U.N. chief speaks of "grisly reports" from Syria
(Reuters) - U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said on Friday he had received "grisly reports" that Syrian government forces were arbitrarily executing, imprisoning and torturing people in the battle-scarred city of Homs after rebel fighters had fled.
"A major assault on Homs took place yesterday," Ban told the 193-nation U.N. General Assembly in New York. "Civilian losses have clearly been heavy. We continue to received grisly reports of summary executions, arbitrary detentions and torture."
One activist in Homs told Reuters: "The Syrian army was holding the convoy up because they want to clean up after what they have done in Baba Amro." As with other activist reports from Homs, this could not be independently confirmed. "All men who remained in the neighborhood aged between 14 and 50 were arrested. We fear they will be massacred. Where is the world?" said one activist. "The massacres are continuing. They are torturing them and killing (detainees) one by one. They are executing them in batches," another activist, who left Baba Amro on Friday, told Reuters via Skype.
In a rare show of unity with Western powers, Russia and China joined other Security Council members at the United Nations in expressing "deep disappointment" at Syria's failure to allow the U.N. humanitarian aid chief Valerie Amos to visit the country, and urged that she be allowed in immediately.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/03/02/us-syria-idUSL5E8DB0BH20120302
