UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - A massacre in the Syrian town of Houla has sparked international outrage but is unlikely to break a year-long impasse on the U.N. Security Council between Syria's ally Russia and Western powers calling for President Bashar al-Assad's ouster.
The massacre was among the worst carnage of the 14-month uprising against Assad's government, which began as peaceful pro-democracy demonstrations but has become increasingly militarized, with signs that battled-hardened Islamist militants have come from abroad to join the fight against Assad using trademark tactics like suicide bombings.