HRW: Syria: Army Shoots Protesters Attempting to Reach Observers

[tabatha]

The Arab League should urgently condemn the Syrian security forces for shooting peaceful protesters who were attempting to reach its observers in the northern city of Jisr al-Shughur, Human Rights Watch said today. In light of these and other blatant violations of the agreement it brokered with the Syrian government of Bashar al-Assad, the Arab League should report publicly on its findings and assess whether its mission should continue.

Two protesters who were wounded in Jisr al-Shughur and fled to southern Turkey told Human Rights Watch in face-to-face interviews that around 11 a.m. on January 10, 2012, they marched towards the Baath party square (re-named “Freedom Square” by the protesters) to meet with Arab League observers present there. According to the witnesses, when they approached a checkpoint on the way to the square, army personnel barred them from proceeding and, after the protesters refused to disperse, opened fire on the crowd, injuring at least nine protesters. The Arab League observers were in the Baath party square, but left in a car after the shooting began, the witnesses said. Despite several attempts, Human Rights Watch has not been able to contact the Arab League observers to confirm whether they witnessed the incident.

“Such incidents, and the ever rising death toll, clearly demonstrate that the presence of Arab League observers has done little to compel the Syrian authorities to stop their crimes,” said Anna Neistat, associate emergencies director at Human Rights Watch. “As President Assad derides the Arab League in his speeches, his troops are making a mockery of its observers’ mission on the ground.”

http://www.hrw.org/news/2012/01/11/syria-army-shoots-protesters-attempting-reach-observers

[David__77]

1. And terrorists are shelling pro-Assad demonstrators... killing a Western journalist.

"In the turbulent city of Homs, a Western journalist was killed on Wednesday when another pro-government rally was attacked."

...

"France 2 Television said that one of its journalists, Gilles Jacquier, 43, was killed by an exploding shell in Homs. Syrian television and a human rights group based in London said that another Western journalist was wounded there, in what appeared to be an insurgent attack on a crowd of Assad supporters."

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/12/world/middleeast/president-assad-makes-rare-public-speech-in-syria.html

I hope the monitors were able to document the terrorist attack in Homs and hope peace is restored soon.

[tabatha]

2. How do you know it was a "terrorist" attack?

It has been 10 months now, and the Syrian govt is so incompetent that they have not caught any terrorists or managed to stop them?

Why are they spending their time shooting unarmed protesters and not concentrating on so-called terrorists?

Because there are no terrorists. The monitors have found only unarmed protesters.

Your continued claims of unsubstantiated charges is becoming increasingly incredible.

Also - think about the so-called terrorist attacks.

The demonstrators wanted to prove more than anything that they were simply unarmed protesters. The last thing that would have crossed their minds was to bomb and prove Assad's claims. The only side that would have benefited by the so called bombings would have been Assad. Thus, even the logic of bombings by so-called terrorists makes no sense.

The Arab League pretty much knows what is going on - Assad has not adhered to a single requirement, and has tried to bamboozle the monitors - including the false terrorist attacks.

Your bias is definitely showing.