Carr not ruling out military intervention in Syria

30 May 2012, 6:41 pm   -   Source: AAP
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Foreign Minister Bob Carr is not ruling out military intervention in Syria as the Western world ups pressure on the Assad regime.

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Foreign Minister Bob Carr is not ruling out military intervention in Syria as the Western world ups pressure on the Assad regime.

Australia this week joined other Western countries including the US, Britain, France, Germany and Canada in expelling Syrian diplomats from their capitals to protest at the massacre of more than 100 men, women and children in the town of Houla.

Charge d'Affairs Jawdat Ali and another diplomat have been given until Friday to get out of Australia.

New French President Francois Hollande has also raised the possibility of an armed intervention, even though the White House is opposed to the idea.

Senator Carr on Wednesday said Australia would be open to talks on an intervention, while warning of enormous risks and costs associated with such a move.

But asked later whether he would be inclined to support any proposals for intervention, Senator Carr told a Senate estimates hearing: "Probably not."

Prime Minister Julia Gillard told parliament that Australia grieved with the families of those killed in Houla, including an estimated 49 children.

"We will not stop our pressure until this violence comes to an end," she said.

Opposition Leader Tony Abbott said he wanted to see Syria with a democratic government that would respect the rights of its citizens.

"There is absolutely no excuse - no excuse ever - for the indiscriminate slaughter of unarmed civilians," he said.

Dozens of Syrians have been killed in fresh fighting in the wake of the Houla killings.

Even as UN envoy Kofi Annan made a last-ditch bid to salvage his peace plan on Tuesday, an estimated 98 people - most of them civilians - were killed.

An estimated 13,000 Syrians have been killed since an uprising against President Bashar al-Assad erupted as part of the so-called Arab Spring 15 months ago.

Nonetheless, US President Barack Obama's spokesman Jay Carney maintains military intervention is not the answer.

"We believe that it would lead to greater chaos, greater carnage," he said.

The Australian Greens have called for additional sanctions against Syria, a move Senator Carr is considering.

About 150 Australians are believed to be in Syria presently. Foreign affairs officials say they made contact with 147 of them earlier this month.

The Syrian embassy in Canberra did not return calls on Wednesday.

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