France and the United States are pushing for the U.N. Security Council to address Syria's deadly crackdown on anti-government protesters.
French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe said Monday the silence of the Security Council is "unconscionable" and that crimes against humanity are being committed in Syria. He said the international community is growing more unanimous in condemning events in Syria, but more must be done.
U.S. officials say Secretary of State Hillary Clinton told her Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov that the Council should speak out, calling the violence in Syria inexcusable.
The officials said Lavrov instead supported dialogue between Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and members of the opposition calling for his ouster.
The U.N. human rights office said Monday at least 2,700 people have now been killed in the bloody crackdown, including 100 children.
Syrian rights activists said security forces killed five people Monday during raids on anti-government protesters in the central Homs province.
Some information for this report was provided by AP, AFP and Reuters.
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