The opposition Syrian National Council on Saturday urged Syria's diaspora to protest outside Russian diplomatic missions against Moscow's opposition to a draft resolution Photo: EPA/AMEL PAIN
From the report at The Telegraph:
"Given the critical deterioration of the situation in Syria and the continued use of violence ... it has been decided to immediately stop the work of the Arab League's mission to Syria pending presentation of the issue to the league's council," the statement said.
"The secretary-general has also asked the head of the mission to take all the necessary procedures to ensure the safety and well-being of the mission's members."
The mission would remain in Syria, a source at the league had earlier told Reuters news agency, but would temporarily halt its work. The monitoring mission, which began last month, has been criticised by opponents of President Assad for delaying international pressure on the regime without stopping violent attacks against protesters.
Once again, the world will get to see what happens now when the United Nations tries to meddle in the affairs of nations and region and how worthless any solution they ever have truly is. The fact of the matter is that this fight in Syria will play out ... no matter what anyone does short of a huge military intervention from outside.
What will be interesting to see is if Assad puts out one last call for help from Iran and whether the Iranians will respond with the kind of force needed to save Bashir's ass.
Arab League suspends monitoring mission in Syria
But a statement from the league's Secretary-General Nabil el-Araby stopped short of blaming the regime of President Bashar al-Assad, and said monitors would not be pulled out of the country.
"Given the critical deterioration of the situation in Syria and the continued use of violence ... it has been decided to immediately stop the work of the Arab League's mission to Syria pending presentation of the issue to the league's council," the statement said.
"The secretary-general has also asked the head of the mission to take all the necessary procedures to ensure the safety and well-being of the mission's members."
The mission would remain in Syria, a source at the league had earlier told Reuters news agency, but would temporarily halt its work. The monitoring mission, which began last month, has been criticised by opponents of President Assad for delaying international pressure on the regime without stopping violent attacks against protesters.
The Arab League and Western countries are pushing for a United Nations Security Council resolution on Syria, where the UN says more than 5,400 people have been killed in protests which began in March.
Hundreds are believed to have been killed since the monitoring mission arrived in Syria.
The UN Security Council discussed a draft European-Arab resolution on Friday aimed at halting the bloodshed. Russia, which joined China in vetoing a previous resolution in October, said the draft was unacceptable in its present form, but said it was willing to "engage" on it.
The opposition Syrian National Council on Saturday urged Syria's diaspora to protest outside Russian diplomatic missions against Moscow's opposition to a draft resolution.
Also on Saturday, clashes in central Syria and an ambush on a bus transporting soldiers near Damascus claimed at least 15 lives, according to activists and state media reports.
Soldiers clashed with deserters in the restive central town of Rastan in Homs province, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.
Rami Abdel Rahman, who heads the watchdog which is based in Britain, said three deserters were killed in fighting there, while five soldiers were killed in similar clashes in nearby Al-Hula, also in Homs province. Fierce clashes were also reported in the outskirts of Damascus as security forces backed by tanks raided rebellious areas.
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