Violence continued in the Syrian city of Homs today with reported mortar and rocket fire against the city and dozens of additional deaths. Today’s reports count an additional 31 killed in the city, added to the 321 said to be killed in the past few days.
The violence comes in the wake of the veto of the UN Security Council’s resolution condemning Syria’s government. Western officials insis that the veto was a “license to kill” for the Assad regime.
The resolution, however, had already ruled out the military invasion some were seeking, and while it still left open calls for a negotiated settlement, the armed opposition appears to have no interest in that. Free Syrian Army commander Col. Assad insisted that “only military options are on the table.”
While the veto gives Western officials a chance to blame Russia and China for the continuing violence in Syria, there was little chance that the UN was going to stop it. Instead, a civil war continues to spread in the absence of any serious efforts to settle things, and even the Arab League’s monitors are long gone.
It's a bit too pat and opportune that on the day of an important UNSC vote on a resolution regarding Syria, the "Free Syrian Army", heavily supported by the CIA and other western underwriters, launches an attack on the Syrian military in Homs close to the border of Lebanon, where it's easy to bring in heavy arms to attack with. The Syrian gov't defending the country is made to look brutal in fighting back to uphold the integrity of the country.
Turn it around, and fancy a "Free US army" attacking Houston from Mexico with support from foreign funding, and with the US army striking back, killing 200 people. Would a Russian-composed UN SC resolution putting the blame on the USA and vetoed by Britain then be criticized by e.g.France as: "To block this resolution is to bear responsibility for the horrors that are occurring on the ground." This looks like a closely planned "foreign" (read US-NATO) attack to coincide with the UN SC vote to put pressure on Russia and China to go along or abstain from voting, as happened with Libya – to disasterous results.
No need to imagine anything. In response to American envoy's statement after the UNSC vote, where she stated that America is "disgusted" with the veto against the resolution, Syria's envoy to the UN said is America also disgusted with over 60 vetoes by America against the resolutions concerning Israel and Palestine by America, as well?
It was very interesting to see the "civility" of American, British and French representatives at the UN after the UNSC vote, at the UNCS chambers.
If the FSA only wants military options then Assad is more than justified in giving the same.