Saudi Arabia said yesterday that Syrians have a right to take up arms to defend themselves against the regime and accused the Damascus government of "imposing itself by force," as concerns mounted over a humanitarian crisis there.
In a rare televised news conference, Saudi Foreign Minister Saud al-Faisal said the kingdom welcomed international efforts to broker a cease-fire in Syria, but added that they have "failed to stop the massacres."
"Is there something greater than the right to defend oneself and to defend human rights?
" he said, adding that the Syrian people want to defend themselves. "The regime is not wanted by the people," he said. "The regime is insisting on imposing itself by force on the Syrian people."
Saudi Arabia and Qatar have been discussing military aid to the Syrian opposition, but the United States and others have not advocated arming the rebels, in part out of fear it would create an even more bloody and prolonged conflict.
Sunni Saudi Arabia is wary of the wave of Arab Spring uprisings, particularly in nearby Bahrain, where a Shia majority is demanding greater rights from its Sunni rulers. However, the kingdom strongly backs the largely Sunni uprising in Syria.
Yesterday, Red Cross teams handed out food, blankets and medical kits in central Homs province, but the government continued to block access to the worst-hit district of Baba Amr.
The humanitarian group was trying to help families that fled Baba Amr after a monthlong siege and took shelter in nearby villages, ICRC spokesman Hicham Hassan said in Geneva.
"The needs are so far mainly in the forms of food, and also blankets because of the cold," Hassan said.
Government forces have blocked humanitarian access to Baba Amr since Friday, the day after troops seized it from rebels. Opposition fighters had been in control of the neighborhood for several months, and a regime offensive on Homs that began in early February aimed to retake rebel-held neighborhoods in the city.
Syrian troops managed to take control of Baba Amr after nearly a month of intense and relentless shelling. Activists say hundreds were killed in the daily bombardments that led up to the final battle on Thursday.
Saudi Arabia: Syrians have right to rebel
In a rare televised news conference, Saudi Foreign Minister Saud al-Faisal said the kingdom welcomed international efforts to broker a cease-fire in Syria, but added that they have "failed to stop the massacres."
"Is there something greater than the right to defend oneself and to defend human rights?
" he said, adding that the Syrian people want to defend themselves. "The regime is not wanted by the people," he said. "The regime is insisting on imposing itself by force on the Syrian people."Saudi Arabia and Qatar have been discussing military aid to the Syrian opposition, but the United States and others have not advocated arming the rebels, in part out of fear it would create an even more bloody and prolonged conflict.
Sunni Saudi Arabia is wary of the wave of Arab Spring uprisings, particularly in nearby Bahrain, where a Shia majority is demanding greater rights from its Sunni rulers. However, the kingdom strongly backs the largely Sunni uprising in Syria.
Yesterday, Red Cross teams handed out food, blankets and medical kits in central Homs province, but the government continued to block access to the worst-hit district of Baba Amr.
The humanitarian group was trying to help families that fled Baba Amr after a monthlong siege and took shelter in nearby villages, ICRC spokesman Hicham Hassan said in Geneva.
"The needs are so far mainly in the forms of food, and also blankets because of the cold," Hassan said.
Government forces have blocked humanitarian access to Baba Amr since Friday, the day after troops seized it from rebels. Opposition fighters had been in control of the neighborhood for several months, and a regime offensive on Homs that began in early February aimed to retake rebel-held neighborhoods in the city.
Syrian troops managed to take control of Baba Amr after nearly a month of intense and relentless shelling. Activists say hundreds were killed in the daily bombardments that led up to the final battle on Thursday.
Saudi Arabia: Syrians have right to rebel
