Help finally reaches Syrian city of Homs

Western and Arab nations ratcheted up pressure on Syria’s Bashar al-Assad yesterday as the Red Cross announced it had finally been able to enter a besieged Homs district to evacuate casualties.

A meeting of more than 60 foreign ministers in Tunisia saw calls for Arab peacekeepers to intervene and for the arming of the opposition, as well as a US warning that Assad would pay a heavy price for defying international will.

In the first sign that growing pressure might be having an effect, the International Committee of the Red Cross said its ambulances entered the Baba Amr district to evacuate casualties from bombardment by regime forces. They include two wounded Western journalists and the bodies of two others.

“The ICRC and the Syrian Arab Red Crescent are on the spot in Baba Amr, attempting to evacuate as soon as possible everyone in need of urgent help,” the ICRC spokesman in Damascus, Saleh Dabbakeh, said.

In Tunis, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Mr Assad would pay a “heavy cost” for ignoring the will of the international community after almost a year of brutal crackdowns on protesters.

At least 22 more civilians were killed in renewed violence yesterday as the ministers met in Tunisia for the first “Friends ofSyria”conference. The main opposition umbrella group the Syrian National Council has warned that military intervention might be the “only option” to end the crackdown.

Western and Arab nations, however, have so far rejected the idea of a foreign mission like the operation that helped topple Muammar Gaddafi’s regime in Libya.

However, Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal backed the idea of arming Syria’s opposition.

“I think it’s an excellent idea... because the opposition have to protect themselves from the regime,” Mr al-Faisal told journalists that were present just before going into a meeting with Mrs Clinton.

Host nation Tunisia called for an Arab peacekeeping force to be sent in to help end to the killings, and for Mr Assad to be granted immunity to persuade him to stand down.

“The current situation de­mands an Arab intervention in the framework of the League, an Arab force to keep peace and security, to accompany diplomatic efforts to convince Bashar to leave,” Tunisian President Moncef Marzouki said.

“A political solution must be found, such as granting the ­Syrian President, his family and members of his regime ­judicial immunity and a place to seek refuge, which Russia could offer.”

Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim al-Thani backed the call for peacekeepers.

Such a force was needed to maintain security, open humanitarian corridors and implement Arab League decisions on the ­crisis, he said.

Russia and China however were notable by their absence, highlighting the difficulty in building an international consensus on Syria. Both countries have frustrated efforts to rein in Mr Assad’s regime, including by vetoing UN Security Council resolutions.

Meanwhile in Syria, the bloodshed continued. At least four civilians were killed as Syrian forces shelled the rebel-held area of Homs for the 21st straight day, while tens of thousands protested across the country, monitors said.

Syrian forces also killed 18 civilians, including seven members of the same family, in the central Syrian province of Hama, a monitoring group said.