Syrian boy's brutal death rouses protesters
Hamza Ali al-Khateeb, a 13-year-old Syrian boy, is seen in this undated picture against a background of protesters in Syria.
/ Facebook/Supporters of Hamza Ali al-KhateebThe body of 13-year-old Hamza Ali al-Khateeb was returned to his family a month after his April 29 arrest during a protest in a village in southern Syria, The New York Times reported in its print editions Tuesday:
"Video posted online shows his battered, purple face. His skin is scrawled with cuts, gashes, deep burns and bullet wounds that would probably have injured but not killed. His jaw and kneecaps are shattered, according to an unidentified narrator, and his penis chopped off."
Special Section: Anger in the Arab World
Syria's Assad offers political prisoners amnesty
Syria's once-peaceful protesters turn to guns
U.N.: Gov't brutality in Syria, Libya "shocking"
The video shows graphic shots of the dead boy's body and might offend some viewers.
"People are very upset about the death of the young boy Hamza," one protest organizer told the Times on the condition of anonymity. "He was just a child. It is a crime, a serious crime."
The Times reports that al-Khateeb's death has galvanized protesters across the country with some carrying signs that read "We are all Hamza al-Khateeb" and "Did Hamza scare you that much?"
Al-Assad's military continued its assaults against dissidents Tuesday. Protest organizers told The Associated Press that the military used artillery and heavy machine guns during an offensive in Rastan, killing at least one man.
Popular on CBSNews.com
- British flower show in full bloom 16 Photos
- Hezbollah suffers heavy losses fighting inside Syria
- Iran hangs alleged U.S., Israeli spies 78 Comments
- Some Swedish youth riot over police shooting death
- Russia shows accused U.S. spy heading home
- Bungled bank heist in Israel leaves gunman, 4 more dead
- N. Korea fires 6th projectile into sea
- Two imprisoned over killing Malcolm X's grandson
I just heard on CNN that this child is not the first literally tortured until he died.
Assad's forces have used this technique before to terrorize the Syrian people.
Don't believe for one minute Assad did not know this was happening.
This evil, savage murderous butcher continues to use machine guns and heavy artillery against his own people and tortures and slaughters children to stay in power.
I suggest air drops of weapoms and ammunition to the citizens of Syria; enough to let them give Assad and his butchers a taste of their own medicine.
Some people need killing, and Assad and his forces are at the top of the list.
If they continue to use medieval tactics against the Syrian people. they should receive medieval justice.
When they are all dead, put their heads on pikes in front of Assad's house and give notice to anyone who wants to try these same tactics that such atrocities will no longer be tolerated.
'Poor child.
Children should never have to live with atrocities of any kind. They should be flying kites, looking at the clouds, playing with dolls or trucks, water bubbles, marbles, and all the things that children play with.
Ideally, children should not have to see murder and mayhem and certainly not suffer at the hands of ignorant savages.
The Arab world has many cultures and customs so diametrically opposed to ours, we should just leave them alone and let them kill each other. Yet, children will also, unfortunately, suffer.
So sad.
And so it goes.....
Why is it that you and others have to bring up poor little Obama in every article.
I think "thou and the others doth protest too much".!!