http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/02/world/middleeast/united-nations-says-syrian-unrest-amounts-to-civil-war.html

December 1, 2011

United Nations Says Unrest in Syria Amounts to Civil War

By NADA BAKRI

BEIRUT, Lebanon -- The United Nations declared Thursday that Syria was in a state of civil war, as the death toll from nearly nine months of bloodshed rose to more than 4,000 people and more soldiers were reported to have defected from the army to join an armed uprising against President Bashar al-Assad.

The comments by the United Nations high commissioner for human rights, Navi Pillay, came as the Local Coordination Committees, an opposition group, said security forces killed at least 24 people across the country on Thursday.

"We are placing the figure at 4,000, but the information coming to us is that it's much more," Ms. Pillay said at a news conference in Geneva. "As soon as there were more and more defectors threatening to take up arms, I said this in August before the Security Council, that there's going to be a civil war. And at the moment that's how I am characterizing this."

Her declaration came amid rising international pressure on Mr. Assad's government, with the Arab League, the European Union, Turkey and the United States all taking measures to further constrict the Syrian economy. In past months, the Syrian pound has faltered, and the country's two major sources of revenue -- tourism and oil -- have been crippled by sanctions.

The United Nations has taken a tough line on Syrian abuses. An independent commission of inquiry sponsored by the United Nations, which was not granted access to travel to Syria, said on Monday that Syrian forces had committed crimes against humanity, including the killing and torture of children. It said the security forces were taking orders from the highest levels of Mr. Assad's government.

Members of the commission based their investigation on testimony from 233 victims of torture and imprisonment, as well as witnesses.

On Thursday, the news agency Interfax reported that Russia had delivered antiship cruise missiles to Syria, according to Reuters.

European, American and Turkish officials have deemed Syria's economic weakness the greatest threat to Mr. Assad's endurance. Unlike in the early months of the uprising, when Europe and the United States were alone in imposing restrictions, a growing international consensus has emerged to take action against interests there. The pressure has intensified frustration in cities like Damascus and Aleppo, which have so far largely stayed out of the fray of the increasingly bloody revolt.

On Thursday, the European Union imposed economic sanctions against 12 Syrian individuals and 11 companies. The United States announced sanctions as well against a top Syrian general and an uncle of Mr. Assad whom the Treasury Department described as a significant financial adviser to the president. The American sanctions also included a Defense Ministry business and Syria's real estate bank, which the Treasury said administers the government's borrowing.