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Updated 12:51 p.m. ET: Syria says it regrets an Arab League decision to halt its mission monitoring a peace plan in the country, official state television reported on Saturday.
"Syria regrets and is surprised at the Arab decision to stop the work of its monitoring mission after it asked for a one-month extension of its work,'' Syria Television reported in an urgent news flash.
Updated at 11:31 a.m. ET: The Arab League halted its observer mission to Syria on Saturday, sharply criticizing the regime of President Bashar Assad for escalating violence in recent days that has killed nearly 100 people across 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," Arab League Secretary-General Nabil Elaraby said in a statement.
AP
This citizen journalism image provided by the Local Coordination Committees in Syria purports to show anti-Syrian regime protesters during a demonstration in Idlib province, Syria Friday.
A delegate at the league said no date had yet been fixed for a meeting of the council on Syria.
The rising bloodshed has added urgency to new attempts by Arab and Western countries to find a resolution to the 10 months of violence that according to the United Nations has killed at least 5,400 people as Assad seeks to crush persistent protests demanding an end to his rule.
But the initiatives continue to face two major obstacles: Damascus' rejection of an Arab peace plan which it says impinges on its sovereignty, and Russia's willingness to use its U.N. Security Council veto to protect Syria from sanctions.
Syrian government forces clashed with anti-regime army defectors across the country on Saturday. At least 20 were reported killed in the clashes and other violence. The new deaths come after two days of bloody turmoil killed at least 74 people, including small children.
NBC's Ayman Mohyeldin visits Zabadani and speaks with members of the anti-regime Free Syria Army.
The Arab League and Western countries are pushing for a U.N. Security Council resolution on Syria.
The Security Council discussed a European-Arab draft resolution on Friday aimed at halting the bloodshed.
Russia, which joined China in vetoing a previous Western draft resolution in October and which has since promoted its own draft, said the European-Arab version was unacceptable in its present form but said it was willing to "engage" on it.
Russian U.N. Ambassador Vitaly Churkin said Moscow wanted a Syrian-led political process, not "an Arab League-imposed outcome of a political process that has not yet taken place" or Libyan-style "regime change.
The Arab League said it was in talks with Russia ahead of a Security Council meeting in New York. Britain and France said they hoped to put the draft resolution to a vote next week.
Published at 7:30 a.m. ET: A Syrian opposition group claimed Saturday that 130 people had been killed across the country in just 24 hours by President Bashar al-Assad's forces.
The U.K.-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported the death toll while speaking to NBC News in London.
Activists also told Reuters Saturday that the bodies of 17 men previously held by Syrian security forces have been found in the city of Hama.
"They were killed execution-style, mostly with one bullet to the head. Iron chains that had tied them were left on their legs as a message to the people to stop resisting," Abu al-Walid, an activist in the city, told Reuters by telephone.
Another activist said the bodies, their hands tied with plastic wire and some with their legs chained, were dumped in the streets of five Hama neighborhoods on Thursday evening.
Turkey was due to meet Gulf Arab states later Saturday to reinforce support for an Arab call for Assad to quit.
The Arab League and Western countries are pushing for a U.N. Security Council resolution on Syria, resisted by Assad's ally Russia. The U.N. Security Council discussed a new European-Arab draft resolution on Friday aimed at halting the bloodshed.
The United Nations Children's Fund also said Friday that at least 384 children had been killed and virtually the same number had been jailed during the course of the uprising.
UN Security Council weights action on Syria
The U.N., which estimated in mid-December that more than 5,000 people had been killed, says it can no longer keep track of the total death toll. The Syrian government says insurgents have killed more than 2,000 soldiers and policemen.
'Siding with the Syrian people'
Turkey urged Syria's leadership to comply with an Arab League transition plan that calls on Assad to step down.
"We are siding with the Syrian people and their legitimate demands," Turkish President Abdullah Gul was quoted as saying by the United Arab Emirates newspaper al-Bayan.
Outside Syria capital, suburbs look like war zones
Turkish officials say the number of Syrians seeking sanctuary in Turkey has risen in the past six weeks, with 50 to 60 arriving daily, taking the total living in refugee camps to nearly 9,600 from about 7,000 previously.
More than 6,000 Syrian refugees have fled to Lebanon.
Turkey, which spent years rebuilding relations with Syria, turned against Assad after he ignored its advice to enact reforms to calm what began in March as a peaceful uprising against his rule, inspired by Arab revolts elsewhere.
Russia, which joined China in vetoing a previous Western draft U.N> resolution in October and which has since promoted its own draft, said the European-Arab version was unacceptable in its present form but added that it was willing to "engage" on it.
Russian U.N. Ambassador Vitaly Churkin criticized the draft, which endorses the Arab transition plan.
Moscow, he said, wants a Syrian-led political process, not "an Arab League-imposed outcome of a political process that has not yet taken place" or Libyan-style "regime change."
Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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MAZE? maybe you should wake up..im sick and tired of hearing about giving to the POOR..your democrats are so wonderfull,,all they want to do is give freebies to the poor,,,just curious though?which poor areyou talking about?the ones that are on welfare for years,,or the ones who are on food stamps for years..i came to this country years ago,,never asked or got any freebies from america,,,i earned everything i have,,,,sick and tired of hearing about giving freebies,,,work for your meal,,,,i dont care what color,race or sex you are,,,NO FREEBIES
Greek: Maybe if they paid desent wages and not send companys over sea we wouldn't have poor...You idiot teabaggers think people are born with a siver spoon in their month....Somebody got to do your job and get their hands dirty.....And yes I not for giving people who are lazy...But I am for helping people who try to help themselve. If it weren't for assh*le bush and his wars we wouldn't be haveing this conversation. You all are so mighty Christain like and yet you don't give a dam about your fellow man....Your brain-washed by the party of No!. So don't tell me your tired of giveing to the poor...Thats why we have Democrats verse Assh*le like you....We Care: And beside if you live in Greece then We are helping to bail out your sorry A*sses.
Greek, you seem to be quite OK to let those who are taking from the poor and middle class to have freebies! For example, just what is the worth of the corporate tax loopholes that the Republicans gleefully provided for them. Besides, Jesus said to give to the poor!
MAZE? you democrats care? wow youre a sick man..maybe you forgot that your democrat president destoyed the christian country of SERBIA so we can appease the muslims that wanted to take over KOSOVO in which we gave it to the them...stop hating the rich,,maybe its because youre jealous that you dont have the balls like they do to work more than your 40 hrs a week and the reast of the time drinking your beer and watching your footballs games...without the rich we would still be in the stone age,,remember that,,oh and as for the country of greece,,thats why my father brought me here,.because they ARE idiots and lazy bastards just like MOST poor poeole HERE,,,,thank god for usa
Thanks for the deep insights into the situation in Syria, guys. I know so much more about it after all of the informative, perteinent things which you've put into this thread.
RETIRED FLORIDIAN,,,you have no damn clue of whats going on in those countrys,,,stop talking
Perhaps when the dust settles we can offer Asshead safe passage to the US. perhaps we can say it is for his medical needs, of course ultimately he will never leave and live out his days in a compound to his liking while the thousands of dead and mourning get diddly squat. Is this not how it works?
How hard is it to take out just Assad? Then the rest will crumble by itself.
More violence and murder brought to you by the dog pile muhammad
Seems to me that the Arab league talks a great deal, but does nothing to save the lives of their people! All the do is wring their hands and then sit on them!
The Syrian civil war is between the armed thugs of the blood-thirsty dictatorship of Bashir al-Assad and the armed thugs of radical Islam. The mainly peaceful people who desire freedom and democracy will be silenced no matter which side wins. And now the malignantly, useless Arab League has declared that their lame attempt to broker the Syrian civil war is a failure. The Arab League is abandoning their so-called mission and has turned the Syrian civil war over to the UN. So that means that NATO, which primarily means the US, will be given the job of resolving the conflict. Please tell Mr Obama that we are already $14+ trillion in debt and already overcommitted militarily around the world. This is not our fight. Don't spend our money and don't risk our troops.
Why is the Banner in English?? The Arab League is the Muslim Brotherhood. Right now there is an Al Qaeda Flag flying over Egypt, Libya, Tunesia, and Yemen. Now, all these Countries are developing particular hostilities toward Americans, especially Christians, and Jews. The Anti American and Anti Christian and Anti Jew Rant in Egypt is extreamely viscious. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and/or Barack Hussein Obama has done very little to stem the tide of hate toward Americans and Jews. As far as the Christians in Egypt, they are toast. Absolutely NO help from anyone. NONE.
If the Christians were all Black, and the Muslims were all White then maybe, just maybe Countries who claim to be protectors of Minorities would raise serious objections to Egyptians conduct and provide the Christians with protection. But, since "Christian" is a bad ignorant word in the nevou Obama Administration World Opinion Muslim dominated Communist left wing Liberal media world, who cares about the Christians. The word is "let them die".
What are you worrying about the Christians for?? They dont need any help from anyone, they have GOD!!
mike bradley,,dont forget who were the ones that created this great country,,,it wasnt the jews or the muslims or the athiests,,it was only the christians,,,and now everyone wants to forget that and erase christianity from americas history
greek
And who invaded iraq based on lies and killed scores of Muslim women, children and men in the process?
And who invaded Afghanistan for more than 10 years killing, raping and pissing on corpses?
And who is about to invade Iran?
And who invaded veitnam?
And who installed many dictators around the world after toppling the elected officials?
CHRISTIANS..You bet
tom in NH ,,,i was also filthy poor before i came to this great country,,nobody gave my father or me any freebies,and we never asked for them,,,we worked many hours per week to earn what i have now,,,and i pay my share of taxes,,,why should i pay more than everyone else,,,the taxes i pay is probably more than you make in a year,,,so stop bitching about the rich and worry about your oen pocket,,,
the china and russia have the syrian blood in their hands
even a homeless day in America is better than what those people are going thru. Remember, in America we have the right to " GET AWAY WITH IT "!!!!!!!! And we do, all of us. The problem is not the government or the president or even Wall Street. The problem is " WE THE PEOPLE " We only have to look in the mirror. And stop hating on the rich, the poor ar'nt going to create jobs!!!
hey MAZE ? why dont you ask your great UNIONS why the jobs are going over seas,,,maybe cause they keep wanting more and more from the companys,,i can never figure out how much more a company can give to the emploeeys every time the unions ask for more benefits,,,,where are they supposed to find the money,,,so,,they leave the country,,,and then you complain why all tha jobs are going over seas,,,cause the payroll is cheaper you idiot democrat
why dont obama bomb them back to the stone age like he did in libya; not enough oil?
The Arab League is getting a little too self-important! They side with Europe against G'Daffy, and succeed in letting Libya go wild. It's gone to their collective heads! Unless they put a REAL Arab military together (not sure that's smart), they will need OTHERS to "fix" Syria. Alas, with this cold-war like standoff, Syria is doomed for a bloody civil war..... with no end in clear sight!
Land mines would solve the problem. Billions of them. Stay on your side of the minefield or don't.
Let's see here. Obama committed U.S. military support and a billion U.S. taxpayers' dollars to support the Libyan rebellion with the argument that thousands of people could be killed if we didn't help the rebels. Now, in Syria, over five thousand people have been killed, many of them outright murdered. Yet we hear not a peep from the White House other than a few weak suggestions that Assad should step down. I think Mr. Obama has some 'splainig to do.
The Arab league is composed of killers, dictators, theives, and traitors who have no spine, dignity or the decency to do anything for the benefit of their respective countries or people. May all of them die a thousand times a day and when death catches up with them, may all of them simmer in hell for all eternity. Amen
I have a friend in Syria that I haven't heard from since August. How can I find out if he's okay?
Here you go:
http://damascus.usembassy.gov/
Thanks, but he's Syrian.
Turkey is one of the worst offenders of human rights. Give the Kurds their state.
Syria, and the other surrounding countries have no diversity, except when we(U.S.A.) send in armed troops. Let them sort it out. When we stop filming and calling it news, it will stop happening. E.G. Pat Buchanan went away, when MSNBC and all the others decided he would get no coverage. Do the same for the middle east, or, you send your kid over there for " humanitarian aid " and " peacekeeping ", and see how it turns out.
Notice the progressions of events as reported by the media appear to follow the same pattern as the overthrows in Iraq, (Saddam Hussein), Libya, (Muammar Gaddafi), Egypt, (Hosni Mubarak, the only reason no one is storming this country is their lack of rare resources) and soon to by Iran? The pattern goes:1. People protest. 2. Liberty fighters demand freedom, (independent liberty fighters none the less). 3. Fighting gets close to the capital etc…. and so the story goes as the media is there to document each phase. As a result, the citizen’s of western nations pour out sympathy along with their tax dollars to topple Arab nations while the motives of the global elite focus on control of their natural resources. It almost appears as if “the powers that be” are saying to themselves” If they bought it once, we can sell this story again … and again … and again. With all due respect and true feelings of empathy for those who are suffering in these countries one has to ask themselves if this is for real or a big sham to solidify global control?