Car Bomb Attack in Syrian City Kills 36 People
The AP reports that a Syrian government official “says a car bomb has exploded in a predominantly Alawite district of the central city of Homs, killing 36 people. The official says Tuesday’s bombing also wounded more than 85 people, most of them civilians.” Attacks on Alawites, the minority sect of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, have been on the rise.
“Syria state TV only said that a car bomb exploded near the Zahra district of Homs, causing “a large number” of casualties. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says at least 13 people, including five children, were killed and that more than 40 were wounded in the bombing.”
Four New Candidates Join Syria’s Presidential Race
AFP reports that four new candidates, including a woman and a Christian, have entered Syria’s presidential race, with elections set for June 3. There are now 11 candidates, though Assad, who announced his own candidacy this week, is widely expected to declare victory.
“The four new hopefuls are Ali Wanous, Azza Mohamed, Talea Salah Nasser and Samih Mikhael Moussa. Like most of the candidates so far announced, they are relative unknowns. Mohamed’s application brings the number of women competing in the vote to two. Syria’s constitution requires that candidates for the presidency be Muslim, but a source in the constitutional court confirmed that Moussa is Christian.”
Lawyers Say U.N. Aid Does Not Need Syria’s Consent
The New York Times reports that the U.N. and other charitable organizations “do not need the permission of the Syrian government to deliver humanitarian relief to civilians trapped in the fighting and destruction from the three-year-old civil war there, a group of international lawyers and academics argued in an open letter released on Monday.
“The letter, signed by 35 lawyers, including Hans Corell, the former chief legal counsel of the United Nations, added a prominent new legal argument to demands by rights advocates and nongovernmental organizations that have been pressing to deliver aid. The letter was scheduled for publication in several newspapers on Tuesday, including The Guardian of Britain, Libération of France and Al Hayat, a pan-Arab daily.”
The letter says that “Blatant disregard for the most basic rules of international humanitarian law by the Syrian government and elements of the opposition is causing millions to suffer. But this appalling situation has been compounded by an overly cautious interpretation of international humanitarian law, which has held U.N. agencies back from delivering humanitarian aid across borders.”
Suggested Reads from Our Editorial Team
Reuters: Syrian Relief Work Hampered by U.N. Failings, Aid Groups Say
NY Times: Syria Announces Assad’s Bid for Re-Election as War Rages
Christian Science Monitor:Chlorine Attacks Sink Syria’s Credibility on Chemical Weapons Deal
AP: Syria Targets Civilians With Crude Bombs