Int'l community divided over Syria

DAMASCUS - While the international community debates on the approach to resolve Syria's 15-month unrest, a fresh wave of violence hit the country on Wednesday and claimed the lives of many civilians and government troops.

China and Russia have said the ongoing Syria crisis should be resolved in an impartial and peaceful way, according to a joint statement issued Wednesday.

The statement was released during Russian President Vladimir Putin's three-day state visit to China, where he is also scheduled to attend the 12th Meeting of the Council of Heads of Member States of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization in Beijing on Wednesday and Thursday.

In the statement, China and Russia reiterated their firm stance of supporting and safeguarding Syria's sovereignty, independence, unification and territorial integrity and adherence to the purpose and principles of the UN Charter.

The two countries also stressed that developments of the Syrian situation are critical to the peace and stability of the Middle East as well as the world at large.

China and Russia strongly oppose any attempt to address the Syria crisis with military interference from the outside or forcefully impose a regime change in the insurgency-ridden country, according to the statement.

In the statement, the two countries also urge the international community to improve coordination and jointly endorse UN-Arab League Joint Envoy Kofi Annan's mediation efforts.

However, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Wednesday called for more pressure on Syria in a bid to remove its embattled President Bashar al-Assad from power, as the meeting of the Friends of the Syrian People International Working Group on sanctions is underway in Washington.

"Today's Friends of the Syrian People sessions are increasing the pressure on the regime and deepening its isolation," Clinton, who is in Turkey for another meeting regarding the crisis in Syria, said in a statement issued by the State Department.

Despite the "important steps" being taken, the chief US diplomat said: "Much work remains."

"We must continue to close off the regime's economic lifelines, expand the circle of countries vigorously implementing sanctions, and prevent the Syrian government from evading them," she noted in the statement.  

Responding to the possible reference of Syria to the "Chapter 7 action," White House spokesman Jay Carney told reporters on Wednesday that all options are on the table and the "need to take urgent action" is on the minds of policy-makers in the Obama administration and at the UN, although he did not specify on the potential actions.

Also, US Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner called Wednesday for tougher sanctions against Syria to hasten political change in the Arab country.

Addressing the second meeting of the Friends of the Syrian People International Working Group on Sanctions, which drew representatives from 55 nations, the US point man on international sanctions said sanctions alone could not bring about the change sought by Washington and its allies, "but sanctions can play an important role."

On the ground in Syria, violence hit a new high Wednesday and claimed the lives of a number of civilians and government troops.

At least seven government troops and a little girl were killed in separate incidents across Syria, in a fresh high tide of violence after the rebel fighters' renounced commitment to the six- point peace plan mediated by special envoy Kofi Annan.

A brigadier and two law-enforcement members were killed Wednesday when an explosive device ripped through the patrol of the law members in Jdiadet Artous suburb of the capital Damascus, state-run SANA news agency.

Two other law-enforcement members were killed and two officers were injured in clashes with armed groups in the mountainous area of Hafeh in coastal Latakia province.

Meanwhile, a child was killed in al-Buaida suburb of Damascus when an explosive device went off while being prepared by armed groups. The blast caused the building to collapse and caused damages to nearby buildings.

Also, the Syrian government troops raided a hideout of armed groups in a village of central Hama province, clashing with armed men and killing an unspecified number of them, Syria's state TV channel said on Wednesday.

Two of the government troops were killed in the clashes that took place in al-Qubair village, the TV channel said, adding that the troops' raid was conducted after the local residents asked for help.

Meanwhile, the activist network Local Coordination Committees said 129 people were killed in several Syrian cities Wednesday, adding that 86 of whom were killed in Hama by the heavy shelling of government troops. Yet the report cannot be independently verified.

The report about the incident in Hama was not immediate clear due to lack of reports direct from the conflict-torn region.

Last week, a massacre occurred in the central village of Houla in Homs province, claiming the lives of more than 100 people. The government and the opposition traded barbs over the carnage.

The UN said the government troops are believed to be responsible for part of the killing there, but Syria denied any involvement and accused armed groups and extremist acting out a foreign conspiracy of being behind the bloodshed.