First Western Journalist Killed Amid Escalating Violence

Amid continued civil unrest in Syria, the first Western journalist was killed. Gilles Jacques, a journalist from France who also covered conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, was one of eight people killed in an attack at a pro-government rally. The death, which was condemned by many in the international community – including France, the EU, US, and the Syrian National Council (SNC) – has sparked pressure on the Syrian government to launch an official investigation and increase protection for journalists. Additionally, with the resignation of one Arab League monitor, several sources say that many more will be quitting in the upcoming days. Anwar Malek, the first of the monitors to resign, says he believes that the main reason why the majority haven’t left Syria is because of strict government orders from their respective countries to stay and observe. Recently, Syrian forces shot and killed twelve anti-regime protesters as they tried to approach monitors. Though the observers fled the area after the shooting began, Human Rights Watch is urging the Arab League to condemn these acts of violence. “Such incidents, and the ever rising death toll, clearly demonstrate that the presence of Arab League observers has done little to compel the Syrian authorities to stop their crimes,” said Anna Neistat, associate emergencies director at Human Rights Watch. “As President Assad derides the Arab League in his speeches, his troops are making a mockery of its observers’ mission on the ground.”

Meanwhile, the Arab League has agreed to suspend sending any more observers to Syria for the time being. Two Kuwaiti and one UAE national monitors were injured in an earlier attack, therefore the League has decided to wait until the environment is safer to send more monitors. Additionally, a Russian ship, allegedly carrying tons of weapons, has docked at a Syrian port after turning off its tracking device. The ship had been stopped in Cyprus because it was violating an EU embargo of arms shipments to Syria, but was released upon promising to change its destination to Turkey. A Russian naval force also arrived in Tartus several days earlier and welcomed by President Bashar Assad, who called it a show of friendship.