Assad should face charges for crimes against humanity / 02-03-2012

ALDE leader, Guy Verhofstadt, today expressed his sense of shame that the international community has not shown sufficient resolve to halt the killing in Syria. The regime of Bashar Assad relentlessly pursues its goal of extinguishing all signs of opposition in Syria and refusing appeals from the United Nations Secretary General to allow access to Baroness Amos, the UN commissioner for humanitarian aid.

"I feel ashamed that the collective political, diplomatic and military will of the international community has been found wanting in the case of Syria. Despite over 7500 people recorded to have been killed we have failed to show any real determined action to end the massacre of innocents. Whilst we are not short on rhetoric and political condemnation, nobody appears willing to do anything about it beyond adding a few more people to a sanctions list."

"The people of Homs are now at the mercy of the Syrian government forces with all communication links cut off. Only the Red Cross now stands between Assad and those who dared oppose him. "

"Assad and his regime are clearly not convinced by the international community's threats to see this through. He needs to be sent an unequivocal message of total international isolation, indictment of him, his family and senior officials before the ICC and a credible military threat that we will not stand by whilst he murders more of his people."

(Portal Europe)