If they were allowed in on Friday, why does the ICRC complain that they are still being held back?WRAPUP 6-Syrian rebels quit besieged Homs strongholdDefeated Syrian rebels left their shattered stronghold in the city of Homs on Thursday after a bloody 26-day army siege aimed at crushing a symbol of the year-long revolt against President Bashar al-Assad.
by Mariam Karouny
Thu Mar 1, 2012
Activists said a few fighters had stayed on in the Baba Amro district, which has endured weeks of shelling, sniper fire and privation, to cover their comrades' "tactical withdrawal". Soon afterward, the international Red Cross said Syrian authorities had finally given it permission to take aid into the district on Friday.
"The Free Syrian Army and all the other fighters have left Baba Amro," one activist said from Homs. "They pulled out."
A pro-government figure proclaimed that troops had "broken the back" of the rebellion and that the fall of Baba Amro heralded impending victory over a Western-backed insurgency.
A statement in the name of the fighters urged the International Committee of the Red Cross and other humanitarian groups to enter Baba Amro to protect and bring aid to 4,000 civilians who had stayed in their destroyed houses.
"We warn the regime against any retaliation against civilians and we hold it fully responsible for their safety," the statement said, adding that the rebels had been forced to leave because they were short of supplies and ammunition.
Russia and China joined other U.N. Security Council members in expressing disappointment at Syria's failure to allows U.N. humanitarian chief Valerie Amos to visit and urged that she be allowed in immediately, France said.
The ICRC said it had received a "green light" from the Syrian authorities to enter Baba Amro on Friday.
Unless and until FSA is able to get RPGs and some counter-battery fire, they are doomed...
A rumor floating around Algezeera blogs is that Maher Assad got whacked by an RPG in Homs. Doubtful.