Syrian regime launches crackdown by shooting 15 activists dead

[tekisui]

Source: Guardian

Violence escalated in the southern Syrian city of Deraa as protests entered a sixth day. At least 15 protesters are known to have been shot dead on Wednesday and scores more injured.

In a sign that the Syrian regime is using a brutal crackdown rather than concessions to quell protests, security forces opened fire on people in three separate incidents, according to human rights activists.

At 1am on Wednesday morning, at least six people were killed when security forces opened fire on protesters surrounding the Omari mosque, after cutting electricity and communications to the site that has become the focus of demonstrations. During the day, several were reported shot as they attended funerals of victims of the mosque shooting. Syrian security forces later opened fire on scores of young people from surrounding towns as they marched towards Deraa, offering support to the protests, activists said.

"The government promised it would consider its citizen's demands, and then it decided to attack them," said Mohammed al-Abdullah, a prominent activist in exile in the US who is in close contact with the Deraa protesters. "These were fully prepared and full-scale attacks."

more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/mar/24/syria-crackdown-shooting

[notesdev]

1. No intervention likely

Syria has no oil

[MedleyMisty]

2. Seriously, that's your first thought?

No empathy for the protesters, no concern for their future?

Hell - the Libyans on Twitter, amid all their tweeting about their cities being bombarded and the snipers killing anyone who goes outside and trying to do everything they can think of to get someone to take out the Libyan state TV, managed to show some concern for the Syrians and express solidarity with them.

[DevonRex]

3. I'm stunned by the lack of compassion on DU.

WTF is going on here?

[notesdev]

4. yep

can't read a single story on the topic without wondering what is and what isn't a disinformation campaign

so I stick with what I can be reasonably certain of

which is "no oil, no intervention"

[tekisui]

5. k