Arab League: Peacekeepers must be sent to Syria

A Syrian motorcyclist is seen reflected in the glass door of a shop shattered by bullet holes, in the town of Taftanaz, east of Idlib, Syria, June 5, 2012. / Khalil Hamra/AP Photo

(CBS/AP) NICOSIA, Cyprus - The international community should deploy a peacekeeping force, instead of the U.N.'s existing, beleaguered observer mission, to help end the killing in Syria, the secretary general of the Arab League said Monday. The appeal could have a rough time getting past Syria's stalwart U.N. allies Russia and China.

Nabil Elaraby's comments came as activists said Syrian forces had renewed shelling the city of Homs, the latest move in Syrian President Bashar Assad's crackdown on an increasingly armed popular uprising. The opposition says more than 14,000 people have died since the uprising began in March 2011, including more than 3,400 security forces.

U.N. observers in Syria are charged with checking compliance with a cease-fire that was supposed to go into effect on April 12 but has not taken hold. On Sunday, mission head Maj. Gen. Robert Mood demanded that the warring parties allow the evacuation of women, children, the elderly and those who are sick.

The U.N.'s observers' "attempts to extract civilians from the line of fire over the past week have been unsuccessful," Mood said in a statement. "This requires willingness on both sides to respect and protect the human life of the Syrian people."

On Saturday, the U.N. said its 300 observers based in Syria were suspending all missions because of concerns for their safety after fighting intensified over the previous 10 days. But the monitors said they were remaining in Syria in Damascus.

CBS News foreign affairs analysts reports Gen. Mood will address the Security Council on Tuesday.

U.N. demands evacuation of civilians from Homs
U.N. observers in Syria suspend patrols
Russia: No talks on Syria's future without Assad

The Arab League chief argued that it was time for a change in the U.N. mandate and a new type of mission.

"And by that I mean a peacekeeping force and not a military force," Elaraby said during a visit to Cyprus. "When there are two parties that have (resorted) to fighting, you cannot have someone just observing unless they both accept (a settlement). So what you need is someone who can impose a ceasefire and not to fight."

Elaraby said forces deployed in war zones under a peacekeeping mandate have shown in the past to be an effective tool in quelling violence, adding that he has already asked that the observer mission's mandate be amended.

Peacekeeping missions can vary widely depending on the contours of their mandate, but generally speaking, they differ from observer missions in that peacekeepers are armed and have the ability to enforce a cease-fire instead of merely watching whether it is being adhered to.

The hurdle for gaining U.N. Security Council approval for a peacekeeping mission is likely to be much higher than for an observer mission. Elaraby's request may run into opposition from Russia and China, both veto-wielding Security Council members who have already shielded Syria from sanctions despite the ongoing slaughter in the country.

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[facepalmfrank]

Make up your minds. Do you want help from The Great Satan or not?

[usunus]

The Arab League,which is supporting the Syrian rebels,should ask them to stop escalating the violence.This will make the peace efforts of the UN monitors easier as the blame for violence will then rest entirely with the government forces.

[Adress9871234]

Peacekeepers must be sent to Syria , at least

[stormerF69]

Good let the Arab League send as many as they want,Maybe Mccain will join them.

[hamiltongrad]

We have troops living in the Sinai that virtually everyone has forgotten about. Multinational Force and Observers. They are suppose to be watching out for bad actors in Egypt, attacking Israel, who may recall at one time controlled all of this area after the 67 war but gave it back for peace, with assurances. And recently they were attacked from there. Were are our troops ? Are they safe, or like other "peace keepers" keeping their heads down, bunkered down out of site.

[Rocksman]

The Arab league can send their own troops, NATO needs to stay out of this.

[1notrub11]

"The international community should deploy a peacekeeping force, instead of the U.N.'s existing, beleaguered observer mission, to help end the killing in Syria, the secretary general of the Arab League said Monday."

Oh sure, no problem. Any volunteers from the AL with respect to manpower and funding?

[stormerF69]

They could ask McCain ,seems he is willing to use his mouth,maybe he will put up some of his own money?