an anti-Syria regime protest held by Bahrainis at United Nation Headquarters in Manama, May 27, 2012.
Hundreds of angry protesters shouted anti-Assad slogans and condemned the recent killing of children by the regime's military. REUTERS/Hamad I Mohammed -
Ahead of UNSC meeting Russia envoy says majority of victims of #Houla massacre knifed or shot. UK envoy says his info is shelling by gov'tby denisfitz via twitter 5/27/2012 6:37:44 PM -
Appearing on FOX News Sunday, Arizona Senator John McCain (R) criticized President Obama's administration for their handling of the situation in Syria, calling it "a feckless foreign policy that abandons American leadership."
Read more at the National Journal... -
-
-
-
From the United Nations: Statement on behalf of the Secretary-General and the Joint Special Envoy for Syria
The Secretary-General and the Joint Special Envoy condemn in the strongest possible terms the killing, confirmed by United Nations observers, of dozens of men, women and children and the wounding of hundreds more in the village of El-Houleh, near Homs. Observers from the UN Supervision Mission in Syria have viewed the bodies of the dead and confirmed from an examination of ordnance that artillery and tank shells were fired at a residential neighbourhood.
This appalling and brutal crime involving indiscriminate and disproportionate use of force is a flagrant violation of international law and of the commitments of the Syrian Government to cease the use of heavy weapons in population centres and violence in all its forms. Those responsible for perpetrating this crime must be held to account.
The Secretary-General and the Joint Special Envoy extend their profound sympathies to the families of the victims and to the wounded, and underscore their grave concern about the lack of protection for civilians in Syria.
Read more... -
Al Jazeera English has obtained a copy of what it says is a draft statement issued by the UN Security Council without the approval of Russia and China. It reads in part:
"The members of the Security Council demanded that the Government of Syria immediately cease the use of heavy weapons in population centres and immediately pullback its troops and its heavy weapons from in and around population centres and return them to their barracks. They reiterated that all violence in all its forms by all parties must cease."
Read more at Al Jazeera English... -
#UNSC now in closed consultations, listening to briefing on #Houla by Head of #UNSMIS, Gen. Mood. #Syriaby GermanyUN via twitter 5/27/2012 7:04:21 PM -
Western Sec Council envoy says UN mission have confirmed use of heavy weapons in #houla massacre and wants strong response from councilby denisfitz via twitter 5/27/2012 7:05:05 PM
-
Syrian ambassador to UN Bashar al-Ja'afari is waiting outside the Security Council emergency meeting on #Houla massacre in #Syria. #UNSCby marcellehopkins via twitter 5/27/2012 7:06:03 PM -
Russian deputy amb to UN says most victims in #Houla killed by knives and point-blank gunshots, not tank shells. UK amb says the oppositeby marcellehopkins via twitter 5/27/2012 7:06:03 PM
-
#Russia deputy Ambo says there is evidence majority of victims in Syria were executedby benmoran via twitter 5/27/2012 7:07:01 PM -
UN finds at least 116 dead in Syria massacre - diplomat
The head of the U.N. monitoring mission in Syria told an emergency meeting of the Security Council on Sunday that at least 116 people were killed and 300 injured in a massacre in the town of Houla, a diplomat told Reuters.
General Robert Mood, head of the U.N. observer mission in Syria, was speaking at the closed-door meeting via video link from Damascus.
Read more... -
A revised draft statement on #Houla, #Syria was circulated in #SecurityCouncil, w/ no ref to the Syrian armed forces’ heavy shellingby NabilAbiSaab via twitter 5/27/2012 7:09:20 PM -
Russia dep. UN envoy says most victims of #Syria massacre appear to have been killed with knives or shot, casts doubt on government blameby lou_reuters via twitter 5/27/2012 7:11:51 PM
-
Protests erupt in Syria after massacre, 2 killed
One of those killed, 22-year-old Riad Mahmoud, was among a crowd of 2,000-3,000 people who marched in the neighbourhood of Yalda on the southern edge of the capital and were confronted by armed members of political security, a secret police division, two activists in contact with the district said.
Read more... -
Both #Netanyahu and Barak issued Sunday-night statements condemning the #Houla massacre. Does #Israel sense a tipping point for #Syria?by Dan Williams via twitter 5/27/2012 7:17:43 PM -
#UNSC told at least 116 people killed in #HoulaMassacre in closed door consultations. #Russia still holding out on blaming Assad forcesby flaviajackson via twitter 5/27/2012 7:18:30 PM -
-
U.N. Security Council meets on Syria massacre, Russia skeptical
The U.N. Security Council met on Sunday to discuss the recent massacre in the Syrian town of Houla, which the United Nations has blamed on the Syrian government but Damascus and Moscow suggested was due to a rebel attack.
Russian Deputy U.N. Ambassador Alexander Pankin told reporters Moscow was skeptical about suggestions that the government was behind the massacre, saying it appeared most of the victims were killed with knives or shot at point-blank range.
Read more... -
-
-
It's not just world leaders who are reacting to the massacre in Houla, Syria: Britain's The Independent newspaper published an editor's note after the paper ran images of the massacre victims on its website.
"We need to consider the international community's failure to protect these children," a note from the editor read at the bottom of the paper's lead story on Syria.
Read more... -
At #UN on #Syria, ICP source says behind closed doors Russia refers to #Houla as murky, UK insists there's nothing murky. #StandOffby innercitypress via twitter 5/27/2012 7:41:05 PM -
At #UN on #Syria #German PR Wittig on way in now tells press it's "appalling;" since Observers confirm heavy weapons, wants strong statementby innercitypress via twitter 5/27/2012 7:41:10 PM
-
Shelling on Syrian opposition center of Hama kills 30
At least thirty people were killed on Sunday when Syrian army tanks shelled residential neighbourhoods in the city of Hama that have been serving as a base for rebel attacks against loyalist forces, opposition activists said.
The reports could not be independently verified.
Read more... -
-
Britain's Deputy prime minister Nick Clegg warned earlier today that those who are accused of human rights abuses, including Syria, could be banned from participating in the 2012 Olympic games, the Guardian reports.
-
Gen Robert mood said that 85 victims at Taldou bore wound from shotgun fire and from wounds consistent with artillery fire, diplo sourceby columlynch via twitter 5/27/2012 7:59:17 PM -
Herve Ladsous, head of #UN #DPKO, steps out of #UNSC after giving briefing on #Syria. Says deliberations ongoing.by benmoran via twitter 5/27/2012 8:01:11 PM
-
-
Diplomat said Mood told #UNSC that 108 were killed in Syria, not 116by benmoran via twitter 5/27/2012 8:03:37 PM
-
UN Peacekeeping chief Ladsous left the #UNSC mtg on #Houla massacre with "nothing to say." Council now negotiating a press statement. #Syriaby marcellehopkins via twitter 5/27/2012 8:06:52 PM
-
-
UN peacekeeping chief Ladsous says UN believes at least 108 (not 116 as council diplomat said earlier) people killed in #Syria massacreby lou_reuters via twitter 5/27/2012 8:09:17 PM
-
At #UN, Ladsous DOES speak, sort of: asked of # of 108 dead in #Houla, he says "that is their estimate." #Syria says victims are mostly Shiaby innercitypress via twitter 5/27/2012 8:11:15 PM
-
Syrian opposition scrambles to save credibility ahead of peace talks
ISTANBUL - The Syrian opposition in exile met on Thursday to decide whether to attend a peace conference that the United States and Russia see as a crucial path to ending two years of civil war.
- British police ponder conspiracy after soldier murder
|
- Kerry meets Israelis, Palestinians in bid to revive talks
- Repatriating detainees to Yemen key to closing Guantanamo
- Insight: In attacker's argot, Londoners shocked to hear one of their own
- IMF's Lagarde questioned over French arbitration case
- Italy's Berlusconi in tax fraud scheme as PM, judges say
- Stores shut, schools close amid curfew by Rio drug dealers
Thomson Reuters is the world's largest international multimedia news agency, providing investing news, world news, business news, technology news, headline news, small business news, news alerts, personal finance, stock market, and mutual funds information available on Reuters.com, video, mobile, and interactive television platforms. Thomson Reuters journalists are subject to an Editorial Handbook which requires fair presentation and disclosure of relevant interests.
NYSE and AMEX quotes delayed by at least 20 minutes. Nasdaq delayed by at least 15 minutes. For a complete list of exchanges and delays, please click here.
