Gruesome video details Syria horror




  • 37 people are killed throughout Syria on Sunday, an opposition group says
  • Syrian President Bashar al-Assad says Syria is facing "a war from abroad"
  • Kofi Annan: The specter of all-out civil war with a sectarian dimension grows every day



(CNN) -- Global debate over the Syrian crisis is expected to ratchet up this week, with Russian and European Union leaders tackling the thorny issue and U.N. members reassessing whether to take further action.
The crisis that has killed thousands over 15 months is expected to dominate the agenda at the EU-Russia Summit in St. Petersburg, Russia, on Monday. World leaders have accused Russia of supporting and selling arms to the Syrian regime -- statements that Russian President Vladimir Putin has dnied.
Halfway around the world, China will assume the revolving presidency of the U.N. Security Council at a time that could be critical for the Syrian conflict. China and Russia are the only members of the council that have repeatedly barred attempts to formally condemn the Syrian government.
The diplomatic efforts this week follow Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's denial Sunday that government forces were behind the "outrageous" massacre of more than 100 civilians, including dozens of small children, in the town of Houla.
"Truthfully, even monsters do not do what we saw, especially in the Houla massacre," he told lawmakers. "The criminal or criminals who committed this crime and others are not criminals for an hour or criminals for a day, they are constant criminals and are surely planning other crimes."
Speaking before the newly-elected People's Assembly on Sunday, al-Assad decried what he called the "terrorists" and "conspiracy" against Syria.
"At this time, we are facing a war from abroad," al-Assad said in his first public speech since January. "Dealing with it is different from dealing with people from inside."



Syrians surround a U.N observer vehicle after placing the bodies of a girl and man on the car in Houla on Saturday, May 26, 2012. The photo is from the opposition Shaam News Network. Forty-nine children were among the 108 slaughtered in Houla on Friday, May 25, U.N. monitors say. The massacre in Houla, a suburb of the anti-government bastion of Homs, has reignited international fury against Bashar al-Assad's regime.

The body of a slain Syrian child lies next to other shrouded bodies at a hospital mortuary in Houla on Saturday in another photo from the opposition Shaam News Network. Al-Assad's regime insists it is not behind the massacre and blames terrorist groups. Syria has attributed violence on "armed terrorist groups" throughout the 14-month-old uprising.

Bodies of children lie in a Houla hospital morgue before their burial Saturday in another photo from Shaam News Network. Images from the town show a room crammed with mangled and bloody bodies of children -- some with their skulls torn open.

U.N. observers visit a hospital morgue in Houla on Saturday before the burial of massacre victims. Opposition activists and residents blame al-Assad's regime for the bloodbath.

A Houla resident shows a body to a U.N. observer at a mosque in the central Syrian town. Some U.N. Security Council members condemned the attacks "that involved a series of government artillery and tank shellings on a residential neighborhood" as well as killings of civilians by close-range gunshots.

Syrians gather at a mass burial Saturday in Houla. "Those responsible for these brutal crimes must be held accountable," Kofi Annan, the U.N.-Arab League special envoy, said in a statement.



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His speech came more than a week after the U.N. Security Council condemned the Houla massacre, with members casting blame on government forces for the deaths.
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Al-Assad's remarks stand in stark contrast to what the opposition and many world leaders have said for more than a year -- that al-Assad's forces, not "terrorists," are behind a sustained slaughter stemming from the regime's crackdown on dissidents.
As the president spoke, heavy shelling rained on the anti-government bastion of Homs, the opposition Local Coordination Committees of Syria said. Thirty-seven people were killed throughout Syria on Sunday, including five children, the group said.
Al-Assad's address came a day after U.N. special envoy Kofi Annan said Syria is "at a turning point" and that "the specter of all-out civil war, with a worrying sectarian dimension, grows by the day."
Saudi Arabia's foreign minister, Saud Al Faisal, said the Syrian regime is pushing for a sectarian crisis.
"The Syrian opposition lacks the means to defend itself, and the regime is getting weapons from everywhere. For a while now, we noticed that the regime has been trying to turn the crisis into a sectarian conflict," Al Faisal said Sunday.

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He added that while Syria had agreed to Annan's peace plan, the regime has not implemented it. "The regime just wants to buy time," Al Faisal said.
At a meeting of Arab League foreign ministers Saturday, Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jabor Al Thani said Annan's peace initiative should be placed under Chapter VII of the U.N. charter, Qatar's news agency reported Saturday. Such a move would allow the U.N. Security Council to take action that could include the use of military force.
U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said Sunday that he had taken note of the Arab League leaders' suggestions, including requests to increase the number of U.N. observers and to set a time limit for the effort.
"All these are very important recommendations and I hope these will be discussed by the Security Council members. At this time, I would welcome the wider international discussions on the future course of action," Ban told reporters.
The crisis in Syria began nearly 15 months ago, when a tough government crackdown on protesters spiraled out of control and spawned a national anti-government uprising. The United Nations for months has said more than 9,000 people have died in Syria. But death counts from opposition groups range from more than 12,000 to more than 14,000. Tens of thousands have been displaced.
CNN cannot independently confirm reports of casualties or violence from Syria because the government restricts access to foreign journalists.
CNN's Saad Abedine, Holly Yan, Tracy Doueiry and Richard Roth contributed to this report.