Syria observer chief says violence is derailing UN mission

This transcript is automatically generated

-- really horrifying new report out of Syria as that nation descends into what is no doubt full scale civil war.

According to Human Rights Watch Syrian government troops are sexually assaulting.

Women men and children.

Held in captivity there sexually assaulting them some of the victims reportedly as young as twelve.

Officials from the human rights group interviewed former Syrian detainees.

We -- Syrian troops raped them beat them and tortured them and others will electrical shocks.

Meanwhile the head of the United Nations observer mission in Syria.

Says that a recent spike in violence could force his unarmed -- to pull out of that country.

-- -- from another human rights group today said the UN observers should either work on stopping the killings or leave.

Adding that the observers have simply become witnesses to the slaughter.

Power Powell with a news he's alive and our mideast -- in the -- as well local time -- night.

UN monitors finally got into this hard hit area within Syria tell -- tell -- what they found their Connor.

-- -- for the past week there have been reports of intense fighting in the Syrian town of hot file which would.

Have been for a long time a popular tourist destination there -- fears growing that.

The Asad regime was carried out another massacre there this UN trying to -- in there for days they finally got in.

And when they got in there they said that the town of 25000.

People was a ghost town with this smell of dead bodies in the air.

There -- at the UN did not find many bodies on the ground and they said there's clear evidence that somebody even trying to cover up the attacks in the violence in the town.

And so they're trying to figure out how many people had died there now it's important remember that the UN while taking a lot of criticism from everybody about there in effectiveness in Syria right now they're the only ones operating in Syria.

-- only ones able to get around their journals are allowed in Syria to.

Investigate these crimes are potential attacks are right now the UN is failed of the organization as it may be right now in Syria.

They're the only ones are getting to bottom of -- any of this stuff -- divot the peace the peace effort here -- by any estimation is just a dismal failure.

Whatever the international community so throat struggling to find a way to solve the violence in Syria the violence continued again today with.

Town of palm has been hit hard again as it has been for weeks upon weeks and months upon months now.

Now Russia has said that they wanna take part in this international conference on Syria but they're saying -- -- only going to attend.

If the US and other countries don't develop land -- oust president aside they simply won't have any discussions that.

Includes discussions of of removing president aside they also want Iran to attend this meeting the United States is firmly against that.

So while the violence continues in Syria shepherd.

The diplomats are squabbling about how to even approach a meeting to deal with that violence there.

Conner Powell live and our mideast newsroom tonight -- thanks let's bring in Michael O'Hanlon senior fellow with the Brookings Institution a nonpartisan.

A nonprofit policy organization based in Washington DC for Michael it good to see you thanks.

Shepperd good to see let's start with the Russians would what do we do with -- You know Russia if it has a lot of interest here that are not this -- hours to put it mildly.

But if they are unwilling to negotiate over -- -- future.

I'm afraid we're at an impasse as you know.

We are not suggesting that there be a complete revolution in Syria what we're suggesting we the international community through the UN.

With the peace effort -- as you point out his failing but nonetheless the idea is get rid of aside let him go off the next -- somewhere.

And -- some -- his regime remain in a power sharing arrangement with the opposition.

I don't know if it would work.

But is about the most minimal thing you could imagine working at this point.

In terms of still preserving some remnants of the previous regime out of practicality not because we like them.

Russia won't even go along with that.

As long as they hold onto the stream that aside can stay in power.

They're basically supporting one side in a military confrontation which as you said is a civil war and the rooting for aside.

As long as they're in that situation I think we just have to keep working on them to change their mind because it's not something we can make any headway -- It is there any thing that the international community can do to try to slowdown the killings.

Now to be honest with you I think our next step may speed up the killing because we'll start arming the opposition.

I think that is the logical next step I don't know -- the United States will be involved in that as you know it's beginning in a very.

Preliminary way already -- other countries providing some limited arms I think that inevitably is going to increase which is what Russia should recognize as well.

And realize that we all are gonna lose if this thing goes to that level the international community is not gonna have much choice of just tolerating -- -- So we are gonna try to increase the pressure on him but we don't want to intervene so we're gonna do it through proxies and through arms transfers.

That's the almost inevitable next step that I see coming.

Unfortunately it's probably gonna increase the killing in the short term.

And then you hope that some of the sides cronies will finally realize the side cannot be kept in power the only hope is for him to go and that Russia will get that message is well it makes for a bloody summer in the best of all okay.

It's.

Before we go Michael I don't have much time left but.

I wonder if what you think about these so called experts who suggest that Syria might use some chemical weapons -- that this thing has a danger of spiraling beyond those borders.

Well it's possible -- if Syria were to do that I think the chances of outside intervention are even greater I'm not necessarily.

Rooting for anything like that obviously because the on the humanitarian travesty I don't think myself -- most Americans want another war.

And if Syria were to be a place we decided just to overthrow the Asad regime it starts to look more like another Iraq or Afghanistan mission.

And none of us want that.

But that's the sort of thing that would be hard to simply rule out if aside uses chemical arms against his own defenseless people.

-- Michael him alive from the Brookings Institution on an impossible predicament Michael thank you.

Watch Live

Syria observer chief says violence is derailing UN mission

Details

Clips

Editor's Picks

How will US proceed to extradite Snowden?

Inside the grassroots campaign to sell ObamaCare

Man gets mad over service at Wendy's drive-thru

Cable car accidents costing San Francisco millions

Importance of 911 audio on George Zimmerman case

Rescuers use helicopter to save trapped hikers

Obama: NSA spying programs are transparent

Thousands of protesters flood streets in Brazil

Federal disability program 'plagued with fraud and abuse'

Seeking to ban certain words from Zimmerman Trial

Obama, Putin share icy encounter over Syria

Holder to explain testimony on reporter surveillance

Transcript

Recommended