Look at the language used and notice how mild the condemnation is: "A mediator involved in negotiations between the government and armed groups based in the Old City of Homs told Human Rights Watch that certain armed groups there have openly threatened to target pro-government or Alawite areas in Homs to pressure the government to allow food into the Old City, which remains under siege. The negotiator said that in one exchange earlier in April, the fighters sought to negotiate safe passage of food into the Old City in exchange for information about where they had placed a car bomb in an Alawite area.
Human Rights Watch has repeatedly condemned [8] the government’s siege tactics, including in the Old City of Homs. But under no circumstances do such tactics excuse or allow the deliberate targeting of civilians or civilian objects." Also, notice that Human Rights Watch feels the need (for purposes of lining its policies closely with Western governments) to remind readers of its daily criticisms and condemnation of the Syrian regime even when talking about war crimes by the rebels. Imagine that HRW feels the need to criticize and condemn the Syrian rebels when condemning war crimes by the Syrian regime.
Human Rights Watch has repeatedly condemned [8] the government’s siege tactics, including in the Old City of Homs. But under no circumstances do such tactics excuse or allow the deliberate targeting of civilians or civilian objects." Also, notice that Human Rights Watch feels the need (for purposes of lining its policies closely with Western governments) to remind readers of its daily criticisms and condemnation of the Syrian regime even when talking about war crimes by the rebels. Imagine that HRW feels the need to criticize and condemn the Syrian rebels when condemning war crimes by the Syrian regime.
