Saturday, October 15, 2011

The United Nations has made a global appeal for help for the Syrian people.

There are at least 3000 civilians dead today in Syria and the country is on the brink of civil war.


Syrian and Lebanese demonstrators in Tripoli, Lebanon, chant slogans Oct. 14 against Syrian President Bashar Assad in a show of solidarity with Syria's antigovernment protesters. (Reuters /October 15, 2011)


...A statement issued in Geneva by Navi Pillay, U.N. high commissioner for human rights, essentially backed claims by antigovernment activists who say Syrian authorities have routinely attacked protesters without provocation. In contrast, the administration of Syrian President Bashar Assadhas said terrorists armed from abroad who seek to overthrow the government are to blame for the violence.

Pillay's comments appeared to be the toughest to date from the United Nations, where a resolution condemning Syria'sresponse to more than six months of protests failed to pass the Security Council this month.

The Assad government faces a hardening of attitudes against it on many fronts. European countries and the United States have imposed economic sanctions. Turkey, Syria's longtime ally, has harshly criticized Assad's handling of the unrest and is also planning to impose economic penalties against its neighbor....