El-Araby requires written pledges to send observers to Damascus

Following a meeting with a delegation from the Syrian opposition headed by the Syrian National Council’s spokeswoman Basma Qadmani, the Arab League Secretary General Nabil el-Araby stressed that no delegation from Arab organizations concerned with protecting civilians will go to Syria unless a clear memorandum of understanding is signed with the Syrian government to clarify the commitments, rights and obligations of all parties.       

The European Union tightened the noose on Syria as it imposed a new array of sanctions on President Bashar Assad, and called on the U.N. to protect civilians after 8 months of a bloody crackdown against protesters.     

In this context, French Minister of Foreign Affairs Alain Juppe stressed from Brussels that the time has come to discuss the means to provide more protection to civilians in Syria. “I hope the Security Council will end up taking this position”, he said.     

On the field, the London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that 3 civilians were killed and 10 others wounded in security forces gunfire in many Syrian cities on Monday. Furthermore, 4 soldiers were killed in clashes, and bodies of 5 soldiers, including one officer were found in Idlib, northern Syria.