Head of Arab mission to Syria denies disarray

[maddezmom]

CAIRO | Thu Jan 12, 2012 10:02am EST

CAIRO (Reuters) - The head of Arab League monitors in Syria dismissed as untrue Thursday the comments of an Algerian observer who quit in disgust over continued violence in the country and slammed the mission as a "farce."

Anwar Malek left the monitoring team this week and then criticized the Arab mission in media interviews, saying the Syrian government was still carrying out killings, detention and torture of those involved in a 10-month-old uprising.

"General Mohammed al-Dabi, the head of the Arab monitors' mission to Damascus, has confirmed that what the monitor Anwar Malek said to a satellite channel does not relate to the truth in any way," the Arab League said in a statement.

more:http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/01/12/us-syria-monitors-idUSTRE80B11320120112

[vminfla]

1. He is right

There is no disarray. The Arab League is not there to stop Assad, but to keep the UN and western observers out.

[baldguy]

2. Why am I thinking of this guy?

[tabatha]

3. The head of the Arab mission has a dubious background

Some Arab monitors quit Syria over persisting violence

Several Arab League monitors have left Syria or may do so soon because the mission has failed to halt President Bashar al-Assad’s violent crackdown on a popular revolt against his rule, an Algerian former monitor said on Thursday.

Observers have not ventured out on tours of restive areas since 11 of them were injured by pro-Assad demonstrators in the port of Latakia on Monday, an attack which also sidelined plans to expand the team. A League official had said they would resume work on Thursday once new safety measures were in place in agreement with Syrian authorities.

Syrian opposition groups say the monitors, who deployed on December 26 to check whether Syria was respecting an Arab peace plan, have only bought Assad more time to crush protests that erupted in March, inspired by Arab uprisings elsewhere.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/01/12/us-syria-idUSTRE8041A820120112

[David__77]

5. The Syrian authorities should arrest anyone who may have injured monitors.

Video footage should be closely examined. The protesters were very frustrated with the perception that the monitors have not spent enough time talking to the victims of terrorists, but that gives no excuse to attack foreign visitors.

[David__77]

4. That is good news.

The monitors are assessing conditions and observing security conditions on the ground.

Strategically, the mission is very positive as it serves to throw the Western neocons and related forces ("human rights" imperialists) into some angst and frustration, blocking the plans for military aggression, which are well-developed.

[tabatha]

7. See #6

[tabatha]

6. Apparently there is video of Anwar Malek on the ground - so the head of the Arab League is lying.

Last edited Thu Jan 12, 2012, 04:18 PM - Edit history (1)

Anwar Malek will be on Al Jazeera English today.

edit to add video