Ground Attack on Homs Imminent

There are worries that the Syrian Army is preparing to launch a ground assault on the battered city of Homs. For the past couple of weeks, government troops have been committing atrocities in Homs by shelling it with bombs and snipers have been taking out many civilians, not just rebels. Many people fear that the, already terrible, humanitarian crisis is just going to get worse, Syrian tanks have been converging on the city as well as many foot soldiers. A ground assault is probably imminent unless the international community does something. Russia and China have blocked the UN and the west has ruled out military action so it seems that nothing can be done. Russia needs to realise that foreign intervention in a country isn’t always bad, look to Libya, indeed it’s not perfect but it’s a lot better than what it would be if Gaddafi had stayed. All western nations need to remove their embassies from Damascus as a symbolic gesture, the British need to increase the number of military personnel at the army bases in Akrotiri and Dhekelia (British overseas territory in Cyprus), other NATO nations also need to strengthen their military presence in the Levant. We need to show Assad that we may be prepared to invade or use physical attack to stop his barbarous murder of civilians. Whether western governments are actually prepared to do so is irrelevant, we must pressure Assad with all the force we can.

Reports are coming out of Homs of the hospital being used by the army so the sick and dying can’t use it, regardless of how whether or not the army inflicted their illness. Three year old babies are murdered, this is the last resort of a dictator who will soon be gone.

I hope the west acts soon, or we may live to regret it. Do we really want another Kosovo?

Homs' proximity to the Lebanese border has allowed many people to escape and tell their stories.