Cairo, January 24, 2012 (MAP)
Cairo, January 24, 2012 (MAP)
The Gulf Cooperation Council states (GCC) decided to withdraw their monitors from the Arab mission to Syria, the Gulf stated on Tuesday.
“The GCC states have decided to respond to the decision of the kingdom of Saudi Arabia to withdraw its monitors from the Arab League delegation to Syria,” the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council said in a statement.
It said the GCC was “certain the bloodshed and killing of innocents would continue, and that the Syrian regime would not abide by the Arab League’s resolutions.”
The Arab League demanded on Sunday that Assad step down in favor of a unity government to end the bloodshed, but said Arab observers should stay in Syria for another month.
The Arab League demand for a change of government in Syria puts more pressure on the U.N. Security Council to overcome its divisions and take a stand on the bloodletting there.
Saudi Foreign Minister Saud al-Faisal said at the time his country was quitting the mission because Syria had not implemented an earlier Arab peace plan. He urged Muslim states as well as Russia, China, Europe and the United States, to exert “all possible pressure” on Syria to ensure its compliance.
The Arab observers deployed late last month to assess Syria’s compliance with an earlier Arab League plan.
“There has been some progress, but there has not been immediate or complete implementation as the Arab initiative requires,” Arab League chief Nabil Elaraby said on Tuesday, adding that he would name a special envoy to Syria this week.
