Syria Crisis: Dramatic Footage Reveals Scale Of Devastation In Homs As Tank Columns Roll

[tabatha]

Dramatic footage of rocket attacks and tank assaults in the town of Homs in Syria have emerged as activists reported the heaviest bombardment of civilian areas since the start of anti-government protests.

Videos posted to YouTube by the British-born Syrian activist Danny Adbul Daymen appear to show a blasted landscape of civilian and residential buildings under apparently constant fire from rockets.

In one clip dated 8 February, which shows fire and smoke pouring from buildings, Daymen says:

“This is Homs, Baba Amr, you can see over there another rocket landed on one of the civilian’s houses, this has been going on all day, since 5am.

http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2012/02/08/syria-crisis-dramatic-footage-danny-abdul-daymen_n_1262845.html?

This is beyond barbaric, and nothing can be done.

[Lint Head]

1. Screw Russia and China! These people need help.

How can countries of the world call themselves humanitarians and let this happen.

[pampango]

2. Juan Cole: Syria: Crimes Against Humanity in Homs

The Telegraph (UK) has put the word “genocide” in its headline as a description of what has been going on in Syria.

On Wednesday morning, more persons were killed in Homs, as the Syrian military invaded strongly Sunni neighborhoods and drove toward the city center. Tanks and artillery barrages have been used against civilian crowds. The BBC suggests that some 32 adults were killed Wednesday morning, along with 18 premature babies in hospital who died with the electricity was cut.

The use of tanks and artillery against non-combatant, civilian populations in rebel districts is a war crime. Systematic deployment of war crimes in turn become crimes against humanity. If the regime has in fact been targeting Sunni neighborhoods in Homs that had engaged in peaceful demonstrations, that would be a crime against humanity right there. The evidence is that Homs residential neighborhoods are being intensively bombarded.

Because of the Russian and Chinese veto at the UN Security Council, there is no authorization for the use of force by international actors. In the absence of such authorization, the US has been reduced to trying to target individual regime figures for financial sanctions and for prosecution if they ever leave Syria.

http://www.juancole.com/2012/02/syria-crimes-against-humanity-in-homs.html

[kysrsoze]

4. Juan Cole is not quite correct. UN didn't prevent action from being taken in Bosnia or Libya.

I don't understand the distinction with Syria, other than we're evidently such wussies that we need to tiptoe around Russia and China.

[tabatha]

6. There may be a way to get around the Russia and China resolution.

We have to play by the book - otherwise other countries will use any action to protect civilians NOT under UN mandate, to do bad things NOT under UN mandate.

[pampango]

7. The UN did authorize intervention in Bosnia and Libya. Are you suggesting that we ignore the UN now

and intervene unilaterally? I disagree.

It is ugly that Russia is protecting their guy in Syria at all costs and the consequences are horrible for civilians there. However, an intervention without a UN authorization would be illegal under international law and would set (or, more accurately, continue) a terrible precedent that big countries can intervene whenever they want to. If that precedent is to ever disappear, we have to insist on UN action not unilateral.

[kysrsoze]

3. Seems like nothing WILL be done. Indeed, where is America?

We were all so quick to come to the "aid" of Iraq and Libya, to foster freedom, or whatever the reason was on a particular day. Now we're oh-so-concerned about Iran's weapons program, but we evidently don't give a shit when Syria blows its kids to pieces.

Where the living f*ck is NATO? Who cares what the UN (U.S., Russia and China) vote on anymore?

[tabatha]

5. NATO only went into Libya under a UN resolution.

China and Russia abstained for the Libya vote.

China and Russia vetoed a more-or-less toothless Syrian vote.