Arab League Plans to Send 500 Observers to Syria

The Arab League is preparing to send observers to Syria but needs guarantees from Damascus on their mission and the rights of each side, the organization’s chief Nabil al-Arabi said Monday.

The decision to send a 500-strong delegation follows a vote to suspend Damascus from the 22-member Arab bloc over its deadly crackdown on protests. It came a day after Syria said it would welcome such a mission.

"None of the delegates of Arab organizations tasked with protecting civilians will go to Syria until a clear memorandum of understanding is signed with the Syrian government spelling out the duties and rights of all the parties," Arabi told reporters.

He made the remarks after separate talks in Cairo with representatives of Arab human rights groups and Syrian opposition figures.

Arabi chaired a meeting of the groups at which it was agreed a 500-strong delegation made up of rights activists, media and military experts would head to Syria on a fact-finding mission to study measures to protect civilians.

Arab foreign ministers are due to organize the trip and set a date for the mission on Wednesday, on the sidelines of a meeting in Rabat, according to a League official.

A senior member of the Union of Arab doctors, Ibrahim al-Zaafarani, said Syrian authorities will be asked to sign a document providing the delegation "guarantees" for their protection and freedom of movement.

"We will go everywhere and write up reports on the conditions of civilians and means of protecting them, and we will submit the reports to the Arab foreign ministers," he added.

The Arab League on Saturday voted to suspend Syria from all Arab League activities over its failure to implement a deal to end the violence which has left around 3,500 dead since March, according to U.N. figures.

Arabi said he has received a letter from Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem calling for an urgent Arab summit to discuss the crisis.

Arab leaders have been informed of the request, the secretary general said, adding that the emergency summit can only be held if two-thirds of the bloc's members endorse the call.

Syria on Sunday said it would welcome the dispatch of an "Arab ministerial delegation accompanied by observers, civilian and military experts and Arab media," according to an official statement.

It said the delegation would be able to see for itself the situation on the ground "and supervise, in coordination with the Syrian government, the application of the Arab (peace) plan."

The plan to end violence in Syria was drawn up by Arab foreign ministers on November 2 and endorsed by Syria.

Under the deal, Syria was given 15 days to pull back its troops from the cities that were the focus of anti-government protests, release detainees, allow free movement for observers and media, and negotiate with the opposition.