British prime minister warns of “day of reckoning” for Syria

British Prime Minister David Cameron called on the West to hold the Syrian government accountable for its actions in the nearly year-long uprising that has killed thousands of people. Speaking at an EU summit in Brussels on Thursday, Cameron said “no matter how long it takes, there will be a day of reckoning for this dreadful regime.”

Cameron also said Western countries need to build evidence against Syria to hold it accountable for the massive violence against civilians. Several Western countries, and the Arab League, have called on Syria to cease its violent crackdown on anti-government protestors. Attempts to pass a United Nations resolution pressuring Syria have failed, because China and Russia, who support the Syrian government, used their veto power in the UN Security Council to defeat any attempts to formally pressure Syria.

Cameron’s comments come as the Red Cross prepares to bring aid to the Baba Amr area of Homs, one of the hardest-hit cities in Syria, which has been pummeled by the Syrian government in recent weeks.
Of Baba Amr’s 100,000 residents, only a few hundred remain, and many of them are now living without power and are running low on basic supplies. The Syrian opposition group, the rebel Free Syria Army announced on Thursday it is withdrawing from the district because several thousand civilians refuse to leave their homes and it does not want them to endure a full-fledged military assault in the ongoing conflict between the Syrian government and opposition fighters.

Photo: British Prime Minister David Cameron (AFP)