France steps up pressure on Syria as it threatens demand of intervention

“The situation in Syria continues to be unacceptable,” he said late
on Tuesday. “The Syrian authorities must implement their commitments in
full and a cessation of violation in all its forms must be respected by all
parties.”

Government troops shelled and raided the Damascus suburb of Douma on
Wednesday, on the same day that UN monitors visited the town. Activists have
accused the Syrian government of using visits by the handful of monitors
already in the country to target opposition figures.

“Troops raided houses in Kourshood street, arresting people randomly,”
Douma resident Yahya Hawash said. “Some broke into shops. They started
shelling at 8 o’clock this morning.

“When the monitors came security forces were with them, and no one could
speak frankly.”

Others claimed that 11 activists in Hama were captured and executed the day
after they spoke to UN observers visiting the city.

“Syrian intelligence came back to Arbaeen district after the observers
left,” said Mousab Alhamadee. “They arrested the activists from
their hideout, took them to the High School of Industry and shot them.

“The regime has decided to punish people who talked to monitors.
Residents are fleeing areas that the monitors visit as they are afraid of
government attacks.”

The full deployment of the 300 UN observers has been delayed since the plan
was agreed, with only fifteen monitors currently inside Syria.

Bassma Kodmani, spokesman for the Syrian National Council, said it still
supported the Annan plan as a “positive development” that could
yet acquire momentum. But she called for the observers to be supplied with
helicopters – something unlikely to be agreed by Mr Assad.

Mr Juppe said it was “unacceptable” that Syria had rejected a
monitor from an unnamed country of which it did not approve, and has said it
would not allow in any from countries that had joined the “Friends of
Syria” group led by the United States, Britain, France, Saudi Arabia
and Qatar.

He said the peace plan was not dead, but was “severely compromised”.

A Chapter 7 resolution invoking the use of force would almost certainly be
vetoed by Russia and China. However, they agreed to the resolution that sent
the monitoring mission, and a report by Mr Annan, whom both countries have
strongly backed, saying that Mr Assad had failed to live up to the
resolution’s terms would put both under pressure to agree some form of
tougher action.

In further fighting yesterday, activists abroad and inside the country
reported the deaths of four civilians on a bus in the northern province of
Idlib. The bus was attacked from a checkpoint on the main road from Aleppo
to the capital.

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