 |
| A man carries a boy who was severely wounded during heavy fighting between Syrian rebels and Syrian Army forces in Idlib, north Syria, March 11, 2012. |
Syrian activists say more than 100,000 people have been killed since the
uprising against President Bashar al-Assad began in March 2011.
The British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights announced its latest count Wednesday, saying the figure included 18,000 rebels and about 40,000 pro-Assad fighters.
The United Nations said earlier this month nearly 93,000 people were confirmed dead, but that the actual number is probably much higher.
Meanwhile, Jordan's King Abdullah is warning the fighting in Syria could develop into a regional sectarian conflict. In an interview published Wednesday in the pan-Arab Asharq al-Awsat newspaper, the king said a political solution remains the best way to resolve the crisis.
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry is due to visit Jordan for talks after a stop in Kuwait.
On Tuesday, Kerry met with Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal, who said the world should not allow Iran and the militant group Hezbollah to prop up Assad's government.
The prince called for an international ban on supplying the Syrian government with weapons, criticizing Russian support for the Assad regime.
Saudi Arabia has been supplying weapons to rebel fighters, while the United States recently said it would send arms in addition to the non-lethal aid it had been providing.
Syrian information minister Omran al-Zoubi criticized the prince's comments, saying Saudi Arabia "has no place" in any political solution, and that Saudi Arabia is giving weapons and money to "terrorists" responsible for the violence in Syria.
Kerry has said negotiations are the best way to resolve the more than two years of turmoil in Syria. He is scheduled to meet next week with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov about pushing talks forward.
Still, hopes are fading for a planned peace conference next month that would bring together the rebels and representatives of Assad's government.
International mediator Lakhdar Brahimi told reporters in Geneva Tuesday such a conference is now unlikely but warned the crisis "is getting out of hand, not only in Syria but also in the region."
On Monday, Syria's foreign minister said Assad will not step down, and that the government wants a cease-fire in place as a condition of attending any negotiations.
The main Syrian opposition coalition has rejected the talks, saying they are meaningless while Syrian troops backed by Hezbollah and Iranian personnel commit alleged atrocities against the Syrian people.
The British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights announced its latest count Wednesday, saying the figure included 18,000 rebels and about 40,000 pro-Assad fighters.
The United Nations said earlier this month nearly 93,000 people were confirmed dead, but that the actual number is probably much higher.
Meanwhile, Jordan's King Abdullah is warning the fighting in Syria could develop into a regional sectarian conflict. In an interview published Wednesday in the pan-Arab Asharq al-Awsat newspaper, the king said a political solution remains the best way to resolve the crisis.
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry is due to visit Jordan for talks after a stop in Kuwait.
On Tuesday, Kerry met with Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal, who said the world should not allow Iran and the militant group Hezbollah to prop up Assad's government.
The prince called for an international ban on supplying the Syrian government with weapons, criticizing Russian support for the Assad regime.
Saudi Arabia has been supplying weapons to rebel fighters, while the United States recently said it would send arms in addition to the non-lethal aid it had been providing.
Syrian information minister Omran al-Zoubi criticized the prince's comments, saying Saudi Arabia "has no place" in any political solution, and that Saudi Arabia is giving weapons and money to "terrorists" responsible for the violence in Syria.
Kerry has said negotiations are the best way to resolve the more than two years of turmoil in Syria. He is scheduled to meet next week with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov about pushing talks forward.
Still, hopes are fading for a planned peace conference next month that would bring together the rebels and representatives of Assad's government.
International mediator Lakhdar Brahimi told reporters in Geneva Tuesday such a conference is now unlikely but warned the crisis "is getting out of hand, not only in Syria but also in the region."
On Monday, Syria's foreign minister said Assad will not step down, and that the government wants a cease-fire in place as a condition of attending any negotiations.
The main Syrian opposition coalition has rejected the talks, saying they are meaningless while Syrian troops backed by Hezbollah and Iranian personnel commit alleged atrocities against the Syrian people.
No comments:
Post a Comment