Press Release: SAC Calls for Urgent Action to Stop Escalating Bloodshed in Syria that Coincides with Signing

of Arab League Initiative

(Chicago, IL, 12/20/11) - The Syrian American Council (SAC) today called for urgent international action to end the latest violent crackdown by the Assad regime, which killed more than 100 Syrians yesterday including 70 army defectors who were fleeing their posts along the Turkish border and another 30 people killed throughout Syria. According to the British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights another 47 people were killed today. Moreover, this afternoon, Avaazannounced via Twitter that human rights campaigner Wissam Tarif will be on BBC World Tonight "talking about #Syria & 269 deaths today & 34 towns falling from Govt control." Read: DozenskilledinSyriaasArabpeaceteamdue The spike in deaths occurred two days before Arab League officials were due to arrive to prepare for a monitoring mission assessing Syrian compliance with a plan to stem the bloodshed. The Assad regime agreed to the Arab League initiative that would allow Arab observers into the country a day after the league threatened to take the initiative to the U.N. Security Council. On Monday, the U.N. General Assembly approved, by strong majority, a resolution condemning the violence and calling upon the Assad regime to implement the Arab League plan. The resolution also demands that Syrian authorities immediately end the abuses that were documented in the U.N. Human Rights Council report and which include patterns of summary execution, arbitrary arrest, enforced disappearance, torture, including sexual violence, as well as violations of children's rights. The U.N. has estimated the total death toll from the government crackdown that began nine months ago to be 5,000. The estimates of the number detained run from 15,000 to 40,000. Read: Syria unrest: Dozens of army deserters 'gunned down' SAC is calling on the Arab League, the U.N. and world governments to take genuine and immediate actions to end the brutal crackdown by the Assad regime, support the aspirations of the Syria people for freedom and democracy, and recognize the leadership of the Syrian National Council. The Syrian American Council(SAC)wasfoundedin2005tomobilizeSyrian Americans to strengthen civil society in Syria, to promote friendly relations between the Syrian and American peoples, to engage civic and governmental organizations to advance civil liberties, human dignity and democracy in Syria. The organization has represented Syrian Americans to the U.S. State Department, Congress, and in international meetings and councils. ### Contact:SACPRChairHussamAyloush,hayloush@sacouncil.com,(951)444-8344.
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