Deadly Shellings Intensify in Aleppo
Deadly shellings and air strikes have intensified in Aleppo as Syrian forces attacked rebel strongholds in northern commercial hub of the largest city of the war-torn country.
Using Scud missiles, Syrian warplanes reportedly bombed the town of Azaz near Aleppo and shelling intensified in the city's neighbourhoods of al-Fardos, al-Sukkari, Bustan al-Zahra and Kallasa.
The Syria missile strikes in Aleppo have reportedly killed 58 people, among them 36 children.
Fighting continues between Syrian Rebels and Syrian forece
 Bombed-out vehicles after street fighting in Aleppo, October 2012. Photo: Wikimedia Commons |
In addition, Syria's state television aired that soldiers "cleared terrorists and mercenaries" from the western district of Aleppo.
US Condemns the attack
In a press statement in Washington DC today, Department Spokesperson Victoria Nuland says he United States Government condemns in the strongest possible terms the series of rocket attacks against Aleppo.
"We condemn the attack using Scud missiles on an eastern district of the city late on Friday, February 22, that killed several dozen people." - Ms. Nuland
She says the attack follows the assault on Aleppo of Tuesday, February 19, that destroyed several city blocks in the Jabal Badr district of Aleppo and injured hundreds of innocent civilians.
According to Ms. Nuland, the attacks, as well as other atrocities such as the strike against a field hospital earlier in the week, are only the latest demonstrations of the Syrian regime's ruthlessness and its lack of compassion for the Syrian people it claims to represent.
 Riot police in Damascus. Photo: Wikimedia Commons |
US: The Assad regime has no legitimacy and remains in power only through brute force
According to Ms. Nuland, from the city of Deir Zour in the far eastern part of Syria to the mountains of Jebel Akrad near the Mediterranean, Syrians across the country have demanded that Assad, and the architects of his violent campaign, step aside and allow a Syrian-led political transition to begin so that the rights of all Syrians can be respected, and the country can begin to rebuild.
She reiterates the United States sees no indication that the brave Syrian people fighting against this aggression will accept these regime leaders, with the blood of so many Syrians on their hands, as part of a transition governing authority.
Assad Clinging to Power Amid Ongoing Turmoil in Syria
US has slammed Syria's President Bashar al-Assad's speech to his supporters in Damascus last month, saying al-Asad's speech is yet another attempt by the regime to cling to power and it does nothing to advance the Syrian people's goal of a political transition.
US asserts Assad's initiative is detached from reality, undermines the efforts of Joint Special Representative Lakhdar Brahimi, and would only allow the regime to further perpetuate its bloody oppression of the Syrian people.
As Asad speaks of dialogue, the regime is deliberately stoking sectarian tensions and continuing to kill its own people by attacking Sunni towns and villages in the mixed areas of Jabal Akrad and Jabal Turkmen in Lattakia province.
US reiterates Asad has lost all legitimacy and must step aside to enable a political solution and a democratic transition that meets the aspirations of the Syrian people.
US Response to the Syrian Crisis
According to Ms. Nuland, the United States has contributed $385 million to help Syrian refugees and citizens inside Syria who have been displaced by regime violence.
As the regime strikes out against more and more civilians, the US government has increased its humanitarian aid in close coordination with Syrian activists, and we have urged other countries to do so as well.
US also helped local administrative councils, provincial revolution councils and the local coordination committees organize themselves to play their vital role in the revolution.
Ms. Nuland says the US government looks forward to meeting soon with the leadership of the legitimate representative of the Syrian people, the Syrian Opposition Coalition, to discuss how the United States and other friends of the Syrian people can do more to help the Syrian people achieve the political transition that they demand and that they deserve.
To help meet the growing needs, the United States is providing food, clean water, basic healthcare, medical and other emergency relief supplies to benefit more than 400,000 people in Syria and neighboring countries so far.
In addition, the World Food Program, WFP has distributed id in coordination with the Syrian Arab Red Crescent.
With support from the United States and other donors, WFP has expanded its emergency food assistance to reach now 250,000 conflict-affected Syrians.
The violence in Syria, which began in March 2011 as a protest movement similar to those witnessed across the Middle East and North Africa, has claimed over 70, 000 lives, mostly civilians, and displaced tens of thousands.
Mina Fabulous follows the news, especially what is going on in the US State Department. Mina turns State Department waffle into plain english. Read more stories by Mina Fabulous. Contact Mina through NewsBlaze.
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