TURKEY: Exiled Syrian opposition says killing of two foreign journalists in Homs should convince the West to take action against President Bashar al-Assad's regime

Record ID: 280272

  • Title: TURKEY: Exiled Syrian opposition says killing of two foreign journalists in Homs should convince the West to take action against President Bashar al-Assad's regime
  • Date: 24th February 2012
  • Summary: ISTANBUL, TURKEY (FEBRUARY 23, 2012) (REUTERS) MEMBERS OF SYRIAN NATIONAL COUNCIL HOLDING NEWS CONFERENCE JOURNALISTS LISTENING CAMERAMAN FILMING (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) MEMBER OF SYRIAN NATIONAL COUNCIL SAMIR NASHAR SAYING: "We consider their martyrdom in the neighbourhood of Baba Amr a message to the West: perhaps President Obama and President Sarkozy should take some t
  • Embargoed: 10th March 2012 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Turkey, Turkey
  • Country: Turkey
  • Topics: International Relations,Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA4X79CC4764KE6C4TEBWZKAO34
  • Story Text: The killing of two western journalists in Syria was a clear message to Western leaders of the brutality of Bashar al-Assad's regime, Syrian opposition figures told a news conference in Turkey on Thursday (February 23).
    The Syrian National Council told reporters in Istanbul that the West should take action against Syria following the killings on Wednesday (February 22) of Sunday Times reporter Marie Colvin and French photographer Remi Ochlik were both died in Homs when rockets fired by government forces hit the house they were staying in.
    "We consider their martyrdom in the neighbourhood of Baba Amr a message to the West: perhaps President Obama and President Sarkozy should take some time out of their elections campaigns, and pay attention to the issue of the Syrian people. The martyrdom of the journalists is a clear message to the West regarding the brutality of the Syrian regime and it (the regime) needs to be dealt with with complete determination and complete seriousness to rescue the Syrian people," said Syrian National Council member Samir Nashar.
    Nashar also called on the West to provide humanitarian aid to the cities under siege in Syria.
    "The Syrian National Council calls for the establishment of humanitarian corridors, particularly to the disaster stricken areas in the city of Homs and the neighbourhood of Baba Amr and other Syrian cities. However, these corridors must be provided with security; lest these humanitarian corridors are opened only to be exposed to attacks by Bashar al-Assads forces, which may then be alleged to be terrorist attacks," said Nashar.
    Assad's forces bombarded opposition Sunni Muslim districts in Homs for the 20th day on Thursday, activists said, despite international outrage over the reported killing of more than 80 people on Wednesday.
    Armoured forces loyal to Assad moved into the rebel district of Baba Amro in Homs on Thursday, opposition sources said.
    Syria is "on the brink" of civil war and deep divisions among world powers complicate the prospects for ending nearly a year of violence sparked by protests against the regime, the United Nations said on Thursday.
    Syrian forces have shot dead unarmed women and children, shelled residential areas and tortured wounded protesters in hospital under orders from the "highest level" of army and government officials, independent investigators said in a report to the U.N. Human Rights Council.
    Syrian authorities could not be immediately reached for comment on the commission's findings.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2012. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
Register