Ibrahim Al Shaibani, a 10-year-old from Damascus, died on Friday after security forces shot him in the chest while he took part in an anti-regime demonstration. He is one of the 187 children killed in the clampdown that began with the uprising seven months ago. The pictures of doctors trying to resuscitate him should be foremost in the minds of Arab foreign ministers who meet in Cairo today.
So far, Arab countries have not taken any really meaningful steps against Damascus. Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Bahrain have recalled their ambassadors. That is about it. The Arab League called on the Assad regime to embark on reforms, but it has become obvious that President Bashar Al Assad will not be persuaded to end the violence, simply because his regime will crumble if he does.
The spectre of civil war looms, as the United Nations warned on Friday. The country is boiling with anger. Three thousand people are known to have been killed but the real death toll can only be guessed. Tribal, ethnic and religious leaders are all being targeted by the regime.
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