Syrian observers
January 22, 2012
The Arab League's committee on Syria convened prior to an Arab foreign ministers meeting that will decide whether to extend, withdraw or strengthen the controversial mission by another month. The observer mission was sent to Syria last month to monitor the implementation of a peace plan.
Some Arab countries want to increase the pressure on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to end his regime's violent crackdown on anti-government protests, which the United Nations says has claimed more than 5,000 lives.
Others worry that weakening Assad could tip Syria into a deeper conflict which could destabilize the entire region and lead to popular uprisings against their own regimes.
Extension likely
The head of the monitoring effort, General Mohammed al-Dabi of Sudan, who is delivering the report, is expected to support strengthening rather than scrapping the mission.
"Dabi sees that, in the last phase, the necessary thrust was achieved after more monitors were deployed and after they were provided with equipment and logistics," said the deputy chief of operations, Ali Jarush.
The Arab League could expand the mission to more than 300 observers from the roughly 160 deployed now, but Syria's opposition National Council has been lobbying for UN intervention. It said it would unveil its own report later on Sunday to discredit Dabi's account.
Syrian opposition activists said President Assad's forces killed 35 civilians on Saturday.
Syrian army deserters also reportedly overran the town of Douma, northeast of the capital Damascus, on Sunday after fierce fighting with government forces. They later withdrew from the town, according to local residents.
Author: Gregg Benzow (AFP, dpa, Reuters)
Editor: Sean Sinico