Damascus Vows to 'Cleanse' Syria of Outlaws, 'Regrets' Decision to Pull Out Observers
Syria said it was surprised by and regrets the Arab League's decision to suspend its observer mission to the unrest-swept country on Saturday.
"Syria is surprised by and regrets the decision taken by (Arab League chief Nabil) al-Arabi to suspend the observer mission after having decided (last week) to extend it for a month," state news agency SANA said on its website.
An unidentified official accused Arabi of acting at the request of Qatar, which heads the Arab League's committee on Syria, ahead of a U.N. Security Council meeting next week.
"This decision is aimed at increasing the pressure for foreign intervention in Syrian affairs," SANA quoted him as saying.
Earlier this month, Qatar suggested sending an Arab military force to Syria to work towards an end to the 11 months of violence that the United Nations says has killed more than 5,400 people.
Damascus rejected that proposal.
The 165 League observers were deployed a month ago after Syria agreed to a League plan foreseeing a halt to the violence, prisoners freed, tanks withdrawn from built-up areas and free movement of observers and foreign media.
Damascus has not fulfilled the commitments it made under that deal.
On Friday, several Arab countries submitted to the Security Council a draft resolution that follows the general lines of a League proposal made last week that would have President Bashar al-Assad step down in favour of his deputy and a unity government formed.
Interior Minister Mohammed al-Shaar said earlier the authorities in unrest-hit Syria are determined to "cleanse" the country of outlaws and restore order, quoted by state news agency SANA.
"The security forces are determined to carry on the struggle to cleanse Syria of renegades and outlaws ... to restore safety and security," he said at a ceremony in honor of fallen soldiers.
"Groups are committing terrorist acts and killing innocent people, robbing them of their property and undermining their security," he said.
Damascus does not recognize the scale of the protest movement that erupted in mid-March, insisting it is fighting "terrorist groups" seeking to sow chaos as part of a foreign-hatched conspiracy.
"These crimes will not deter members of the internal security forces from carrying out their sacred duty to confront these groups and establish a climate of safety and security," the interior minister stressed.
Source: Agence France Presse
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