SYRIA: Arab League observers visit a suburb of Damascus and meet anti-Assad protesters, as they continue their peace mission in Syria

Record ID: 280152

  • Title: SYRIA: Arab League observers visit a suburb of Damascus and meet anti-Assad protesters, as they continue their peace mission in Syria
  • Date: 18th January 2012
  • Summary: KISWEH SUBURB, DAMASCUS, SYRIA (JANUARY 17, 2012) (ORIGINALLY 4:3) (AMATEUR VIDEO OBTAINED BY REUTERS) VARIOUS OF ARAB LEAGUE MONITORS WALKING IN STREET SIGN READING 'KISWEH POLICE STATION' VARIOUS OF ARAB LEAGUE MONITORS WITH POLICE OFFICERS VARIOUS VARIOUS OF ARAB LEAGUE MONITORS WALKING IN STREET ANTI-BASHAR AL-ASSAD PROTESTERS CHANTING "THE PEOPLE WANT TO HANG TH
  • Embargoed: 2nd February 2012 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Syrian Arab Republic
  • Country: Syria
  • Topics: Conflict,International Relations,Domestic Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA3FNC745MO7ACWQY9X8F6NEUNU
  • Story Text: Arab League monitors visited the Damascus suburb of Kisweh on Tuesday (January 17, 2012), as Syria agreed to let the League extend its mission in the country.
    The team, who are monitoring Syria's compliance with a plan aimed at ending 10 months of violence, met protesters calling for President Bashar al-Assad to step down and were told of conditions in the capital.
    "On the roof of my school there are two snipers, the public school at start of the district. Go now and see them, two snipers," said one youth.
    Another man said people were being deprived of basic services.
    "There is no electricity and the communications are cut off. There is no gas, nothing is available," he told the monitors.
    The observer team, which has been in Syria since late December, is expected to report this week that Damascus has failed to fully implement the Arab League's peace plan, which required Syria to halt the bloodshed, withdraw the military from cities, free detainees and hold a dialogue.
    The mission's mandate expires on Thursday, and Arab League foreign ministers are set to discuss its future when they meet on Sunday.
    Some Arab countries say the monitors need a broader mandate to help stop the violence, if the mission is to be continued. Qatar has even suggested sending in Arab troops.
    An Arab source said Syria would agree to allow the number of monitors - now fewer than 200 - to be increased, but would not allow them to be given formal fact-finding duties or to be allowed into "military zones" that are not yet agreed.
    Critics say the Arab League monitoring team has proven toothless and has simply bought Assad more time.
    Major powers have also proved unable to stop the bloodshed in Syria, where U.N. officials say more than 5,000 people have been killed. Damascus says 2,000 of its security forces have been killed.
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