By Adom M. Cooper
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

DAMASCUS, Syria–After Damascus rejected an Arab plan to send a peacekeeping force in a desperate attempt to quell the unrest, regime forces resumed their assault on the Syrian protest city of Homs on Monday 13 February 2012. According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, just before sunrise, the military launched mortars into Baba Amr, a rebel stronghold in the central city, as forces swept through the southern province of Daraa, arresting dissidents. The Britain-based Observatory shared these words in a statement released to the AFP.

“The neighborhood of Baba Amr has been subjected to sporadic sheeling since 5:00AM (03:00 GMT) by the Syrian army. Forces launched an assault and are arresting people in Basra Al-Sham after an explosion in Dael, in Daraa province. There were fierce clashes between defectors and the army which stormed Lajat and arrested the mothers of four dissidents.”

Activists and rights groups claim that al-Assad’s forces have killed at least 500 individuals in Homs since they began attacking the central city on 4 February 2012 with a barrage of tank shells, mortars, and rocket-propelled grenades.

As the number of deaths continues to mount, the international community still is trying to find a way to end the violence in Syria. Yusuf Ahmed, Syria’s envoy in Cairo, said that the Arab League’s plan calling for a joint Arab-UN peacekeeping mission to end Syria’s 11-month conflict “reflected the hysteria of these governments.” The European Union backed the Arab League’s plan but Russia came forward and said that the violence must end before any peacekeepers could be sent. Michael Mann, spokesman for EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton, said these words with BBC.

“We welcome these bold decisions and the strong and clear commitment and leadership that the Arab League is taking to resolve the crisis in Syria. The EU’s first goal is an immediate cessation of killings and therefore we are very supportive of any initiative that can help achieve this objective, including a stronger Arab presence on the ground in co-operation with the UN to achieve a ceasefire and the end of the violence. We renew our urgent calls on members of the Security Council to be constructive and act with responsibility at this crucial moment.”

The UN General Assembly started its own debate on the Syrian crisis. UN Human Rights Chief Navi Pillay, who has been very critical of the actions of al-Assad’s regime, is set to address the assembly in New York this week. The Arab League stated in a statement to the AFP that it was ending all diplomatic cooperation with Syria and promised to give “political and material support” to the opposition.

“We will open channels of communication with the Syrian opposition and offer full political and financial support, urging the opposition to unify its ranks. We also plan to ask the UN Security Council to issue a decision on the formation of a joint UN-Arab peacekeeping force to oversee the implementation of a ceasefire.”

Burham Ghalioun, leader of the opposition Syrian National Council, welcome the moves as a “first step” towards the fall of the regime. As the military continued its destruction on Homs, refugees made their way across the border to Lebanon, hoping to escape the carnage. Abu Ibrahim, a resident of Homs, shared these words with the AFP. He made a point of bringing up his 10-year-old daughter, who has refused food since witnessing dead bodies in the streets of Homs.

“The army of Bashar al-Assad destroyed our homes. Before, we were bombarded by mortars or rocket-propelled grenades, but now they are using tanks and helicopters.”

The Syrian Aran Red Crescent and the International Committee of the Red Cross stated that their volunteers are “distributing food, medical supplies, blankes, and hygiene consumables to thousands of people in Homs.”

“The population, particularly the wounded and sick, are bearing the brunt of the violence.”

On Sunday 12 February 2012, Syrian state television showed an official funeral for the 28 people authorities say were killed two days earlier in twin car bombs in the northern city of Aleppo. The government still stands by its allegation that the blame for the attacks should be placed on foreign-backed “terrorists.” But the rebel Free Syrian Army had accused the regime of carrying out the bombings to divert attention away from its brutal offensives elsewhere.

Regardless of who is responsible for the attacks on Syrian civilians, the fact remains that deaths are still occurring every day without any sort of reason. The Arab League ended its observer mission last month, leaving the people of Syria at the complete mercy of al-Assad’s regime. Until countries such as Russia and China decide that it is acceptable to send help in, it does not appear that the violence will stop and civilians will continue to suffer as the international community stands on the sidelines. With al-Assad’s regime still calling the plays on the field in the form of bombings, there seems to be no chance for the violence against the people of Syria to cease.

 

For more information, please see:

Ahram – Syria Resumes Shelling After Rejecting Peace Force – 13 February 2012

Al-Jazeera – Russia ‘To Consider’ Syria Peacekeeping Plan – 13 February 2012

BBC –Syria Rejects New Arab League Peace Mission Proposal – 13 February 2012

The Guardian – Syria Rejects Arab League Call For Peacekeeping Mission – 13 February 2012

NYT –Rejecting Arab League Pressure, Syria Resumes Shelling, Reports Say – 13 February 2012

CNN – Arab League Proposes Peacekeeping Force, Support for Syrian Rebels – 12 February 2012