Syrian Threatens to 'Cleanse' Homs

Syrian government forces announced Wednesday that they are beginning a ground assault on the rebel-held Baba Amr neighborhood of Homs, the city where violence against resisters has been most pronounced. The government vowed to "cleanse" the district within a few hours. Western journalists and 100,000 residents have been trapped in the area by three weeks of nearly ceaseless government shelling. British photographer Paul Conroy was smuggled out of the neighborhood yesterday, but two French journalists, including the injured Edith Bouvier, remain trapped.