Dialogue of the deaf between Damascus and the Arab League
Syrian media announce agreement, but the official document has not yet been released. The Arab League calls on Syria to stop killing civilians and open a dialogue with all the opposition forces. The Syrian government calls on the “rebels” to lay down their weapons and on foreign media to stop their anti-Syrian campaign.
Beirut (AsiaNews) – The Arab League wants Damascus to stop the slaughter of civilians underway since 15 March and start instead a dialogue with opposition forces. The Syrian government wants for its part for “rebels” to lay down their weapons. Syria and the Arab League appear locked in a dialogue of the deaf. On Sunday, League and Syrian delegations met. On Monday, Syria was expected to deliver its message to be examined today in Cairo.
Syrian state media announced an agreement but did not give any details about its contents. The latter should be made public today in Cairo. However, "the Arab League has not been informed of Syria's formal response to the Arab initiative," the League’s Deputy Secretary General Ahmed Ben Helli, told satellite TV network Al Arabiya.
According to Arab diplomatic sources, the League’s proposal would see an immediate end to the violence, the withdrawal of tanks from the streets, and the start of a dialogue with the opposition. The League would be allowed to deploy monitors and people arrested since 15 March would be released.
A Syrian official has said that the opposition must give up its weapons, Arab countries must stop funding and arming the “rebels” and the media campaign against Syria must stop.
If such unconfirmed reports are correct, no point of convergence exists between the two positions.
Meanwhile, one opposition group, the Syrian National Council, called today on the Arab League to suspend Syria from the organisation. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights also reported the death of ten workers killed at a plant near Homs that had come under attack from security forces.
Tensions are rising between Syria and its neighbours. According to some reports, the Syrian military has been laying anti-personnel mines along the border with Lebanon.
In another development, the Turkish prime minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan condemned Syria's crackdown on its opponents, saying Turkey would take steps against the Assad government.
Syrian state media announced an agreement but did not give any details about its contents. The latter should be made public today in Cairo. However, "the Arab League has not been informed of Syria's formal response to the Arab initiative," the League’s Deputy Secretary General Ahmed Ben Helli, told satellite TV network Al Arabiya.
According to Arab diplomatic sources, the League’s proposal would see an immediate end to the violence, the withdrawal of tanks from the streets, and the start of a dialogue with the opposition. The League would be allowed to deploy monitors and people arrested since 15 March would be released.
A Syrian official has said that the opposition must give up its weapons, Arab countries must stop funding and arming the “rebels” and the media campaign against Syria must stop.
If such unconfirmed reports are correct, no point of convergence exists between the two positions.
Meanwhile, one opposition group, the Syrian National Council, called today on the Arab League to suspend Syria from the organisation. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights also reported the death of ten workers killed at a plant near Homs that had come under attack from security forces.
Tensions are rising between Syria and its neighbours. According to some reports, the Syrian military has been laying anti-personnel mines along the border with Lebanon.
In another development, the Turkish prime minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan condemned Syria's crackdown on its opponents, saying Turkey would take steps against the Assad government.
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