Syrian forces killed dozens of protesters on Friday despite
assurances by President Bashar al-Assad that a crackdown was over, and
thousands of people rallied across the Arab nation with renewed vigor demanding
political freedoms.
Activists said at least 34
people, including four children, were shot dead by Assad's forces in the
southern province of Deraa, where the uprising against Assad erupted in March,
the city of Homs, 165 km (100 miles) north of Damascus, suburbs of the capital
and in the ancient desert city of Palmyra.
"Bye-bye Bashar. See you
in The Hague," chanted protesters in Homs, referring to the Dutch-based
international war crimes tribunal. They also shook shoes in the air in a
gesture of contempt.
"We want revenge against
Maher and Bashar," shouted others, referring to the Syrian leader and his
powerful brother -- a military commander accused by diplomats and residents of
attacking cities and cracking down on pro-democracy protests.
Encouraged by growing global
pressure on Assad, the Syrian opposition in exile said it would set up a
National Council in Turkey on Sunday to support the uprising and
help fill any power vacuum should the protests succeed in ousting Assad.
Similar initiatives in the
past have failed to produce a robust umbrella group to unite the opposition,
fragmented by 41 years of Assad's harsh rule.
Assad, from the minority
Alawite sect in the mostly Sunni Muslim nation, told U.N. Secretary-General Ban
Ki-moon this week that military and police operations had stopped. But
activists say his forces are still shooting at protesters.
The violent repression
prompted coordinated calls from the United States and European Union on Thursday
for Assad to step down and Washington imposed sweeping new sanctions on Syria,
which borders Israel, Lebanon and Iraq and is an ally of Iran.
On Friday, European Union states
agreed to expand the number of Syrian officials and institutions targeted by EU
sanctions and laid out plans for a possible oil embargo. Syria exports over a third of its 385,000
barrels per day output to Europe.
KILLINGS
Activists said five people
were killed and 15 wounded in the ancient desert city of Palmyra, when Assad's
forces opened fire during a demonstration.
"The people want the
execution of the president," shouted a crowd in the northern Idlib
province. Some carried banners with slogans proclaiming "Signs of
Victory".
Local activist Abdallah Aba
Zaid said 18 people were killed in Deraa province, including eight in the town
of Ghabaghab, five in Hirak, four in Inkhil and one in Nawa. Dozens of people
were wounded, he said.
State television blamed the
deaths in Ghabaghab on gunmen who attacked a police post, killing a policeman
and a civilian and wounding two. It said two members of the security forces and
one gunman were killed in a clash in Harasta, near Damascus.
Syria has expelled most
independent media since the unrest began, making it difficult to verify events
on the ground. The United Nations says 2,000 civilians have been killed.
Authorities blame "armed terrorist groups" and Islamists for the bloodshed
and say 500 soldiers and police have been killed.
SNIPERS ON ROOF
Internet footage of Friday's
protests suggested that, although widespread, they were smaller than at their
peak in July, before Assad sent tanks and troops into several cities.
But activists say protests
have spread to more cities and become more frequent despite assaults that have
intensified since the beginning of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan.
A doctor in Zabadani, 30 km
(20 miles) northeast of Damascus, said army vehicles were in the town and
snipers were on rooftops to prevent crowds marching.
Protesters from the Sunni
majority resent the power and wealth amassed by some Alawites, who adhere to an
offshoot of Shi'ite Islam, and the near monopoly of the sect on the security
apparatus. They want Assad to quit, the dismantling of the police state and a
transition to democracy.
President Barack Obama froze
Syrian state assets in the United States, banned U.S. citizens from operating
or investing in Syria and prohibited U.S. imports of Syrian oil products.
Adding to international
pressure, U.N. investigators said Assad's forces had committed violations that
may amount to crimes against humanity. The United Nations plans to send a team
to Syria on Saturday to assess the humanitarian situation.
The United States, Britain and
European allies say they will draft a U.N. Security Council sanctions
resolution on Syria.
Despite the dramatic
sharpening of Western rhetoric, there is no threat of Western military action
like that against Libya's Muammar Gaddafi, meaning Assad's conflict with his
opponents seems likely to grind on in the streets.
(Editing by Jon Boyle)
Source : Reuters
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