SYRIA: Dozens of Arab League observers from Gulf states bid each other farewell before leaving Syria, after being withdrawn from their mission

Record ID: 280508

  • Title: SYRIA: Dozens of Arab League observers from Gulf states bid each other farewell before leaving Syria, after being withdrawn from their mission
  • Date: 26th January 2012
  • Summary: DAMASCUS, SYRIA (JANUARY 25, 2012) (REUTERS) EXTERIOR OF HOTEL VARIOUS OF ARAB LEAGUE OBSERVERS AND LUGGAGE IN HOTEL LOBBY, OBSERVERS SAYING GOODBYE TO EACH OTHER VARIOUS OF JAAFAR AL-KUBAIDI, MONITORS' CHIEF IN DAMASCUS, SAYING GOODBYE TO THE OBSERVERS STACKED LUGGAGE AND THE OBSERVERS OBSERVERS WALKING FROM HOTEL VARIOUS OF OBSERVERS BOARDING AND SITTING ON MINI-B
  • Embargoed: 10th February 2012 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Syrian Arab Republic
  • Country: Syria
  • Topics: Conflict,International Relations,Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVAA3DA649HFSYPX4UDNZEEFNPBN
  • Story Text: Dozens of Gulf Arab League observers left Syria on Wednesday (January 25) after a decision made by the Gulf Cooperation Council to withdraw their observers from the Arab League mission to Syria. Kuwaiti and Bahraini observers left the country earlier.
    Gulf Arab states withdrew many of their observers from Syria on Tuesday (January 24) after it rejected an Arab League plan for President Bashar al-Assad to surrender power, prompting the group's chief to call for U.N. help in ending Syria's bloody upheaval.
    Arab League officials said 55 Gulf Arab observers were being withdrawn while the other 110 members of the team would continue work in Syria.
    Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moualem accused the League on Tuesday of plotting to engineer foreign intervention. Thousands of civilians and members of security forces have been killed in the 10-month-old uprising against Assad.
    Despite Syria's anger, Moualem agreed to extend by a month the mission of the remaining Arab League observers who are monitoring implementation of a plan to end the bloodshed. But he scornfully rejected the League's latest proposal.
    The revolt in Syria was inspired by others that have toppled three Arab leaders and the bloodshed has battered Assad's standing in the world, with Iran among his few remaining allies.
    State news agency SANA said Moualem has told Arab League chief Nabil Elaraby that Damascus had agreed to extend the monitoring mission until Feb. 23.
    The Gulf Cooperation Council states said in a statement they were "certain the bloodshed and killing of innocents would continue, and that the Syrian regime would not abide by the Arab League's resolutions".
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2012. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
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