Syria discusses reforms as army continues crackdown
Syrian forces killed one civilian and wounded 20 in heavy-machinegun fire on Homs,
Syria's third city, and went house-to-house arresting suspected opponents in the central
city of Hama.
Despite using force to crush the protests, President Bashar
al-Assad also convened talks on reforms in a two-day conference in the capital, Damascus.
The meeting was expected to discuss legislation which would allow a multi-party system
and constitutional amendments.
But independent analysts said reform would
remain on paper as long as the security apparatus and Assad loyalists continue to
operate with impunity against demonstrators.
On Monday afternoon, pro-government
supporters broke into the US and French embassies in the capital Damascus, causing
damage to property but no injuries have been reported. Witnesses said the protesters
smashed windows and raised a Syrian flag on the compound.
The protests came
just days after the US and French ambassadors visited the central Syrian city of Hama,
where a massive anti-government rally was held on Friday. They also coincide with
a government-organised dialogue conference in Damascus that many opposition leaders
are boycotting.
The meeting is discussing possible political reforms, which
President Bashar al-Assad hopes will bring an end to a four-month-old anti-government
uprising. Human rights groups say at least 1,500 civilians and 350 security force
personnel have been killed since demonstrations began in mid-March.
US officials
say they will be making a formal protest over the attack on the embassy in Damascus,
demanding that Syria uphold international treaty obligations to protect foreign diplomatic
missions.
The Obama administration has criticized the Syrian government for
its violent crackdown on peaceful protests against the President’s 11-year rule. But
the White House has so far refrained from calling for an end to the Assad family's
four decade grip on power in the Middle Eastern nation.