Syrian Regime Blames 'Bloodthirsty Media, Terrorists' for Massacre
Syria's regime blames "bloodthirsty media" and "terrorist gangs" for a massacre in the village of Treimsa in the central province of Hama that rights activists say left at least 150 people dead, state-run SANA news agency said Friday.
"The bloodthirsty media in collaboration with gangs of armed terrorists massacred residents of Treimsa village ... to sway public opinion against Syria and its people and provoke international intervention on the eve of a U.N. Security Council meeting," SANA said.
Russia and Britain have circulated rival texts for the new Security Council resolution addressing the future of the 300-strong U.N. observer force in Syria whose mandate expires on July 20 and the failure of international envoy Kofi Annan's six-point peace plan.
The U.N. sent the unarmed observers to Syria for 90 days to oversee the cessation of violence and monitor implementation of Annan's plan but the team was forced to withdraw from key conflict areas because of escalating fighting.
The Western-backed British draft threatens non-military sanctions against President Bashar Assad's government if it doesn't withdraw troops and heavy weapons from population centers within 10 days — a key plank in Annan's plan. The proposed resolution, however, would be under Chapter 7 of the U.N. Charter which covers actions the world body can take to deal with threats to peace and conflicts and can be enforced militarily.
The Russian draft resolution calls for the "immediate implementation" of the Annan peace plan and the guidelines for a political transition approved at a meeting in Geneva last month. It makes no mention of sanctions but says the council will assess implementation and "consider further steps as appropriate."
Source: Agence France Presse, Associated Press
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