US musing possibility of arming Syrian opposition

The latest bloodbath in a nearly yearlong revolt against the regime of Syrian president Bashar Assad occurred in the northern villages of Idita, Iblin and Balshon in Idlib province near the border with Turkey on Tuesday, where opposition groups reported that troops loyal to the regime had rounded up and executed 27 young men of military age. "Military forces chased civilians in these villages, arrested them and killed them without hesitation. They concentrated on male youths and whoever did not manage to escape was to be killed," the Syrian Network for Human Rights said in a statement. "Responsibility for this massacre lies with the general commander of the military and armed forces, Bashar Assad." The report came on the same day as opposition websites reported several dozen people killed in the city of Homs, where some neighborhoods were being hit by as many as five rockets a minute, according to panicked residents reached by satellite phone. Two Western journalist were reportedly among the dead.

The US and other Western countries have reacted to the carnage by reluctantly reviewing plans to supply opposition military forces, including large numbers of soldiers who have deserted Assad’s army, with weapons and other military equipment, a move reportedly already taken by Arab countries. "We still believe that a political solution is what's needed in Syria," White House spokesman Jay Carney said Tuesday. "We don't want to take actions that would contribute to the further militarization of Syria, because that could take the country down a dangerous path. But we don't rule out additional measures."

Elsewhere, Russia’s foreign ministry announced on Tuesday that it will boycott a meeting of international “Friends of Syria” scheduled to be held in Tunisia this week. China has also refused to commit to participating.

Meanwhile, the UN undersecretary-general for humanitarian affairs, Valerie Amos, called on Syria to allow aid groups unimpeded access to the country.

“This is a major human rights crisis that is now moving into significant humanitarian consequences,” Amos said.