Report of the Head of the League of Arab States Observer Mission to Syria

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Report of the Head of the League of Arab States Observer Mission to Syria

Datum: Donnerstag, 02. Februar 2012 18:30

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27/01/12 1 McAULEY 259.12D 12-21687

League of Arab States Observer Mission to Syria

Report of the Head of the League of Arab States Observer Mission to

Syria for the period from 24 December 2011 to 18 January 2012

In the name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate

“We offered the trust to the heavens and the earth and the mountains,

but they refused to carry it, and were afraid of it; and man carried it.

Surely he is sinful, very foolish” [Qur’an 33:72]

I . Legal bases

1. By resolution 7436 of 2 November 2011, the Council of the League of

Arab States adopted the Arab plan of action annexed thereto, welcomed

the Syrian Government’s agreement to the plan, and emphasized the need

for the Syrian Government to commit to the full and immediate

implementation of its provisions.

2. On 16 November 2011, the Council of the League of Arab States adopted

resolution 7439 approving the draft protocol of the Legal Centre and the

mandate of the League of Arab States Observer Mission to Syria, namely

to verify implementation of the provisions of the Arab plan of action to

resolve the Syrian crisis and protect Syrian civilians. The resolution

requested the Secretary-General of the League of Arab States to take

such steps as he deemed appropriate to appoint the Head of the League of

Arab States Observer Mission and to make contact with the Syrian

Government with a view to signing the Protocol.

3. By resolution 7441 of 24 November 2011, the Council of the League of

Arab States requested the Secretary-General of the League to deploy the

Observer Mission to the Syrian Arab Republic in order to fulfil its

mandate under the protocol immediately on its signature.

4. The Syrian Arab Republic and the General Secretariat of the League of

Arab States signed the protocol on 19 December 2011. The protocol

provided for the establishment and deployment to the Syrian Arab

Republic of a Mission comprising civilian and military experts from Arab

countries and Arab non- governmental human rights organizations.

Paragraph 5 stated that the Mission should transmit regular reports on

the results of its work to the Secretary-General of the League of Arab

State and the Syrian Government for submission — via the Arab

Ministerial Committee on the Situation in Syria — to the Council of the

League at the ministerial level for its consideration and appropriate

action.

5. On 20 December 2011, the Council of the League approved the

appointment of General Muhammad Ahmad Mustafa Al-Dabi from the Republic

of the Sudan as Head of the Observer Mission.

II. Formation of the Mission

6. The General Secretariat requested Member States and relevant Arab

organizations to transmit the names of its candidates for the Mission.

On that basis, 166 monitors from 13 Arab countries and six relevant Arab

organizations have thus far been appointed.

III. Visit of the advance delegation of the General Secretariat to Syria

7. In preparation for the Mission, an advance delegation of the General

Secretariat visited the Syrian Arab Republic on 22 December 2011 to

discuss the logistical preparations for the Mission.

8. In accordance with the protocol, the Syrian Government confirmed its

readiness to facilitate the Mission in every way by allowing the free

and safe movement of all of the observers throughout Syria, and by

refraining from hindering the work of the Mission on security or

administrative grounds. The Syrian Government side also affirmed its

commitment to ensuring that the Mission could freely conduct the

necessary meetings; to provide full protection for the observers, taking

into consideration the responsibility of the Mission if it were to

insist on visiting areas despite the warning of the security services;

and to allow the entry to Syria of journalists and Arab and

international media in accordance with the rules and regulations in

force in the country.

VI. Arrival and preliminary visits of the Head of Mission

9. The Head of the Mission, General Muhammad Ahmad Mustafa Al-Dabi,

arrived in the Syrian Arab Republic on the evening of Saturday 24

December 2011. He held a series of meetings with the Minister for

Foreign Affairs, Mr. Walid Al-Moualem, and with Syrian Government

officials, who stated that they stood

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prepared to cooperate fully with the Mission and to endeavour to ensure

its success, overcoming any obstacles that may arise. The necessary

logistical and security arrangements were agreed.

10. The Syrian side stated that there were certain areas that the

security protection detail would not be able to enter with the observers

for fear of the citizens’ reaction. The Head of the Mission replied that

that situation would enable the Mission to engage with citizens and

opposition parties without government monitoring, thereby removing the

citizens’ fear of repercussions as a result of communicating with the

Mission.

11. The Head of the Mission completed the technical field preparations

and secured the necessary transportation and communication devices in

order to start work. He met with the observers who arrived successively

in Syria and briefed them on their duties and the bases of their work

under the protocol. The observers took a special oath for the Mission

which had been drafted by the Head.

12. On 27 December 2011, the Head of the Mission and ten observers

conducted a preliminary visit to the city of Homs, one of the epicentres

of tension, which has seen acts of violence and armed confrontation

between the Army and the Syrian opposition. Some security barriers

separating districts remain in place.

13. Immediately on arriving in Homs, the Head of the Mission met with

the Governor of the city, who explained that there had been an

escalation in violence perpetrated by armed groups in the city. There

had been instances of kidnapping and sabotage of Government and civilian

facilities. Food was in short supply owing to the blockade imposed by

armed groups, which were believed to include some 3000 individuals. The

Governor further stated that all attempts by religious figures and city

notables to calm the situation had failed. He made enquiries regarding

the possibility of addressing the issue of soldiers and vehicles blocked

inside Baba Amr.

14. The Mission visited the residential districts of Baba Amr, Karam

Al-Zaytun, Al-Khalidiyya and Al- Ghuta without guards. It met with a

number of opposition citizens who described the state of fear, blockade

and acts of violence to which they had been subjected by Government

forces. At a time of intense exchanges of gunfire among the sides, the

Mission witnessed the effects of the destruction wrought on outlying

districts. The Mission witnessed an intense exchange of gunfire between

the Army and opposition in Baba Amr. It saw four military vehicles in

surrounding areas, and therefore had to return to the Governorate

headquarters. It was agreed with the Governor that five members of the

Mission would remain in Homs until the following day to conduct field

work and meet with the greatest possible number of citizens.

15. Immediately on returning from Homs, the Head of the Mission met with

the Government and insisted that it withdraw military vehicles from the

city, put an end to acts of violence, protect civilians, lift the

blockade and provide food. He further called for the two sides to

exchange the bodies of those killed.

16. At that meeting, the Syrian side agreed to withdraw all military

presence from the city and residential areas except for three army

vehicles that were not working and had been surrounded, and one that had

been taken from the Army by armed groups. The Syrian side requested the

Mission’s assistance to recover and remove those vehicles in exchange

for the release of four individuals, the exchange of five bodies from

each side, the entry of basic foods for families in the city, and the

entry of sanitation vehicles to remove garbage. It was agreed at the end

of the meeting that the Mission would conduct another visit to Homs on

the following day in the company of General Hassan Sharif, the security

coordinator for the Government side.

17. During that visit, the Mission was introduced to one of the leading

figures in the opposition, who acted as media representative of the

National Council. An extensive discussion took place regarding the offer

of the Syrian Government and the best way to implement the agreement. As

a result, the military vehicles were returned and removed; the bodies of

those killed were exchanged; trucks entered the city with food; and

three detainees and two women were released and returned to their

families in the presence of the Mission, thereby calming the situation

inside the city.

18. Five days after the monitors were deployed to five zones, the

Ministerial Committee requested that the Head of the Mission report on

the Mission’s work. He travelled to Cairo and gave an oral presentation

to the members of the Committee at their meeting of 8 January 2012. It

was decided that the work of the Mission should continue and that the

Head of the Mission should submit a report at the end of the period

determined in the protocol, on 19 January 2012. After the Head's return

to Damascus to resume his duties, the Mission faced difficulties from

Government loyalists and opposition alike, particularly as a result of

statements and media coverage in the wake of the Committee meeting. That

did not, however, affect the work of the Mission or its full and smooth

deployment across the country.

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19. Following its arrival, and to this date, the Mission has received

numerous letters from the Syrian committee responsible for coordination

with the Mission. The letters refer to the material and human losses

sustained by Government institutions and offices as a result of what is

described as sabotage. They assert that all of the States’ vital

services have been affected.

V. Deployment of the Observer Mission to Syria

20. The observers were divided into 15 zones covering 20 cities and

districts across Syria according to the time frame set out below. The

variation in dates was a result of shortcomings in administrative and

technical preparations, such as the arrival of cars and personnel. Care

was taken to ensure even distribution of observers. Each unit comprised

some ten observers of different Arab nationalities. The groups were

deployed to Syrian governorates and towns as follows:

• On 29 December 2011, six groups travelled to Damascus, Homs, Rif Homs,

Idlib, Deraa and Hama.

• On 4 January 2012, a group travelled to Aleppo.

• On 9 January 2012, two groups went to Deir Al-Zor and Latakia.

However, both returned to Damascus on 10 January 2012 owing to attacks

that led to the injury of two of the monitors in Latakia and material

damage to the cars.

• On 10 January 2012, a group travelled to Qamishli and Hasaka.

• On 12 January 2012, a group travelled to Outer Damascus.

• On 13 January 2012, four groups travelled to Suwaida, Bu Kamal, Deir

Al-Zor, Palmyra (Tadmur), Sukhna, Banyas and Tartous.

• On 15 January 2012, two groups travelled to Latakia, Raqqa and Madinat

Al-Thawra. Annex 1. List of observers, their nationalities and their

distribution.

21.

• • • • •

The observers were provided with the following: A map of the region; A

code of conduct for observers; The duties of the group leaders; The

duties of the observers; Necessary equipment such as computers, cameras

and communication devices.

22. office is open 24 hours a day and is directly linked to the League

of Arab States operations room in Cairo and to the groups deployed

across Syria. The room receives daily reports from the field teams and

conveys special instructions for monitoring. Owing to the volume of

work, an additional operations room was opened at the Mission

headquarters in Damascus with the task of allocating individuals and

assigning committees on follow- up, detainees, the media and financial

affairs. It coordinates with the main operations room at the offices of

the League of Arab States.

23. In Latakia and Deir Al-Zor, the Mission faced difficulties from

Government loyalists. In Latakia, thousands surrounded the Mission’s

cars, chanting slogans in favour of the President and against the

Mission. The situation became out of control and monitors were attacked.

Two sustained light injuries and an armoured car was completely crushed.

In order to address the matter, the Head of Mission contacted the Syrian

committee responsible for coordination with the Mission. Nevertheless,

the Head of the Mission ordered the immediate return of the two groups

to Damascus. He met the Minister for Foreign Affairs and made a

strongly- worded formal protest. The Syrian side strongly condemned the

incident and extended a formal apology, explaining that the events were

not in any sense deliberate. In order to emphasize the point, the Syrian

Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs met with the members of the Latakia

team and stated that the Syrian Government would address the shortcoming

immediately and guarantee the safety and security of observers

everywhere. He apologized to them for the unfortunate and unintentional

incidents. The members were then assigned to new zones after four days’

rest.

VI. Implementation of the Mission’s mandate under the protocol

An operations room was established at the offices of the League of Arab

States in Damascus. The

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24. The Head of the Mission stresses that this assessment in terms of

the provisions of the protocol summarizes the findings of the groups as

relayed by group leaders at their meeting with the Head of the Mission

on 17 January 2012.

A. Monitoring and observation of the cessation of all violence by all

sides in cities and residential areas

25. On being assigned to their zones and starting work, the observers

witnessed acts of violence perpetrated by Government forces and an

exchange of gunfire with armed elements in Homs and Hama. As a result of

the Mission’s insistence on a complete end to violence and the

withdrawal of Army vehicles and equipment, this problem has receded. The

most recent reports of the Mission point to a considerable calming of

the situation and restraint on the part of those forces.

26. In Homs and Dera‘a, the Mission observed armed groups committing

acts of violence against Government forces, resulting in death and

injury among their ranks. In certain situations, Government forces

responded to attacks against their personnel with force. The observers

noted that some of the armed groups were using flares and

armour-piercing projectiles.

27. In Homs, Idlib and Hama, the Observer Mission witnessed acts of

violence being committed against Government forces and civilians that

resulted in several deaths and injuries. Examples of those acts include

the bombing of a civilian bus, killing eight persons and injuring

others, including women and children, and the bombing of a train

carrying diesel oil. In another incident in Homs, a police bus was blown

up, killing two police officers. A fuel pipeline and some small bridges

were also bombed.

28. The Mission noted that many parties falsely reported that explosions

or violence had occurred in several locations. When the observers went

to those locations, they found that those reports were unfounded.

29. The Mission also noted that, according to its teams in the field,

the media exaggerated the nature of the incidents and the number of

persons killed in incidents and protests in certain towns.

B. Verifying that Syrian security services and so-called shabiha gangs

do not obstruct peaceful demonstrations

30. According to their latest reports and their briefings to the Head of

the Mission on 17 January 2012 in preparation for this report, group

team leaders witnessed peaceful demonstrations by both Government

supporters and the opposition in several places. None of those

demonstrations were disrupted, except for some minor clashes with the

Mission and between loyalists and opposition. These have not resulted in

fatalities since the last presentation before the Arab Ministerial

Committee on the Situation in Syria at its meeting of 8 January 2012.

31. The reports and briefings of groups leaders state that citizens

belonging to the opposition surround the Mission on its arrival and use

the gathering as a barrier from the security services. However, such

incidents have gradually decreased.

32. The Mission has received requests from opposition supporters in Homs

and Deraa that it should stay on-site and not leave, something that may

be attributable to fear of attack after the Mission’s departure.

C. Verifying the release of those detained in the current incidents

33. The Mission received reports from parties outside Syria indicating

that the number of detainees was 16,237. It also received information

from the opposition inside the country that the number of detainees was

12,005. In validating those figures, the teams in the field discovered

that there were discrepancies between the lists, that information was

missing and inaccurate, and that names were repeated. The Mission is

communicating with the concerned Government agencies to confirm those

numbers.

34. The Mission has delivered to the Syrian Government all of the lists

received from the Syrian opposition inside and outside Syria. In

accordance with the protocol, it has demanded the release of the detainees.

35. On 15 January 2012, President Bashar Al-Assad issued a legislative

decree granting a general amnesty for crimes perpetrated in the context

of the events from 15 March 2011 through to the issuance of the decree.

In implementation of the amnesty, the relevant Government authorities

have been periodically releasing detainees in the various regions so

long as they are not wanted in connection with other crimes. The Mission

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259.12D

has been supervising the releases and is monitoring the process with the

Government’s full and active coordination.

12-21687

36. On 19 January 2012, the Syrian government stated that 3569 detainees

had been released from military and civil prosecution services. The

Mission verified that 1669 of those detained had thus far been released.

It continues to follow up the issue with the Government and the

opposition, emphasizing to the Government side that the detainees should

be released in the presence of observers so that the event can be

documented.

37. The Mission has validated the following figures for the total number

of detainees that the Syrian government thus far claims to have released:

• Before the amnesty: 4,035 • After the amnesty: 3,569.

The Government has therefore claimed that a total of 7,604 detainees

have been released.

38. The Mission has verified the correct number of

detainees released and arrived at the following figures: • Before the

amnesty: 3,483 • After the amnesty: 1,669

The total number of confirmed releases is therefore 5152. The Mission is

continuing to monitor the process and communicate with the Syrian

Government for the release of the remaining detainees.

D. Confirming the withdrawal of the military presence from residential

neighbourhoods in which demonstrations and protests occurred or are

occurring

39. Based on the reports of the field-team leaders and the meeting held

on 17 January 2012 with all team leaders, the Mission confirmed that all

military vehicles, tanks and heavy weapons had been withdrawn from

cities and residential neighbourhoods. Although there are still some

security measures in place in the form of earthen berms and barriers in

front of important buildings and in squares, they do not affect

citizens. It should be noted that the Syrian Minister of Defence, in a

meeting with the Head of the Mission that took place on 5 January 2012,

affirmed his readiness to accompany the Head of the Mission to all sites

and cities designated by the latter and from which the Mission suspects

that the military presence had not yet been withdrawn, with a view to

issuing field orders and rectifying any violation immediately.

40. Armoured vehicles (personnel carriers) are present at some barriers.

One of those barriers is located in Homs and some others in Madaya,

Zabadani and Rif Damascus. The presence of those vehicles was reported

and they were subsequently withdrawn from Homs. It has been confirmed

that the residents of Zabadani and Madaya reached a bilateral agreement

with the Government that led to the removal of those barriers and vehicles.

E. Confirming the accreditation by the Syrian Government of Arab and

international media organizations and that those organizations are

allowed to move freely in all parts of Syria

41. Speaking on behalf of his Government, the Syrian Minister of

Information confirmed that, from the beginning of December 2011 to 15

January 2012, the Government had accredited 147 Arab and foreign media

organizations. Some 112 of those organizations entered Syrian territory,

joining the 90 other accredited organizations operating in Syria through

their full-time correspondents.

42. The Mission followed up on this issue. It identified 36 Arab and

foreign media organizations and several journalists located in a number

of Syrian cities. It also received complaints that the Syrian Government

had granted some media organizations authorization to operate for four

days only, which was insufficient time, according to those

organizations. In addition to preventing them from entering the country

until they had specified their destinations, journalists were required

obtain further authorization once they had entered the country and were

prevented from going to certain areas. The Syrian Government confirmed

that it grants media organizations operating permits that are valid for

10 days, with the possibility of renewal.

43. Reports and information from some sectors [teams] indicate that the

Government places restrictions on the movement of media organizations in

opposition areas. In many cases, those restrictions caused journalists

to trail the Mission in order to do their work.

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44. In Homs, a French journalist who worked for the France 2 channel was

killed and a Belgian journalist was injured. The Government and

opposition accused each other of being responsible for the incident, and

both sides issued statements of condemnation. The Government formed an

investigative committee in order to determine the cause of the incident.

It should be noted that Mission reports from Homs indicate that the

French journalist was killed by opposition mortar shells.

Annex 2. A list of media organizations identified and a list of media

organizations that entered Syria, according to the official information.

VII.

Obstacles encountered by the Mission Monitors Some of the experts

nominated were not capable of taking on such a responsibility and did

not have

45. prior experience in this field.

46. Some of the observers did not grasp the amount of responsibility

that was being placed on them and the importance of giving priority to

Arab interests over personal interests.

47. In the course of field work, some observers were unable to deal with

difficult circumstances, which are at the core of their duties. Monitors

must have certain traits and the specializations required for such work.

48. A number of the observers are elderly, and some of them suffer from

health conditions that prevent them from performing their duties.

49. Twenty-two observers declined to complete the mission for personal

reasons. Some observers offered unfounded reasons, which were not

accepted by the Head of the Mission, while others had a personal agenda.

Annex 3. List of the names of observers who declined to complete the

Mission.

50. Some observers reneged on their duties and broke the oath they had

taken. They made contact with officials from their countries and gave

them exaggerated accounts of events. Those officials consequently

developed a bleak and unfounded picture of the situation.

51. Some of the observers in the various zones are demanding housing

similar to their counterparts in Damascus or financial reimbursement

equivalent to the difference in accommodation rates resulting from the

difference in hotel standards or accommodation in Damascus. These issues

do not warrant comment.

52. Some observers are afraid to perform their duties owing to the

violent incidents that have occurred in certain locations. The

unavailability of armoured cars at all the sites and the lack of

bulletproof vests have negatively affected some observers’ ability to

carry out their duties.

Comments of the Head of the Mission concerning the observers

53. Some of the observers, unfortunately, believed that their journey to

Syria was for amusement, and were therefore surprised by the reality of

the situation. They did not expect to be assigned to teams or to have to

remain at stations outside the capital or to face the difficulties that

they encountered.

54. Some of the observers were not familiar with the region and its

geography. The unavailability of armoured vehicles and protective vests

had a negative effect on the spirits of some observers.

55. Some of the observers experienced hostility both from the Syrian

opposition and loyalists. This hostility also had a negative effect on

their spirits.

56. Despite the foregoing comments, the performance of many of the

observers was outstanding and praiseworthy. Those who underperformed

will improve with experience and guidance.

B. Security restrictions

57. Although it welcomed the Mission and its Head and repeatedly

emphasized that it would not impose any security restrictions that could

obstruct the movement of the Mission, the Government deliberately

attempted to limit the observers’ ability to travel extensively in

various regions. The Government also attempted to focus the attention of

the Mission on issues in which it is interested. The Mission resisted

those attempts and responded to them in a manner that allowed it to

fulfil its mandate and overcome the obstacles that stood in the way of

its work.

C. Communication equipment

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58. The Mission communicates with the various groups by mobile phones

and facsimile machines connected to the local Syrian telephone network.

Occasional cuts in service prevent the Mission from communicating with

the groups.

59. The Mission was equipped with 10 Thuraya satellite phones. Such

devices are hard to use inside buildings owing of the difficulty in

obtain a satellite signal. As a result, ordinary phones and fax

machines, which are not considered secure communications equipment, were

used to send daily reports, instead.

60. The communication equipment the Qatari observers brought with them

was held at the Jordanian border, despite demands made by the Head of

the Mission to the Syrian authorities to permit entry of that equipment.

That notwithstanding, the amount of equipment would not have been enough

to meet the needs of all sites and station.

61. The Mission does not have portable two-way radios for communication

between team members. The Chinese Embassy provided 10 such radios as a

gift to the Mission. They were used in three sectors only.

62. capital.

63. work in

Internet service is unavailable in some regions, and in other areas it

is intermittent, including in the

There are no cameras attached to the vehicles used by the Mission, which

would facilitate observers’ dangerous areas.

Transportation

64. drive vehicles and 10 sedans. It should be noted that the Mission’s

mandate requires the used of armoured four- wheel drive vehicles, given

the nature of the Mission. The number of such vehicles currently

available does not satisfy the needs of the Mission, particularly for

transportation into trouble spots.

65. When it was first deployed, the Mission rented several cars from

local sources for use in monitoring operations. However, owing to some

acts of violence directed against the field teams, the rental companies

recalled those vehicles and their drivers out of fear for their safety.

66. The Mission encountered difficulties in hiring drivers because the

opposition groups refused to allowf local drivers to enter their areas

because they believed the drivers were members of the security services,

which forces the observers to drive the vehicles themselves.

67. Some of the observers demanded to use vehicles sent by their

countries, a demand that was denied by the Head of the Mission, who

allocated the vehicles according to the needs of each zone.

Annex 4. List showing the number, types and distribution of vehicles and

the countries that provided them.

E. The media

68. Since it began its work, the Mission has been the target of a

vicious media campaign. Some media outlets have published unfounded

statements, which they attributed to the Head of the Mission. They have

also grossly exaggerated events, thereby distorting the truth.

69. Such contrived reports have helped to increase tensions among the

Syrian people and undermined the observers’ work. Some media

organizations were exploited in order to defame the Mission and its Head

and cause the Mission to fail.

VIII. Basic needs of the Mission, should its mandate be renewed

• 100 additional young observers, preferably military personnel • 30

armoured vehicles • Light protective vests • Vehicle-mounted

photographic equipment

• Modern communications equipment • Binoculars, ordinary and

night-vision IX. Evaluation:

The Mission has 38 cars at its disposal (23 armoured and 15

non-armoured), including 28 four-wheel

27/01/12 8 McAULEY 259.12D 12-21687

70. The purpose of the Protocol is to protect Syrian citizens through

the commitment of the Syrian Government to stop acts of violence,

release detainees and withdraw all military presence from cities and

residential neighbourhoods. This phase must lead to dialogue among the

Syrian sides and the launching of a parallel political process.

Otherwise, the duration of this Mission will be extended without

achieving the desired results on the ground.

71. The Mission determined that there is an armed entity that is not

mentioned in the protocol. This development on the ground can

undoubtedly be attributed to the excessive use of force by Syrian

Government forces in response to protests that occurred before the

deployment of the Mission demanding the fall of the regime. In some

zones, this armed entity reacted by attacking Syrian security forces and

citizens, causing the Government to respond with further violence. In

the end, innocent citizens pay the price for those actions with life and

limb.

72. The Mission noted that the opposition had welcomed it and its

members since their deployment to Syria. The citizens were reassured by

the Mission’s presence and came forward to present their demands,

although the opposition had previously been afraid to do so publicly

owing to their fear of being arrested once again, as they had been prior

to the Mission’s arrival in Syria. However, this was not case in the

period that followed the last Ministerial Committee statement, although

the situation is gradually improving.

73. The Mission noted that the Government strived to help it succeed in

its task and remove any barriers that might stand in its way. The

Government also facilitated meetings with all parties. No restrictions

were placed on the movement of the Mission and its ability to interview

Syrian citizens, both those who opposed the Government and those loyal

to it.

74. In some cities, the Mission sensed the extreme tension, oppression

and injustice from which the Syrian people are suffering. However, the

citizens believe the crisis should be resolved peacefully through Arab

mediation alone, without international intervention. Doing so would

allow them to live in peace and complete the reform process and bring

about the change they desire. The Mission was informed by the

opposition, particularly in Dar‘a, Homs, Hama and Idlib, that some of

its members had taken up arms in response to the suffering of the Syrian

people as a result of the regime’s oppression and tyranny; corruption,

which affects all sectors of society; the use of torture by the security

agencies; and human rights violations.

75. Recently, there have been incidents that could widen the gap and

increase bitterness between the parties. These incidents can have grave

consequences and lead to the loss of life and property. Such incidents

include the bombing of buildings, trains carrying fuel, vehicles

carrying diesel oil and explosions targeting the police, members of the

media and fuel pipelines. Some of those attacks have been carried out by

the Free Syrian Army and some by other armed opposition groups.

76. The Mission has adhered scrupulously to its mandate, as set out in

the Protocol. It has observed daily realities on the ground with

complete neutrality and independence, thereby ensuring transparency and

integrity in its monitoring of the situation, despite the difficulties

the Mission encountered and the inappropriate actions of some individuals.

77. Under the Protocol, the Mission’s mandate is one month. This does

not allow adequate time for administrative preparations, let alone for

the Mission to carry out its task. To date, the Mission has actually

operated for 23 days. This amount of time is definitely not sufficient,

particularly in view of the number of items the Mission must

investigate. The Mission needs to remain on the ground for a longer

period of time, which would allow it to experience citizens’ daily

living conditions and monitor all events. It should be noted that

similar previous operations lasted for several months or, in some cases,

several years.

78. Arab and foreign audiences of certain media organizations have

questioned the Mission’s credibility because those organizations use the

media to distort the facts. It will be difficult to overcome this

problem unless there is political and media support for the Mission and

its mandate. It is only natural that some negative incidents should

occur as it conducts its activities because such incidents occur as a

matter of course in similar missions.

79. The Mission arrived in Syria after the imposition of sanctions aimed

at compelling to implement what was agreed to in the Protocol. Despite

that, the Mission was welcomed by the opposition, loyalists and the

Government. Nonetheless, questions remains as to how the Mission should

fulfil its mandate. It should be noted that the mandate established for

the Mission in the Protocol was changed in response to developments on

the ground and the reactions thereto. Some of those were violent

reactions by entities that were not mentioned

27/01/12 9 McAULEY 259.12D 12-21687

in the Protocol. All of these developments necessitated an expansion of

and a change in the Mission’s mandate. The most important point in this

regard is the commitment of all sides to cease all acts of violence,

thereby allowing the Mission to complete its tasks and, ultimately, lay

the groundwork for the political process.

80. Should there be agreement to extend its mandate, then the Mission

must be provided with communications equipment, means of transportation

and all the equipment it requires to carry out its mandate on the ground.

81. On the other hand, ending the Mission’s work after such a short

period will reverse any progress, even if partial, that has thus far

been made. This could perhaps lead to chaos on the ground because all

the parties involved in the crisis thus remain unprepared for the

political process required to resolve the Syrian crisis.

82. Since its establishment, attitudes towards the Mission have been

characterized by insincerity or, more broadly speaking, a lack of

seriousness. Before it began carrying out its mandate and even before

its members had arrived, the Mission was the target of a vicious

campaign directed against the League of Arab States and the Head of the

Mission, a campaign that increased in intensity after the observers’

deployment. The Mission still lack the political and media support it

needs in order to fulfil its mandate. Should its mandate be extended,

the goals set out in the Protocol will not be achieved unless such

support is provided and the Mission receives the backing it needs to

ensure the success of the Arab solution.

X. Recommendations:

83. In view of the above and of the success achieved in executing the

provision of the Protocol, which the Syrian Government pledged to

implement, I recommend the following:

• The Mission must be provided with administrative and logistic support

in order allow it to carry out its tasks. The Mission must also be give

the media and political support required to create an appropriate

environment that will enable it to fulfil its mandate in the required

manner.

• The political process must be accelerated and a national dialogue must

be launched. That dialogue should run in parallel with the Mission’s

work in order to create an environment of confidence that would

contributes to the Mission’s success and prevent a needless extension of

its presence in Syria.

Annexes

1. List of observers, their nationalities and their distribution.

2. List of media organizations identified and a list of media

organizations that entered Syria, according to the official information.

3. List of the names of observers who declined to complete the Mission.

4. List showing the number, types and distribution of vehicles and the

countries that provided them.

_______________

(Signed) Muhammad Ahmad Mustafa Al-Dabi Head of the Mission

27/01/12 10 259.12D

Translated from Arabic

League of Arab States Observer Mission to Syria Annex I Names of the

observers of the League of Arab States Observer Mission to Syria

McAULEY 12-21687

No. Name

1 Mr. Abdulaziz Saya‘a

2 Mr. Zerdani Meziane

3 Col. Jawad Kazem Ja‘afar Jassem

4 Col. Ismail Husayn ‘Uwaysh Muhsin Al-Zaidi

5 Mr. Said Belabad

6 Mr. Said Sultan Muhammad Ben Sulayman

7 Mr. Fethi Belhaj

8 Mr. Ahmed Mana‘a

9 Mr. Khalid Nasir Muhammad Al- Suwaidi

10 Mr. Ali Raja‘a Ali Al-Saheli

11 Mr. Muhammad Ahmed Ali Al- Ma‘ashi

12 Mr. Abulrahman Hamud Al-Qadib

13 Brig. Abbas Wannas ‘Abbud

14 Col. Abdulrahman Jassem Hilal Jassem Al-Ameri

15 Brig. Sabah Kazem Ghanem Amer Al-Saidi

16 Brig. Adwar Al-Fur‘an

Nationality Field team

Remarks

Algeria

Iraq

Algeria

United Arab Emirates

Tunisia

United Arab Emirates

Saudi Arabia

Iraq

Tartous and Banyas (leader)

Tartous and Banyas

Qamishli and Hasaka (leader)

Qamishli and Hasaka (deputy)

Qamishli and Hasaka

Suwaida (leader)

Permanent Arab Committee for Human Rights, Paris

Jordan

27/01/12 259.12D

17 Brig. Khadr Qalih Hattab Muhammad Al-Sudani

18 Col. Maj. Mahmud Al-Muwali

19 Maj. Fawzi Al-Sahmiyet

20 Mr. Adel Ibrahim Hassan

21 Brig. Abbas Hassan ‘A ydan Abdul Khaqalji

22 Mr. Khalid Ali Al-Bawsit

23 Mr. Abdulaziz Al-Bu Rashid

24 Ambassador Rashid Lounas

25 Mr. Ashika Bashir

26 Mr. Said Saif Al-Shamsi

27 Mr. Ali Rashid Ali Al-Husni

28 Mr. Ahmed Farhan Thabit

29 Mr. Mazen Fakhir ‘Aliwi

30 Mr. Mustafa Al-Mawhad Mustafa

31 Col. Sadiq Al-‘A wran

32 Mr. Al-Arbi Mkharek

33 Mr. El Hassan Zahid

34 Mr. Abullatif Al-Jabali

35 Mr. Mustafa Al-Hasan Taha

36 Mr. Al-Bukhari Walid Ahmadi

37 Ms. Nun Ja‘afar Y unus

38 Mr. Abulqasim ‘Uthman Said

39 Mr. ‘Umar Ahmad Abbas

40 Mr. Mohammed Yarqi

41 Mr. Muhammad Mahmud Walid Bubakr

42 Mr. Beltut ‘Ashur

43 Mr. Rafa‘at Merghani Abbas

44 Mr. Hashim Hasan Ali

45 Mr. Al-Sharif ‘A wwad Rahmat

46 Mr. Muhammad Nafi’ullah Walid

Iraq

Jordan

Sudan

Iraq

Bahrain

Algeria

United Arab Emirates

Iraq

Morocco

Jordan

Morocco

Moroco

Tunisia

Egypt

Mauritania

Sudan

Algeria

Mauritania

Algeria

Sudan

Iraq

Sudan

Mauritania

Suwaida

Tadmur and Sukhna (leader)

Tadmur and Sukhna

Aleppo

Idlib (leader)

Idlib

Deraa (leader)

Deraa

McAULEY 12-21687

Permanent Arab Committee for Human Rights, Paris

Arab Organization for Human Rights

27/01/12 259.12D

Al-Ni‘ma

47 Col. Maj. Ahmad Salim Al-Kharafi

48 Mr. Issa Sultan Al-Sulayti

49 Mr. Husayn Salman Mattar

50 Col. Khader Jabbar Kayan Khalifa Al-Ka’abi

51 Mr. Munib Ja’afar Salih Kasid Al- Maliki

52 Brig. Nidal Muzhir Muhammad Abdullah Al-Rukabi

53 Lt. Col. Salim Muhammad Al- Hajiri

54 Lt. Col. Khalid Nasir Al-Radhan

55 Brig. Kazem Jawad Y asir Abdulrida Al-Adili

56 Mr. Ja’afar Kubayda

57 Mr. Juraybi Mihraz

58 Mr. Mikati Ali

59 Mr Ibrahim Fadl Al-Mawna

60 Mr. Muhammad Khalil

61 Mr. Muhammad Abduljalil Abdullah Al-Ansari

62 Mr. Lahsan Tahami

63 Mr. Abdullah Al-Tahir

64 Mr. Salah Abdulkarim Said Abdullah

65 Mr. Zaki Koko Khalid Al-Jak

66 Mr. Al-Jili Al-Bashir

67 Mr. Al-Sadiq Al-Fadil

68 Brig. Ihsan Ali Bu‘aywi Ali Al- ‘Anuz

69 Mr. Aid Abdullah Iyad Al-‘Utaybi

70 Maj. ‘As‘ad Abu ‘Ata

71 Mr. Umar Sulayman Khayr Abbas

72 Mr. Zaid Muhammad Abdullatif Muhammad Ali

73 Mr. Salih Walid Said Mahmud

74 Mr. Muhammad Hassan Said

Kuwait

Bahrain

Iraq

Kuwait

Iraq

Sudan

Algeria

Sudan

Morocco

United Arab Emirates

Algeria

Sudan

Iraq

Sudan

Iraq

Saudi Arabia

Jordan

Iraq

Mauritania

Iraq

McAULEY 12-21687

Deir Al-Zor and Bu Kamal (leader)

Deir Al-Zor and Bu Kamal

Damascus (leader)

Damascus

Homs (a) (leader)

Homs (a)

Homs (b) (leader)

Homs (b)

27/01/12 259.12D

Muhammad

75 Mr. Muhammad Al-Bashir Walid Saidi Hammadi

76 Mr. Islam Muhammad Abu Al- A ynayn Sultan

77 Mr. Mustafa Sulih

78 Mr. Muhammad Husayn Idris

79 Maj. Muhammad Salim ‘Ata Al- Salim

80 Mr. Salih Ahmad Muhammad Al- Ghamidi

81 Brig. Sulayman Hassan Karim Al- Siyahi

82 Gen. Ali Hassan Hussein Habib Al Habib

83 Col. Akram Husayn Tahir

84 Gen. Hassan Ali Mali Wali Al- ‘Ubaydi

85 Gen. Muhammad Sa‘ud Munji Atya Zayni

86 Mr. Said Mursi

87 Mr. Ali Muhammad Abdullah Al- Shahhi

88 Mr. Khalid Muhammad Ali Al- Shahhi

89 Mr. Muhammad Khalifa Ali Al- Kutbi

90 Mr. Abulqadir Azaria Bin Ahmad

91 Mr. Al-Karimani Muwali Muhammad

92 Gen. Sadiq Ja‘afar Hawsan Al- Wa’ili

93 Mr. Mubarak Said Musafir Al- Khayili

Mauritania

Egypt

Morocco

Sudan

Jordan

Saudi Arabia

Iraq

Sudan

Iraq

Egypt

United Arab Emirates

Morocco

Iraq

United Arab Emirates

Iraq

Homs (b)

Latakia (leader)

Latakia (deputy)

Latakia

Raqqa and Madinat Al- Thawra (leader)

Raqqa and Madinat Al- Thawra

Raqqa and

McAULEY 12-21687

Arab Organization for Human Rights

Permanent Arab Committee for Human Rights, Paris

94 Gen. Sattar Jabbar Zamil Al-Sa‘idi

27/01/12 259.12D

95 Mr. Muhammad Said Al-Kutbi

96 Lt. Col. Muhammad Nasir Al- Humaynan

97 Maj. Dr. Huquqi Y usuf Y a‘qub Kandari

98 Mr. Khadr Husayn Salih

United Arab Emirates

Kuwait

Iraq

Qatar

United Arab Emirates

Kuwait

Qatar

Egypt

Saudi Arabia

McAULEY 12-21687

Al-

Madinat Al- Thawra

Raqqa and Madinat Al- Thawra

Damascus countryside (leader)

Damascus countryside

Hama (leader)

Hama

99 Mr. Safa’ Husayn Ibrahim Radi Al- A‘raji

100 Mr. Hadi Rashid Khalid

101 Mr. Muhammad Hamad Jarullah

102 Mr. Muhammad Naji‘ ‘A wwad

103 Mr. Hassan Ali Rashid

104 Mr. Muhammad Sayf Muhammad

105 Mr. Hamad Tawim Muhammad

106 Mr. Said Ahmad Y ati Al-Falasi

107 Mr. Ali Sultan Al-Suraydi

108 Maj. Muhammad ‘Ubayd Al-‘Anzi

109 Mr. Nawaf Mubarak Sayf

110 Mr. Dayfullah Hasan Abdullah

111 Mr. Abdullah Sultan Abdullah

112 Mr. Muhammad Abdulman‘am Shadhili Al-Shadhili

113 Mr. Ghanem Mahya Al-Harbi

27/01/12 259.12D

114 Mr. Muhammad Abdulaziz Mana‘a Al-Dusri

115 Mr. Ahmad Al-Nu‘aymi

116 Mr. Sami Jalil Salim

117 Mr. Ali ‘Auda

118 Mr. Fawaz Mukhlid Musafir Al- Mutayri

119 Mr. Jassim Muhammad Habib ‘Issa

120 Mr. Abdulrahim Shalabi

121 H. E. Nazih ‘Umarayn

122 Brig. Muhammad Ahmad Zaza

123 Mr. Abdullah Said ‘Abbud Al-Asri

124 Mr. Razzaq Abd Ali Muhammad Al-Tali

125 Dr. Khalfan Sultan Hamad Al-Kindi

126 Mr. Mazen Ibrahim Al-Tamimi

127 Mr. Ahmad Abdullatif

128 Mr. Tariq Al-Mawmani

129 Mr. Al-Shadhili Hamid

130 Mr. Abdulrahman Ben ‘Umar

131 Mr. Tali‘ Al-Sa‘ud Abdullah Al- Atlasi

132 Mr. Abdulillah Muhammad Hassun Haydar Al-Khafaji

133 Mr. Hamad Rashid Jabir

134 Mr. Salih Faraj Muhammad

135 Mr. Khalid Salim Salih Al-Saidi

136 Mr. Afifi Abdullatif Muhammad

137 Mr. Khalid Bin Rabi‘an

138 Mr. Adel Ahmad Sultan

Saudi Arabia

Bahrain

Iraq

Saudi Arabia

Iraq

Egypt

Jordan

Saudi Arabia

Iraq

United Arab Emirates

Bahrain

Sudan

Jordan

Sudan

Morocco

Iraq

Qatar

United Arab Emirates

Sudan

Saudi Arabia

United Arab

McAULEY 12-21687

Hama

Consultative team

Coordination of operations

Operations control

Committee on detainees

Public information

Advisers

Advisor on public information

Transportation

Administrative support

Medical support

Chief, operations room

Operations control

27/01/12 16 McAULEY 259.12D 12-21687

Emirates

139

Mr. Farijat Bushu‘ayb

Morocco

Operations supervisor

140

Mr. Fahd Muhammad Ali

Qatar

Communications control

141

Mr. Ali Muhammad Ali

Qatar

Damascus countryside

142

Ms. Ilham Al-Shajali

Y emen

Team office

League of Arab States

143

Mr. Sidi ‘Uthman Walid Al-Sheikh

Mauritania

Team office

144

Mr. Maslah Salih Maslah Al- ‘Utaybi

Saudi Arabia

Team office

27/01/12 17 McAULEY 259.12D 12-21687

Annex II Extent of compliance with paragraph 5 regarding the media

With regard to the media, the protocol states that the Mission should

verify that the Syrian Government gives accreditation to Arab and

international media and allows them free and unfettered movement

throughout Syria.

The Mission teams have followed up the issue. They observed that members

of the media were exercising their profession in various regions. They

noted some complaints made by members of the media, who said that the

Syrian Government had given them four days in which to work in the

country, a time frame that they considered insufficient. In view of the

complaints, and after the Head of the Mission referred the matter to the

Syrian side, the Government agreed to increase the time frame to ten

days including the initial four. The media were thus able to work freely

with the Mission teams.

While the Mission was present, there was only one killing. The victim

was the French journalist Gilles Jacquier, a correspondent for the

channel France II, who was walking through Homs. Each side blamed the

other for his death and issued statements condemning it. The Government

formed a committee to investigate the incident, in which a Belgian

journalist was also wounded.

With regard to the decision whether or not to grant entry, the Syrian

President Bashar Al- Assad stated in his speech of 10 January 2012 that

the media were selectively allowed to operate in Syria. However, he did

not define the criteria in use. Government figures have indicated that

the decision whether or not to grant entry is based on the journalist's

position regarding Syria and the events taking place in the country.

They stated that only two channels had been barred, namely Al- Jazeera

and Al-Arabiya, which the Government believes to be targeting Syria and

its system of government.

In regions where media access is difficult, the events are being relayed

through high- technology devices incompatible with television, such as

mobile phones and simple cameras that give a poor picture on satellite

television.

According to the latest information, the Mission teams have observed 44

media outlets and a number of freelance journalists. The Minister of

Information, Mr. Adnan Mahmud, stated that 147 Arab and international

media outlets had been accredited between the start of December 2011 and

15 January 2012, of which 112 had entered the country, in addition to 90

media outlets that were already based in Syria and had permanent

correspondents.

The media outlets observed covering the events in Syria are as follows.

I. Monitoring by teams of observers

Name

Date of monitoring

Place

Algerian delegation

31/12/2011

Daraa/Damascus

Dubai Network

3/1/2012

Damascus

BBC Arabic Network

5/1/2012

Outskirts of Damascus

German television

7/1/2012

Damascus

Iranian television

7/1/2012

Damascus

German television

7/1/2012

Damascus

Chinese media delegation (14 media organizations)

7/1/2012

Damascus

Russian television - RT

7/1/2012

Damascus

27/01/12 18 259.12D

9. TSR

10. CNN

11. RTL

12. Associated Press Agency

13. France 2 Network

14. Italian journalist

15. Lebanese journalist

16. Japanese television

17. Al-Kawthar Iranian television network

18. Iraqi network

19. Canadian media delegation

20. CBS Network - America

21. V oice of America Radio

22. Financial Times

23. Belgian journalist and writer

24. Indonesian media delegation

8/1/2012 Damascus

McAULEY 12-21687

between

by team of

8/1/2012

9/1/2012

10/1/2012

12/1/2012

13/1/2012

15/1/2012

16/1/2012

Damascus

Homs

Daraa

Damascus

Lattakia

Aleppo

II. Arab and foreign media that entered Syria since the signing of the

Protocol 19/12/2011 and 16/1/2012, according to official reports:

Name

1. Chinese media delegation made up of 14 journalists from different

Chinese media outlets

2. Japanese TBS Network and Japanese journalist Yuta Furukawa

3. Xinhua Chinese News Agency

4. Agence France Presse French News Agency

5. Y omiuri Japanese newspaper and Japanese journalist Tao Shigeki

6. Belgian journalist Pierre Piccinin

7. New TV - Firas Hatoum, Sa`d al-Din Al- Rifa`i and Ali Sha`ban

8. Algerian National Television

9. Algerian National Radio

10. Algerian News Agency

11. Mainichi Japanese newspaper and Japanese journalist Hiroaki Wada

12. TBS Japanese broadcasting network

13. Italian official television

14. French journalist Herve´ Degal

Date of entry

19/12/2011

20/12/2011

26/12/2011

27/12/2011

30/12/2011

1/1/2012

3/1/2012

Remarks

Monitored observers

Monitored observers - part of Algerian delegation

Part of Algerian delegation

Monitored by team of observers

by team of

27/01/12 19 259.12D

15. BBC News Arabic network

16. Asahi Shimbun Japanese newspaper

17. RTL German television and Austrian journalist Antonia Rados

18. ORF Austrian broadcasting network and correspondent Fritz Orter

19. Aftenposten Norwegian newspaper and Norwegian journalist Jørgen Lohne

20. Milli Gazete Turkish newspaper

21. TV5 Turkish network

22. Milliyet Turkish newspaper

23. I?hlas Turkish news agency

24. Vatan Turkish newspaper

25. Aks¸am Turkish newspaper

26. Vakit Turkish newspaper

27. Yeni S¸afak Turkish newspaper

28. Today's Zaman English-language Turkish newspaper

29. KON Turkish television network

30. Hu¨rriyet Turkish newspaper

31. Star Turkish newspaper

32. Turk online news site

33. STV Turkish television network

34. Y eni Asya Turkish newspaper

35. Bugu¨n Turkish newspaper

36. So¨zcu¨ Turkish newspaper

37. Cumhuriyet Turkish newspaper

38. Guardian British newspaper and British journalist Ian Black

39. NHK Japanese Government television and Japanese journalist Y ujiru Fuori

40. Russian media delegation and journalist Dimitri

41. FR2 French television

42. Hebdo Swiss newspaper

43. Lebanese New TV network and correspondent Firas Hatoum

44. CNN network: British journalist Dominic Robertson

45. Spanish official television and journalist Oscar Fernando Go´mez

46. British journalist Elizabeth Cocker

47. Russian journalist Boris Dolgov

48. Polish journalist Marcin Domagala

3/1/2012

4/1/2012

5/1/2012

6/1/2012

7/1/2012

8/1/2012

McAULEY 12-21687

Monitored by team of observers

Monitored by team of observers (Turkish media delegation)

Part of the delegation

" "

Monitored by team of observers

27/01/12 20 McAULEY 259.12D 12-21687

List of Arab and international media representatives who have entered

Syria since the start of December 2011

1. The United States channel ABC News: Barbara Jill Waters on 3 December.

2. Delegation of various French media outlets including the journalist

Richard Labe´vie`re, working from the Institut Franc¸ais du Proche Orient

(IFPO); Professor Eric Denec, a teacher at IFPO; and Saida Ben Hbeibes,

on 3 December.

3. The Egyptian journalist Sana Al-Said, on 10 December.

4. Abduh Maghribi, editor of the Egyptian newspaper Al-Anba Al-Duwaliyya

on 10 December.

49.

Polish journalist Kornel Sawinski

8/1/2012

50.

VRT Belgian radio network

8/1/2012

51.

Newspaper of the Republic of Egypt and journalist Sayyid Husayn Abdul`al

8/1/2012

52.

Sole 24 Italian newspaper and journalist Alberto Negri

9/1/2012

Monitored by team of observers

53.

Italian-Arab Centre and Lebanese journalist Talal Khreis

9/1/2012

Monitored by team of observers

54.

La Vie French magazine

10/1/2012

55.

Bild Zeitung German newspaper and journalist

10/1/2012

56.

EFE official Spanish news agency and journalist Javier Rodri´guez

10/1/2012

Monitored by team of observers

57.

CBC Canadian broadcasting network and Canadian journalist Susan Ormiston

10/1/2012

Monitored by team of observers

58.

VRT Belgian television and journalist Rudi Vranckx

10/1/2012

59.

American CBS News network and British journalist Elizabeth Palmer

11/1/2012

60.

Iranian journalist Mostafa Afzalzadeh

11/1/2012

61.

British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) News, International news

department and journalist Timothy Whewell

11/1/2012

62.

Czech TV: Jan Molacek and Martin Bobin

12/1/2012

Monitored by team of observers

63.

Asahi Shimbun Japanese newspaper, editor

13/1/2012

Monitored by team of observers

64.

Sky News network and British journalist Jeremy Thompson

13/1/2012

Monitored by team of observers

65.

Voice of America radio and television network: American journalist

Elizabeth Arrott

13/1/2012

Monitored by team of observers

66.

Financial Times newspaper and British journalist Abigail Fielding-Smith

14/1/2012

Monitored by team of observers

67.

Los Angeles Times newspaper and journalist Alexandra Zavis

14/1/2012

Monitored by team of observers

27/01/12 21 McAULEY

259.12D

12-21687

5. Muhammad Al-Fawwal, deputy editor of the newspaper Al-Gumhuriyya, on

10 December. 6. Ilham Al-Maliji, press journalist and analyst, 10

December. 7. Muhammad Mahmud Al-Sayyid of the newspaper Al-Ahram, 10

December. 8. Nura Khalaf, deputy editor of the magazine Hurriyyati, 10

December.

9. Muhammad Said Galal, deputy editor of Akhbar Al-Yawm (Egypt), 10

December. 10. Muhsin Abdulaziz of Al-Ahram, 10 December. 11. Laarbi

Usama Al-Dalil, head of the international section, Al-Ahram, 10

December. 12. A yman Al-Sisi, Al-Ahram, 10 December.

13. Y asir Mishali, deputy editor of Ruz Al-Y usif, 10 December.

14. Rami Al-Maliji of the newspaper Al-Yawm Al-Sabi`, 10 December.

15. Shadiya Ahmad Al-Husri of the Kuwaiti newspaper Al-Ra'y, 10 December.

16. Lenka Ardnas?ova, editor of the Slovak newspaper Extra Plus, 11 December.

17. Robert Kolisek of the State publication Tasar, 11 December.

18. Peter Durkovic, a journalist specializing in the Middle East, 11

December.

19. Filip Fosfic´, editor for Slovak television, 11 December.

20. Martin Kubala of the Slovak channel JOV, 11 December.

21. Josef Durica, editor of a weekly magazine, 11 December.

22. Andrea Emkova, a journalist who publishes in the State media, 11

December.

23. German radio and television, 12 December.

24. Makoto Sasaki of the Japanese network Fuji, 13 December.

25. Joerg Ambruster, Friedre Meissner and Heiko Viehl of the German

television channel ARD, 15 December.

26. Dietmar Ossenberg of the German television channel ZDF, 15 December.

27. Takeshi Tsuchiya of the Japanese news agency Kyodo , on 15 December.

28. Giuseppe Bonavolonta` of the Italian television channel RAI, 16

December. 29. Sara Firth of the English-language channel Russia Today,

17 December.

30. Mariana Belenkaya of the Arabic-language Russian channel Rusiya

Al-Yawm, 17 December.

31.

the 32. 33. 34. 35.

Annalisa Rapana` of the Italian news agency ANSA, 18 December.

The Chinese delegation is composed of 14 journalists from various news

outlets and entered region on 19 December:

Zhou Hu, correspondent for Travel News Weekly. Tao Haibin, editor of

Global Travel Magazine. Li Wei, editor of Wings of China Magazine. Liu

Qiang, editor of Wings of China Magazine.

27/01/12 22 259.12D

36. Lin Haidong, editor of Wang Jia Travel. 37. Zau Yinghao, editor of

Wang Jia Travel. 38. Zau Qi, editor of Shanghai Media Group. 39. Jin

Song, editor of Shanghai Media Group. 40. Bao Gang, editor of Shanghai

Media Group. 41. Yu Meug, editor of Century Business Herald. 42. Ruan

Yuhong, editor of the website Blashe 43. Ho Y anguang, editor of China Y

outh Daily. 44. Qiu Xiaoyu, editor of Chinese international radio. 45.

Bao Limin, editor of Youth Reference News.

McAULEY 12-21687

46. Yuta Furukawa of the Japanese channel TBS, on 19 December. 47. Zheng

Kaijun, Li Muzi and Li Jia of the Chinese news agency Xinhua, on 20

December. 48. The French news agency AFP on 20 December. 49. Pierre

Piccinin, Belgian author and journalist, entered the region on 27

December. 50. Tao Shigeki of the Japanese newspaper Yomiuri, 26

December. 51. Firas Hatoum, Sa`duddin Al-Rifa`i and Ali Sha`ban of the

channel Al-Jadid, 27 December, 52. Algerian national television, on 30

December. 53. Algerian national radio, 30 December. 54. Algerian news

agency, 30 December. 55. Hiroaki Wada of the Japanese newspaper

Mainichi, 1 January 2012. 56. The Japanese channel TBS, 3 January. 57.

Italian State television, 3 January. 58. Herve´ Degal, French journalist,

3 January. 59. BBC News Arabic, 3 January. 60. Correspondents for the

Japanese newspaper Asahi Shimbun, 3 January. 61. The Austrian journalist

Antonia Rados for the German television channel RTL, 4 January. 62.

Fritz Orter of the Austrian radio and television network ORF, 4 January.

63. Jørgen Lohne of the Norwegian newspaper Aftenposten, 5 January. 64.

The Turkish newspaper Milli Gazete, 5 January. 65. The Turkish channel

TV5, 5 January. 66. The Turkish newspaper Milliyet, 5 January. 67. The

Turkish news agency I?hlas, 5 January. 68. The Turkish newspaper Vatan, 5

January. 69. The Turkish newspaper Aks¸am, 5 January.

27/01/12 23 259.12D

70. The Turkish newspaper Vakit, 5 January. 71. The newspaper Y eni

S¸afak, 5 January. 72. The Turkish English-language newspaper Today's

Zaman, 5 January. 73. The Turkish television channel KON, 5 January. 74.

The Turkish newspaper Hu¨rriyet, 5 January. 75. The Turkish newspaper

Star, 5 January. 76. The Turkish website Haber Tu¨rk, 5 January. 77. The

Turkish channel STV, 5 January 2011. 78. The Turkish newspaper Yeni

Asya, 5 January. 79. The Turkish newspaper Bugu¨n, 5 January. 80. The

Turkish newspaper So¨zgu¨, 5 January. 81. The Turkish newspaper

Cumhuriyet, 5 January. 82. Ian Black of the UK newspaper The Guardian, 5

January. 83. Yujiru Futori of the Japanese State television NHK, 6

January. 84. The journalist Dimitri of the Russian press delegation, 6

January. 85. The British journalist Dominic Robertson of CNN, 8 January.

86. Oscar Fernando Go´mez of Spanish State television, 8 January. 87. The

French television channel FR2, 7 January. 88. The Swiss publication

Hebdo, 7 January. 89. Firas Hatoum of the Lebanese channel Al-Jadid, 7

January. 90. The British journalist Elizabeth Cocker, 8 January. 91. The

Russian journalist Boris Dolgov, 8 January. 92. The Polish journalist

Marcin Domalaga, 8 January. 93. The Polish journalist Mateusz Piskorski,

8 January. 94. The Polish journalist Kornel Sawinski, 8 January. 95. The

Belgian radio VRT, 8 January. 96. Sayyid Husayn Abdul`al of the Egyptian

newspaper Al-Gumhuriyya, 8 January. 97. Alberto Negri of the Italian

newspaper Il Sole 24 Ore, 9 January. 98. The Lebanese journalist Talal

Khreis of the Italian-Arab Centre, 9 January. 99. The French magazine La

Vie, 10 January. 100. Julian Reichelt of the German newspaper Bild

Zeitung, 10 January. 101. Javier Rodri´guez of the Spanish State news

agency EFE, 10 January. 102. Susan Ormiston of the Canadian radio and

television network CBC, 10 January. 103. Rudi Vranckx of the Belgian

television channel VRT, 10 January.

McAULEY 12-21687

27/01/12 24 259.12D

McAULEY 12-21687

List of Arab and international media granted accreditation for the

region since 1 January who have yet to enter the country:

1. Kazuhide Iketaki of the Japanese agency Jiji Press, 26 December 2011.

2. Kazayuki Bandok, Head of office and correspondent for the newspaper

Hokkaido Shimbun, accompanied by the Egyptian journalist Mahmud `Id

Mahmud, 26 December.

3. Enrique Rubio of the Spanish agency EFE, 27 December.

4. Salwa Al-Khatib, correspondent for Press TV, 9 December.

5. Jon Anderson, correspondent for the magazine The New Yorker, 28 December.

6. Jeremy Bowen of the BBC, 9 December.

7. Roel Maria Geeraedts of the Dutch channel RTL4, 27 December.

8. Paul Jørgensen of the Norwegian channel TV2, 28 December.

9. William Spindle of the Wall Street Journal, 27 December.

10. Hristo Petrov of the independent news agency Trinity M, 27 December.

11. The Algerian newspaper Al-Khabar, 24 December.

12. The US television channel NBC, 26 December.

13. Vidal Dominguez of the Cuban station Radio Habana, 9 December.

14. Tomas Avenarius of the German newspaper Su¨ddeutsche Zeitung, 9 December.

15. The Argentinean journalist Karen Maro´n, who is currently working for

French international radio and the Colombian press, 26 December.

16. Fausto Biloslavo of the newspaper Il Giornale, 28 December. 17.

Turutumita Wakishi Tumura of the Japanese television channel Nippon, 1

January 2012. 18. The Arabic-language Russian channel Rusiya Al-Yawm, 1

January. 19. The English-language channel Russia Today, 1 January. 20.

The Spanish-language Russian station, 1 January. 21. The American author

Charles M. Glass, 7 January.

104. 105. 106. 107. 108. 109. 110. 111. 112. Alexandra Zavis of the

newspaper Los Angeles Times, 14 January.

Elizabeth Palmer of the US channel CBS News, 11 January. The Iranian

journalist Mostafa Afzalzadeh, 11 January. Tim Whewell of BBC News,

international section, 11 January. Jan Molacek and Martin Bubin of Czech

television, 12 January. The editor of the Japanese newspaper Asahi

Shimbun, 13 January. The British journalist Jeremy Thompson of the

channel Sky News, 13 January. Elizabeth Arrot of Voice of America radio

and television, 13 January.

Abigail Fielding-Smith of the British newspaper Financial Times, 14 January.

27/01/12 25 259.12D

22. Alexandra Zavis of the Los Angeles Times, 7 January. 23. Alice

Fordham of the Washington Post, 7 January. 24. Arwa Damon of CNN, 7

January. 25. The American journalist Ayman Mohyeldin of NBC News Cairo,

8 January. 26. The journalist Jorg Armbruster of the German channel ARD.

27. The American journalist Kareem Fahim of the New York Times, 8

January. 28. The British journalist and academic James Harkin, 8

January. 29. The Chinese journalist Li Lianxing of the newspaper China

Daily, 12 January. 30. Karim Al-Jawhari of the Austrian channel ORF, 12

January.

McAULEY 12-21687

31. Toshihiro Fuji of the Japanese channel NHK, 12 January. 32. Wang Chu

of the Chinese news agency Xinhua, 12 January. 33. Abigail

Fielding-Smith of the Financial Times, 12 January. 34. Claudie Abi Hanna

of the Lebanese channel Al-Hurra, 12 January. 35. Michael Robert Peel of

the Financial Times, 12 January 2012. 36. Jan Eikelboom of Dutch

television, 12 January. 37. Ahmad Jadullah Hasan Salem and Maryam

Qar`uni of the agency Roberts, 13 January.

27/01/12 26 McAULEY 259.12D 12-21687

Annex III Names of observers who withdrew from the League of Arab States

Observer Mission

Name

1 Muhammad Husayn Umar

2 Anwar Abdulmalik

3 Muhammad bin Yusuf Al-

Nafati

4 Ahmad Abdullah

Muhamamd Abdullah

5 Abdulhamid Al-Wali

6 Jamal Hamid Barakat

7 Nabil Abdulmuhsin

Hasan Al- Shalabi

8 Haidi Ali Muhammad

Al-Tayyib

9 Ibrahim Abdullah Al-

Sulayman

10 Karim Abdulmuhsin

Hasan Al- Shalabi

11 Manina bint Muhammad

Salim

12 Hisham Bnay`ish

13 Isam Abdulrahman

14 Muhammad Salim

Nationality

Djibouti

Algeria

Tunisia

Egypt

Morocco

Field team

Comments

Qatar Charity

Arab Human Rights Organization

Comments

Departed

Egypt

Saudi

Egypt

Arabia

Homs

Idlib

Hama

Homs

Deraa

Mauritania

Morocco

Sudan

United Arab

Damascus

Deraa

Departed

27/01/12 27 McAULEY 259.12D 12-21687

Muhammad Rashid Al- Ka`bi

Emirates

Yahya Abdulmuhsin Al-`Itabi

Iraq

Deraa

Arab Human Rights Organization

Left without the Mission's permission and at his own expense

Isam Mansur Muhammad Miqdad

Jordan

Coordinator

Arab Committee on Human Rights

Departed

Muhammad Uthman Al- Sudairi

Tunisia

Aleppo

Departed

Sabr Al- Rawashida

Jordan

Aleppo

Departed

Jalal bin Ibrahim Al- Sanusi

Tunisia

Idlib

Departed

Muhammad bin Husayn bin Yusuf

Tunisia

Idlib

Departed

Muhammad Salah Ali Shawar

Egypt

Idlib

Egyptian National Council on Human Rights

Departed

Hadi Al-Yami

Saudi Arabia

Committee on detainees

Arab Committee on Human Rights

Special leave for five days

27/01/12 28 McAULEY 259.12D 12-21687

Vehicle fleet League of Arab States Observer Mission to Syria

N o.

Count ry

Land Cruiser

Mercedes

Nissan

Cadillac

Tot al

Rema rks

Armou red

Regu lar

Armou red

Regu lar

Armou red

Regul ar

Armou red

Regu lar

Iraq

23 armour ed

Qatar

4 (Toyo ta)

15 g armour ed

Saudi Arabi a

Unite d Arab Emira tes

Total armoured vehicles

27/01/12 29 McAULEY 259.12D 12-21687

Appendix IV Vehicles used by the League of Arab States Observer Mission

to Syria

No. Country

Make Plate number armoured

Sector Remarks

Deraa

Homs (b)

Banyas

Hama

Idlib

Suwaida

Damascus Ready for deploy

Qamishli

Damascus Ready for deploy

Damascus countryside

Regular/ Type

1 Qatar

2 Qatar

3 Qatar

4 Qatar

5 Qatar

6 Qatar

7 Qatar

8 Qatar

9 Qatar

10 Qatar

11 Saudi

12 Saudi

13 Saudi

14 Saudi

15 Saudi

Land Cruiser 2192

Land Cruiser 2193

Land Cruiser 2194

Land Cruiser 2195

Land Cruiser 2196

Land Cruiser 2197

Land Cruiser 2198

Land Cruiser 2199

Land Cruiser 2201

Cadillad 2212

Regular 4x4

Armoured 4x4

Arabia

GMS 2231 Armoured 4x4 Homs

GMS 2232 Armoured 4x4 Homs

GMS 2233 Armoured 4x4 Qamishli

GMS 2234 Armoured 4x4 Hama

GMS 2235 Armoured 4x4 Tadmur

16 United Arab Emirates

17 United Arab Emirates

18 United Arab Emirates

19 United Arab Emirates

20 United Arab Emirates

21 United Arab Emirates

22 Iraq

23 Iraq

24 Iraq

25 Iraq

26 Iraq

27 Iraq

28 Iraq

Nissan 2214

Nissan 2215

Nissan 2216

Nissan 2217

Nissan 2222

Nissan 2223

Mercedes 2202

Mercedes 2203

Mercedes 2204

Mercedes 2205

Mercedes 2206

Mercedes 2207

Mercedes 2208

Regular 4x4

Armoured Station wagon

Latakia Inoperable

Latakia

Qamishli

Latakia Inoperable

Tadmur

Latakia

Homs (a)

Armoured Station wagon countryside

Damascus

Armoured Station wagon

Aleppo

Homs (a)

Suwaida

Deraa

Deir Al-Zor

29 Iraq

Mercedes 2209 Armoured Station Banyas

27/01/12 30 McAULEY 259.12D 12-21687

wagon

Iraq

Mercedes

2210

Armoured

Station wagon

With the team

Iraq

Mercedes

2211

Armoured

Station wagon

Homs (b)

Iraq

Land Cruiser

2224

Armoured

4x4

Latakia

Iraq

Land Cruiser

2225

Armoured

4x4

Damascus

Undergoing maintenance

Iraq

Land Cruiser

2226

Armoured

4x4

Idlib

Iraq

Land Cruiser

2227

Armoured

4x4

Raqqa and Al-Thawra

Iraq

Land Cruiser

2228

Armoured

4x4

Raqqa and Al-Thawra

Iraq

Land Cruiser

2229

Armoured

4x4

Deir Al-Zor

Iraq

Land Cruiser

2230

Armoured

4x4

Raqqa and Al-Thawra

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