Syria Accepts Arab Plan, Qatar PM Urges 'Serious' Implementation

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Syria accepted Wednesday an Arab League plan to end nearly eight months of bloodshed in the revolt-hit country, as the Arab organization urged Damascus to “seriously” implement the approved roadmap.

The agreement announced at a meeting of Arab foreign ministers in Cairo came amid huge pressure on President Bashar al-Assad's regime, even from traditional allies such as China, to end weeks of prevarication and sign up to the deal drawn up by the pan-Arab bloc.

Briefing reporters after the meeting, Qatari Premier Sheikh Hamad bin Jassem al-Thani, the head of an Arab task force on the Syrian crisis, said: "The agreement is clear and we are pleased to have reached it and we’ll be more pleased when it is implemented."

"What’s important is the Syrian side’s commitment to implementing this agreement, we hope and wish the implementation will be serious, whether concerning the cessation of violence and killing or concerning (the release of) prisoners" and the withdrawal of forces from towns and districts, Sheikh Hamad stressed.

He noted that "if Syria does not respect its commitments, the ministerial committee will meet again and take the necessary decisions."

Arab League chief Nabil al-Arabi said the main aim was "to provide an Arab solution which sends a clear message to the Syrian people of qualitative progress towards halting all forms of violence."

Earlier on Wednesday, a League official said "the Syrian delegation accepted the Arab League plan without reservations and in its entirety."

The peace plan agreed to by Syria, a copy of which was obtained by Agence France Presse, provides for a "complete halt to the violence to protect civilians."

More than 3,000 people have died in the government's bloody crackdown on the unprecedented protests against President Bashar al-Assad's rule which broke out in mid-March, according to U.N. figures.

The blueprint also calls for the "release of people detained as a result of the recent events, the withdrawal of forces from towns and districts where there have been armed clashes, and the granting of access to the Arab League, and Arab and international media."

It stipulates that "the Arab ministerial committee (headed by the prime minister of Qatar) will conduct consultations with the government and the various Syrian opposition parties aimed at launching a national dialogue."

The text does not specify a venue for the dialogue, a bone of contention between the government, which insists on Damascus, and the opposition which says it should be outside Syria.

U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon said it was vital that Assad's regime now swiftly implement the agreement in full.

"He must implement the agreement as soon as possible as agreed," Ban told a news conference in Tripoli on his first visit to Libya since the eruption in February of the conflict which toppled veteran ruler Moammar Gadhafi.

"People have suffered too much for too long and it's an unacceptable situation," the U.N. chief said.

"Killing civilians must stop immediately in Syria."

Damascus had come under mounting pressure to agree to the Arab League peace plan, with Western governments calling for a renewed attempt to push through a sanctions resolution at the U.N. Security Council after a first bid was vetoed by China and Russia early last month.

On Sunday, China warned Syria that its crackdown on dissent "cannot continue" and that it must agree to open talks with the opposition.

"Syria has to show some flexibility in that regard in order to help the Arab League implement its proposal," China's Middle East envoy Wu Sike told reporters in Cairo.

Ahead of the Arab ministers' meeting, the opposition Syrian National Council had urged the League to "freeze Syria's membership, ensure the protection of civilians and recognize the SNC as the representative of the Syrian revolution."

The statement followed a similar call on Sunday by Facebook activists, after almost 100 people died on Friday and Saturday in the bloodiest two days of the uprising against Assad's regime.

More than 30 people were killed in violence on Wednesday, most of them security force personnel killed in clashes with troops who had mutinied rather than follow orders to shoot on civilians, a human rights group said.

Deserters killed 15 members of the security forces in two operations in the flashpoint central province of Hama, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

"A group of deserters blew up a device as a military van and a vehicle passed by in al-Madiq area, killing seven soldiers," the Britain-based watchdog said.

Eight other security personnel were killed in a similar attack on a convoy carrying security agents and pro-regime militiamen on the road between Qaalet al-Madiq and Sqailbiyeh, it added in a statement received in Nicosia.

The Observatory said the attacks were carried out "in response to the massacre of 11 workers" earlier in the day by a pro-regime group in Homs, another province in central Syria which has been a center of dissent.

The gunmen stormed a factory in the restive province, killing the 11, while security forces shot dead eight civilians in several Homs neighborhoods, the rights watchdog said.

The Syrian regime has repeatedly said it is fighting "armed terrorists" and Assad pledged to carry out reforms but stressed he will not make changes amid chaos.

Comments 10
Default-user-icon Gabby (Guest) 02 November 2011, 18:20

The Arabs will draw up documents and bla bla bla, but ASSad will keep killing and nothing will change.

Default-user-icon Beiruti (Guest) 02 November 2011, 18:30

Assad is always tap dancing, always playing for time, never conceding anything while making others believe that he will concede. It is a long playing game in which Assad has played the part of Lucy and the world is Charlie Brown. Charilie Brown still runs up to kick the ball that Lucy has pulled back on every time leaving Charlie Brown flat on his back.

What is amazing is not that Assad is doing it again, but that the world still plays along with his game.

Default-user-icon MUSTAPHA O. GHALAYINI (Guest) 02 November 2011, 18:35

arab talks... i remember the arab delegation headed by mahmoud ryad in 1975 to deal with "lebanon unrest",
the arab blablabla confirms a loooooong bloooody civil war in syria, and as for bashar 's earthquake..... he is not fooling anyone, the only card he still have is lebanon...and partially through hassoun and the crazy orangy guy

Default-user-icon MUSTAPHA O. GHALAYINI (Guest) 02 November 2011, 19:00

the arab officials gave the regime in syria two more weeks of killing

Thumb Marc 02 November 2011, 20:09

One thing the Syrian Regime is good at is buying time again and again! They will back off for a bit and go back to their old habits . . . We know this well in Lebanon, don't we?

Default-user-icon marie (Guest) 02 November 2011, 20:29

more shit from this tin pot dictator, he we soon be in the Hague, there is no escape Mr Assad

Default-user-icon Beiruti (Guest) 02 November 2011, 20:56

Syria signed off on this thing for one reason, and one reason only and that is the credible threat that the Chinese and by extension the Russians would not veto the next Security Council Resolution which could put Assad out of business.

Given that choice, Assad chose to be held accountable to the Arab League rather than to the UN because he knows, at the end of the day, the Arab League will not enforce its writ in the face of Syrian violation. This was a tactical rather than a strategic move by Assad in service to his overall objective of survival of the regime.

It will not take long before this promise is shown to be an empty one if in order to keep it, Assad would embolden the Opposition, or participate in the demise of his own regime.

Missing realist 02 November 2011, 21:37

This is actually good news...The mere acceptance of the Syrian regime with such an initiative (that includes matters it is not capable of implementing, release of prisoners, withdrawl of troops ie steps leading to the end of the regime) is like they say in Mafia language "a sign of weakness".

Of course the regime will do none of that but the fact is..the regime is really doomed, this move will buy 2 weeks of time and it is gona get harder and uglier for the regime.

Default-user-icon Le PheneChien (Guest) 03 November 2011, 02:57

On Friday after the prayer we will see another 50 dead, and this will continue because armed groups and terrorists have infiltrated into Syria as Assad says, the solution is a United Arab force army just like they did to Lebanon in 1975 at which point all members will withdraw and the Lebanese Army will remain in Syria to protect the Christians and Sunni from the Armed Alaweet and we will then make history by enforcing a true reform.

Thumb cedar 03 November 2011, 08:19

Interesting, the whole argument by Syria is that there are terrorists attacking its army and people. (Which is true) BUT... are they now suppose to get killed and do nothing about it.... this agreement is just a time buyer. He should invade Suadi Arabia, then Iran, that might fix the problem.LOL Jokes.