&host=www.rt.com&uri=/news/parliament-syrian-observers-withdrawn-099/&via=1.1 8.27.241.137:80 (Footprint 4.8/FPMCP)&ua=CCBot/1.0 (+http://www.commoncrawl.org/bot.html))
Arab Parliament calls for withdrawal of observers from Syria
Published: 02 January, 2012, 04:19
Arab League observers take photos for anti-government protesters on the streets in Adlb. (Reuters)
TAGS: Military, Middle East, Protest, Politics, Human rights, Opposition, Syria
The Arab Parliament, an Arab advisory body, has urged the Arab League to terminate the monitors’ mission in Syria, saying the mission has failed to end the bloodshed in the country.
"The mission of the Arab League team has missed its aim of stopping the killing of children and ensuring the withdrawal of troops from the Syrian streets, giving the Syrian regime a cover to commit inhumane acts under the noses of the Arab League observers," said Ali Salem al-Deqbasi, the Kuwaiti head of the 88-member Arab body, in a statement.
The Parliament called on the Arab League's secretary-general, Nabil Elaraby, to adopt a resolution to withdraw the mission immediately.
However, as the Arab Parliament, a body to which members of the Arab League send representatives, operates separately from the Arab League, this is a non-binding recommendation.
The first 50 observers of an eventual 150 monitors arrived in Syria on December 26 for a month-long mission to provide an independent ground report and to ensure that President Bashar al-Assad stops the bloodshed. The mission was part of the peace plan signed by Syria on December 19.
The arrival of the monitors led to the withdrawal of Syrian tanks from the western city of Homs, dubbed by many as the cradle of the Syrian opposition. Nevertheless, local coordination committees say that since the mission began at least 286 people have been killed, reports Reuters.
In total, the United Nations estimates that over 5,000 people, mostly peaceful protesters, have been killed in the nine-month anti-government uprising.
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad says the source of the unrest in the country is the help and guidance that Islamist militants are receiving from abroad.
Dr Maher Salloum, an ambassador to the Universal Peace Federation, told RT the observers’ mission should not be interrupted, though the independence of the observers might be questioned somewhat.
“[Monitors] are being affected by some regional powers, such as Qatar or major Egyptian officials, and international powers even at the level of the European community and the US,” claimed Dr Maher Salloum talking from Beirut. “This international pressure will prevent them from independent reporting. This tarnishes transparency and the process of independent monitoring itself.”
Watch RT’s full interview with Dr Maher Salloum
01.01, 21:42
6 comments
Bye-bye blackbirds: Feathered fatalities forewarn Doomsday?Dozens of blackbirds have fallen dead from the sky in Arkansas, a phenomenon that many are taking to be a sign of impending disaster, even sparking fears that Doomsday is approaching. However, locals blame festive fireworks for the phenomenon. |
02.01, 09:48
6 comments
Euro woes: No joy for 10-year-old currency2012 marks 10 years since Europeans first held euro notes and coins in their hands. But prospects are grim for Europe's single currency in the New Year, as the region's leaders warn of tough sacrifices in this "most severe test in decades". |
CON: I agree that the bloodthirsty, reactionary Arab Gulf states (read US/NATO axis dependents and puppets) are displeased that the head of the observers is not following their wishes. Assad knows full well that he is up against the same group that destroyed Libya. The problem is that he doesn`t have the outside support required for a small country such as Syria to resist this axis that is hell-bent on taking it over. Outside support is essential if Syria is to avoid the fate of Iraq, Yugoslavia, and Libya.
US general Wesley Clark admitted in an interview with DemocracyNow, that Syria had been on the list of countries to be invaded from Israel/USA/NATO long ago. The "democaratic" thungs seem to apply exactly the same procedure to Syria now as done to Libya. The infrastructure of Libya was bombed to smithereens, the different Libyan tribes are pitted against each other, the zio controlled countries are in-between happily pumping Libya's oil and gas out of the country. I fear, if Russia and China are not willing to stand up against the ongoing aggression against Syria, this country will also be completely destroyed, clearing the way for the finaly goal, Iran, with it's vast energy reserves..
Donald: I agree with you. Unfortunately those states able to resist this naked aggression by so-called western democracies seem unwilling to assist. I imagine that the U.S. is hard at work offering all manner of inducements to keep them sweet. Eventually, when these same countries find themselves surrounded by hostile forces, the time to act may have passed. The U.N.-in reality an arm of the U.S. State Department- looks evermore powerless. It resembles the League of Nations just prior to its demise; just before the world tipped into the abyss.