UNSC inaction 'emboldened' Syria to plan 'all out assault', claims UN HR chief

Damascus, Feb 14(ANI): The failure of the United Nations Security Council to take action has emboldened Syria to make an "all out assault" on opponents, the UN human rights chief has said.

Referring to the decision of Russia and China to veto a UN Security Council resolution calling for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to step down, Navi Pillay said that the lack of agreement encouraged Syria to use "overwhelming force" against protests.

"The failure of the Security Council to agree on firm collective action appears to have emboldened the Syrian government to plan an all out assault in an effort to crush resistance with overwhelming force. I am particularly appalled by the ongoing violence in Homs," The BBC quoted Pillay, as saying.

She also described the humanitarian situation in Homs as "simply deplorable".

Pillay said the UN Human Rights Council had attempted to keep track of the number of fatalities reported in the Syrian uprising, although in the past two months this task had become "almost impossible".

Human rights groups have said over 7,000 have died throughout Syria since last March. The government says at least 2,000 members of the security forces have been killed combating "armed gangs and terrorists."

Bashar Ja'afari, Syria's permanent representative to the UN, however described Pillay's comments as negative and unprincipled and stressed that Assad's government was targeting armed gangs who were intent on destabilising the country. (ANI)