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BEIRUT – The United States accused the Syrian government of using "newhorrific tactics" Monday, as U.N. observers reported Syrianhelicopters were firing on rebellious areas and concerns mountedthat civilians were trapped in besieged cities. Violence in Syria has spiked in recent weeks, as both sides ignorean internationally brokered cease-fire that was supposed to go intoeffect April 12 but never took hold. State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland expressed concernabout reports the regime "may be organizing another massacre" inLatakia province, where U.N. monitors have been impeded. Speaking to reporters in Washington, Nuland said Syrian forcesshould remember Bosnia in the 1990s, and how the internationalcommunity can find out who is responsible for abuses. "People will be held accountable," Nuland warned. Activists reported more than 50 people killed across Syria onMonday, with violence in Homs, Idlib and Latakia provinces.According to activists' accounts, Syrian troops with helicoptergunships attacked Rastan, a rebel-held town in Homs province. Rastan has resisted repeated government offensives for months. The death toll and the online videos were impossible toindependently verify. According to videos posted online, fireballs of orange flame andblack rubble exploded in the air as waves of shells poundedresidential buildings in Homs on Monday. The sounds of shellswhooshed through the sky and there was occasional sporadic machinegun fire. "What we are seeing right now are fierce clashes as the Syrian armytries to take back positions held by the rebels," said RamiAbdul-Rahman of the Britain-based activist group Syrian Observatoryfor Human Rights, which uses a network of sources on the ground. "There are many deaths in the rebel ranks," he said. International envoy Kofi Annan said Monday he was "gravelyconcerned" about the escalation of fighting in Syria, citing theshelling of opposition areas in central Homs province and reportsof mortar, helicopter and tank attacks near the Mediterraneancoast. Annan demands both sides "take all steps to ensure that civiliansare not harmed," said his spokesman, Ahmad Fawzi. The statement said he is particularly worried about shelling inHoms and reports of mortar, helicopters and tanks in the town ofHaffa, in Latakia province on the Mediterranean coast. "There are indications that a large number of civilians are trappedin these towns," the statement said. "We are calling this out now in the hope that we can stop whatcould be a potential massacre," Nuland said. Nuland declined to say if Washington or anyone else in theinternational community might take proactive measures. There are no prospects for a NATO intervention like the one thathelped topple Libya's Moammar Gadhafi in part because Russia haspromised to veto such a plan. The Observatory also said a bomb targeted a security force in thenorthern city of Idlib, killing seven soldiers and a civilian.There was no confirmation from state media. In Damascus, the state-run news agency SANA said authorities foiledan attempt to blow up a car rigged with 700 kilograms (1,500pounds) of explosives in the Damascus suburb of Chebaa on Monday.Experts dismantled it, SANA said. Syrian activists say 13,000 people have been killed since theuprising began in March 2011. The situation has grown increasinglychaotic in recent months, and it is difficult to assign blame formuch of the bloodshed. The government restricts journalists frommoving freely, making it nearly impossible to independently verifyaccounts from either side. The bloodshed has led to broad condemnation of the regime, althoughRussia, Iran and China have stood by President Bashar Assad. Russiaand China have vetoed two Security Council resolutions thatthreatened sanctions against Syria. Russia has refused to support any move that could lead to foreignintervention in Syria, Moscow's last significant ally in the MiddleEast. Moscow's pro-Syria stance also is motivated by its strategicand defense ties to Damascus, including weapons sales. On Monday, Russia's Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin defendedhis country's arms sales to Syria. "Under no circumstances can the arms supplied to Syria be usedagainst the civilian population," Rogozin was quoted as saying bythe ITAR-Tass news agency. "Weapons do not shoot all by themselves. It is people who shootfrom them. Unlike its partners, Russia has never tried to add oilto the fire," he said. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov is scheduled to visit Iranon Wednesday. Despite Russia's strong stance, Britain's Foreign Secretary WilliamHague said Monday the U.K. will not rule out the use of aninternational military intervention. "Each day reports emerge of savage crimes," Hague told lawmakers atthe House of Commons. "The Syrian military are surrounding andbombarding towns with heavy weaponry, and then unleashing militiagroups to terrorize and murder civilians in their homes. Thesedeliberate military tactics are horrifyingly reminiscent of theBalkans in the 1990s." He said Britain was focused on diplomatic efforts, but would "notrule out any other option which could at any stage stop thebloodshed." The U.S. and its allies have shown little appetite for gettinginvolved in another Arab nation in turmoil. There also is a realconcern of a spillover effect for other countries in the region. In Israel, the deputy military chief warned that Syria's largechemical weapons stocks could be trained on the Jewish state.According to Maj. Gen. Yair Naveh, Syria has the largest arsenal ofchemical weapons in the world. If the Syrians had the chance, hesaid, they would "treat us the same way they treat their ownpeople." Syria has not acknowledged possessing chemical weapons, so the sizeof its arsenal is not known. Israel has been watching the carnage in neighboring Syria withincreasing concern. The two countries have fought major wars, andmultiple attempts to reach a peace deal have failed. On the other hand, the Israel-Syria border has been mostly quietfor decades under the regimes of Assad and his father. The e-commerce company in China offers quality products such as Led Lighting Distributors Manufacturer , China Led Driver Connector, and more. For more , please visit Constant Current Led Driver today!
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