BICOM

Arab countries should send troops into Syria to stop the bloodshed there, the Emir of Qatar said yesterday in the first public call by a regional leader for military intervention in the bloody uprising. The comments, by Emir Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani to CBS News, mark a renewed effort by Syria’s neighbours to increase pressure on President Bashar Assad amid mounting fury that he has failed to comply with the terms of an Arab peace plan agreed three weeks ago. “For such a situation to stop the killing … some troops should go to stop the killing,” the Emir said.

Three weeks ago the Arab League dispatched 165 observers to Syria to monitor compliance with a peace plan, but members of the League have expressed doubts over the mission’s efficacy. One of the observers resigned last week, calling the mission a “farce” because of impediments by the Syrian government. Plans to extend the mission last week were put on hold after two Kuwaiti observers were wounded when their convoy was attacked in the city of Latakia.

The observers are due to complete their initial four-week deployment on 19 January. Arab League foreign ministers at a meeting next Saturday will discuss their report. The league has said it may refer Syria to the UN Security Council if the monitors’ report is negative. Nevertheless, Russia and China have so far blocked any UN action on Syria, fearing a Security Council resolution could lead to another international intervention, such as occurred with Libya.

At least 5,000 people are believed to have died during the ten-month uprising against Bashar Assad. Despite the arrival in Syria of monitors from the Arab League three weeks ago, the violence has continued, with loyalist troops keeping up their attacks on civilians.  Ten people were killed over the weekend in the city of Homs, a hub of the rebellion, according to unconfirmed reports.