February 7th, 2012
05:02 AM ET

Russian official visits Syria to meet al-Assad

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov visited Damascus on Tuesday to meet Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, days after world leaders accused Russia of helping give the Syrian government a green light to kill more civilians.

While attempts at diplomacy have so far failed to curb the estimated thousands of deaths in the 11-month conflict, residents and opposition activists say they are desperate for international help in stopping the regime from slaughtering dissidents.

But Syrian state-run TV showed throngs of people waving Russian and Syrian flags in Damascus - highlighting the stark contrast in perception of what is happening in the country.

At least 128 were killed nationwide Monday, mostly in the besieged city of Homs, according to the opposition Syrian Revolution General Commission.

"The situation is beyond description," the commission said in a statement. "Some of these martyrs were killed with shrapnel and the others were under the rubble, and their bodies couldn't be identified because they were in remains."

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Filed under: Arab Spring • Russia • Syria • United Nations • World
soundoff (17 Responses)
  1. Philip

    The world accuses Russia of aiding al-Assad. Is that the same world that missed Israel's mossad secret service training an army of 50,000 men, and an israeli arms maker arming them to help Gadhafi slaughter citizens? No? Didn't think so.

    February 7, 2012 at 6:18 am | Report abuse |
    • BOMBO ©

      Any proff Mossad was involved in Libya?

      February 7, 2012 at 12:13 pm | Report abuse |
    • BOMBO ©

      (crickets chirping)
      (crows crowing)
      No, I didn't think so.

      February 7, 2012 at 12:28 pm | Report abuse |
    • NEWS SNOOP

      MONEY IS THE ROOT TO " ALL EVIL ".............SAVING LIVES IS THE RIGHT THING TO DO....PERIOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

      February 9, 2012 at 7:06 am | Report abuse |
  2. clydster

    Maybe russia can talk this assad guy in to using his head and backing down of his seat and stepping away to do the right thing, but im sure the USA will get there final blow to get involved.

    February 7, 2012 at 8:31 am | Report abuse |
  3. fernace

    This is tactless of Russia, but I can't believe 2 nations, Russia & China has such control in the UN that all other nations back down from the proposed security measures discussed last week! Is it because Russia is a known bully & China has an IOU from half the world!? Hmmm!!

    February 7, 2012 at 9:46 am | Report abuse |
    • pmk1953

      The U.S., Britain, Russia, China and I believe France all have veto power in the U.N. Any one of these countries can veto a security council act.

      February 7, 2012 at 9:49 pm | Report abuse |
  4. Portland tony

    Maybe the Russian minister can do some good in Syria. After all they have a vested interest in a stable country. They have a a large Naval supply depot to worry about and a nation fighting an insurgency doesn't have a lot of cash for importing Russian goods!

    February 7, 2012 at 9:55 am | Report abuse |
  5. BOMBO ©

    Hypocrisy makes the world go round. Has Assad forgotten the brutality of the Russian crackdown in Chechnya, or does he just not care. Sort of like the PLO back in the cold war, getting Soviet aid to attack Israeli civilians, not caring about Soviet opression of Muslims in central Asia.

    February 7, 2012 at 12:16 pm | Report abuse |
    • leeintulsa

      assad hasn't forgotten – he kills muslims routinely.. i think he's getting tips about how to get away with it..

      'course, syria doesn't quite have the intimidation factor russia has..

      get the bomb and you can do anything.. maybe THAT's what they are doing..

      February 7, 2012 at 12:49 pm | Report abuse |
  6. Philip

    @BOMBO ©,
    Has this been forgotten also

    Youtube "mossad recruits 50 thousand Libya"

    February 7, 2012 at 2:52 pm | Report abuse |
    • BOMBO ©

      I mean proof, not just some random guy on youtube.

      February 7, 2012 at 3:05 pm | Report abuse |
  7. Philip

    @BOMBO...cNN even repoted this back in march of last year. Google it. It's not just one raadom guy who reported it happening.

    February 7, 2012 at 3:31 pm | Report abuse |
  8. Philip

    The Israeli MOSSAD did in fact recruit 50 thousand men from Chad, trained them and armed them with Israeli-made weapons, and then rented them out to Gdhafi who used them to slaughter Libyan citizens returning to their homes after being driven out by NATO bombs. Predominantly faithful muslims citizens who would never side with the invading infidels lusting for Libya's oil.

    February 7, 2012 at 3:37 pm | Report abuse |
  9. BOMBO ©

    No, other than a rambling, incoherant Gadhafi era Libyan press report (which also implicates NATO and al-qaeda as Mossad allies) there is nothing there. I believe it's the same report that accuses the US of drugging Libyan youth.

    February 7, 2012 at 3:41 pm | Report abuse |
  10. Greek American

    So let me get this straight; in an article on here yesterday, people in the streets of Syria were angry at the UN because of the veto vote (Russia and China). And today they are waving Russian flags??? Hmmmmmmmmm.

    February 7, 2012 at 8:15 pm | Report abuse |
  11. Windwizard

    Whoever decides to get involved to Syrian affairs shall accept the full responsibilities of the outcomes. For me, if US is willing to go there and remove Assad, then welcome. But they shall then leave a government, which is able to run the country on their own. Recently, US went to Iraq and failed, went to Afganistan and failed again. France and Britain went to Libya and failed too. Syria will not be an exception.

    US blame Russia for being hypocritical. Tell that to Bahrein king or half dozen dictators they support worldwide.
    I feel sympathy for Syrian people, but they have to sort out the problem by themselves.

    February 8, 2012 at 8:40 am | Report abuse |
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