Nightly News   |  February 25, 2012

More Syrians killed; a few escape

As dozens more Syrians die in a government crackdown, a few make it over the border to neighboring Turkey. NBC Chief Foreign Correspondent Richard Engel reports.

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>>> now to the increasingly desperate situation in syria . dozens more were killed as government forces continued their violent crackdown. tonight, a lucky few have made it out across the border into neighboring turkey. that's where we find richard engel .

>> reporter: a truce in syria doesn't seem to be in the making. new undated video shows homs, battered and lifeless. the red cross was only able to bring out around 30 women and children from the besieged city on friday and just a few more today. that's hardly a war zone evacuation from a city of 30,000. in neighboring turkey now, tent cities are cropping up full of men with stories like this man. he says, i was arrested on the street because i'm against assad. i tore a picture of him at the entrance of town. then, he joined the free syrian army and his punishment was 60 days of medieval torture in including being chained to the wall, crucifixion style, with feet hanging off the floor for days. they said i was a traitor working for america. there are nearly 2,000 refugees, about 10,000 in all in other camps nearby. turkish officials say this could become a staging ground for humanitarian supplies to enter syria or weapons. they're just waiting for a green light to do it. primarily from the united states . arming the rebels is now an intense international debate. saudi arabia supports it. so does qatar. turkey doesn't oppose the idea but russia definitely does. it's arming the other side. the government. u.s. officials have doubts about sending in guns, not because they support president assad, but they don't know or trust the rebels. don't know where the guns could go. we don't want aid or food or water, we need rifles and ammunition. if we don't fight he says, no one will do it for us. but now, many syrians are trapped by indecision. and dying for it. richard engel , nbc news.