SYRIA: U.N. monitors begin pullout

Record ID: 281339

  • Title: SYRIA: U.N. monitors begin pullout
  • Date: 20th August 2012
  • Summary: DAMASCUS, SYRIA (AUGUST 20, 2012) (REUTERS) U.N. MONITORS IN HOTEL LOBBY PILE OF LUGGAGE MONITORS WALKING TOWARDS ELEVATOR, ONE LOOKS AT CAMERA AND SAYS: 'GOODBYE SYRIA' MONITORS TAKING THEIR LUGGAGE TOWARDS ELEVATOR ELEVATOR DOORS CLOSING EXTERIOR OF DAMA ROSE HOTEL TRAFFIC LIGHT VARIOUS OF U.N. CARS DRIVING AWAY
  • Embargoed: 4th September 2012 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Syrian Arab Republic
  • Country: Syria
  • Topics: International Relations,Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA2YVCK6S28YYQ0910AB0VMOZZG
  • Story Text: International monitors left Damascus for Beirut on Monday (August 20) as the United Nations' four-month observer mission in Syria came to an end.
    The monitors are leaving the country in stages, with all expected to have departed Syria by August 23.
    The withdrawal of the mission, known as UNSMIS, is another blow to the world body's efforts to broker an end to the conflict.
    The Security Council said last month it would only renew the mandate of UNSMIS, which was deployed in April to monitor a truce that never took hold, if the world body confirmed a "cessation of the use of heavy weapons and a reduction in the level of violence by all sides sufficient" for it to operate.
    In an August 10 letter to the Security Council, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said this had not been achieved and the mission "has not been able to exercise its key functions of monitoring the cessation of violence".
    The mission's initial 300 unarmed observers suspended most of their activity on June 16 because of increased risk from rising violence. UNSMIS now has over 70 civilian staff working issues such as aid access and monitoring human rights abuses.
    The U.N said UNSMIS would be replaced with a political liaison office with 20 to 30 people, including military advisers and human rights, aid and de-mining experts.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2012. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
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