Journalists a "target" in Syria, reporter says

"Shameless brutality" -- those are the words the United States chose Wednesday to describe Bashar al-Assad's all-out military assault on Syria's freedom movement.

The 40-year dictatorship of the Assad family seems bent on crushing the citizens' rebellion that began nearly a year ago.

On Wednesday, civilians in Homs -- a city of more than one and a half million -- suffered through their 19th day of artillery bombardment. An intense morning barrage killed 74, including a French photo journalist and an American reporter, Marie Colvin.

She was a veteran war correspondent, 56 years old, from Long Island, New York. She lost her left eye in an ambush in Sri Lanka in 2001.

"Being a war correspondent to me has never been, y'know 'Is that T-52 tank or a T-72 tank?' It's about people, what people are going through," Colvin said about her work.

Colvin was killed along with award-winning French photojournalist Remi Ochlik when rockets or mortars struck a building in Homs where reporters were working. Two other journalists, French and British, were wounded.

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On Tuesday night, Colvin told CNN by phone the bombardment of Homs was, in her word, "sickening."

"Every civilian house has been hit. We're talking a poor popular neighborhood. The top floor of the building I'm in has been hit, in fact, totally destroyed. There are no military targets here. It's a complete and utter lie they're only going after terrorists," Colvin said.

CBS News correspondent Clarissa Ward has made her way into into Syria twice in recent weeks reporting on the rebels. Most recently she reported, with her producer Ben Plesser, on combat around the city of Idlib.

Ward reports that an international activism organization is saying that nine volunteers went into the city of Homs Wednesday carrying medical equipment, and that they went missing sometime in the late morning. Later on, the bodies of seven of them were found with their hands tied behind their backs and they were executed.

Ward said her experience was challenging and perilous.

"The dangers of reporting inside Syria and the difficulties are innumerable - from the logistics of having spotty telecommunications, to the very real fears of being in constant firefights and shelling, and knowing that you're there illegally, that the government doesn't want you to be there and that in fact by virtue of being there you are something of a target," Ward said.

[FactNotRhetoric]

What a joke! FALSE FLAG - FALSE FLAG - FALSE FLAG

These were Saudi Paid Journalists, camped with, and trying to glorify, Saudi Paid Al-Qaeda Terrorists and Saudi Paid Muslim Brotherhood Terrorists who are paid mercenaries to overthrow Syria.

The Saudis are paying press and mercenaries to get America to overthrow Syria, Iran and then Israel and give them to the Saudi Dictator. ENOUGH IS ENOUGH

The Saudi Dictator is not about to sacrifice his own Troops to overthrow Syria and Iran. He wants to kill thousands more Americans and have Americans borrow and spend $Trillions more American dollars to turn these countries over to the Saudi Dictator. The true cost is almost a million Middle Eastern Citizens massacred for the Saudi Takeover of the Middle East using American Funds through Obama.

American Troops, American Arms and American Dollars are to PROTECT AMERICA, NOT KILL INNOCENT CITIZENS IN THE MIDDLE EAST FOR THE BLOODY, GENOCIDAL, HITLER-LIKE SAUDI DICTATOR TO OVERTHROW MORE COUNTRIES.

[Mike_in_USA]

Let me see. These reporters go to a known 'war' to report, then say how terrible it is and how brave they are to do it? Isn't that kinda like standing in front of a speeding truck to get a good picture, then snivel when it runs over you?

[Mike_in_USA]

Awwww, journalists are targeted? Like nobody else is? Just walk out in the middle of the fight and show all of them your press pass-- Yup, that'll do it.

[billsha1]

The first targeted will be journalists. They are complicit in the destruction of this country by the muslim in charge. When Scott Pelley says Obama is priceless you don't have a media. You have a symphony of love for their leader.