The Syrian government opened its doors a crack for United Nations humanitarian chief Valerie Amos to peek in on Wednesday. Amos, who had been previously told she would have unrestricted access to the country, described Homs, the rebel stronghold, as devastated by recent shelling that killed more than 200 people, Reuters reported. The few people in the streets were searching for their belongings, she said.
Pressure has been mounting on the United States to take some sort of military action, NBC’s Andrea Mitchell reported, but the Obama administration does not want to intervene alone. The Arab League and NATO would not back U.S. military action.
During a heated questioning in Congress Wednesday, John McCain demanded that the U.S. arm the rebels.
Defense Secretary Leon Panetta responded, “Before I recommend that we put our sons and daughters in uniform in harm’s way I’ve got to make very sure we know what the mission is.”
Syria strikes not in offing, Pentagon tells Congress
Meantime, Syrian officials continue to defect. Early Thursday morning in Syria, Deputy Oil Minister Abdo Hussameldin became the highest ranking civilian official to abandon President Bashar al-Assad since the uprising against his rule erupted a year ago, Reuters reported.
Hussameldin announced his defection in a YouTube video saying, “I join the revolution of this dignified people.”
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