Syrians to honor Marie Colvin in East Norwich

Dozens of Syrians from throughout the United States are expected to arrive Friday at the East Norwich home of Marie Colvin's family to honor the slain journalist who shed light on their homeland's turmoil.

The "Marie Colvin Convoy for Freedom of Syria," as the campaign is dubbed, started last week in Los Angeles, coursed through Chicago, and will make a stop in Washington before coming to Long Island.

The participants from a variety of Syrian organizations want to present a Medal of Honor to the family in remembrance of Colvin, a respected war correspondent who was one of two journalists killed on Feb. 22 while covering a siege against rebels in the Syrian city of Homs.

"This is a convoy for peace," said Belal Dalati, 45, a businessman from Anaheim, Calif., and one of the campaign organizers. "It's for the international community to put more pressure on the Syrian government to stop killing many innocent people."

Colvin's mother, Rosemarie Colvin, said the family welcomes the advocates' visit.

"It's a beautiful thing to do, and I think it shows the gratitude they have for what Marie did and the impact of what her life was all about," Rosemarie Colvin, 79, said. "I also want to support their cause . . . to call attention to the brutality in their country."

A correspondent for The Sunday Times of London, Marie Colvin, 56, was killed hours after a CNN broadcast in which she described the Syrian military offensive as "murder" in "a city of cold, starving civilians." Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has continued to try to crush the uprising against his government despite protestations from the United States and allies.

Colvin grew up in East Norwich and was a graduate of Oyster Bay High School and Yale University. She was remembered at her funeral on Monday as a courageous journalist and charismatic woman.

Convoy organizers expect to arrive Friday morning on Long Island and plan to gather later in the day in Times Square for a peace rally.