Syria’s neighbors feel the heat
WEDNESDAY February 29, 2012 Volume 97, Issue 82 W W W.T H E D A I LYA Z T E C . C O M
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Lebanese women wept alongside thousands for the slain militant Imad al Mughniyeh, who was killed in Syria in February 2008 under mysterious circumstances. |
Violence continues to grow in Syria as intervention looms
With refugees from Syria pouring into neighboring countries, nations such as Lebanon are feeling the pressure from potential civil war.
Kevin Smead assistant news editor The shelling of Syrian city Homs continued earlier this week as the international community called for increased pressure on the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Based on reports compiled by The Guardian, at least 50 people have been killed every day during the past week. Though many of those reported dead have fallen in the uprising against Assad, a number of civilians have also been killed. According to an estimate made by the United Nations, the total death toll in Syria may be greater than 7,500. Despite these statistics, the Syrian regime is pressing ahead with an attempt at reform. In a referendum vote last weekend, Assad attempted to restore his tarnished image with the international community by making some concessions regarding totalitarian control of the country. The most notable portions of the referendum allow for opposition parties to challenge the Ba’ath party, which is currently the only political
faction allowed in Syria. Also, a term limit of 14 years would be applied to the office of president. However, this limit would not be applied retroactively, allowing Assad to run again in 2014, and subsequently in the next election. Though the referendum passed, these gestures did not change the global community’s views. Figures such as U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton accused the referendum of being a distraction, taking focus off of the violent crackdown occurring within the country. Though a course of action is still being debated, Russia and China do not support anything further than dialogue with the Assad regime. This drew criticism from Western countries such as France, who yesterday implored the two countries to consider the U.N. Security Council
Resolution put forth to end the violence within the country. As the conflict escalates, reporting from within the country is becoming increasingly difficult. Yesterday morning, British photographer Paul Conroy was evacuated into neighboring Lebanon after being wounded in an attack on Homs late last week. Thirteen Syrian opposition members were killed in the process. Renowned British correspondent Marie Colvin and French photographer Remi Ochlick were killed in the same blast that wounded Conroy. Several other journalists, including French news correspondent Edith Bouvier, are still missing within the country. With refugees from Syria pouring into neighboring countries, nations such as Lebanon are feeling the
Wall Street recap Stocks settled relatively flat for the trading session Monday, with the Dow Jones industrial average crossing the 13,000 mark only to end at 12,981. The Nasdaq ending up at 2,966 and the Standard & Poor 500 also ended higher at 1,367. Tuesday morning’s market was higher across all three indices. The Dow was up 29 points at 13,010, the Nasdaq was up 18 points at 2,984 and the S&P 500 was higher by four points at 1,371. Data compiled from Monday’s close and Tuesday’s open on Wall Street.
F I N A N C E B E AT
by the Supreme Court about whether corporations can be held liable for international human rights violations in American courts. The case in question is Kiobel v. Royal Dutch Petroleum, in which several Nigerians state Royal Dutch Shell “aided and abetted their government in its torture and extrajudicial killing of environmental human rights protesters resisting Shell’s operations in Nigeria in the 1990s.” The plaintiff’s suit is based on the Alien Tort Statute, passed by Congress in 1789. The law allows non-U.S. citizens to present civil suits to U.S. courts for internationDebates on corporations continue al violations. The Supreme Court A front-page article from The Huff- has commented on the law very ington Post reported oral argu- rarely in the past. The Supreme ments are set to be heard this week Court contended the statute could
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Ignite the passion with a simple take on fine French cuisine.
pressure from potential civil war. Anti and pro-Assad forces within the country have been at odds for some time, and the situation in Syria is only becoming increasingly tense. Parts of Lebanon, notably the city of Tripoli, still harbor a great resentment toward the Syrian regime, after its occupation of parts of the country from 1976 until 2005. As the world watches the conflict, international action of some sort is expected this week.
OPINION New skate park in Lakeside has potential to deter crime if successfully monitored.
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only give rise to a lawsuit if the offense was specific to the offenses that existed when the law was passed, which apparently included torture and genocide but not arbitrary arrest and detention. The justices did not comment about what types of defendants could be sued. The recent decision of Citizen’s United v. Federal Election Commission extended First Amendment rights to corporations that allows them to spend unlimited amounts of money in political elections. The Kiobel case will continue the discussion about corporate personhood and accountability.
-Compiled by Contributor Chet Galloway
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So rather than watching for bodies in the heavens, they listened to talk radio, and he entered her for the first time. B A C K PA G E
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