Syrian troops tightened their siege on the city of Hama Tuesday, sending residents fleeing for their lives and drawing a fresh wave of international condemnation against a regime defying the growing calls to end its crackdown on anti-government protesters. UN leader Ban Ki-moon said Syrian President Bashar Assad has “lost all humanity” as the UN Security Council held new talks on the Syrian government’s deadly crackdown on protests.
His remarks came as the UN Security Council held a second day of talks on Syria on August 2. US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, meanwhile, met with US-based Syrian democracy activists as President Obama’s administration weighed new sanctions on Syria.
US Congressional calls also mounted for action against President Assad’s regime, as the death toll from two days of military assaults on civilians Sunday and Monday neared 100.
Italy recalled its ambassador to Syria “in the face of the horrible repression against the civil population” by the government, which launched a new push against protesters as the holy month of Ramadan began. It was the first European Union country to pull its ambassador, and the measure came a day after the EU tightened sanctions on Syria. The mounting international outcry has had no apparent effect so far in Syria.