UN envoy ‘horrified’ by Syria massacre, 108 dead

UN envoy ‘horrified’ by Syria massacre, 108 dead

BEIRUT (AP) - U.N. envoy Kofi Annan called Monday on “every individual with a gun” in Syria to lay down arms, saying he was horrified by a weekend massacre that killed more than 100 people, including women and small children.

Even Syria’s staunchest ally Russia joined sweeping international criticism of the mass killings on Friday in the Houla area, saying the government was at least partly to blame for one of the deadliest single events in the 15-month-old uprising against President Bashar Assad’s rule.

“I am personally shocked and horrified by the tragic incident in Houla two days ago, which took so many innocent lives, children, women and men,” Annan said as he arrived in the Syrian capital Damascus for talks with Assad and other senior officials.

He called on all sides of the conflict to end the bloodshed, saying “this message of peace is not only for the government, but for everyone with a gun.”

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UN envoy ‘horrified’ by Syria massacre, 108 dead

Kofi Annan must be the dumbest SOB on the face of this earth. Of course we all know that the U.N. has long held to the thought that they want to ‘buy the world a Coke’ and take the guns away. I guess Annan is just going along with the learned mantra of the U.N. and anti-gun Liberals the world over.

The criticism from Russia is a nice touch too, very humanizing.

So, suppose the Syrian people lay down THEIR arms, just throw them down and start chanting all about peace, love and harmony, and that is exactly what Annan and the U.N. want them to do, suppose THEY did but the troops of Bashar Assad didn’t?

Do you suppose that Bashar Assad would be doing the *happy dance* if that were to be the case? Sounds a lot like the U.N. Gun Ban Treaty to me. Hello Hillary??

The killings in Houla, a collection of villages in the central province of Homs, was condemned internationally although world powers differed over whether Assad’s forces were exclusively to blame.

Activists from the Houla area said the army pounded the villages with artillery and clashed with local rebels after protests Friday. Some activists said pro-regime thugs later stormed the area, doing the bulk of the killing by gunning down men in the streets and stabbing women and children in their homes.

The Syrian government rejected that narrative and claimed soldiers were attacked in their bases and fought back in self-defense.

Syria says it was *activists*, claiming soldiers were attacked in their bases and fought back in self-defense, the *activists* say it was Syrian forces that attacked them and pro-regime thugs came in to finish it off. I wasn’t there, news sources aren’t there, they aren’t allowed into Syria, and seriously, I don’t know who did WHAT to who and in what chronological order it happened.

What I DO know is this; it’s Syrian Muslims killing Syrian Muslims, and that just doesn’t get me upset. Not so much as ONE DROP of American blood needs to be spilled in that hell-hole of a nation.

If the Russians have the ability and desire to critique Syria, let them go in and stop the fighting.

Now, why do I feel like that would turn into another Afghanistan for Russia and WHY did the USA not see the consequences that Russia suffered IN Afghanistan and not take a lesson from it?

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov contended in Moscow both the government and the rebels were to blame. Russia has shielded Syria from U.N. resolutions condemning the regime in the past, but has grown increasingly critical of Assad’s government in recent months.

“Both sides have obviously had a hand in the deaths of innocent people, including several dozen women and children,” Lavrov said. “This area is controlled by the rebels, but it is also surrounded by the government troops.”

I’m not a diplomat, and here is an illustration of WHY; If Assad’s troops win, Syria is still a rogue Muslim nation and can’t be trusted in any way. If these *rebels* win, the next thing that happens is Syria being ruled by the Muslim Brotherhood and Sharia Law. Either way it goes, it is NOT good for us here in the United States.

As long as Syrian Muslims of one sect are killing Syrian Muslims of another sect, let them have at it. If this is some kind of *Spring* thing that the Middle East is so proud to proclaim as they fight and kill one another, let it be Spring, Summer, Fall, and what the hell, Winter is OK too.

Now you see WHY I’m not a diplomat!

The massacre in Houla cast fresh doubts on the ability of an international peace plan put forward by Annan to end Syria’s crisis.

But WAIT!

Syria has strongly denied allegations that its forces carried out the killings, but the U.N. Security Council after an emergency session Sunday “condemned in the strongest possible terms” the killings in Houla. It blamed Syrian forces for shelling residential areas with tanks and artillery.

Yeah, I’m pretty sure that Syria is shaking in THEIR boots, “condemned in the strongest possible terms“, that has me thinking positive thoughts about the U.N. Condemned in the strongest possible terms? Did the U.N. close that condemnation by saying *DAMN IT*? That’s pretty strong coming from the U.N. isn’t it?

“There’s no way a Syrian military commission can credibly investigate this horrendous crime when so much evidence suggests pro-government forces were responsible,” said Sarah Leah Whitson, Middle East and North Africa director for the New York-based group. “Annan should insist that Syria grant access to the U.N. commission of inquiry to investigate this and other grave crimes.”

There ya go, a solution; condemnation in the strongest possible terms AND then insist that Syria grant access to the U.N. commission of inquiry to investigate this and other grave crimes. That’s it, sheer genius! Condemnation and insistence, strong condemnation and insistence, that does it every time.

Personally, I think it’s a good thing I’m NOT a diplomat…