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    September 27, 2011

Syrian Troops Storm Central City

   VOA News

   Syrian rights activists say government troops firing machine guns
   mounted on tanks have stormed the restive central town of Rastan,
   wounding at least 20 people.
   The activists said the troops entered early Tuesday into the town,
   which is located on a highway between the flashpoint cities of Homs and
   Hama. The region has been a central point in the protests against
   Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
   The operation comes a day after Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Mouallem
   blamed armed groups for the situation in Syria, and lashed out at the
   United States and European Union for imposing sanctions.
   In a speech Monday to the U.N. General Assembly in New York, Mouallem
   accused the U.S. and EU of jeopardizing the interests and basic needs
   of Syrians while pronouncing concerns for their security and rights.
   Human Rights Watch rejected Syria's explanation of the violence. The
   group's U.N. director Philippe Bolopion said facts documented by the
   U.N. and Human Rights Watch show the Syrian government has carried out
   a "merciless campaign" of killings, torture and arbitrary detentions of
   its people. He urged the U.N. Security Council to take action.
   Minister Yang Jiechi urged all sides in Syria to show restraint and
   avoid more bloodshed.
   German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle also called for the Security
   Council to act, while China expressed its concern about the situation
   in Syria. Chinese Foreign
   U.S. State Department spokesman Mark Toner again called for Assad to
   step down so that a democratic transition can take place. He said Assad
   is no longer the legitimate leader of that country because of his
   government's violent attacks on its own citizens.
   Assad has sent troops across the country to quell an uprising by
   protesters.
   The U.N. says the government crackdown has killed at least 2,700 people
   since mass protests started in March.

   Some information for this report was provided by AP, AFP and Reuters.

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References

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