Published Tuesday, May 29, 2012
Russia slammed a call on Tuesday by Syria's external opposition for the UN Security Council to mandate military action, saying it would incite a civil war. The Syrian National Council called on Tuesday for the UN body to authorize the "use of force" and welcomed the expulsion of top diplomats from several Western countries.
After economic sanctions and the diplomatic shutout, the UN Security Council should "adopt a resolution under Chapter VII (of the UN Charter) allowing the use of necessary force in order to put a stop to the genocide and the murders committed by the regime's militias," the SNC said.
The group also welcomed the expulsion of "the regime's ambassador in Paris and its representatives in Australia," adding that it "expects other countries to follow suit."
Several Western countries – including France, Australia, Britain, Spain, Germany and Canada – announced the expulsion of Syria's diplomatic representatives on Tuesday, in protest over ongoing repression in Syria and a massacre in the central town of Houla.
"Ending diplomatic relations and imposing economic sanctions on the regime is an essential part of the response to the horrific massacres that the regime is carrying out," the statement said.
But Russia's response immediately poured cold water on any hope the Security Council would authorize military intervention in Syria.
Russia also criticized Western states that went ahead with expelling Syrian diplomats despite the UN mission in Syria still being unable to determine who was responsible for the massacre.
An initial UN investigation, released Tuesday, found that most of the victims were killed in what it described as executions.
The SNC – which is heavily dependent on the Muslim Brotherhood – has long called for military action in Syria, which has irked internal opposition groups who fear the militarization of the crisis will lead to the destruction of the country.SNC factions have also called for a sectarian-based model for a new Syria, similar to the divisive systems in Lebanon and Iraq, raising doubts over their commitment to full democratic transition.
But Western states are still baulking at foreign intervention, with France ruling out a ground assault in Syria.
French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius on Tuesday said the risk that the conflict could spread was too great to warrant a ground intervention, marking a change in tone from the previous Sarkozy government which called for humanitarian safe-havens on the ground.
"The Syrian army is powerful. No state is ready to consider ground intervention at the current time. The risk of the conflict spreading throughout the region would be too high, particularly to Lebanon," Fabius said in an interview with French daily Le Monde.
(Al-Akhbar, AFP, Reuters)
Coordinated Western Move to Expel Syrian Diplomats
Western countries on Tuesday moved to expel Syrian diplomats “in protest at the massacre of Houla.”
Countries of France, Britian, Germany, Italy, Spain and Canada expelled the diplomats as Belgium summoned the Syrian ambassador.
In Paris, President Francois Hollande told journalists that France's decision to expel Ambassador Lamia Shakkur, which would be formally communicated to her on Tuesday or Wednesday, was "not a unilateral decision by France, but a decision agreed upon with (our) partners."
In Berlin, national news agency DPA reported that Germany too would expel the Syrian ambassador in protest.
A government source in Britain said the country had also expelled its top Syrian envoy.
"The charge d'affaires is being expelled. The foreign secretary will give more details soon," the source told AFP on condition of anonymity.
"The charge d'affaires is being expelled. The foreign secretary will give more details soon," the source told AFP on condition of anonymity.
Syria had already withdrawn its ambassador from London.
"There was a concerted plan between Britain, France and Germany," said another source, who asked not to be identified.
"There was a concerted plan between Britain, France and Germany," said another source, who asked not to be identified.
Rome also took a similar move as its government said in statement: "Ambassador Khaddour Hasan was summoned to the Foreign Ministry and told he was 'persona non grata'.”
Italy expressed its "indignation for the heinous crimes carried out against the civilian population,” the statement added.
Italy expressed its "indignation for the heinous crimes carried out against the civilian population,” the statement added.
Madrid said it was expelling the Syrian ambassador in protest against the "unacceptable repression by the Syrian regime against its own people".
"Spain has decided to declare the Syrian ambassador in Spain, Hussam Edin Aala, persona non grata because of the unacceptable repression carried out by the Syrian regime against its own people," the foreign ministry said.
"Spain has decided to declare the Syrian ambassador in Spain, Hussam Edin Aala, persona non grata because of the unacceptable repression carried out by the Syrian regime against its own people," the foreign ministry said.
"Spain has also decided to expel four other members of Syria's diplomatic mission in Spain," it added in a statement.
Meanwhile, Canada expelled all Syrian diplomats, with its Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird said: "Canada and our partners are speaking loudly, with one voice, in saying these Syrian representatives are not welcome in our countries while their masters in Damascus continue to perpetrate their heinous and murderous acts."
"Today, Canada is expelling all Syrian diplomats remaining in Ottawa. They and their families have five days to leave Canada," the minister said in a statement.
A Syrian diplomat awaiting passage to Ottawa from Syria will be refused entry into Canada, Baird added.
A Syrian diplomat awaiting passage to Ottawa from Syria will be refused entry into Canada, Baird added.
For its part, Belgium summoned Syria’s ambassador to meet Foreign Minister Didier Reynders later Tuesday.
"The ambassador has been summoned at 1800 hours (1600 GMT)," the minister's office said.
"The ambassador has been summoned at 1800 hours (1600 GMT)," the minister's office said.
The British state-run broadcaster BBC has been caught passing off an old photo from Iraq in 2003 for the massacre in the Syrian town of Houla.
In a report published hours after the massacre, the network used an old photo of dead Iraqi children taken in Al Mussayyib that was first published over nine years ago and presented it as a photo of victims of the recent massacre of civilians in the town of Houla in western Syria, The Telegraph reported.
The photo shows a child jumping over the dead bodies of hundreds of Iraqi children who have been transferred from a mass grave to be identified.
Britain's state-funded news network later published the same story with a new photo showing a UN observer looking at the bodies of the Houla victims.
The photographer who took the original picture, Marco Di Lauro, posted on his Facebook page, “Somebody is using my images as a propaganda against the Syrian government to prove the massacre.”
“What I am really astonished by is that a news organization like the BBC doesn't check the sources and it's willing to publish any picture sent it by anyone: activist, citizen journalist or whatever. That's all,” the photographer told The Daily Telegraph.
A BBC spokesman says the picture, illustrating Sunday night’s story "Syria Massacre in Houla Condemned as Outrage Grows," was taken down “immediately” when the source was identified.
“We were aware of this image being widely circulated on the internet in the early hours of this morning following the most recent atrocities in Syria. We used it with a clear disclaimer saying it could not be independently verified,” he added.
These words about information “which cannot be independently verified” have become a trademark of media coverage of the 14-month conflict in Syria.
The UN Security Council condemned the violence in Houla during an emergency meeting on Sunday, saying the clashes “involved a series of government artillery and tank shelling on a residential neighborhood.”
However, Syrian Ambassador to the UN Bashar Ja’afari censured the “tsunami of lies” by some members of the Security Council and said Syrian forces were not to blame for the violence.
River to SeaIn a report published hours after the massacre, the network used an old photo of dead Iraqi children taken in Al Mussayyib that was first published over nine years ago and presented it as a photo of victims of the recent massacre of civilians in the town of Houla in western Syria, The Telegraph reported.
The photo shows a child jumping over the dead bodies of hundreds of Iraqi children who have been transferred from a mass grave to be identified.
Britain's state-funded news network later published the same story with a new photo showing a UN observer looking at the bodies of the Houla victims.
The photographer who took the original picture, Marco Di Lauro, posted on his Facebook page, “Somebody is using my images as a propaganda against the Syrian government to prove the massacre.”
“What I am really astonished by is that a news organization like the BBC doesn't check the sources and it's willing to publish any picture sent it by anyone: activist, citizen journalist or whatever. That's all,” the photographer told The Daily Telegraph.
A BBC spokesman says the picture, illustrating Sunday night’s story "Syria Massacre in Houla Condemned as Outrage Grows," was taken down “immediately” when the source was identified.
“We were aware of this image being widely circulated on the internet in the early hours of this morning following the most recent atrocities in Syria. We used it with a clear disclaimer saying it could not be independently verified,” he added.
These words about information “which cannot be independently verified” have become a trademark of media coverage of the 14-month conflict in Syria.
The UN Security Council condemned the violence in Houla during an emergency meeting on Sunday, saying the clashes “involved a series of government artillery and tank shelling on a residential neighborhood.”
However, Syrian Ambassador to the UN Bashar Ja’afari censured the “tsunami of lies” by some members of the Security Council and said Syrian forces were not to blame for the violence.
Uprooted Palestinian 
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