Syria referendum goes ahead amid military onslaught

[maddezmom]

BEIRUT | Sun Feb 26, 2012 8:47am EST

BEIRUT (Reuters) - At least 31 Syrian civilians and soldiers were killed on Sunday in fighting over Syria's future that coincided with a vote on a new constitution that could keep President Bashar al-Assad in power until 2028.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said a military bombardment of opposition districts in Homs, now in its fourth week, had killed nine civilians, while rebel fighters had killed four soldiers in clashes in the city.

The British-based Observatory said eight civilians and 10 members of the security forces were killed in violence elsewhere in Syria, scene of what has become an increasingly militarized revolt against four decades of Assad family rule.

Voting was under way in the referendum on a new constitution, which Assad says will lead to a multi-party parliamentary election in three months, but his opponents see as a sick joke given Syria's turmoil.

more: http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/02/26/us-syria-idUSL5E8DB0BH20120226

[leveymg]

1. Why are all Syrian rebel casualties reported as civilian deaths?

Not once have I seen Reuters or any of the other major western news source try to separate out the claims of civilian deaths from rebel casualties, unless of course the rebels are supermen who are never killed or wounded.

Syrian military must be damn lousy shots.

[Fool Count]

2. That's just because they consider FSA "civilians". The fact that most of it is made of Qatari

and Saudi regulars augmented by fighters imported from Libya simply does not fit into the regime change
agenda and therefore has no place in mass media. As long as there are at least some Syrians among the
Salafist terrorist killers, Syrian government will be "killing its own people".

[Odin2005]

3. LOL, got any proof of that?

Of is that just the latest talking points you got from Assad?

The fact that most of it is made of Qatari and Saudi regulars augmented by fighters imported from Libya