Russia FM arrives in Syria for talks
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
NEW: 21 deaths were reported Tuesday
NEW: Syria announces “a massive popular reception” for Lavrov
NEW: France calls its ambassador home for consultations
NEW: An opposition activist describes deaths of children
(CNN) — Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov visited Damascus Tuesday to meet Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, days after world leaders accused Russia of helping give the Syrian government a green light to kill more civilians.
Syrian state-run television showed throngs of people waving Russian and Syrian flags in Damascus.
“Minister Lavrov arrived in Damascus amid a massive popular reception in appreciation of Russia’s support to Syria, people and its reform program,” said Syrian state-run news agency SANA, which throughout the uprising has blamed the violence on “armed terrorist groups.”
Russia and China vetoed a United Nations Security Council draft resolution that would have demanded al-Assad stop the violence and seek a solution to the crisis.
Even as the Syrian government sought to present an image of broad popular support Tuesday, opposition activists reported more deaths.
At least 21 people were killed Tuesday, including 15 in Homs, one — a 15-year-old — just outside the city of Homs, and five in the Damascus suburb Zabadani.
At least 128 people were killed nationwide Monday, mostly in the besieged city of Homs, according to the opposition Syrian Revolution General Commission.
“The situation is beyond description,” the commission said in a statement. “Some of these martyrs were killed with shrapnel and the others were under the rubble, and their bodies couldn’t be identified because they were in remains.”
Mousa Azzawi of the Syrian Network for Human Rights, speaking to CNN in London, said, “The situation is very dire.” Monday was almost “like a bloodbath,” he said.
“We have pictures of children under the age of 14 with half of their faces blown away; with children under the age of four with all of their bodies with nail bombs. We have pictures of one child who was dying on the lap of his mother under the age of 1,” Azzawi said.
U.N. officials have said an estimated 6,000 people have died since protests began nearly a year ago. The Local Coordination Committees, a network of opposition activists that organizes and documents protests, said at least 7,339 people have been killed.
CNN cannot independently confirm opposition or government reports from Syria because the government has restricted journalists’ access to the country.
While attempts at diplomacy have failed to curb the estimated thousands of deaths in the 11-month-old conflict, residents and opposition activists say they are desperate for help in stopping the regime from slaughtering dissidents.
The other 13 members of the U.N. Security Council voted in favor of the draft resolution on Saturday — and several have expressed outrage over the moves by Russia and China, which have major trade deals with Syria.
U.S. Ambassador Susan Rice said Russia and China “will have any future blood spill on their hands,” while French Ambassador Gerard Araud said Beijing and Moscow have aligned themselves with a regime that is massacring its people.
France called its ambassador home Tuesday for consultations, as did Italy. Britain did so on Monday. The United States closed its embassy in Damascus, saying the Syrian government was refusing to address its security concerns.
China and Russia say they want the violence to end and to see dialogue among Syria’s opposition factions. On his way to Damascus for talks with al-Assad, Lavrov said Western states “are trying to obscure the developments with hysterical statements on Russia’s veto of the Syria resolution,” according to comments carried on the Foreign Ministry’s Twitter page.
“The UNSC’s attempt to force the Syrian regime to stop the violence without the same for the armed groups shows support for one side,” Lavrov said. He called it “disrespectful” for council members to bring the resolution up for a vote “despite our request to wait for Russia’s report after its visit to Damascus.”
It’s unclear what will happen on the world stage after the failed U.N. move.
“The entire world should be ashamed of what’s happening here,” said “Zaidoun,” a Damascus-based opposition member. “Everybody is just silent and looking at us being slaughtered every moment, for no reason — just for asking for our freedom.”
An opposition activist in Homs, identified only as “Danny” to protect his safety, said government forces fired rockets on the city after the U.N. draft resolution failed.
“You have rockets landing next to your house. I’m next to a window and a rocket might kill me,” Danny said.
But Syria, on SANA, said more and more members of the armed forces and civilians are being killed by terrorist groups.
Fourteen “army and law enforcement forces martyrs” were buried Monday, SANA reported.
Al-Assad’s British-born wife has been largely quiet during the Syrian uprising.
But an article published Monday in The Times of London said Asma al-Assad appears to support her husband, while also wanting dialogue and comfort for the bereaved in the country.
According to an e-mail sent through an intermediary from Asma al-Assad’s office, “The president is the president of Syria, not a faction of Syrians, and the First Lady supports him in that role,” The Times reported.
“The First Lady’s very busy agenda is still focused on supporting the various charities she has long been involved with and rural development as well as supporting the President as needed,” the e-mail continued, according to The Times. “These days she is equally involved in bridging gaps and encouraging dialogue. She listens to and comforts the families of the victims of the violence.”
SANA reported Tuesday that a national committee has completed a draft constitution for the country.
Protesters and rebel fighters are demanding an end to al-Assad’s rule and the beginning of true democratic elections. Al-Assad has been in power since 2000; his father, Hafez, ruled Syria for three decades before that.
