Arab League Suspends Observer Mission after Violence Escalates

The Arab League has now suspended its observer mission in Syria after violence in the country escalates even more. Now President Bashar Assad’s security forces are fighting rebels which are in control of three areas just outside of Damascus, the country’s capital.

The decision to remove all observers from Syria comes just a day after the Arab League called for Assad to step down as the country’s leader. The country has been embroiled in a violent struggle as the government battles antigovernment protestors and rebels throughout Syria. The Arab League has tried to get Syria to follow a plan for peace in the country, but to no avail. Now, the Arab League is forwarding the plan on to the United Nations next week for review by the Security Council.

The observer mission was just extended another month last week; however, on Saturday, the Arab League announced that the mission will be suspended until the peace plan was presented to the Security Council. Russia has said that they do not approve of the peace plan and they are staunch baker of Syria, as is Iran.

President Assad blames all the violence in the country on militants and terrorists from foreign countries. However, the fighting that has been ongoing for the last few days in suburbs outside of Damascus has been very brutal. The rebels have been buoyed by defectors from the Syrian government, some of which were able to bring tanks with them.

The Free Syrian Army says that as many as 100 soldiers defected to the other side this weekend. Activists in the country say that the rebels have control in Kafr Batna, Saqba, and Jisreen, but that the rebels and the security forces were exchanging gunfire. The Syrian Army has been using anti-aircraft guns, tanks, and mortars against the rebels.

According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, there have been six residents of those towns killed and dozens more injured in the fighting. It’s often hard to verify the accounts of violence or deaths because Syria has blocked most of the foreign media from the country.

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