WASHINGTON, Dec. 13 (UPI) -- The U.S. State Department said it was mulling the prospects of a formal tribunal to hold Syrians accountable for the massacre of civilians.
U.S. State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf said in a statement to reporters Thursday the government was appalled by violence targeting civilians who are not party to the conflict.
"Toward this end, we continue to work with Syrian activists and civil society to develop a sound understanding of different transitional justice tools and discuss future transitional justice processes, such as a tribunal," she said.
The Wall Street Journal reported Sunday more than 30 civilians were killed when the Syrian military captured the Qalamoun area north of Damascus. Harf condemned the attack, expressing concern civilians were paying the price for Syria's civil war.
"We have long said that those responsible for perpetrating atrocities in Syria, especially the latest vicious violence against innocent civilians, must be held accountable," she said.
Last month, the U.N. refugee agency said violence in Qalamoun was in part to blame for a recent exodus of Syrians across the border into Lebanon.
U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay has said in statements this year the situation in Syria should be referred to the international courts.
