US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton smiles during a forum with students at the Royal Library in Copenhagen, Denmark, Thursday May 31, 2012. (AP Photo/Saul Loeb, Pool)
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton smiles during a forum with students at the Royal Library in Copenhagen, Denmark, Thursday May 31, 2012. (AP Photo/Saul Loeb, Pool)
Danish Minister of Foreign Affairs Villy Sovndal, center left, speaks with US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton as they arrive at Amaliehaven in central Copenhagen, Denmark, Thursday May 31, 2012. (AP Photo/Polfoto, Gorm Olesen) DENMARK OUT
Map locates village of Houla, Syria site of massacre
In this citizen journalism image taken on Tuesday, May 29, 2012 and provided by Edlib News Network ENN, a Syrian girl sits atop of a U.N. observers vehicle during a demonstration in Kfarnebel, Idlib province, northern Syria. U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called on Syria on Thursday to stop its attacks, saying the U.N. observers monitoring the cease-fire were not there to watch the killing of innocent people. (AP Photo/Edlib News Network ENN) THE ASSOCIATED PRESS IS UNABLE TO INDEPENDENTLY VERIFY THE AUTHENTICITY, CONTENT, LOCATION OR DATE OF THIS HANDOUT PHOTO
COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) ? The U.S. is heaping new pressure on Russia to change course and support international action in Syria, warning that intransigence by Moscow may lead to open civil war that could spill across the Middle East with devastating effects.
Speaking on Russia's doorstep in Denmark, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton derided the Russian government for continuing to support Syrian President Bashar Assad, even after last week's massacre of more than 100 people in the town of Houla. In pointed remarks Thursday, she said Russia's position "is going to help contribute to a civil war" and rejected Russian officials' insistence that their stance actually is helping to ease the crisis.
On the first stop of a European tour, Clinton said Russia and China would have to be on board before the U.S. and other nations might engage in what could become a protracted conflict in support of a disorganized rebel force.
Russia, along with China, has twice vetoed U.N. Security Council sanctions against Syria. Russia is Syria's closest ally other than isolated Iran, and Clinton said that without its support the international community is essentially frozen from taking concrete steps to end the violence.
"The Russians keep telling us they want to do everything they can to avoid a civil war, because they believe that the violence would be catastrophic," Clinton said, noting that they are "vociferous in their claim that they are providing a stabilizing influence."
"I reject that," she said, complaining that in fact Russia is propping up Assad as his government continues a brutal, 15-month crackdown on dissent in which some 13,000 people have died.
A day earlier, White House Deputy National Security Adviser Denis McDonough said the U.S. is lobbying Russia to distance itself from its ally Syria and to apply pressure on Assad to leave office. A negotiated exit similar to one the U.S. helped broker for Yemen's longtime leader is one possibility, McDonough said, but he offered little optimism that the arguments are gaining traction.
The Obama administration has called on Assad to step down and clear the way for a political transition. But mindful of a war-weary American public, it has stopped short of advocating direct U.S. military engagement in the country and stressed the need for diplomacy, particularly with Moscow, which continues to sell weapons and provide political support to Assad.
In Washington, despite revulsion over the Houla massacre, officials said the administration remains deeply concerned about the possible consequences of military action. But as the violence continues, they acknowledge that planning for some sort of intervention is under way.
Two Western diplomats told The Associated Press that top U.S. and British commanders and intelligence officers visited the northern Jordanian city of Ramtha recently and toured the area along the Jordan-Syria border to assess the possibility of a limited land attack. But it was decided that air attacks would be best, considering the mostly bushy terrain and climate conditions, the diplomats said.
Still, Clinton told reporters after meeting top officials in Denmark, a key contributor to last year's NATO-led mission against Moammar Gadhafi in Libya that "we're nowhere near putting together any type of coalition other than to alleviate the suffering."
"We are working very hard to focus the efforts of those, like Denmark and the United States, who are appalled by what is going on, to win over those who still support the regime, both inside and outside of Syria."
At the White House, press secretary Jay Carney was blunt in describing the risks posed by the protracted standoff with Assad.
"The longer this goes on, the longer that Assad and his thugs are allowed to brutally murder the Syrian people, the more likely it becomes a sectarian civil war, the more likely that it spills over Syrian borders," Carney said. He listed another risk, of a "proxy war" with Iran backing Assad and other outside nations or forces backing insurgent factions.
The prospect of such a proxy war or a sectarian conflict along the lines of Lebanon is a major reason the United States is leery of arming the Syrian rebels or edging toward direct military involvement, though U.S. officials rarely say so.
Jordan has concerns about its territory, the Turks worry over Kurdish terrorists operating from inside Syria and neighboring Lebanon's is still struggling to emerge from decades of sectarian civil war and political instability.
Still, Moscow's calculus doesn't appear to be changing. Russia did begin inching away from Assad, particularly after the massacre in which dozens of women and children were among those shot at close range by pro-regime gunmen. And Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said this week that while both sides are to blame, Assad "bears the main responsibility for what is going on."
However, he also said the Houla massacre must not be a pretext to push for military intervention from outside. Instead, he urged all sides to focus on U.N. mediator Kofi Annan's peace plan, which by all accounts has failed to stem the violence.
Other than Russian opposition, there are other hurdles to armed intervention, U.S. officials said.
Clinton said Assad's foes lack the unity that the anti-Gadhafi camp eventually rallied in Libya. Syria's professional military and substantial air defenses also would make intervening far more difficult. And whereas in Libya the U.S. was able to count on the support of Gulf countries in monitoring a no-fly zone and carrying out some airstrikes, the Arab League is split on whether military options should be entertained in Syria.
"We know it could actually get much worse than it is," Clinton said. "We are trying to prevent that." Clinton underscored her support for the U.N. mediation effort, which she said had had some positive results even though none of its six points have been achieved. She stressed that U.N. observers have performed two important functions.
"In many of the areas where they are present, violence has gone down," Clinton said. "And they serve as independent observers, the eyes of the world if you will, in reporting back when terrible events like the recent massacre occur. They've tried to cut through the clutter and disinformation coming from the Syrian government."
She spoke as activists reported more shelling in the central Houla area.
The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and the Local Coordination Committees activist groups said Thursday's shelling of Houla was mostly by heavy machine guns. Survivors of last week's massacre blamed pro-regime gunmen for the close-range shooting of civilians in their homes, though the government denied the involvement of its troops.
Carney said the U.S. can't deal with Syria by itself.
"There is no question that as mighty as the United States is, that we cannot end all atrocities around the globe," Carney said.
The United States must approach world problems with an eye to its own national security interests and to what is possible to achieve, Carney said, while "making sure you're not taking actions that create unintended consequences that are bad for the United States and bad, in some cases, for the very people you're trying to help."
___
Associated Press writers Anne Gearan in Washington and Jamal Halaby in Amman, Jordan, contributed to this report. Matthew Lee reported from Washington
Associated Pressjoe paterno dead joe pa joe pa marist south carolina primary results marco scutaro betty white
studies focused on indicators or biomarkers of cancer risk.
Test Water for Probable Harmful particles and be sure A Healthy Body Rise in pollution levels has motivated many health organizations to worry on the necessity to test water for suspended contaminants and bacteria. Save your time, money and aggravation. AmericanInsurance911. com offers popular insurance coverage in the state? s top insurance service providers, giving customers more choices to assess. 3. costs lower. Pay attention to the body. Leader Obama has asserted that public medical health insurance for additional People in america is going to be implemented. Whether the organization is among the premium ones or otherwise has apex home health little related to the price. Ongoing professional development is essential in maintaining using the rise in industry along with the alterations in approach. It? s also your responsibility to help keep informed concerning the ever altering legislation recommendations vita and news. apex It? s somewhat considered compulsory for home those to possess medical health insurance and the majority of us attempt apex home health to search for affordable medical health insurance rates to ensure that we are able to get maximum coverage in cheaper rates. Qualifications for State medicaid programs requires people to basically be ? grime poor,? and several people make a lot more than the needed amount, although not enough to obtain private insurance. Competition Companies wouldn? t have to add medical health insurance costs towards the cost of products offered, which makes them competitive with companies in nations with universal healthcare. Overall, the above mentioned information can produce a large difference in discovering the very health best Inexpensive Medical Health Insurance plan. The dietary values of these two types offer a similar experience, however, many study think the whitened might be more healthy. Experts say your system needs 7 to eight hrs of sleep each evening. Phosphorus : 59 mg. After studying the packet, browse the documents which are needed for showing that you? re qualified for that plan. The applying packet provides you with an entire report on vita health the documents which are needed for that medical health insurance benefits. Get all of the needed paraphernalia together for substantiating as necessary documentation and obtain them copied. Keep in mind that the insurance providers hire medical underwriters who review your health background. These two options is probably not the very best medical health insurance choice for everybody because each increases your out- of- pocket medical expenses for everyday health care and preventative exams. Understanding the needs and restrictions of the physiques may be the first prerequisite for just about any sports personality. Consequently, new jobs could be more numerous in health nursing and residential care facilities compared to hospitals, and growth is going to be especially strong in community care facilities for that seniors. States there? s a sense that the nationalized healthcare plan? s the response to our failing healthcare system. 
The Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Inc. (CLINIC) has an immediate opening at its headquarters in Washington, DC for an immigration attorney to provide legal services to Roman Catholic Dioceses and religious institutes bringing foreign-born religious workers to the United States. The position requires a high level of legal responsibility, ability to analyze and apply complex immigration law, ability to develop, maintain and manage attorney ?client relationships, and expertise in religious immigration law. The attorney will be responsible for carrying a substantial caseload. The applicant must be admitted to the bar and licensed to practice law and will be responsible for carrying a substantial caseload.