SYRIA: UN truce mission chief says monitors are "calming" Syria conflict

Record ID: 280824

  • Title: SYRIA: UN truce mission chief says monitors are "calming" Syria conflict
  • Date: 16th May 2012
  • Summary: DAMASCUS, SYRIA (MAY 15, 2012) (REUTERS) MAJOR GENERAL ROBERT MOOD, CHIEF OF UNSMIS, AT THE LOBBY OF HOTEL MOOD STRAIGHTENING HIS CAP (SOUNDBITE) (English) MAJOR GENERAL ROBERT MOOD, CHIEF OF UNSMIS, SAYING: "In broad terms all parties are co-operative. I am impressed by the cooperation." MOOD TALKING TO JOURNALISTS (SOUNDBITE) (English) MAJOR GENERAL ROBERT MOOD, C
  • Embargoed: 31st May 2012 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Syrian Arab Republic
  • Country: Syria
  • Topics: Conflict,International Relations,Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVAGYJCZQ6HY9VD0KF5IH9KP236
  • Story Text: Major General Robert Mood, Chief of the United Nations Supervision Mission in Syria (UNSMIS), said on Tuesday (May 15) that all parties of the crisis are co-operative on broad terms.
    "In broad terms all parties are co-operative. I am impressed by the cooperation," Mood stated before heading out to meet a diplomat.
    Mood added that the observers are having a calming effect on the ground pointing to an incident that took place during the visit of the monitors on Monday (May 14) without mentioning any details.
    "We are quite confident that we are opening doors, opening windows and we are seeing that observers of the U.N. today when we have dramatic incidents like the one that happened yesterday they are having a calming effect on the situation on the ground", he said.
    Mood said there are now more than 200 monitors in Syria and they are boosting the numbers in many areas and having honest and good conversation with the parties involved.
    The U.N. monitoring mission aims to deploy 300 monitors across Syria by the end of May under Kofi Annan's plan, which seeks to end more than a year of bloodshed by disengaging opposing armed forces, launching political dialogue and ensuring free access to Syria for humanitarian aid and journalists.
    Twenty-three Syrian soldiers were killed in the town of Rastan on Monday in heavy clashes with rebels who destroyed three armoured personnel carriers, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.
    Earlier, opposition sources said nine people, including a local rebel commander, were killed in heavy army shelling of Rastan.
    The U.N. says Syrian forces have killed more than 9,000 people since March last year. Authorities said militants have killed 2,600 soldiers and security force members.
    Syria has barred most independent journalists from the country, making it is difficult to verify reports of attacks and casualties.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2012. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: Audio restrictions: This clip's Audio includes copyrighted material. User is responsible for obtaining additional clearances before publishing the audio contained in this clip.
Register