Death toll rises in Syria

In Syria, the death toll rises after President Bashaar al-Assad continues his deadly anti-protest campaign. Months after the uprising of anti-government protesters, the Syrian government has shown no regression in its forceful efforts to stop the protests.

Homs, a city in western Syria, is where the majority of the fighting is occurring. Pro-government forces are continually “shelling” houses and slaughtering their own people. Along with the shelling of houses, government forces are also firing on makeshift clinics and any other sites that could aid anti-government forces, stated by The Economist. Overwhelming mortar and shelling barrage has made living conditions for civilians dire. There is armed opposition against the government forces, but their guns are inferior to the government military who are armed with heavy artillery.

Naturally, this violent behavior gained international attention and the question of foreign intervention was presented to the U.N. Security Council. Intervention measures ceased when China and Russia used their veto powers to prevent Western intervention, citing that foreign interference would be a threat to Syria’s “sovereignty,” according to CNN. Once this measure was vetoed, the Syrian government translated the inaction as immunity from foreign intervention. In addition to the U.N. veto, Russia is also supplying arms and aid to the Syrian government to ensure comprehensive success over the rebel forces.

However, probability for a resolution between the rebel forces and the government is minute. Rebel forces are insisting that Assad step down before any conciliation is viable. At this point, with chances of internal consensus slim, and disagreement on the U.N. Security Council, the picture of what an endgame in Syria might look like has many experts perplexed.

“Syria, however, has passed the point of no return: either Assad will succeed in supressing the rebellion, or he will be overthrown,” said Fareed Zakaria, editor-at-large for TIME magazine, “for both humanitarian and strategic reasons, the United States should come down firmly on the side of regime change, and the sooner the better.”

ecarrell@unews.com