Syria faces global condemnation

The Syrian regime faced a chorus of global reproach today as envoys from Turkey, India, Brazil and South Africa headed to Damascus to press President Bashar Assad to end his violent crackdown on a five-month-old uprising.

The visit by Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu is significant because Turkey until recently had close ties to Damascus. But Ankara has become increasingly critical of its neighbour over the bloodshed.

Mr Davutoglu will deliver a strong message to Damascus, Turkey’s prime minister said.

In Washington, US State Department spokesman Mark Toner hailed the visit and said Secretary of State Hillary Clinton had spoken to Mr Davutoglu.

“They did talk about the situation in Syria, you know, and we believe it’s another opportunity to send yet another strong message to Mr Assad that this crackdown on peaceful protesters cannot stand,” Mr Toner said yesterday.

India’s UN Ambassador, Hardeep Singh Puri, said his country’s representative is scheduled to arrive in Damascus today and will join representatives from Brazil and South Africa for a meeting with Syria’s foreign minister to appeal for an end to the crackdown and to promote democratic reforms.

The Syrian regime has shown no signs of scaling back its crackdown despite Damascus’ increasing diplomatic isolation. Even Saudi Arabia this week called for an end to the bloodshed in Syria, the first of several Arab nations to join the growing chorus against Mr Assad.

The latest wave of bloodshed started a week ago, on the eve of the holy month of Ramadan, when tanks and snipers laid siege to Hama, a city in central Syria which had largely freed itself from government control earlier this year.

Residents were left cowering in their homes, too terrified to look through the windows.

The city is haunted by memories of the regime’s tactics: In 1982, Mr Assad’s father and predecessor, Hafez, ordered the military to quell a rebellion by Syrian members of the conservative Muslim Brotherhood movement there, sealing off the city in an assault which killed between 10,000 and 25,000 people.

Since the start of Ramadan, more than 300 people have been killed in cities including Hama and Deir el-Zour, an oil-rich but largely impoverished region known for its well-armed clans and tribes whose ties extend across eastern Syria and into Iraq.

Syria has blocked nearly all outside witnesses to the carnage by banning foreign media and restricting local coverage that strays from the party line, which states the regime is fighting thugs and religious extremists who are acting out a foreign conspiracy.

More than 1,700 people have been killed since March, according to activists and human rights groups.

Yesterday, Mr Assad replaced his defence minister with the army chief of staff, saying General Ali Habib was being removed from his post because of health problems.

But some analysts said the general was unhappy with the crackdown.