Report: Some Arab observers in Syria declined work, thought trip was for pleasure

[News_Editor]

Report: Some Arab observers in Syria declined work, thought trip was for pleasure

2012-02-01 20:16:49 GMT+7 (ICT)

WASHINGTON, D.C. (BNO NEWS) -- A leaked Arab League report details problems faced by its observer mission in Syria, with some of its members demanding luxurious hotels while others declined to work and thought their trip was for pleasure.

Arab League Secretary-General Nabil el-Araby suspended its observer mission in Syria on Saturday due to an escalation of violence which has left hundreds of people killed in recent weeks. The 166 observers arrived in Syria late last month to verify whether the Syrian regime is taking measures to protect civilians amid a government crackdown on protesters and rebels.

But an internal report obtained and released by American magazine Foreign Policy shows the mission faced serious obstacles. The more than 160 observers, from 13 Arab states and 6 relevant Arab organizations, were distributed across 15 sectors which covered 20 cities and localities.

The Arab League report was partly written by Mustafa Al-Dabi, the chief of the monitoring mission, and details the progress of the mission between December 24 and January 18. It appears to have been written on Friday last week, a day before el-Araby ordered the suspension of the mission.

According to the report, some experts who were nominated were not qualified for the job, did not have prior experience and were not able to shoulder the responsibility. Other observers had personal agendas and underestimated the burden of the responsibility with which they were entrusted, and the importance of giving the Arab interest precedence over personal interests.

"During field work, it was noted that some Observers were not able to face and rise to difficult situations that are an essential part of their responsibilities," the report said. "Some of the Observers who partook in the Mission are old, and some suffer health conditions that prevent them from fulfilling their duties."

The report also notes that at least 22 observers declined fulfillment of their mission for personal reasons while others used 'flimsy pretexts' which were not accepted by the Chief of Mission. Some also failed to honor their commitments and contacted officials in their countries, providing an exaggerated assessment of events on the ground and painting a 'very gloomsy picture,' causing misunderstanding and a faulty assessment.

"Some Observers in the Sectors demand accommodations comparable to those granted to their counterparts in Damascus, or equal financial compensation as a result of the ratings of the hotels in which they were accommodated," the report details. "Absent this, they requested to stay in Damascus which a fact (sic) that does not even warrant a comment."

Al-Dabi commented that these issues negatively impacted some of the observers, although he described the performance of many observers as excellent. "Regrettably, some Observers thought that their visit to Syria was for pleasure," he wrote in the report. "They were taken by surprise in view of the prevailing circumstances, their assignment to various Sectors, their confinement to stations away from the capital and other unexpected difficulties they faced."

The mission chief added: "Some Observers lacked knowledge about the region and its geography. [..] Provocations by the Opposition or Loyalists to the regime also adversely affected some of the Observers. [but] despite all of the above, the performance of many Observers was excellent and deserves to be commended and appreciated."

However, the mission also faced other obstacles. The report indicates the Syrian government put in place a 'tight strategy' to limit the mission's access to core areas and keeping observers occupied with issues of concern to the government. "The Mission resisted this approach, and reacted in a manner that guaranteed the fulfillment of its tasks as envisaged," according to the report.

Another problem was the difficult communication and a lack of vehicles for transportation. Phones and other means of communication which were the property of the observers were withheld at the Jordanian borders and, despite being given ten satellite phones which had trouble receiving signals, members were forced to use regular phone lines and faxes which are unsecure.

The mission also faced a hostile media campaign, exaggerating events to the extent of distorting the truth. "This type of fabricated news stories increased tensions among the ranks of the Syrian people, and prompted some to undermine the reputation of the Mission and its Chief and try to abort its mandate," according to the report, which said some comments attributed to mission officials were fabricated.

As the report was written just before the suspension of the mission, it asks the Arab League to send 100 additional observers which are young and have a military background. It also requests 30 armored vehicles, light protective vests, vehicle-mounted cameras, modern communication equipment and day and night vision binoculars.

Syria has been part of the wider Arab Spring movement which began in early 2011 and has been riddled by violence ever since. Pro-democracy demonstrations have spread across the country since mid-March, resulting in a fierce government crackdown which has left at least 5,400 people killed. UNICEF has said at least 384 children are among those killed.

Unrest has also spread to Damascus which was the scene of three deadly suicide bombings in recent weeks. At least 26 people were killed and more than 60 others were injured when a suicide bomber blew himself up near a school in the al-Midan neighborhood of Damascus on January 6. It followed two suicide bombings which targeted Syrian government buildings on December 23, killing 44 people and injuring 166.

Earlier this month, the ruling Emir of the State of Qatar, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al Thani, said he would be in favor of Arab troops being sent into Syria in order to stop the bloodshed. "For such a situation to stop the killing ... some troops should go to stop the killing," he told CBS News in an interview. The Syrian government said it rejects any plans to send Arab troops into the country, saying it would only 'aggravate' the situation and 'open the door' for foreign interference.

The Syrian government has repeatedly claimed that violent acts against protesters have been carried out by 'terrorists dressed as soldiers,' although international observers have rejected these claims. Syrian President Bashar al-Assad previously admitted that mistakes were made, but claimed protesters were no longer being targeted.

-- © BNO News All rights reserved 2012-02-01

[Steely Dan]

A leaked Arab League report details problems faced by its observer mission in Syria, with some of its members demanding luxurious hotels while others declined to work and thought their trip was for pleasure.

Who goes to Syria for pleasure? This news item is a classic, I couldn't have devised anything myself to make them look worse than they are portrayed here. Perhaps the next time the Arab league sends in observers it should also send in a second set of observers to observe the first set.

[geriatrickid]

I don't see the report negatively. Anyone with even a basic understanding of the various national quirks and behaviours will have a good idea as to where alot of the lazy delegates came from. I'm willing to wager that some of the better performances were turned in by a few Tunisians, Morroccans and Algerians.

As a side note, General Al-Dabi, is considered to be a close advisor of Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir. And Al Bashir is an alleged war criminal with a warrant for his arrest issued by the International Criminal Court. Perhaps some people will recognize the Al Daabi name from his adventures in Darfur. He was implicated in the creation of the Janjaweed paramilitaries that were implicated in the Darfur genocide. Hardly the most appropriate man to lead the mission to Syria.