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Annan Warns Of All-Out-War In Syria As Photos Of Mass Graves Published

Cara Palmer |
June 2, 2012 | 12:10 p.m. PDT

Executive Producer

Demonstration against violence in Syria. (FreedomHouse, Creative Commons),
Demonstration against violence in Syria. (FreedomHouse, Creative Commons),
Annan warned that the violence in Syria might deteriorate into all-out war. After calling on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to take “bold and visible steps immediately” to implement a cease-fire, Annan stated:

“The massacres of children, women and men in al-Houla is a terrible crime. Worst of all, it is one of many atrocities to have taken place.

“Hundreds of thousands of Syrians are internally displaced. The crisis is having a regional spillover in the form of tensions and incidents across the borders, abductions of nationals and foreigners, and refugee flows to neighboring states.”

Violece spread to Lebanon Friday, breaking out in the port city of Tripoli, while clashes continued in Homs.

Given that the violence has not abated after several efforts at diplomacy, including an agreement between Assad and Annan to implement Annan’s six-point peace plan and cease-fire, pressure for international intervention is mounting.

This is especially true after a U.S. government website published photographs of mass graves Friday. Reuters reports:

“The website, operated by a bureau of the State Department, published a series of overhead photos, said to be taken earlier this week by commercial satellite, showing what it said were mass graves dug following a massacre near the town of Houla.

[…]

“More than 100 men, women and children were massacred in Houla last week, most of them shot at point-blank range or slashed with knives.

“U.N. peacekeeping chief Herve Ladsous said earlier this week that the people who died from artillery and tank fire were clearly victims of government shelling while the others were most likely killed by ‘shabbiha’ militia loyal to President Bashar al-Assad.”

The escalation of violence, now accompanied by evidence of its consequences, adds urgency to Annan’s plea. During a meeting of members of the Arab League, a co-sponsor of the United Nations’ peace plan, he said:

“The spectre of an all-out war, with an alarming sectarian dimension, grows by the day.”

 

Reach Executive Producer Cara Palmer here or follow her on Twitter.



 

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