Assad’s forces target refugee convoy trying to flee Syria

The neighborhood of Baba Amr in the resistance stronghold city of Homs has fallen to Syrian forces, but for President Bashar al-Assad it’s not enough: The Syrian army continued its blitz attack Sunday against other rebel strongholds in more cities throughout the country, as well as targeting convoys of refugees trying to flee across the Lebanese border.

Arab media outlets reported yesterday that the regime had simultaneously opened continuous attacks across the country. Tanks, artillery and troops attacked the city of Ariha in the northern Idlib region and the city of Daraa in the south. Tanks also deployed around the city of Hama in the west and Deir el-Zour in the east. Syrian air force fighter jets were also deployed in the efforts to oppress resistance to the regime, attacking Free Syrian Army positions in the town of Rastan outside of Homs and the city of Qusayr along the Lebanese border. Syrian forces also shelled the FSA positions with mortar and artillery fire.

According to the Al-Arabiya news site, the latest onslaught has resulted in a wave of thousands of Syrian refugees trying to make their way across the Lebanese-Syrian border. U.N. groups in Lebanon estimated that more than 2,000 refugees crossed the border on Sunday, while eyewitnesses told Al-Arabiya that Assad’s forces shelled the refugee convoys in an attempt to prevent them from fleeing the country.

“People left everything behind, they took their families and ran,” one refugee who managed to make it into Lebanon told Al-Arabiya.

Meanwhile, Red Cross teams handed out food, blankets and medical kits in central Homs province on Sunday, but the government blocked access to the worst-hit district of Baba Amr. A Red Cross representative in Syria expressed hope that the organization would soon receive a “green light” from the Syrian government to enter the battered neighborhood.

Other voices calling to help the Syrian people came from a surprising place yesterday: Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman issued a directive to reach out to the International Red Cross and offer Israeli humanitarian aid, which would be delivered into Syria through the Red Cross.

“The state of the Jewish people cannot sit by without doing anything while horrors are taking place in a neighboring country and people are losing all that they have in the world,” said Lieberman. “Even if Israel can’t naturally intervene in a country with which it has no diplomatic relations, it is our moral obligation to at least offer humanitarian aid and help the world act to stop the massacre.”

In response, Red Cross officials based in Israel said that after the organization examined what its needs were it would pass on a detailed answer to Israel.

Vice Prime Minister and Strategic Affairs Minister Moshe (Bogey) Ya’alon also touched on the Syrian issue, and the need to intervene there in whatever way possible. “In Syria there is a murderous regime that in order to continue ruling uses any means at its disposal,” said Ya’alon, who added that Israel was not alone in believing the Assad regime is near its end. He listed Turkey, the U.S., the Arab League, European countries and even Hamas as skeptical the Assad regime could survive.

“The support of countries such as Russia can continue for a while, but it’s a matter of time and bloodshed until the Assad regime will have to give up its power,” Ya’alon said.

China, another country that has supported the Assad regime, said Monday it would send former Ambassador to Syria Li Huaqing to Damascus on Tuesday and Wednesday in a bid to convince the Assad regime of the need for a cease-fire, and to emphasize that it remains against outside intervention.

China’s Foreign Ministry released a proposal on Sunday calling for an immediate cease-fire in Syria and talks by all parties, but standing firm against any intervention by outside forces.

Meanwhile, in a rare televised news conference on Sunday, Saudi Foreign Minister Saud al-Faisal said the kingdom welcomed international efforts to broker a cease-fire in Syria, but added that these had “failed to stop the massacres” and that Syrians had a right to take up arms to defend themselves against the regime. Al-Faisal also accused the Damascus government of “insisting on imposing itself by force on the Syrian people.”

“Is there something greater than the right to defend oneself and to defend human rights-” he asked. “The regime is not wanted by the people.”

Saudi Arabia and Qatar have been discussing military aid the to the Syrian opposition, but the U.S. and others have not advocated arming the rebels, in part out of fear it would create an even more bloody and prolonged conflict. Sunni Saudi Arabia is wary of the wave of Arab Spring uprisings, particularly in nearby Bahrain, where a Shiite majority is demanding greater rights from its Sunni rulers. However, the kingdom strongly backs the largely Sunni uprising in Syria.

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