World powers demand Syria protect journalists

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DAMASCUS, Jan 12 (AFP): World powers are demanding journalists in Syria be protected following the death of a French reporter in a rocket attack hours after President Bashar al-Assad vowed to defeat a "conspiracy" against his regime.
Meanwhile, hundreds of Syrian and foreign activists were making a bid Thursday to cross into Syria from Turkey and Jordan to take humanitarian aid to the Syrian people.
"Our aim is ... to deliver humanitarian aid to the families in the afflicted areas that suffer from daily brutal bombing and totally unacceptable living conditions," the "Freedom Convoy" said in a statement on its website.
And Human Rights Watch accused Assad's troops of "making a mockery" of Arab League observers, whose mission to monitor Syria's implementation of a peace deal has come under criticism for being ineffective.
France demanded an investigation into the death Gilles Jacquier, 43, who worked for France 2 television, while the US accused Syria of failing to provide an environment hospitable to the media.
Jacquier is the first Western reporter to die in Syria since anti-regime protests erupted in March.
The news agency photographer said he died when a shell exploded Wednesday amid a group of some 15 journalists covering demonstrations on a visit organised by the authorities.
Six Syrians were also reported killed.
Several more people were said to have been hurt, including a Belgian journalist hit in the eye and a Dutch photographer who has since been released from hospital.
"Pro-Assad activists were also hit. When I went down, I saw Gilles lying in a pool of blood. An ambulance drove up and I jumped in. At the hospital, it was chaos and total hysteria, with more wounded arriving every five minutes," said the the news agency photographer.
Homs activists blamed the authorities for the incident. The Observatory did not lay any blame.