France accuses Syria of ‘Crimes Against Humanity’

France urged nations to send a "powerful signal" to Syria, after accusing Damascus of "crimes against humanity," France urged nations to send a "powerful signal" to Syria, after accusing Damascus of "crimes against humanity," as activists said regime forces killed at least 23 people, 21 of them in a tank-backed raid on the flashpoint central city of Homs. "The Syrian regime has committed crimes against humanity," French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe said during talks in Moscow with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov.
"The way it (the Syrian regime) suppressed the popular protests is unacceptable," he said Wednesday, expressing hope that Russia would change its stance and back UN condemnation of the crackdown.
The Syrian authorities, he said, should be sent "a powerful signal that such actions cannot continue."
But Lavrov gave no signs of being ready to ease a Russian position that last week saw Moscow lash the European Union for imposing a crippling oil embargo on Syria.
"We are convinced that the essential thing is to start dialogue at the talks table," Lavrov said.
"We consider that inciting certain forces within the opposition to boycott the invitation to dialogue is a dangerous path and risks a repetition of the Libyan scenario, which neither Russia nor France wants."
Russia has staunchly opposed attempts by Western governments to push through a UN Security Council resolution targeting President Bashar al-Assad and has circulated an alternative draft calling for him to implement reforms.
European Union nations are considering fresh sanctions against Syria, a diplomatic source who asked not to be identified said in Brussels.
"There is preliminary political agreement" between EU nations on slapping a ban on oil-sector related investment as part of a seventh round of sanctions against the Assad regime, the source said.
Meanwhile, the US ambassador to Damascus, Robert Ford, said in a posting on Facebook that Assad's regime "bears the responsibility for the violence."
The United Nations says 2,200 people have been killed since democracy protests flared in Syria in mid-March.
Activists said the Syrian security forces killed at least 23 more people on Wednesday.
Al Jazeera reported that at least 21 people were killed by Syrian security forces in a tank-backed raid on the city of Homs. This operation followed a protest on Tuesday which had seen 2,000 people take to the streets.
Communications, including internet services were also cut in Homs on Wednesday.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a London-based independent Syrian rights group, said.
"Military reinforcements including 20 truckloads of soldiers entered the city," it said, opening "intense gunfire in the market and governorate headquarters".
The body alleged that a further two people had been killed in Sarmeen, in Idlib province in the northwest.
The state-run news agency, SANA, reported that a "terrorist group" had kidnapped two Baath party officials in Rastan, near Homs, on Wednesday.
It reported that eight soldiers and five “insurgents” had been killed in Homs, with “dozens” of soldiers injured by “armed terrorists who attacked civilians and security forces.”
“Security forces succeeded in eliminating them and five of the armed criminals were killed,” Sana said, adding that a number of people had been arrested.
The Local Coordination Committees, which organise the anti-regime protests on the ground, said security forces also killed one person in the central city of Hama.
The crackdown came hours after Syria announced that it had postponed a visit to Damascus by the Arab League chief, Nabil al-Araby. Arab League officials have said that Araby will instead visit Syria on Saturday.