Speaking in a monotone, Abu Mahmoud recalls the four years he spent in Syrian jails, describing torture and appalling living conditions worthy of George Orwell's dystopian vision in his novel "1984."

Freed three months ago in an amnesty Damascus announced in an effort to douse the uprising that has now gripped Syria for nearly a year, the bearded 27-year-old, like many Syrians, refuses to be photographed or give his real name for fear of reprisal.

Speaker Nabih Berri requested on Thursday that Cyprus support the proposal that the United Nations demarcate Lebanon’s maritime border and exclusive economic zone.

He said: “We appreciate Cyprus’ understanding of our fears that Israel may exploit its agreements with Cyprus in order to violate Lebanon’s petroleum wealth and increase its violations of the country’s sovereignty.”

Qatar's Prime Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim al-Thani said Thursday the time had come to "study all options" in seeking a way out of the Syrian crisis.

"We have to study all options to save the Syrian people," Al-Thani said after meeting European Parliament head Martin Schulz.

The Syrian National Council wants to organize arms deliveries from foreign countries to Syrian rebels through its new military bureau, its chief Burhan Ghalioun said on Thursday.

"We know that some countries have expressed a desire to arm the revolutionaries. The SNC, via its military bureau, wanted to organize this flow to avoid direct arms deliveries from particular countries," he said.

Britain has withdrawn its diplomatic staff from Syria because of a growing risk to their safety, Foreign Secretary William Hague said on Thursday.

British diplomats left Syria on Wednesday and will return to Britain soon, he said in a written statement to parliament.

The U.N.'s Human Rights Council called on Syria Thursday to end all rights abuses and allow aid agencies "free and unimpeded" access to those caught up in the bloodshed.

A resolution adopted by the council condemned the "continued widespread and systematic violations of human rights" and urged the authorities to let humanitarian groups, including U.N. organization, in to deliver vital aid.

The Syrian foreign ministry said on Thursday that it was willing to discuss a date for a visit by the U.N. humanitarian chief, saying the timing she had originally requested was "not suitable.”

U.N. undersecretary general Valerie Amos had "requested to come to Syria at a time that was not suitable for us. We are willing to continue discussions with her about a time suitable for both sides," the ministry said in a statement carried by state television.

Kuwait's parliament adopted on Thursday a non-binding resolution calling on the government to arm the Syrian opposition and to sever diplomatic ties with Damascus.

The vote came following an emergency session to debate developments in Syria, where thousands of people have been killed in a bloody crackdown by the regime of President Bashar Assad on pro-democracy protests.

The new international mediator for Syria, former U.N. secretary general Kofi Annan, said Wednesday he hopes to be in Damascus soon with a "clear" message that the killing must end.

But he also demanded that the divided international community unite behind his mission as a special envoy for the United Nations and Arab League.

Gulf foreign ministers will meet their Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov in the Saudi capital next week to discuss developments in Syria, Kuwait's foreign minister said on Thursday.

"A meeting will be held with the Russian foreign minister and the foreign ministers of the Gulf Cooperation Council on March 7 in Riyadh," Sheikh Sabah Khaled al-Sabah told Kuwaiti MPs.