UN Probe Hints at Gov't Blame for Syria Massacre A United Nations probe into the killing of more than 100 civilians in the Syrian area of Houla last month says forces loyal to the government "may have been responsible" for many of the deaths. A report by U.N.-appointed human rights experts says the military or pro-government "shabiha" forces had better access to the sites of the massacre in the Houla village, in Homs province, on May 24-25. The village leans toward opposition support and most of the victims were women and children who were slaughtered in their homes. Paulo Sergio Pinheiro, the head of the expert team, told the U.N. Human Rights Council in Geneva on Wednesday that a final verdict on who was responsible for the massacre would require further investigation by his team.