Since the reign of terror from President Bashar-al Assad’s regime began the UN estimates that over 9,000 innocent Syrian civilians have died at his hands. The local coordination committees estimate that the number of those killed is upwards of 11,000 in addition to those who are injured or incarcerated. Syria has accepted a peace plan from the U.N which includes a cease-fire by the Syrian government; however the violence continues to rage on.
Clashes continued between the government and rebels which caused some of the rebel forces to cross over into Lebanon. The conflict is dangerously close to reaching a full-scale civil war. The Syrian American Council (SAC) is has no faith in Assad since he hasn’t honored past agreements. Additionally, the Syrian government already announced that it will refuse and will not cooperate with any decision or resolution that comes out at the Arab League Summit, which is currently in session.
Most recently, there have been horror stories about cities like Homs where people have been forced to leave their homes due to the violence that rages on in the area. In fact, SAC members have relatives who have been displaced in Homs due to the rampant waves of violence from Assad and his regime. According to a SAC member who asked to remain anonymous for fear of retribution, the regime is attempting to eradicate any opposition inside Homs in what appears to be a systematic move towards ethnic cleansing. “My own relatives in Homs were forced to flee their home and were then replaced with families loyal to the regime,” the SAC member said.
About Syrian American Council
Founded in 2005, the Syrian American Council (SAC) is a grassroots organization devoted to promoting educational, civic, economic, and human development, as well as advancing civil liberties and human dignity inSyria. It also aspires to build bridges of understanding and cooperation between American and Syrian people and institutions. With 18 chapters located across the country, SAC’s membership is open to all Syrians or those of Syrian origin who live in North America. For more information on the Syrian American Council visit sacouncil.comor follow SAC on Twitter @sa_council.
Contact Ashley Gonias at [email protected]