SYRIA: U.N. monitors begin to leave

Record ID: 281264

  • Title: SYRIA: U.N. monitors begin to leave
  • Date: 13th August 2012
  • Summary: DAMASCUS, SYRIA (AUGUST 13, 2012) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF THE UN OBSERVERS AT THE LOBBY OF THE HOTEL UN OBSERVER PREPARING HIS LUGGAGE OBSERVER WORKING ON HIS IPAD OBSERVERS WAITING OR THE CARS IN THE HOTEL OBSERVERS TAKING SOUVENIR PHOTOS VARIOUS OF OBSERVERS AT THE LOBBY VARIOUS OBSERVERS CHECKING THE CAR UN VEHICLE WITH THE UN FLAG OBSERVER PUTTING HIS LUGGAGE IN THE CAR
  • Embargoed: 28th August 2012 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Syrian Arab Republic
  • Country: Syria
  • Topics: International Relations,Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVADBEM0FVC9024SWDEGDDJWN2EA
  • Story Text: Twenty-one observers left Syria on Monday (August 13) while a 101 observers will stay in four deployment points the mission has specified earlier.
    The U.N. Security Council extended the mandate of the mission of the U.N. observers in July for an extra month and decreased the number of the military observers to 150 from original 300 approved to be deployed in April.
    Last week, the United States said unarmed U.N. observers should not remain in Syria beyond an Aug. 19 deadline but Washington was willing to consider an alternative U.N. presence in the country to deal with the deadly 17-month conflict.
    The number of observers was halved last month when the Security Council renewed the mission, known as UNSMIS, for 30 days and the emphasis switched from the unarmed observers monitoring a non-existent truce to some 100 civilian staff pursuing a political solution and monitoring rights abuses.
    The 15-member Security Council is due to discuss the fate of the U.N. mission in Syria on Aug. 16 before its mandate expires three days later.
    Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's forces have killed more than 15,000 people since a crackdown on pro-democracy protesters began in March 2011, some Western leaders say. Damascus says rebels have killed several thousand of its security forces.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2012. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
Register