Despite widespread evidence of its deliberate targeting of civilians by “barrel bombs”, the regime continues to deny responsibility. The medics, working inside Syria, are demanding that the international community back a 2014 UN Security Council Resolution banning the use of such weapons, as yet more details emerge from within the country including the use of chemical weapons.
Peace campaigners blame the Assad regime for the vast majority of the more than 200,000 deaths since the beginning of the conflict. Jihadist group “Islamic State”, responsible for a wave of atrocities itself, is both fighting the regime but also trading oil with it, from oilfields it has captured and now operates jointly with officials from the regime.
Sharan Burrow, ITUC General Secretary, said “Ever since regime leader Assad launched a deadly war against his own people, who were simply demanding basic democratic rights, the death toll of innocent civilians has continued to mount, and jihadi terrorists have gained a major foothold in the region. The world cannot stand by any longer and allow the situation to continue. The pleas of ordinary Syrians, including the incredibly brave ‘white helmets’, must be heeded.”
To see more:
