Massacre in Homs as Constitution approved

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Beirut, Lebanon – Syria pounded the besieged city of Homs for a 26th day Tuesday as the bodies of 64 men found dumped outside the city awaited identification, activists said.

The men, taken to the Homs National Hospital, were believed to have been with an undetermined number of women and children who are missing, the opposition Local Coordination Committees said.

The men had tried to flee the daily bombardments by Syrian tank and artillery fire with their families when they were stopped and gunned down, and in some cases stabbed, by paramilitary thugs loyal to President Bashar Assad, the coordination committees and another activist group said.

“They were killed by [pro-regime] shabeeha,” Syrian Observatory for Human Rights spokesman Rami Abdul-Rahman told the Lebanese newspaper The Daily Star.

“Shabeeha,” which roughly means “thugs” or “bullies,” refers to civilian-dressed men — including security forces, criminal gangs and unemployed and impoverished youths — hired as mercenaries by the Assad regime to rough up and kill opponents.

One of the men who tried to flee survived the slaughter and sought refuge in a nearby village, only to be handed over to Syrian security forces, the Star said.

The Washington Post said the massacre appeared to be one of the worst instances of mass killing since the uprising against Assad’s dictatorship began last March.

The deaths were among 70 reported across Syria Monday, including 25 in Homs’ embattled Baba Amr neighborhood.

The accounts could not be independently confirmed because journalists are not granted visas to work in Syria.

Among those trapped in Baba Amr early Tuesday were two foreign journalists who entered the country illegally and were injured last week in a rocket attack that killed former United Press International journalist Marie Colvin, who was working for the British Sunday Times, and French photographer Remi Ochlik.

Poland sought to negotiate safe passage out of Homs for two injured journalists, Edith Bouvier of the French newspaper Le Figaro and British photographer Paul Conroy of the Sunday Times, as well as the bodies of the two who were killed, the Star said.

But the effort stalled Monday, the newspaper said.

Poland represents U.S. interests in Syria, now that the U.S. Embassy in Damascus is closed.

The official Syrian Arab News Agency reported the funerals Monday of 16 soldiers and policemen killed in the violence nationwide.

The violence and diplomacy came as SANA reported 89.4 percent of voters in Sunday’s referendum endorsed a Constitution that would allow Assad to remain in power until 2028.

U.S. and European leaders condemned the vote, calling it a meaningless ruse to ensure Assad’s survival rather than bring about genuine reforms.

Interior Minister Maj. Gen. Mohammad Ibrahim Shaar was quoted as saying 8.4 million citizens, or 57.4 percent of eligible voters, voted for the Constitution.

He called the turnout “good,” “despite the threats and intimidation by armed terrorist groups in some areas and the accompanying distortion and instigation campaigns by media.”

The Assad regime refers to its opponents as terrorists.

Western leaders and regime opponents called the referendum a farce and its result a hoax.

Russia and China, two of Syria’s few remaining international friends, called it a step toward democratic reform.

Meanwhile, European foreign ministers froze the assets of several Syrian government officials, imposed sanctions on the central bank, prohibited the purchase of gold, precious metals and diamonds from the country and banned Syrian cargo flights from the European Union.

 

UPI

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4 responses to “Massacre in Homs as Constitution approved”

  1. 5thDrawer Avatar

    The day that SANA publishes the names of ALL the people killed might be the first time we can believe anything it says.

  2.  Avatar

    The day that SANA publishes the names of ALL the people killed might be the first time we can believe anything it says.

  3. All the butchers of History like Assad will do anything to hold onto power. When King Herod heard that a Great King was to be born soon in Bethlehem, he ordered the slaughter of every male child under 2 years old.  

    The Flight into Egypt
    13 Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, “Arise, take the young Child and His mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I bring you word; for Herod will seek the young Child to destroy Him.”

    14 When he arose, he took the young Child and His mother by night and departed for Egypt, 15 and was there until the death of Herod, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying, “Out of Egypt I called My Son.”[b]

    Massacre of the Innocents
    16 Then Herod, when he saw that he was deceived by the wise men, was exceedingly angry; and he sent forth and put to death all the male children who were in Bethlehem and in all its districts, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had determined from the wise men. 17 Then was fulfilled what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, saying:

    18 “A voice was heard in Ramah,Lamentation, weeping, and great mourning,Rachel weeping for her children,Refusing to be comforted,Because they are no more.”[c]

  4. Plumbline Avatar

    All the butchers of History like Assad will do anything to hold onto power. When King Herod heard that a Great King was to be born soon in Bethlehem, he ordered the slaughter of every male child under 2 years old.  

    The Flight into Egypt
    13 Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, “Arise, take the young Child and His mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I bring you word; for Herod will seek the young Child to destroy Him.”

    14 When he arose, he took the young Child and His mother by night and departed for Egypt, 15 and was there until the death of Herod, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying, “Out of Egypt I called My Son.”[b]

    Massacre of the Innocents
    16 Then Herod, when he saw that he was deceived by the wise men, was exceedingly angry; and he sent forth and put to death all the male children who were in Bethlehem and in all its districts, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had determined from the wise men. 17 Then was fulfilled what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, saying:

    18 “A voice was heard in Ramah,Lamentation, weeping, and great mourning,Rachel weeping for her children,Refusing to be comforted,Because they are no more.”[c]

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