Bam slams Syria

President Obama called out Syria yesterday for its “relentless brutality” and chided Russia and China for blocking international efforts to stop the bleeding.

The sharp words came a day after Syria shelled its third largest city, Homs, leaving at least 337 people dead. At least 72 of the victims were children, and 45 were women, according to the Syrian National Council.

The death toll will likely rise — about 1,100 more people were injured in the assault, including 95 who were in critical condition yesterday.

Obama said that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad displayed a “disdain for human life and dignity” for allowing the attacks.

“The Syrian regime’s policy of maintaining power by terrorizing its people only indicates its inherent weakness,” he said. “Assad has no right to lead Syria.”

The Syrian government denied responsibility for the attacks.

“The reports on some satellite channels that the Syrian army shelled neighborhoods in Homs are fabricated and unfounded,” said Adnan Mahmud, Syria’s information minister.

He accused Syrian rebels of shelling Homs to influence the UN Security Council’s vote on a resolution yesterday to condemn the violence and back an Arab League plan to force Assad from power.

Russia and China blocked the resolution with their vetoes. Russian UN ambassador Vitaly Churkin described the resolution as “unbalanced” and accused the West of seeking regime change.

More than 5,400 people have been killed in Syria since March, according to UN estimates released in December. Hundreds more have been killed since then.