UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) – UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon yesterday denounced Syrian forces’ bombardment of the city of Homs in a statement that said it was “unacceptable before humanity” and eroded the legitimacy of the Damascus government.
The sustained assault on several districts of Homs, which has become a centre of armed opposition to President Bashar al-Assad, killed at least 50 people yesterday, according to the Syrian National Council opposition group.
The statement issued by Ban’s spokesman Martin Nesirky, the latest and one of the strongest UN condemnations of Syrian government tactics, said Ban was “appalled” by the mounting death toll.
“Such violence is totally unacceptable before humanity,” it said. “No government can commit such acts against its people without its legitimacy being eroded.”
The statement said Ban “strongly condemns” the onslaught. The failure of the UN Security Council on Saturday to pass a resolution on Syria because of vetoes by Russia and China, “gives no licence to the Syrian authorities to step up attacks on the Syrian population,” it added.
“All violence must end immediately,” the statement said. “The Secretary-General reminds the government of Syria that it is accountable under international human rights law for all acts of violence perpetrated by its security forces against the civilian population.”
Ban called for “an inclusive Syrian-led political process, in accordance with international law, that respects the will and legitimate aspirations of the Syrian people to a democratic and pluralistic political system.”
Meanwhile, the United States closed its embassy in Damascus yesterday and vowed “greater action” aimed at ousting Syrian President Bashar al-Assad as it weighed a dwindling set of diplomatic options after a stinging setback at the United Nations.
Washington said it was pulling all of its remaining diplomats out of Syria just two days after Western countries failed to secure a UN Security Council resolution that would have backed an Arab League call for Assad to leave power.
Britain also said yesterday it was recalling its ambassador to Syria for consultations as a diplomatic protest against Assad’s crackdown on protesters.
US officials made clear they were now gauging the prospects for a group of like-minded countries to coordinate support for Syria’s political opposition, a move that could bypass Russian and Chinese resistance to anti-Assad measures.
President Barack Obama said in a NBC News interview that Assad’s government was “feeling the noose tightening” and pledged to apply “more and more pressure.”
But he offered no specifics and signalled that however hard Western countries are prepared to lean on Assad diplomatically, they still have no intention of using military force to topple him as they did against Muammar Gaddafi in Libya last year.
Later, the White House said it was not ready to consider arming Syria’s opposition.
The US Embassy shutdown, foreshadowed by the State Department last month, came as Washington and its allies sought a new strategy to galvanize the international community and force Assad to end his bloody, 11-month-old crackdown on the opposition.
“There has been a great deal of collective action taken against the Syrian regime thus far,” White House spokesman Jay Carney told reporters. “There will be greater action taken, and we’re going to work with all the friends of Syria and the Syrian people to continue to pressure the Assad regime.”
