By virtue of their presence, and then by putting words and pictures to what they hear and see, journalists working in conflict zones practice the highest ideals of the profession and are able to not only recount events that have already happened but can also potentially affect future outcomes. That’s also what makes them targets.
Bashar al-Assad’s government rained more than 200 bombs on the opposition-controlled city of Homs on Wednesday, killing an unconfirmed 27 people and demolishing homes. The Russian and Chinese governments maintained their policy of nonintervention while leaders of Western and Arab nations scrambled to decide how, if at all, to get involved.