Arab League decides to bolster fact-finding mission to Syria

PanARMENIAN.Net - Arab League officials decided Sunday, Jan 8, to bolster the alliance's fact-finding mission to Syria, where thousands have been reported killed by security forces despite ongoing international pressure to halt the violent suppression of popular unrest.

According to CNN, in a statement, released after a meeting of officials in Cairo, the alliance once again "strongly condemned ... acts of violence against civilians."

It reiterated the league's call for Damascus to completely stop acts of violence in order to protect civilians, free political detainees, remove tanks and weapons from cities, and allow outsiders, including the media, to freely travel around Syria and document what's happening.

That includes the 165 observers from the Arab League who are now in the Middle Eastern country. That number will now increase, after the Arab League on Sunday called for more observers and more equipment for this mission.

While this effort does not have a mandate for peacekeeping or to stop the conflict, it is tasked with verifying that Syria complies with the Arab League's action plan.

The league stated that the success of the mission - in terms of finding out the real facts within Syria - depends on getting openness and full cooperation from the Damascus-based government. A spokesman for Syria's foreign ministry said Sunday that his nation's government hasn't hidden anything from the Arab League's monitors.

"We let them move freely anywhere. We have provided all the things they need," spokesman Jihad Makdissi said.

Arab League officials urged opposition parties Sunday to increase their efforts to seek a political solution to the impasse by uniting under one government. The regional alliance also acknowledged "partial" steps taken by Syria's government to address the situation, as recommended by the league.

Human Rights Watch noted that League Secretary General Nabil el-Araby has said that "Syria has already taken some steps under the terms of the agreement, withdrawing heavy weapons from Syrian cities, and releasing about 3,500 prisoners."