Syrian Diplomats Expelled From Western Nations After 108 Civilians Massacred in Village of Houla

In a clear indicator of the escalating violence in Syria, 108 people were massacred in a pair of opposition-controlled villages in the Houla region of Central Syria on Friday. Although there were signs that heavy artillery and armour were used- equipment only available to Bashr Al-Assad's army- the United Nations Human Rights Office said there were indications that many of the dead- which include nearly 50 children- were summarily executed.

According to local eyewitness accounts and the opposition Free Syrian Army, the Syrian army and militias loyal to president Bashr Al-Assad began their assault during Friday prayers.

Shelling of the town began at about 12.30pm after prayers and lasted about two hours.

Then, from around 3pm, groups of armed civilian militias — known as the Shabiha — began moving house to house and the killings, using knives and firearms, began.

According to both sources speaking independently, it went on for hours, family by family. Both groups say the killings continued until about 2am on Saturday.

In a UN report finished just days before the Houla killings, Brazilian diplomat and legal scholar Paulo Sergio Pinhiero accused Assad's regime of sending the Army to towns with a list of wanted opponents and executing their entire families. The Syrian regime has denied any involvement with the Houla massacre, claiming that the rebel Free Syrian Army and foreign mercenaries were responsible for the bloodbath.

Human rights groups accuse the Syrian Army and Shabiha [or 'ghost militia'- NANESB!] of handcuffing some of the children in Houla before killing them as well as setting fires to homes and businesses before using snipers to pick off residents as they flee the burning structures.

In response to Friday's killings and the Assad regime's rejection of any ceasefire agreement with opposition forces the USA, Canada, Australia, UK and many European Union nations have expelled Syrian diplomatic personnel on Monday.

Proving that Democrats have never met a mass murdering dictator they didn't want to coddle, Nancy Pelosi is seen meeting Bashr al Assad in Damascus in 2007.

The massacre even prompted a rebuke from Russia- Assad's most powerful international ally and arms supplier. However, Russia is still considered unlikely to distance themselves from the Assad regime despite diplomatic efforts from the West.