Syria requests 18 clauses of the Arab League protocol be amended

Several concordant sources from the Syrian opposition told Echorouk that the 18 amendments requested by Syrian president Bashar Al Assad on the Arab League draft protocol were at killing the spirit of the protocol signed-off by Arab foreign ministers during their November meeting in Cairo.

Echorouk had, in this regard, an interview with Basma Kadhmani, the spokesperson for the Syrian National Council who said the amendments proposed by Bashar Al Assad included preventing Arab League observers from visiting prisons and hospitals. ‘’This clause is the most important point contained in the protocol’’ before adding ‘’Assad’s also want observers to be escorted by Syrian government security forces in any place they move to in Syria during their work’’. Kadhmani concluded that the Syrian regime wanted the observers’ work to be monitored behind the concern about their security.

Syrian president also requested that the list of observers is given to the Syrian government who will conduct security investigation on every member of the Arab League mission and grant security entry approval as a result of the investigation. ‘’Non Arabs cannot be part of the mission’’ said Mrs. Kadhmani to Echorouk, while the Arab League is supposed to pay all expenses related to this mission’s presence on Syrian soil including accommodation, transport and other expenses.

Secretary General of the Arab League (AL), Nabil Elaraby announced Friday that AL had received a letter on Thursday evening from Syrian Foreign and Expatriates Minister Walid al-Moallem which included amendments to the draft protocol regarding the legal status and the duties of the AL mission of observers to be sent to Syria, Syria state-run news agency SANA reported on Friday.

SANA added that Nabil Elaraby announcement came in a press statement in which he said that the proposed amendments are now under study.

Other press reports quoted AL chief Nabil Elaraby said in a statement Friday that he received “amendments” from Damascus, which the League is studying.