According to media reports and Syrian activists, on April 5 and April 6 Syrian forces used artillery against residential areas in Zabadani and Homs and Aazaz in Idlib (graphics 7 and 8), and there were arrest sweeps in other locations, including suburbs of Damascus. And we understand there has been a big increase in the numbers of Syrians seeking refuge in Turkey because of military operations in their neighborhoods. This is not the reduction in offensive Syrian government security operations that all agree must be the first step for the Annan initiative to succeed.

International journalists are unable to legally enter the country to independently verify such reports. If the Asad regime is keeping its promises based on the Annan proposal, it should allow international journalists to freely enter the country to verify. In their absence, U.S. and other governments have other means, including the satellites that took these images, of verifying the regime’s compliance or lack thereof. The regime and the Syrian people should know that we are watching. The regime cannot hide the truth. We strongly urge the Asad regime to allow the UN compliance team, an effective and independent means of verification, to have full and unfettered access throughout Syria to investigate the regime’s compliance.