Assad faces day of reckoning

The Syrian government will face a "day of reckoning" for the atrocities it is committing against its own people, Prime Minister David Cameron has said. Speaking at an EU summit in Brussels on Friday, where the crisis will be discussed, Mr Cameron said it was "vitally important" that humanitarian aid reached the besieged city of Homs. And he said it was important to start building the evidence needed to hold President Bashar Assad's regime to account for the violent crackdown against his own people. He said: "What we are going to be discussing today though is the situation in Syria which is absolutely appalling and it is vitally important that there is humanitarian access in to Homs and elsewhere so that people can get the help they need. "But above all, what I think matters, is building the evidence and the picture so we hold this criminal regime to account and make sure that it is held to account for the crimes it is committing against its people and that one day, no matter how long it takes, there will be a day of reckoning for this dreadful regime." Mr Cameron's comments came as Syria faced concerted international calls to allow United Nations humanitarian chief Valerie Amos access to the country as rebels retreated from a key stronghold. Russia and China backed a UN statement criticising the regime's refusal to allow her to inspect the bloody aftermath of 11 months of violent repression, but the two countries, which vetoed an Arab-backed peace plan last month, continued to resist pressure to join global condemnation of human rights violations. Rebel forces on Thursday night made what they described as a "tactical retreat" from the besieged Baba Amr area of the city of Homs, which has become emblematic of the bitter struggle. As government forces took back control, and amid warnings of brutal reprisals, Assad's regime indicated that it would allow access to the International Committee of the Red Cross. In a rare moment of agreement across the UN Security Council however, it issued a statement calling for Baroness Amos and humanitarian personnel also to be granted "immediate and unhindered access". More than 7,500 civilians have been killed so far in the crackdown, the UN estimates, and its top human rights body voted to condemn Syria for "widespread and systematic violations" though without Russian or Chinese support