Cairo (dpa) – A Syrian government official on Wednesday called on Arab League observers to show “neutrality and professionalism” while inspecting President Bashar al-Assad's compliance with a peace plan to end his 10-month crackdown on popular protests. “Syria is betting on the impartiality and professionalism in the work of the Arab League monitors,” Syrian Foreign Ministry spokesman Jihad Makdisi was quoted as saying by the pan-Arab newspaper Al Hayat. He added that the relationship between his government and Arab League observer mission was based on “coordination, and far from bureaucracy.” “We are providing everything necessary to facilitate the League's mission because its success in highlighting realities in the country is in the interest of Syria,” said Makdisi. An Arab League committee on Syria is due to meet on Saturday in Cairo to assess reports by the monitors about the situation in five restive provinces they visited last week. Syrian opposition leaders have cast doubt that the Arab League mission will bring an end to the violence. The 22-member bloc sent its first team of observers in Syria in late December. The United Nations says more than 5,000 people have been killed since mid-March. BM ShortURL: http://goo.gl/YkJY3 Tags: Arab League, Observers, Violence Section: Latest News, Syria
