Paul Conroy’s plight will not stir the worthless Arab League into action
PAUL Conroy is a British freelance photographer in Homs. He wants out. He’s trapped. Conroy was working with Marie Colvin of the Sunday Times, who along with Frenchman Rémi Ochlik was murdered in an attack on a makeshift unofficial media centre.
Conroy posted his plea for help on YouTube.
He’s not alone.
Another video features Edith Bouvier, a French journalist hurt in the attack that killed Colvin. Says she:
“My leg is broken, my femur is broken all along. I need to be operated on urgently. Here the doctors are treating us as well as they can but they can’t do surgery here. I need a ceasefire and a medical vehicle to drive us to Lebanon so I can be treated as quickly as possible.”
She needs a ceasefire to fix her broken leg? No chance.
William Daniels, a photographer adds:
“I hope the French authorities can help us as quickly as possible because it’s difficult here. We have no electricity. We don’t have much to eat, bombs are still falling. We need to get out by medical evacuation.”
Will the French be pricked into action?
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has spoken with Syria’s ambassador. They want Colvin’s body repatriated and the journalists evacuated. Syria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has yet to respond.
But how can evacuation be guaranteed in a war zone?
Javier Espinosa, a Spanish war correspondent, recalls the horror of the bombs hitting the media centre:
“I have been hit!” shouted Mr Conroy. When the smoke cleared the picture was shocking. Several bodies were intermingled with the debris, computers and cameras of reporters.”
Meanwhile, you can scoff at the latest missive from the United Nations:
“A reliable body of evidence exists that, consistent with other verified circumstances, provides reasonable grounds to believe that particular individuals, including commanding officers and officials at the highest levels of government, bear responsibility for crimes against humanity and other gross human rights violations.”
Crimes against humanity? This is the UN on whose Human Rights Council sits Libya, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain. Syria narrowly missed out joining the enlightened.
Avaaz reports:
Today in Syria 7 unarmed activists were assassinated in cold blood while trying to bring medical supplies into the city of Homs.
In other news:
After the UN Security Council failed, Syria’s neighbours in the the Arab League are taking the lead. They have called other key powers to an emergency meeting in 72 hours in Tunisia, and Avaaz will be sitting at the table with the Syrian democracy movement to deliver a clear mandate for strong action.
The Arab Legue is taking the lead is promoting democracy? Is this a joke? The Arab League has done nothing. It’s national members have armies. But they do nothing.
Posted: 24th, February 2012 | In: Reviews Comments (4) | TrackBack | Permalink
