Syria’s horrific war

Tuesday, February 11, 2014

For some children in Syria, the civil war is a particular kind of hell. The details of a United Nations report released last week are chilling and gut-wrenching. Despite encountering significant hurdles in reaching witnesses, UN investigators documented cases in which children as young as 11 were subjected to sexual attacks, their fingernails being pulled, electric shocks and beatings. Some of the torture was aimed at forcing information out of adult relatives; in one instance, a man reported that his wife and three children were shot dead in front of him.

Opposition atrocities should be cataloged too, but the report clearly puts the preponderance of blame on the army, intelligence forces and progovernment militias.

Finding and holding accountable those responsible for these acts, which the report says occurred “in contravention of international law,” will be no easy task.

Editorial, Pages 10 on 02/11/2014